IHSA Handbook Page 12: "Skill of the sport — Those basic physical actions, techniques and procedures that have been determined by the IHSA Board of Directors to be essential to the sport. Following is a listing of interscholastic sports and the skill(s) of each sport for which IHSA maintains a season as determined by the Board of Directors: ... Cross Country — Running any distance on any surface other than a track. ... Soccer — Any dribbling, passing, throw-ins, kicks, shooting, heading, tackling, or goal keeping using or simulating the use of a soccer ball, or any other equipment used in playing the game of soccer. ..."
So during the XC season a track-only event (Penn Relays, etc) would be OK. But a trail run, ultra, or charity 1k for starving orphan kittens would not.
For soccer, no indoor soccer or futsal tournament would work.
Someone made another thread for this, and I saw that he wasn’t in the top 7 on his team. Plus, he’s only a freshman so he got 3 more years.
It shouldn’t be that big of a deal, but it’s a good lesson for him, his family, and his coaches to learn so that this situation doesn’t happen when he does become a senior and makes the top 7
What exactly is the 'good lesson'?
Be a good little rule follower no matter how stupid the rules are.
Does this nonsense apply to HS swimming also? I can't imagine a swimmer not participating in club (USA Swimming sanctioned) meets. Around here top swimmers only show up to meets for the HS team. They're basically doing a favor for the school.
This is an utterly laughable rule. Especially now. HS sports are changing and becoming less relevant by the day. Swimming, lax, tennis, golf, even baseball/softball/basketball are becoming club first (or have long been club first) and the HS team is a lesser priority that some don't even bother with. With their "seasons" so unrealistically defined, HSs cannot do any actual training or development of athletes, especially established athletes in a given sport.
Anyway, IL, get with the program, you're embarrassing yourself and hastening the irrelevancy and end of HS sports.
Someone made another thread for this, and I saw that he wasn’t in the top 7 on his team. Plus, he’s only a freshman so he got 3 more years.
It shouldn’t be that big of a deal, but it’s a good lesson for him, his family, and his coaches to learn so that this situation doesn’t happen when he does become a senior and makes the top 7
Its a stupid rule
The world is full of rules that exist to catch people (a game), not have an actual purpose. My HS won the state hockey championship only to lose it because of some kid played in a tournament during the summer. Who benefits from these dumb rules? We have girl right now who would have won at least 2 state championships at States for track, but was barred because her school didn't have the minimum number of athletes to be considered for Regionals. BUT, she could race other meets, just not regionals or states! Tail wagging the dog. Bad adults!! Bad! Meets not allowing club runners to run (home school, charter school, special needs schools...) because they are afraid of being shown up. Bad adults. Kids are kids, they should run, unless they are on PEDs.
This fall I tried signing up a few of my club runners for one of the biggest meets in the country (in Ohio), the director was all good until he saw 2 of my kids PRs (best in the field), then told me they had to run in the JV race. Know why? Because parents will complain. Bad adults!
Kudos to the directors who allow all comers!
This post was edited 1 minute after it was posted.
such dumb laws. what this kid decides to do outside of school and cross country practice is his choice. he didn't break any laws. the only "problem" with this kid's actions is that wasting unnecessary energy in this race could affect his fitness and workouts, but that is between him and the coach, not the state or any type of running government.
It is not a "law". It is a high school association rule likely to prevent kids from overdoing sports during a season. I looked at Colorado, looks like CHSAA allows for this if the principal signs off on it. Interesting compromise.
A HS runner from Illinois competed in a 5K road race to benefit a hospital that had recently treated his little sister. Illinois apparently has a rule that a runner cannot compete in any "non-school events" during the season. As a result, he is being banned from competing the rest of the season. The runner is autistic and running is his outlet. I understand it violates the rule but it seems ridiculous to me to ban him for the season over this. The rule needs to be rewritten.
This has been the rule in Illinois since at least the 1980s, if not longer. When I was in high school in the early 1990s, there was a very good runner from a nearby school who ended up being All-State. He ran in a popular 10 mile road race during the season and won his age group. I remember asking my coach if he was allowed to run in this race and my coach told me that it was against the rules. My coach suggested I could report him for a rule violation, but I didn’t want to do that myself as it seems very petty. I wonder how often this rule has actually been applied as I have no doubt that many other kids have violated this rule over the years with no repercussions.
He agreed to the rules. Life is full of choices with consequences.
While I get the sentiment, was he even aware of this rule? It seems like a lot to ask of a freshman to know every IHSAA participation rule. His coach might, but maybe his coach had no idea he was going to do it.
It seems like a better punishment is to require him to sit out the next meet for a first time violation. An entire season seems extreme.
This rule was in place when I was in high school in Illinois in the 7'0's. Back then we race we often - at a minimum on Tuesday and Saturday there was no reason to even contemplate the rule. I am certain though if I showed up at a local race in season I would have been stopped.
By whom???
Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Is the race director going to stop you? He/she likely does not know the rule either and also not his/her concern really.
