Maine Principals' Association (MPA)

Status 27 (Please Note: The dates of the Eligibility Committee meetings appear in Chalk Talk .) **ATTENTION** A student should never be permitted to participate in an interscholastic game/meet until eligibility has been verified. If you have questions, please call the MPA. 66 APPENDIX O GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR SPORTS HYGIENE, SKIN INFECTIONS AND COMMUNICABLE DISEASES (Source: National Federation of State High School Associations Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC), October 2015) Proper precautions are needed to minimize the potential risk of the spread of communicable disease and skin infections during athletic competition. These conditions include skin infections during athletic competition. These conditions include skin infectio ns that occur due to skin contact with competitors and equipment. The transmission of infections such as Methicillin - Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Herpes Gladiatorum, blood - borne pathogens such as HIV and Hepatitis B, and other infectious diseases such as Influenza can often be greatly reduced through proper hygiene. The NFHS SMAC has outlined and listed below some general guideline s for the prevention of the spread of these diseases. Universal Hygiene Protocol for All Sports: ● Shower immediately after every competition and practice, using liquid soap and not a shared bar soap. ● Wash all workout clothing after each practice, wash in hot water and drying on a high heat setting. ● Clean and/or wash all personal gear (knee pads, head gear, braces, etc.) and gym bags at least weekly. ● Do not share towels or personal hygiene products (razors) with others. ● Refrain from full body and/or cosmetic shaving of head, chest, arms, legs, abdomen, and groin. Infectious Skin Diseases: Strategies for reducing the potential exposure to these infectious agents include: ● Athletes must notify a parent/guardian and coach of any skin lesion prior to any competition or practice. An appropriate healthcare professional shall evaluate all skin lesions before returning to practices or competition. ● If an outbreak occurs on a team, especially in a contact sport, all team members should be evaluated to help prevent the potential spread of the infection. All shared equipment shall be properly cleaned/disinfected prior to use. ● Coaches, officials, and appropriate health - care professionals must follow NFHS or state/local guidelines on “time until return to competition.” Participation with a covered lesion may be considered if in accordance with NFHS, state or local guidelines and the lesion is no longer contagious. Blood - borne Infectious Diseases: Strategies for reducing the potential exposure to these agents include following Universal Precautions such as: ● An athlete who is bleeding, has an open wound, has any amount of blood on his/her uniform, or has blood on his/her person, shall be directed to leave the activity (game or practice) until the bleeding is stopped, the wound is covered, the uniform and/or body is appropriately cleaned, and/or the uniform is changed before returning to activity. ● Athletic trainers or other caregivers must wear gloves and use Universal Precautions to prevent blood or body fluid - splash from contaminating themselves or others. ● In the event of a blood or body fluid - splash, immediately wash contaminated skin or mucous membranes with soap and water. 67 ● Clean all contaminated surfaces and equipment with disinfectant before returning to competition. Be sure to use gloves when cleaning. ● Any blood exposure or bites to the skin that break the surface must be reported and immediately evaluated by an appropriat e health - care professional. Other Communicable Diseases: Means of reducing the potential exposure to these agents include: ● Appropriate vaccination of athletes, coaches, officials, and staff as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). ● During times of outbreaks, follow the guidelines set forth by the CDC as well as State and Local Health Departments. For more detailed information, refer to the “Blood - Borne Pathogens,” “Infectious Mononucleosis” and “Skin Conditions and Infections” sections contained in the NFHS Sports Medicine Handbook. APPENDIX P ADVISORY ON SPORTS PRE - SEASON OR PREPARTICIPATION PHYSICAL EXAMS It is the feeling of the MPA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee that best practice would be for schools to utilize the form which is posted on the MPA website [http://www.mpa.cc/images/pdfs/forms_and_dates/physicalforms.pdf]. The MPA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee recommends examination of the athletes every other year between the sixth grade and high school graduation. The complete exam should be done when the athlete enters the competitive sports program, and in most instances, this is in the sixth or seventh grade. The history portion of the PPE should be completed by the athlete and signed by his/her/their parents/guardians each year. In the off year, the athlete’s health history form should be reviewed by the school nurse. If there are changes in the medical history, the school nurse should bring it to the attention of a physician