TMSAA Committee Minutes

November 12, 2008

 

 

The Tennessee Middle School Committee met for the first time this school year on November 12^th.  Members in attendance were Chic Nute, Tommy Shelton, Don Freudenthal, Katie O’Brien, Vic King, and Ken Hilliard.

 

Members welcomed Dr. Michael Lowe, Principal at Millington Middle School to the committee.  Dr. Lowe joins the TMSAA Committee representing West Tennessee.  He is replacing Michael Morrison, who retired from the Shelby County School System at the conclusion of the last school year.

 

Committee members were given an updated list of TMSAA member schools and the Areas they have been assigned.  Seven new schools have filed for membership this year.  The committee decided on the appropriate Area for each new school.  To date, we have 308 member schools in the Tennessee Middle School Athletic Association.

 

Committee members were informed that the Legislative Council made a change in the number of contests student-athletes are required to sit out in soccer if they are ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct.  Any student-athlete ejected in soccer for unsportsmanlike conduct must now sit out a minimum of two games at the level in which they were ejected and any other level in which they participate.

 

The committee discussed two major changes in the TSSAA Bylaws as it relates to the playing of an ineligible athlete and ineligible athletes providing false information.  The changes in the TSSAA Bylaws are as follows:

 

Section 11. All rulings on eligibility must be in writing, and the accidental, intentional or other use of ineligible players by a member school shall require that team victories in which the ineligible player participated BE VACATED; and any one or more of these additional actions may be taken:

 

(a) That individual or team records and performances achieved during participation by such ineligibles be vacated or stricken;

 

(b) That team or individual awards earned by such ineligibles be returned to the TSSAA; and

 

(c) That a fine for the playing of an ineligible player be assessed against the school, if deemed necessary.

 

Section 12. If a student is ineligible according to TSSAA rules but is permitted to participate in interscholastic competition contrary to such TSSAA rules but in accordance with the terms of a court restraining order or injunction against his/her school and/or the TSSAA, and that injunction is subsequently voluntarily vacated, stayed, reversed or finally determined by the courts that injunctive relief is not or was not justified or expires without further judicial determination, those actions stipulated in Section 13 shall be taken.

 

Section 13. If an ineligible contestant competes in a meet, match or tournament and any violation of TSSAA rules occurs, all points earned by that student, or by a relay team of which he/she may have been a member, in that meet or tournament are to be VACATED; and in team sports (baseball, basketball, football, girls soccer, soccer, girls softball and girls volleyball) ALL WINS ARE VACATED.

 

In vacating wins, each victory is treated as though the game were not played. Opponents still count actual outcomes.

 

When a team plays an ineligible athlete in TSSAA tournaments or playoffs, all wins are vacated, the team is removed from the tournament or playoff, and no team replaces that team in the tournament series.

 

The penalty for playing an ineligible contestant shall be $50.00 per contest at the varsity level and $25.00 per contest below the varsity level, with a maximum fine of $250.00, provided it is voluntarily reported by the school, which is in violation, to the Executive Director. If it is not voluntarily reported by the school to the Executive Director, the penalty shall be $100.00 per contest at the varsity level and $50.00 per contest below the varsity level. Other non-monetary penalties may be assessed by the Executive Director based on all the facts.

 

Section 14. If an otherwise ineligible student-athlete provides false information to a member school and is erroneously determined to be eligible and is allowed to participate on the basis of that false information, the student shall be ineligible at all levels in all sports at any member school for twelve (12) months from his or her last participation date.

 

Committee members recommended that the Legislative Council change Rule #12 of the TMSAA Bylaws to read as follows:

 

An eligibility list containing the name of each student who is to participate during the season in each sport shall be filed online prior to the first contest.  If a student whose name does not appear on the original eligibility list wishes to become a member of the squad, the student’s name shall be filed online before the student is allowed to participate.

 

Member schools shall file with the state office a copy of their schedule in each sport.  Schedules shall be filed online prior to the first contest.

 

Committee members considered a request which was submitted by Huntsville Middle School asking the TMSAA Committee to set classification statewide and not allow member schools in each geographic area of the state to set their own.  The request also asked that the committee set three classes statewide and set the enrollment figures that would place teams in each of the three classes.  Members decided to not classify schools statewide.  The format we currently follow with each area of the state (middle, east, and west) handling their own situation continues to work and is best for the overall membership.