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September 16, 2011

TO:  High School Principals and Athletic Administrators

FR:  Dan Ross, OHSAA Commissioner

RE:  Compliance With Sports Regulation 3, Penalties for Failure to Acquire Pupil

         Activity/Coaching Permit

As you know, for years an OHSAA bylaw has been in place, which requires all paid and volunteer coaches to meet all criteria established by the State Board of Education. In the last few years, the criteria for obtaining a Pupil Activity/Coaching Permit (PAP) has included completion of the National Federation of State High School Association’s Fundamentals of Coaching course.

At its May 12, 2011, meeting, the OHSAA Board of Directors approved new General Sports Regulation 3, Penalties for Failure to Acquire the Pupil Activity/Coaching Permit. What the new regulation says is that: 1.) Coaches who do not possess the PAP will not be permitted to coach at any level at an OHSAA member school; 2.) High schools will submit on the OHSAA Tournament Entry Form the name of each board-approved coach along with the PAP number, and 3.) Any high school coach who does not possess the PAP at the first level of the tournament will not be permitted to coach at any level of the tournament until such time that the PAP is obtained and verification of such is provided to the OHSAA. The new regulation also provides authority for our office to perform random audits throughout the year to ensure coaches have the proper credentials. Additionally, there is authority for the OHSAA to fine schools that have not complied with the bylaw $250 per coach.

To ensure wide communication of this regulation, the information was included in the May Board of Directors Meeting Highlights that are emailed to the membership immediately following each Board of Directors meeting, the May Board of Directors Meeting Minutes that are distributed via email and posted on the OHSAA website and via the 2011-12 OHSAA Handbook in the General Sports Regulations section on pages 60 and 61.

With this in mind, please remember that when you fill out the OHSAA Tournament Entry Form (and cross country has an online entry procedure), you are required to include the name(s) of all persons coaching your school during its participation in that particular OHSAA tournament. Along with the name(s), you also are required to list the State I.D. Number/License Number for each coach. Please note this is a clarification from original Sports Regulation 3. We are requesting the State I.D. Number/License Number and NOT the PAP Permit Number (listed as Form No. on the Pupil Activity Supervisor Permit). As additional points of information, the License Number that appears on the Pupil Activity Supervisor Permit is the same as the State I.D. Number which appears on the Ohio Department of Education website when viewing a coach’s credentials. Also, this number usually begins with two letters.

If you need assistance finding the State I.D. Number/License Number of your coach(es), access the Ohio Department of Education’s public interface for professional licenses by going to www.education.ohio.gov, then clicking on the “Educator Profile” link under the
“Educators” section.

Thank you for your attention to this matter!

### OHSAA ###