and a decision can be made concerning whether the student athlete needs to have another complete physical examination, or not, before proceeding wit h the upcoming athletic school year. The examination can be done by a medical doctor, doctor of osteopathy, nurse practitioner, or a physician’s assistant. Athletes who sustained major injuries or have medical illnesses during the interim, i.e., the time that elapses between the two examinations, should be recycled into the physical examination program at the start of the next school year, no matter what grade they attend. A sample preparticipation physical exam form may be found on the MPA website. Updated and approved by the MPA Interscholastic Management Committee and Membership: April 2005 68 APPENDIX Q GUIDELINES FOR ACADEMIC ELIGIBILITY FOR STUDENTS FROM EQUIVALENT INSTRUCTION PROGRAMS Guidelines for Implementation The purpose of the MPA Athletic Eligibility Rule is to ensure that the athletic program is subordinate to the academic program. Students are allowed to participate in the athletic program only if they are successfully meeting the academic standards of thei r school. Since students who are regularly enrolled in the public school must meet certain academic eligibility rules in order to participate, it is only fair that homeschooled students , those enrolled in recognized private schools, and students enrolled in a Maine Charter School should also meet basic academic standards to be considered eligible. This may be accomplished through the following steps which we believe are consistent with Maine Law. 1. Prior to the sports season in which a student wishes to participate, the parents and student should contact the local high school in writing to determine the policy of the local school board regarding academic eligibility. The administrator must determine that all MPA eligibility rules are met. 2. The parent must understand that the academic eligibility rules that apply to public school students also apply to homeschooled, recognized private school, and charter school students. The administration will develop standards by which the “equivalency” of previous work can be determined. The administration may require that the student demonstrate mastery of specific skills in order to make an informed judgment. 3. The administration must determine to his/her satisfaction that the student is following Maine Department of Education guidelines and standards and is meeting the academic eligibility standards set by the local school board of education. 4. The administration, in accordance with appropriate school board policy, shall determine the academic standards and degree of rigor that will be maintained for all students to maintain academic eligibility. Just as public school students may lose their eligibility if their grades drop, homeschooled, recognized private school, and charter school students may lose their eligibility if they fail to perform to these same standards. The administration may require that the student demonstrate continued academic progress to maintain eligibility. Such demonstrations may take the form of essays, written or oral tests, performances, exhibitions, portfolios, or other assessment vehicles. Date: 1990 - 91; Updated: June 1996 69 APPENDIX R COACHES’ ELIGIBILITY Acceptable / Equivalent Programs In the MPA Bylaws, Article II, Section 3 Coaches’ Eligibility and Appendix R, reference is made to equivalents for both coaching principles courses and sport first aid programs. The following information is provided to assist the high school principal in d etermining what programs are acceptable and to help determine what an equivalent program is. Any of the following will meet the requirement of the coaches’ principles course: 1. NFHS Online Fundamentals of Coaching Course 2. ASEP Coaching Principles Course 3. “Coaching Principles” reflected on a college transcript 4. Physical Education major at college 5. Coaching minor at college 6. Equivalent Instruction: Course content must include the course content listed below: An equivalent program in “Coaches Principles” is defined as one in which the following topics are thoroughly covered: ● Role of the coach ● Development of a coaching philosophy ● Sport psychology ● Proper nutrition and health ● Physical training and conditioning ● Communication and motivation Any of the following will meet the requirement of the Sport First Aid Course. The Sport First Aid course must be renewed every five (5) years. 