The ncaa has lost law suit after law suit. Someone needs to start filing suit against high school associations that limit competition opportunities for high school kids
I think these two are very different things. Maybe there could be a successful suit over transfer rules, but I doubt a court would get into this. Under what legal principle? NCAA loses almost all have been anti-trust issues.
Michigan had or maybe still does have the same arcane rule. I am too lazy to look and see if Michigan still has the same rule.
Illinois can easily get ride of this rule. The damage they have done to themselves given this specific situation should cause rapid change or rapid firing of the administrators.
I looked at Colorado and the rule allows for it if the principal signs off on it.
I think there is some good intent here: keep kids from being over competed. It is not the worst rule, but the punishment seems extreme. I would say for a first offense the athlete is suspended from the next schedule competition. Second offense could be not allowed to compete at sectionals/regionals/state or whatever.
I think it's to encourage high schoolers to do multiple sports and not the same sport year-round?
If that's the rationale, (a) it's dumb - forcing people not to do what they want is not the same as encouraging them to do something different, and (b) it's (potentially at least) discriminatory. Some neurodiverse people can't cope with team sports, or ball sports, or just get into their thing, whether it's running or whatever, and that's what they want to do.
That does not do that even since it applies to in season.
This rule exists across all sports in IHSA and the policy is applied uniformly across all of those sports, 'in that given sport or in any competition that involves the skill of the sport in question'. This rule is communicated to all teams by their coaches, and is readily documented, and there are mechanisms for exemptions... if you ask first rather than violate the rule and then beg for forgiveness.
Folks are focusing only on this special needs child and his charity 5K. This rule also applies to an extremely affluent soccer squad that could enter into travel soccer tournaments in other states to get more experience against high level competition.
The rationale for the rule includes: 1. Fair Competition: By restricting outside competition, it helps ensure that all athletes on the team have equal opportunities to develop their skills and compete for playing time.
2. Injury Prevention: Excessive competition can increase the risk of injuries, which could negatively impact the athlete's performance and participation in school sports. Many kids don't know when they're overdoing it. Over-training is already enough of a problem, this opens up over-competing.
3. Focus on Academics: High school athletics are meant to complement the educational experience. Limiting outside commitments can help athletes prioritize their studies and maintain a healthy balance between academics and sports.
4. Team Unity: Participating in school-sanctioned events promotes team cohesion and a sense of belonging.
School coaches provide guidance, training, and support to athletes. Limiting outside competition helps ensure that athletes are receiving proper instruction and supervision.
In the specific case of running, pure-track runs are considered separate than XC, and as such one could run the other flavor of event 'in season'. This opens up road events during the track season for example. I'm not sure I agree, given the 'skill' in question has about 99% overlap, but this does provide additional flexibility.
I am in line with this rationale. I do think the punishment was overly harsh. Suspend for next competition for first offense instead.
how does this even violate the rule? A road race is not the same thing as a cross-country race. So a high school soccer player would be disqualified from playing soccer by competing in a road race too? Someone please post the exact language of the rule if you have it handy.
I think a road race and a XC race are similar enough (same distance). The soccer kid could run a 5K since that is not the sport he/she is competing in.
The world is full of rules that exist to catch people (a game), not have an actual purpose. My HS won the state hockey championship only to lose it because of some kid played in a tournament during the summer. Who benefits from these dumb rules? We have girl right now who would have won at least 2 state championships at States for track, but was barred because her school didn't have the minimum number of athletes to be considered for Regionals. BUT, she could race other meets, just not regionals or states! Tail wagging the dog. Bad adults!! Bad! Meets not allowing club runners to run (home school, charter school, special needs schools...) because they are afraid of being shown up. Bad adults. Kids are kids, they should run, unless they are on PEDs.
This fall I tried signing up a few of my club runners for one of the biggest meets in the country (in Ohio), the director was all good until he saw 2 of my kids PRs (best in the field), then told me they had to run in the JV race. Know why? Because parents will complain. Bad adults!
Kudos to the directors who allow all comers!
Work to change a bad rule, but this is not a bad rule. I think the punishment is overly harsh though.
This is a rule in Kansas too. Our coaches tell us the first day of practice and everyone knows about it.
People at my school got really upset when they couldn’t participate in the 9/11 stair climb because it classifies as a race even though it is still a fundraiser. Rules are rules.
Why does this rule exist?
A reason would be to manage the competition load on athletes.
This has been the rule in Illinois since at least the 1980s, if not longer. When I was in high school in the early 1990s, there was a very good runner from a nearby school who ended up being All-State. He ran in a popular 10 mile road race during the season and won his age group. I remember asking my coach if he was allowed to run in this race and my coach told me that it was against the rules. My coach suggested I could report him for a rule violation, but I didn’t want to do that myself as it seems very petty. I wonder how often this rule has actually been applied as I have no doubt that many other kids have violated this rule over the years with no repercussions.
Didn't one of the Torres' who eventually went to Colorado get nailed for violating this rule? It would have been late 90s/early 2000s.
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