Attorney General Opinion No. 6352 (1986) states
that “while a school district is not bound by decisions rendered
by the MHSAA regarding rule violations, the Michigan High School
Athletic Association may condition eligibility for and participation
in its tournaments on compliance with its rules and its determinations
concerning rules violations and the penalties to be imposed upon
school districts for violations of its rules.”
School districts which desire to participate in MHSAA tournaments
must be in “good standing” which means they have applied
Regulations I through IV and have enforced the penalties of Regulation
V.
SECTION
1—PROTESTS
SECTION 1—Protests concerning violations of MHSAA Regulations
I through V and their Interpretations should be submitted in writing
to the MHSAA and be signed by the principal of the junior high/middle
school or senior high school or the superintendent of schools.
Definite evidence upon which the protest is based should be stated
in the letter.
INTERPRETATIONS—SECTION 1
241. When the eligibility of any player is questioned, or allegations
against member schools arise, the information should be communicated
quickly and confidentially to the superintendent or principal
of that school. If the matter is not satisfactorily settled, notice
concerning the violation or allegation should be submitted in
writing to the MHSAA.
242. If a school has information regarding the ineligibility of
a student of another school, it must be communicated to that school
before contests are played rather than after their completion
or both schools will be subject to MHSAA penalties.
243. Except as provided by playing rules and MHSAA tournament
guidelines for the sport involved, protest is not allowed by the
MHSAA when it is based on judgment decisions of officials or on
misinterpretation or misapplication of playing rules.
SECTION
2—FAILURE TO KEEP CONTRACTS
SECTION 2—Failure on the part of a junior high/middle school
or senior high
school to fulfill a contract, properly signed by the superintendent,
principal, or faculty manager may subject a school to probation
or suspension.
INTERPRETATION—SECTION 2
244. A. Contest and officials contracts should include specific
dates, times and financial guarantee provisions. No protest involving
violation of contract, either on the part of a school or athletic
official, will be considered unless there are properly executed
contracts on file for the contest in question.
B. Officials are not obligated to work optional, voluntarily—extended
periods (e.g., fifth quarters in basketball, third game in a volleyball
match settled after two games) unless the official’s contract
stipulates such may or will occur.
245. In football for seasons 1999 and 2000, schools which drop
a contracted football game without the agreement of the other
school prior to Aug. 1, and after Aug. 1 schools which refuse
to play a contracted opponent for reasons other than lack of players
due to illness, injury, ineligibilities or disqualifications,
will be subject to the consequences affecting their playoff standings
detailed in the Football General Information Bulletin. In addition,
the school that dropped the game must pay the opposing school
$500 if the opposing school was to be the visiting team or $1,000
if the opposing school was to be the home team.
SECTION
3—SPORTSMANSHIP
SECTION 3 (A)—If a team is removed from competition in protest,
the contest is forfeited to the opponent and the coach and principal
of the removed team must appear before the Executive Committee
to indicate why additional action should not be taken. The Executive
Committee may also require the appearance of personnel from other
schools and game officials. (1989)
SECTION 3 (B)—If the coach is ejected from the contest and
an assistant coach, or an assigned school representative is not
available to continue as the coach the event is terminated and
forfeited to the opponent. (1982)
SECTION 3 (C)—When a contest is interrupted or it ends prematurely
because of breakdown of proper sportsmanship and whether or not
the on-site officials forfeit the contest to one team, one or
both schools may be subjected to any or all, but not limited to,
the following: censure, probation with competition, probation
without competition, forfeiture, loss of privilege of revenue
sharing, expulsion. In addition, it may be required of one or
both schools that their coaches and administrators appear before
the Executive Committee to indicate why additional action should
not be taken. (1996)
SECTION 3 (D)—The following policies for disqualification
shall apply in all sports:
1. When a student is disqualified during a contest for flagrant
or unsportsmanlike conduct, that student shall be withheld by
his/her school for at least the next day of competition for that
team.
2. When a coach is disqualified during a contest for unsportsmanlike
conduct, that coach shall be prohibited by his/her school from
coaching at or attending at least the next day of competition
for that coach’s team.
3. Failure of the school for any reason to enforce this regulation
will prohibit the school from entry in the next MHSAA tournament
for that sport, or from the remainder of the current tournament
if the disqualification occurs during an MHSAA tournament or during
the last regular season contest.
4. Disqualifications from one season carry over to the next season
in that sport for undergraduates and coaches, or the next season
in any sport for seniors.
5. If the playing rules for a sport specify an additional penalty
or more rapid progression, or use of such a progression for other
violations, the playing rules apply.