1. NFHS Sport First Aid Program 2. Maine Athletic Trainers’ Association course 3. ASEP Sport First Aid course 4. First Aid reflected on college transcript 5. American Red Cross - Sport Safety Training 6. Equivalent Instruction: Course content must include the course content listed below: An equivalent program in “Sport First Aid” is defined as one in which the following topics are thoroughly covered: ● Your Role on the Athletic Health Care Team ● Sport First Aid Game Plan ● Anatomy and Sport Injury Terminology ● Primary Survey and Providing Life Support ● Secondary Survey and First Aid Techniques ● Moving Injured or Sick Athletes ● Respiratory Emergencies and Illnesses ● Closed Head and Spine Injuries ● Internal Organ Injuries ● Sudden Illnesses 70 ● Weather - Related Problems ● Upper Body Musculoskeletal Injuries ● Lower Body Musculoskeletal Injuries ● Facial and Scalp Injuries ● Skin problems Any of the following will meet the requirement of the CPR/AED requirement if current: 1. American Red Cross 2. American Heart Association 3. Emergency and Safety Institute An equivalent program in “CPR/AED” may be provided by a certified instructor through individual schools. Examples of certified instructors may be: ● Certified Athletic Trainer ● School Nurse ● EMT/Paramedic The course fees are the responsibility of either the individual coach seeking eligibility or a sponsoring school. The NFHS C oncussion video is a requirement and there are no other approved equivalent programs. The NFHS H eat A cclimatization and H eat I llness P revention video is a requirement and there are no other approved equivalent programs. The NFHS S udden C ardiac A rrest video is a requirement and there are no other approved equivalent programs. The NFHS P rotecting Students from A buse video is a requirement and there are no other approved equivalent programs. Sample Coaches’ Eligibility Certification Form I certify that I have completed the following requirements set forth by the Maine Principals’ Association’s By - laws related to coaches’ eligibility: A. I have been approved by the local educational agency. B. I am at least 20 years of age or am a high school graduate. C. I acknowledge that I have read, understand, and agree to comply with the MPA’s Bylaws, policies, and MPA Code of Ethics. (MPA Handbook) D. I have successfully completed a coaching eligibility course or an equivalent which has been approved by the administration of the school where I coach. E. I have successfully completed a sport first aid program or an equivalent which has been approved by the administration of the school where I coach. F. I have successfully completed a basic CPR - AED program. G. I have successfully viewed the NFHS “Concussion in Sport” video. H. I have successfully viewed the NFHS “Heat Illness Prevention” video. I. I have successfully viewed the NFHS “Sudden Cardiac Arrest” video. J. I have successfully viewed the NFHS “Protecting Students from Abuse” video. Evidence of completion is on file with my principal or his/her designee. Name (Please Print):_________________________________________ Signature:__________________________________________________Date:__________________ 71 APPENDIX S EJECTION RULE FOR COACHES AND STUDENT ATHLETES POLICY In all team and individual sports (varsity or sub varsity), ejection or disqualification from a game, meet, or match for unsportsmanlike behavior of any form, by a coach or a player, shall result in the suspension of that player or coach. The coach or play er ejected from a contest must sit out all contests at all levels until the coach or athlete completes the ejection penalty by sitting out the next game at the level from which he/she was ejected. This rule applies to a game, meet, or match suspended befor e completion as well as a completed contest. This penalty may not be served by sitting out an exhibition, sub varsity, or other competition. A suspended coach may not be present at the game site. Not being physically present at the site means the disqualified coach is not to be present in the locker room, on the sidelines, in the stands, or site area before, during, or after the game/ meet. Any suspended athlete may be present but should be in street clothes. Any coach or player ejected from the last game, meet, or contest of a sports season shall serve a one game suspension in the opening countable game, meet, or contest in the next v arsity sport in which he/she participat es. The coach or player may participate fully in preseason. An ejected coach must view the NFHS video “Teaching and Modeling Behavior” prior to returning to the sideline. An ejected athlete must view the NFHS “Sportsmanship Video” prior to returning to pla y. This policy will not prevent standing committees from imposing more restrictive disciplinary action. Effective Date: 1997; Revised: 1998; 2000; 2007; 2008; 2009 APPENDIX T ASSAULT UPON OFFICIALS BY COACHES A coach who intentionally strikes, shoves, kicks, or makes other physical contact with an official before, during, or after an interscholastic contest, as determined by the school, shall be disqualified immediately and his/her coach’s eligibility will be s uspended for one full year. At the end of the suspension the coach may request the reinstatement of his/her eligibility. At this time, the Interscholastic Management Committee will place the request on its next meeting agenda, at which meeting the coach an d the school’s administration must attend. The Interscholastic Management Committee will make the determination whether or not to reinstate the coach’s eligibility. ASSAULT UPON OFFICIALS BY STUDENTS Any member of the team who intentionally strikes, shoves, kicks, or makes other physical contact with an official before, during, or after an interscholastic contest, as determined by the school, shall be disqualified immediately and shall be ineligible to participate in all sports for one full year. NOTE: Members of the team include player, manager, scorekeepers, timers, and