Understanding OHSAA Bylaw 4-7-2, 4-7-6 and 4-7-7

The OHSAA receives more inquiries about eligibility in terms of the transfer bylaw than any other aspect of eligibility. The documents found on this page are designed to provide guidance on the subject of transfer eligibility.

The basic transfer bylaw is really quite simple. If a student transfers (changes) high schools at any time after establishing eligibility as a ninth grader (either by attending a school for five days or playing in a fall sport prior to the beginning of school), the student is INELIGIBLE at the new high school for ONE YEAR from the date of enrollment.

Understanding that basic rule is fundamental to dealing with transfer students. Of course, in our society today, students do indeed change schools for various reasons. To deal with those limited scenarios, our members have adopted 12 exceptions, one of which MAY apply to a student who changes high schools. The use of the word MAY is instructive as not all transfer students can meet one of these exceptions and for most of these exceptions, the transfer student is INELIGIBLE until ruled eligible by the Commissioner’s Office.

For a student to avail herself/himself of one of these exceptions action on the part of the member school administrator as well as the OHSAA staff is required. The purpose of this series on the Transfer Bylaw is to provide guidance as to the required action on each of the exceptions.

* Bylaw 4-1-1 Position Statement, July 2011

• Bylaw 4-7-2, Exception 1 - Parents' Bona Fide Move into a New Public School District

• Bylaw 4-7-2, Exception 2 - Change of Legal Custody

• Bylaw 4-7-2, Exception 3 - Bona Fide Change of Residence of a Parent in a Shared Parenting Plan

• Bylaw 4-7-2, Exception 4 - School Closes

• Bylaw 4-7-2, Exception 5 - If the bona fide residence of the student’s parents is annexed to a different school district or consolidated within a school district, the student may be ruled eligible upon transfer to a school in the annexed or consolidated district subject to modification by formal action by the Boards of Education concerned. A copy of such action by Boards of Education must be on file in the Association office before the Commissioner’s office can rule the student eligible.

• Bylaw 4-7-2, Exception 6 - Residential Public High School

• Bylaw 4-7-2, Exception 7 - Non-Public High School

• Bylaw 4-7-2, Exception 8 - Self Supporting Student

• Bylaw 4-7-2, Exception 9 - A student transferred to the State School for the Blind or State School for the Deaf shall be eligible upon enrollment.

• Bylaw 4-7-2, Exception 10 - Home Not Ready for Habitation

• Bylaw 4-7-2, Exception 11 - School Completely Discontinues Sports Programs

• Bylaw 4-7-2, Exception 12 - Domestic Exchange Program

• Bylaw 4-7-4 - Intra-District/System Transfer

• Bylaw 4-7-6 - Intradistrict Transfer

• Bylaw 4-7-7 - Intrasystem Transfer

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