08/31/21 – 2021 Bylaw 9 Reminder

August 31, 2021 Athletic Department Blog Updates

While there will be an Annual Meeting proposal from the Board regarding Bylaw 9, the provisions remain in place for 2021-22. Please forward as necessary. It is imperative that there be good communication within each school and school system prior to the Annual Meeting as this rule and any revisions will be decided by the member schools.

As out-of-season fall basketball events continue being held, member school administrators must watch the outside activity of students who have previously been on high school basketball teams and keep those athletes informed to prevent violations.

Bylaw 9, Sec. 1(a)(1) (https://bit.ly/325L5ej) states that athletes who have previously BOTH been enrolled in grade nine and then subsequently represented a KHSAA member school in a contest as defined in Bylaw 23(3)(d) may not play in an organized basketball game from the first day of classes for the student body through the first day of practice (October 15).

Bylaw 9, Sec. 1(a)(2) lists the two exceptions for males, and Bylaw 9, Sec. 1(a)(3) lists the two exceptions for females. While these exceptions refer to the speculative possibility of NAIA and NCAA Division III recruiting calendars, such do not currently exist. Therefore the NCAA Division I and II calendars prevail and are utilized.

These provisions state (for boys) –

(2) Permissible competition by males during this period shall include:

a. only those camps that are held on the campus of an NCAA or NAIA member institution or conducted by a single NCAA or NAIA member institution within a 100-mile radius of the NCAA or NAIA member institution’s campus, when the only available coaches in attendance for evaluation are the employed coaches of that institution; and

b. attendance at a one-day exposure event during the period beginning with the first date of the NCAA men’s recruiting period (contact and evaluation periods) and through October 14 and only for events solely funded by the student and his family that cannot extend over multiple days.

• In subsection (b), the key is to ensure that the events last only one day and are during a contact or evaluation (recruiting) period. For example, an event held each week for only one day is not a one-day event. The change enacted by the delegates intended to allow for legitimate, one-day events, not an opportunity to play in outside leagues. The office is receiving many inquiries on this provision, and it is important that the members properly inform the students.
• The second key aspect is the dates. For boys who are subject to Bylaw 9 to attend these events in 2021, per the NCAA calendars for Division I and II, those dates are September 7 to October 14. The NCAA Division I and II calendars vary slightly, but this window of time is permitted. Athletes should be encouraged to be aware of this calendar and know that events outside these dates are not permitted under Bylaw 9.
• The complete Men’s NCAA Division I Calendar for 2021-2022 is listed at:
  • https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/compliance/recruiting/calendar/2021-22/2021-22D1Rec_MBBRecruitingCalendar.pdf
• The complete Men’s NCAA Division II Calendar for 2021-2022 is listed at:
  • https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/compliance/recruiting/calendar/2021-22/2021-22D2REC_MBBCalendar.pdf

These provisions state (for girls) –

(3) Permissible competition by females during this period shall include:

a. permitted evaluations held at nonscholastic women’s basketball events during contact periods designated for permissible evaluation by NCAA coaches.

b. attendance at a one-day exposure event during the period beginning with the first date of the NCAA women’s recruiting period (contact and evaluation periods) and through October 14 and only for events solely funded by the student and her family that cannot extend over multiple days.

• Though the exceptions are slightly different due to differences in the NCAA men’s and women’s recruiting calendar and definitions, the fundamental principles are the same.
• The same concerns exist for the exception for girls’ basketball as are detailed above regarding one-day events.
• The second key aspect is the dates. For girls who are subject to Bylaw 9 to attend these events in 2021, per the NCAA calendars for Division I and II, those dates are September 7 to October 14. The NCAA Division I and II calendars vary slightly, but this window of time is permitted. Athletes should be encouraged to be aware of this calendar and know that events outside these dates are not permitted under Bylaw 9.
• The complete Women’s NCAA Division I Calendar for 2021-2022 is listed at:
  • https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/compliance/recruiting/calendar/2021-22/2021-22D1Rec_WBBRecruitingCalendar.pdf
• The complete Women’s NCAA Division II Calendar for 2021-2022 is listed at:
  • https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/compliance/recruiting/calendar/2021-22/2021-22D2REC_WBBCalendar.pdf

There will be a proposal on the Annual Meeting agenda in 2021 to adjust these provisions. However, Bylaw 9 as printed remains in force for the fall of 2021. Feel free to address questions about the Bylaw in general to the Commissioner (jtackett@khsaa.org) for interpretation. If you have a question about the applicability of the Bylaw to a specific student regarding a specific event, contact Darren Bilberry (dbilberry@khsaa.org).

– KHSAA –

The KHSAA staff routinely publishes blog posts to better communicate with its various constituencies and the public. For a list of those blogs, go to http://khsaa.org/news-stats-pubs/sports-blogs/.