statisticians. Effective Date: April 2000 72 APPENDIX U DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS POSITION STATEMENT (Source: National Federation of State High School Associations Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC), April 2015) EXISTING POLICIES/STANDS: The NFHS Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC) strongly opposes the use of dietary supplements for the purpose of obtaining a competitive advantage. Research shows that there continues to be widespread use of dietary supplements by adolescent and high school athletes, despite considerable safety concerns. Dietary supplements are marketed as an easy way to enhance appearance and athletic performance, increase energy levels, lose weight, and feel better. Adolescents are more susceptible to peer pressure a nd these advertising messages, which may increase the incidence of dietary supplement usage and reinforce a culture more concerned about short - term performance rather than overall long - term athletic development and good health. BACKGROUND: The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994 removed dietary supplements from pre - market regulation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Under DSHEA, a manufacturing firm is responsible for determining that the dietary supplements it manufactures or distributes are safe and that any representations or claims made about them are substantiated by adequate evidence to show that they are not false or misleading. This essentially classifies dietary supplements as a food, not a drug, and as such, they are not subject to the same strict tests and regulations as prescription and “over - the - counter” medications by the FDA. Only the companies that produce dietary supplements are responsible for ensuring that their products are pure, safe and ef fective for their intended use. As the FDA has limited resources to analyze the composition of dietary supplements, there is often no guarantee concerning the true amount, concentration or purity of the ingredients as listed on the label. In fact, the FDA cannot remove a dietary supplement from the marketplace unless the supplement has been shown to be “unsafe.” The NFHS SMAC strongly opposes the use of supplements by high school athletes for performance enhancement, due to the lack of published, reproducible scientific research documenting the benefits of their use and confirming that there are no potential long - term adverse health effects with their use, particularly in the adolescent age group. Dietary supplements should be used only upon the advice of one’s health care provider for health - related reasons – not for the purpose of gaining a possible competitive a dvantage. School personnel and coaches should never recommend, endorse or encourage the use of any dietary supplement, drug, or medication for performance enhancement. We recommend that coaches, athletic directors, and other school personnel develop strategies that address the prevalence and growing concerns of using dietary supplements. Such strategies may include conversations with athletes and their parents about the potential dangers of dietary supplement use. Athletes should be encouraged to pursue their athletic goals through hard work, appropriate rest and good nutrition, not unsubstantiated dietary shortcuts. In order to discourage dietary supplement use for athletic performance: ● School personnel, coaches, and parents should allow for open discussion about dietary supplement use, and strongly encourage obtaining optimal nutrition through a well - balanced diet. 73 ● Remind athletes that no supplement is harmless or free from consequences and that there are no short cuts to improve athletic performance. ● Because they are not strictly regulated, dietary supplements may contain impurities, additives that may produce allergic response (in those with allergies) and banned substances not listed on the label. ● Remind athletes that energy drinks are not appropriate for hydration or as dietary supplements. References/Resources: ● American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Nutrition and Athletic Performance Position Statement. March 2009. ● American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Sports Medicine and Fitness. Policy Statement. Use of Performance Enhancing ● Substances. Pediatrics.115(4): 1103 - 06. 2005. ● Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA). http://www.fda.gov/opacom/laws/DSHEA.html ● Dodge TL, Jacard JJ. The effect of high school sports participation on the use of performance - enhancing substances in young adulthood. Journal of Adolescent Health 39: 367 - 373, 2006. ● Mellion MB, Walsh, WM, et al. The Team Physician’s Handbook. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: Hanley & Belfus, 2001. ● McKeag DB, Moeller JL. ACSM’s Primary Care Sports Medicine. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2007. ● National Federation of State High School Associations. http://www.nfhs.org . ● Overview of Dietary Supplements. ● http://www.fda.gov/Food/DietarySupplements/ConsumerInformation/ucm110417.htm ● The National Center for Drug Free Sport, Inc. http://www.drugfreesport.com . ● United States Anti - Doping Agency http://www.usada.org/ . 