•  

    SECTION V – PLAYER ELIGIBILITY……………HCMSAL By-Laws, SY 2021-2022

    1. A student is eligible to participate in sports once as a 7th grader and once as an 8th grader, not to exceed two (2) years regardless of number of schools attended.
    2. If a child is retained for any reason, he/she is considered ineligible for athletics during that school year.
    3. A player must not reach his/her 16th birthday prior to May 1st of his/her 8th grade year.  A player must not reach his/her 15th birthday prior to May 1st of his/her 7th grade year.   An appeals process is at the discretion of the County Athletic Director and HCMSAL members.
    4. To be eligible to try out or to participate in a middle school athletic activity, students must meet the following academic criteria:
    5. Pass 3 out of 4 academic subjects in the semester immediately prior to competition.
    6. Have a cumulative semester connections average above 70 in the semester immediately prior to competition. Amended for Fall 2021 Only-Has to pass one of the two connections classes. 
    7. Each school is to send an eligibility roster to the County Athletics Coordinator at least one (1) week before the first scheduled competition date for the league.  Failure to comply could result in forfeiture of contests and/or a $25 fine.
    8. An eligibility update will be sent at the beginning of the 2nd semester to validate the status of all winter sport team members.  Second semester eligibility is determined by the first day of school for the second semester.
    9. Players may only participate in one postseason tournament.  Players may not participate in both 7th and 8th grade tournaments and must participate with the team they played with during the regular season.  HCMSAL By-Laws permit a 7th grader to “play up” on an 8th grade team when there are two separate teams (i.e.; basketball, football, volleyball).  Upon moving a player up, that athlete must remain with the 8th grade team for the remainder of the season.
    10. Sixth graders are not eligible to participate as players or managers.

    2

     

    1. Eligibility with regard to Residency:
    2. For athletic eligibility purposes, the student’s school of residence as of the first day of school (August 4, 2021) OR as of the first day of enrollment in any Henry County middle school for the 2021-2022 year will determine the school for which the student is eligible for that entire school year (ending May 27, 2022) for purposes of participation on any athletic team.

    EXCEPTION: Consistent with the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) definition of “bona fide move”, if the student moves simultaneously with the entire parental unit or persons he/she resided with at the former school, and the student and parent(s) or persons residing with the student live in the established attendance zone of the new school, the student may be considered for eligibility at the receiving Henry County middle school.

    1. For athletic eligibility purposes, the children of employees of HCS must meet the same enrollment rules as described in (a) above with the only exception being a “bona fide move” as described above.
    2. An appeal may be made to the County Athletic Director.  Appropriate documentation may be required for any request to override the residency rule.