6. Any coach who is disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct two
or more times during a season, any player who is disqualified
for unsportsmanlike conduct three or more times during a season,
and any coach or player who is ejected for spitting at, hitting,
slapping, kicking, pushing or intentionally and aggressively physically
contacting an official at any time during that season, is not
eligible to participate in the MHSAA tournament for that sport
that season. If the tournament disqualifying ejection for that
individual occurs during the MHSAA tournament, that player or
coach is ineligible for the remainder of that tournament. (1996)
INTERPRETATIONS—SECTION 3
246. Taunting includes any actions or comments by coaches, players
or spectators which are intended to bait, anger, embarrass, ridicule
or demean others, whether or not the deeds or words are vulgar
or racist. Included is conduct that berates, needles, intimidates
or threatens based on race, gender, ethnic origin or background,
and conduct that attacks religious beliefs, size, economic status,
speech, family, special needs or personal matters.
Examples of taunting that would lead to ejection include but are
not limited to, ‘trash talk;’ physical intimidation
outside the spirit of the game; reference to sexual orientation;
‘in the face’ confrontation by one player to another;
standing over/straddling a tackled or fallen player.
247. In all sports, officials are to consider taunting a flagrant
unsportsmanlike foul that disqualifies the offending bench personnel
or contestant from the contest/day of competition (and the next
contest/day of competition). A warning may be given but is not
required before ejection.
248. At all MHSAA tournament venues, tournament management may
give spectators one warning for taunting. Thereafter, spectators
who taunt others are to be ejected by security.
249. Allegations of registered officials or administrators of
member schools that representatives of member schools exhibited
poor sportsmanship before, during or after an interscholastic
contest shall be investigated and resolved by the schools involved
and also may be investigated by the Executive Director or designate,
who may impose the penalties described in this Section.
250. It is the official’s responsibility to notify the MHSAA
and the offending school whenever disqualification from a succeeding
contest/day of competition for a coach or athlete is necessitated.
However, whether or not the school receives notification, it is
the school’s responsibility to be aware of the violation
and enforce the regulation.
SECTION
4—VIOLATIONS AND PENALTIES
SECTION 4 (A)—Violations of HANDBOOK regulations I through
V and their Interpretations shall subject a member school to any
or all, but not limited to, the following: censure, probation
with competition, probation without competition, forfeiture, loss
of privilege of revenue sharing, expulsion.
SECTION 4 (B)—Accidental, intentional or other use of ineligible
players by a junior high/middle school or senior high school shall
require that team victories are forfeited to opponents; and any
one or more of these additional actions may be taken: (1) that
individual or team records and performances achieved during participation
by such ineligibles be vacated or stricken; and (2) that team
or individual awards earned by such ineligibles be returned to
the MHSAA.
SECTION 4 (C)—If a student is ineligible according to MHSAA
rules but is permitted to participate in interscholastic competition
contrary to such MHSAA rules but in accordance with the terms
of a court restraining order or injunction against his/her school
and/or the MHSAA, and that injunction is subsequently voluntarily
or involuntarily 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 4 (B) shall be taken.
SECTION 4 (D)—If a contestant competes in a meet, match,
or tournament in violation of any of the limitations of competition
of Regulations II and IV, all points earned by that student, or
by a relay team of which he or she may have been a member, in
that meet or tournament are to be declared forfeited; and in team
sports (baseball, basketball, football, ice hockey, soccer, girls
softball, girls volleyball and team wrestling), the entire contest
is forfeited. (1949)
INTERPRETATIONS—SECTION 4
251. Even if a student later satisfies the normal conditions of
eligibility, that student may be deemed ineligible for the same
number of semesters, contests or days of competition as he or
she had participated in while ineligible.
252. Individual honors and finals qualifying marks by teammates
of ineligible athletes remain standing even if the team must forfeit
a place, award or championship for use of ineligibles.
253. Probation, which may be applied for any length of time, may
serve only as a warning that if schools commit additional violations
of MHSAA regulations, additional penalties may be imposed, including
suspension from MHSAA membership. Probation may be accompanied
with additional provisions, including, but not limited to:
1. Prohibition from membership on one or more MHSAA committees
for one or more years.
2. Prohibition from hosting one or more MHSAA tournaments for
one or more years.
3. Prohibition from revenue sharing, if any, for one or more years.
4. Prohibition from reimbursement of expenses for participation
in one or more MHSAA tournaments for one or more years.
5. Prohibition from participation in one or more MHSAA tournaments
for one or more years.
It is within the discretion of the Executive Director, Executive
Committee or Representative Council to reduce or eliminate any
of the above conditions or the probationary status when the school
takes internal action to correct the personnel and/or procedures
which caused the violation.
254. Any league or association of schools may, by notification
to the MHSAA, determine the standing of schools within its own
league or organization with reference to forfeiture.