74 APPENDIX V MIDDLE LEVEL CO CURRICULAR RECOMMENDATIONS Philosophy of Middle Level Activities An understanding of the physical, social, and emotional complexities and of the great variation among students at the middle level is of vital importance in developing a philosophy for activities at this level. A wide variety of activities, both non - athletic and athletic, should be available to middle level students. As a rule, they should not interfere with or distract from instructional time. The emphasis should be on creating a worthwhile and enjoyable experience for students while broadening their education in areas such as sportsmanship, leadership, citizenship, and participation in lifelong activities. Middle level activities should help each student gain the knowledge and skills associated with the activity for his or her enjoyment and benefit. Position Statement Guidelines 1. “Middle level schools should focus on creating teaching and learning environments which are developmentally appropriate for young adolescents” (McEwin, Dickinson & Jenkins, 1996) in the total academic/athletic curriculum. 2. Schools should give priority to strong, well - organized intramural activity programs which are based on the assessed needs of students. Interscholastic activity programs should maximize student participation and development out of these intramural programs. 3. Middle level activities should be encouraged at local and/or league levels with a limited number of contests and should not be carried out to the levels of state competition. 4. Decisions regarding intramural and interscholastic activity programs should be governed by a sincere concern for the safety, health, developmental needs, and educational well - being of middle level students by providing an enjoyable experience for all participants. 5. It is recommended that all middle level coaches meet the Coaches’ Eligibility Standards set by the MPA. All middle level coaches should be responsible to the principal/athletic director. 6. Programs should exist to develop good citizenship, leadership, and character. They should teach common courtesy and respect for rules and organizations by persistently teaching principles of justice, fair play, and good sportsmanship, and by emphasizing the discipline required in extensive training and practice. 7. When working with others in a democratic society, a person must develop self - discipline, respect for authority, and the spirit of hard work and sacrifice. The team and its objectives should be placed higher than personal desires. 8. Middle level activities should help students to develop desirable personal health habits, to be active contributing school citizens, and to maintain physical fitness through exercise and sound health habits. 9. Equitable Programming - - Reasonable playing time for athletes should be assigned in each contest provided that each athlete has put forth appropriate effort and commitment to the teams. 75 The philosophy of the program is to provide a quality developmental athletic activity for all students. Co - Curricular Eligibility Policy Co - Curricular activities are an integral part of school life. The knowledge and skills learned through these activities are critically important to the healthy development of students. Students should be passing all subjects. Administration of this policy should be car ried out by the schools. Athletes should be allowed to continue to practice while making up for failures. Music students may participate in concerts but should not participate in exchange concerts, district festivals, or other trips as determined by the sc hool. Any student who fails a subject during a marking period or midterm report period should be ineligible to participate in any co - curricular activity (excluding intramural) for a period of up to two weeks (10 school days) and/or until passing. During the two - week period, students are on academic probation, they may continue to practice but are not allowed to participate in games or performances. If at the end of a two - week period the grade(s) have improved to passing, the student should become eligible for par ticipation. If not, the student should be removed from the team or club roster. Recommended Administrative Guidelines for Middle Level Athletics 1. Activities should begin as soon as possible after school with minimal loss of instructional time. 2. Scheduling a. No practices or games on Sunday. b. Avoid scheduling practices and games on Saturdays, holidays, or during vacation periods. c. Limit the number of contests for each sports season. d. Middle level programs should not practice or play more than five times a week. 3. Limit the amount of publicity. 4. Do not encourage league team championships . 5. If awards are presented, they should be given to all participants. 6. Due to health and safety reasons, middle level athletes should be discouraged from participating on two teams during a season. Sports Season Recommendations In the absence of other appropriate standard guidelines, we recommend that the National Federation of State High School Associations Rule Books be used in all sports. Exceptions are ski – MPA rulebook; tennis – U.S. Tennis Association; and golf – U.S. Golf Association. Start: 1 st of school – fall season; November 1 st – winter season; April 1 st – spring season Preseason: All sports should complete two weeks of preseason practice prior to the first countable contest. - Leagues will set each sports season, which should not overlap. - Middle level practice should not occur prior to the first day of school. - Establish a beginning and ending date for each athletic activity. 76 NFHS Coaches’ Education/Training Statement Schools should provide for the proper training/education of middle level coaches to insure the safety of middle level student athletes and improve the overall quality of the interscholastic program. This is identical to the high school coaches’ eligibility program as provided in the MPA Handbook. Individuals who have met equivalent guidelines a re exempt from taking additional courses. The only addition is that the committee believes that Level One: Basic Education, Level Two: Beyond the Basics, and Coaching Principles courses should be part of the middle level coaches’ education program. Program Recommendations The Maine Principals’ Association encourages middle level school programs to provide young adolescents with opportunities to participate in both athletics and in other developmentally appropriate activities (music, drama, dance, etc.) while concentrating o n the academic aspects of their education. The MPA recommends that sports seasons should reflect approximately 75% of the allowable high school maximum number of contests. League master schedules should reflect an average of no more than two contests per w eek after competitions start. Whereas the focus of athletics at the middle level should be on individual and team development, it is recommended that when schools field more than one level of team in each sport that the teams are determined by grade level when numbers allow. Teams should be referred to as the 8th grade and 7th grade teams. A and B teams or varsity and junior varsity indicate that less able students participate on those teams. Under this premise, first priority on an 8th grade team is given to 8th graders. No 8th grade student should be eliminated from a roster spot by a 7th grader. If there are enough 8th grade students interested in participating at that level, then the team s hould consist purely of 8th graders. Eighth graders should not play down and athletes should not be participating at two levels in the same season. Similar conditions should exist for the 7 th grade level. If 6 th graders are allowed to participate on said teams, it should not be at the expense of a 7 th grader. When numbers warrant expanded teams, 7 th and 8 th graders may be used. Boys and girls may participate in all sports with the following exception – girls only in field hockey and softball. Each individual team member should participate in each athletic contest. Baseball Recommendations for Middle Level Pitchers Maximum pitches one day – 85 ✔ 1 - 15 pitches – 0 days rest ✔ 16 - 30 pitches – 1 day rest ✔ 31 - 50 pitches – 2 days rest ✔ 51 - 70 pitches – 3 days rest ✔ 71 - 85 pitches – 4 days rest 77 ● The Pitch Count is based on the number of pitches thrown in a game. This includes balls, strikes, foul balls, and outs. A pitch thrown with a balk is called shall not count as a pitch. ● If a pitcher reaches the pitch count limit at any point while facing a batter, the pitcher may continue to pitch until 1) the batter reaches base; 2) the batter is put out; or 3) the third out is made to complete the inning. ● Each team must maintain a pitch count for their team, as well as a count for the opponent. Pitch counts will be confirmed after each half - inning. If there is a discrepancy it shall be reported to the umpire. The records of the home team shall be used as the official record. At the varsity level it is recommended that the person keeping the pitch count be an adult. ● It is recommended that an athlete avoid playing catcher while not pitching. ● Doubleheader Rule: o A pitcher must follow the pitch count rule that is in effect for that day, allowing them to throw up to 110 pitches total between the games. o Coaches must be aware that when there is significant time between pitching assignments (weather delay, multiple games in a day, etc.) that a pitcher returning to the mound must have sufficient warm - up and that they must be aware of arm fatigue. Cheering 1. Coaches should recognize the physical limitations of middle level athletes and plan a sequential program of instruction for a competitive routine accordingly. 2. Schools with fall cheering squads should start practice with the opening of school and end before the conclusion of the last fall sports contest. 3. The competitive season should start no earlier than the start of basketball season and end before the start of the spring season. 4. Separate tryouts should be held for the fall cheering squad and the competitive squad. 5. Middle school cheering programs should only compete against other school - sanctioned programs. 6. Middle level competitive cheering squads must cheer for at least one other team such as basketball or ice hockey. Softball A pitching screen must be available for both teams to use during warm - ups. Other Sports In the absence of other appropriate standard guidelines, we recommend that the National Federation of State High School Association’s rulebooks be used in all sports. Exceptions: Ski — MPA rulebook; Tennis — U.S. Tennis Association; and Golf — U.S. Golf Associat ion. 78 WEATHER CONDITIONS The safety of athletes (participants), spectators, coaches/directors, school personnel, and all others present at an athletic contest must be the first and foremost concern to the contest officials and building administrators. 1. When an interscholastic contest has been scheduled and dangerous playing conditions exist or severe weather is anticipated, the following should be considered: a. Prior to beginning an athletic contest, when severe weather is anticipated, the head contest official and the administration of each school, or their designees, will meet to review the suspension and/or postponement procedures. This would include any playi ng rule book coverage. b. The host school administrator will be responsible for informing contest officials, visiting school administrators, and if applicable, the individual responsible for public address announcements of designated shelter areas. c. When lightning is observed or thunder is heard in the vicinity of a contest conducted outdoors, play should be suspended. d. If any other life - threatening condition occurs, play should be suspended immediately, and predetermined directions to safe locations will be announced. 2. When a suspension of a contest occurs, the following should be considered: a. If the suspension is forty - five minutes or greater, resuming later should be considered. b. Play shall not be resumed until 30 minutes after the last flash of lightning or clap of thunder. c. When it appears that weather conditions are no longer a threat to the safety of participants, spectators, or contest officials, administrators from all schools involved will meet with the head contest official to determine if play will continue. If any administrator or the head contest official casts a negative vote for play to resume, the suspension should continue. d. If play is to be resumed, contestants will be given at least a fifteen - minute warm - up period prior to competition. REFERENCES Athletic Administrators Reference Manual. Kansas City, MO: National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, N.D. McEwin, C.K., Dickinson, T.S. and Jenkins, D.M. America’s Middle Schools: Practices and Progress: A 25 Year Perspective . Columbus, OH: National Middle School Association, 1996. Middle Level Task Force, Schools in the Middle . Augusta, ME: Maine Department of Educational and Cultural Services, June 1988. Adopted by the MPA Membership, November 21, 2003 79 APPENDIX W MPA TRANSFER WAIVER APPROVAL FORM This form is to be processed when a student transfers from one school to another without a corresponding change of legal residence of both the student and parent/guardian and wishes to participate in interscholastic athletics within one year of the transfe r (MPA By - Laws, Article III, Section 4). The form can be accessed on the MPA website under “Forms and Important Dates” or by clicking on the following link : Transfer Waiver Agreement Form (jotform.com) APPENDIX X FOREIGN EXCHANGE AND FOREIGN STUDENTS Foreign Exchange Students do not pay tuition, must have a J - 1 visa limited to one academic year, and should be placed by a Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET) listed foreign exchange program. CSIET annually develops an advisory list of programs which have met a rigorous evaluation process. The CSIET Advisory List handbook is sent to every MPA member high school each summer through the coordinated efforts of the MPA, CSIET, NFHS, and NASSP. An ongoing updated list can be found at www.csiet.org. Please note that membership in CSIET is not the same as a program achieving the advisory list. Any program can be a member — only those meeting the standards are part of the advisory list. Any student not placed by a CSIET listed program should be viewed under higher scrutiny in order to determine that all aspects of eligibility as well as the student’s safety and well - being are met. All foreign exchange students must meet all MPA and local eligibility rules. Foreign students are a separate category from foreign exchange students. They pay tuition, must have an F - 1 visa and must also meet all aspects of MPA and local eligibility rules. Additional areas of review should include who is paying the tuition, who is the student living with, under what circumstances, and if any of these issues involve athletic purposes. F - 1 visas are limited to a maximum of one year at public schools. By federal law, no similar time restriction applies to private schools. Both foreign exchange students and foreign students must meet all eligibility requirements. Schools should pay particular attention to age requirements (under 20), the eight - semester rule, the four seasons of competition rule, and the undergraduate rule which is often the most difficult to ascertain. Schools must ensure that a student has not graduated from the home country’s equivalent of high school. Key questions to ask include: How long did you attend your previous school? (can impact eight semesters of competition rule); If you still lived in your home country, would you be attending that school, or would you have moved on to a higher level of schooling? Finally, the transfer waiver request form is required for all foreign exchange students as well as all foreign students. (Note: Appendix N may be helpful in establishing the eligibility of all students and Appendix X refers specifically to foreign students ). 80 All initial contact by the student or foreign exchange program must be through the administration. Any variance must be highly scrutinized to ensure that high school athletics was not part of the placement process. APPENDIX Y ADDITION OR ELIMINATION OF AN MPA SPONSORED ACTIVITY When a minimum of ten (10) MPA member schools petition the association to add an activity (with supporting school board minutes), the request will be reviewed by the Interscholastic Management Committee which will send a recommendation to the membership at the next scheduled interscholastic division meeting. When fewer than ten (10) member schools sponsor full teams in an MPA post - season event for two years (consecutive or nonconsecutive), the association will eliminate that activity from MPA sponsorship effective the following school year. Once eliminated, an activity may not be proposed for return until a minimum of three school years have passed. Adopted May 6, 2004 APPENDIX Z NON - COMPLETION OF SEASON Any member school which submits a game schedule in Heal Point or Crabtree sports for a specific sport and does not complete that season’s schedule, will be prohibited from participating in varsity competition leading to postseason play in that sport for th e following two years after that season. This action may be appealed to the Interscholastic Management Committee for a waiver in extenuating circumstances. Adopted October 23, 2003 APPENDIX AA PREP LEVEL PARTICIPATION A school that elects to play at the prep school level of competition in any sport in lieu of participating at the MPA level of that sport, must make a four - year commitment to do so. Adopted May 6, 2004 APPENDIX BB ORIENTATION REQUIREMENT FOR HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATORS First - time high school athletic administrators, both from in - state and out - of - state, must attend the Workshop for New Athletic Administrators held in August. Adopted May 1, 2008 81 APPENDIX CC MPA DRONE POLICY *This policy is designed to address safety concerns for athletes and spectators, as well as providing competitive equity by the participating schools. *This policy shall be in effect at all MPA sponsored activities. Districts are encouraged to develop a local policy for the regular season, including scrimmages, exhibition games and practices. “The use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV, aka Drones) is prohibited during any MPA sponsored activity. Tournament management will remove any individual attempting to use a UAV and/or confiscate the device until the event has been completed. Upon timely request to the MPA office an exception to this policy may be granted on a case - by - case basis for MPA broadcast partners in conjunction with any host school/facility local policy.” APPENDIX DD NAME, IMAGE, AND LIKENESS POLICY A student - athlete may profit from the use of their own name, image, and likeness (NIL). Such permissible activities include commercial endorsements, promotional activities, social media presence, and product or service advertisements. No one employed by a member school, including coaches, teachers, and administrators, may be involved with a student - athlete’s use of the NIL. Student - athletes are prohibited from making any reference to a member school or the Maine Principals’ Association (MPA) when engaging in any NIL activity. Student - athletes may not endorse or promote any third - party entities, goods, or services during team activities. Student - athletes may not wear the apparel or display the logo, insignia, or identifying mark of an NIL partner during any team activities. Student - athletes are prohibited from engaging in any NIL activities involving the following categories of products and services: ⮚ Adult entertainment products and services ⮚ Alcohol products ⮚ Tobacco products ⮚ Cannabis products ⮚ Controlled dangerous substances ⮚ Prescription pharmaceuticals ⮚ Casinos and gambling, including sports betting, the lottery, and betting in connection with video games, online games, and mobile devices ⮚ Weapons, firearms, and ammunition Adopted April 28, 2022 82 MISSION STATEMENT OF THE MAINE PRINCIPALS’ ASSOCIATION To assure a quality education for all students, the Maine Principals’ Association will: 1. promote the principalship; 2. support principals as educational leaders; and 3. promote and administer interscholastic activities in grades 9 - 12.

Augusta, ME 04330 Phone: 207 - 622 - 0217 Email: mpa@mpa.cc Interscholastic Website: http://www.mpa.cc Professional Website: http://www.mpaprof.org 2 202 5 - 202 6 MPA HANDBOOK TABLE OF CONTENTS Constitution Membership and Dues 4 Meetings of the Members 6 Board of Directors and Interscholastic Management Committee 7 Standing and Other Committees 10 Officers 11 Amendment Procedures for Constitution 1 8 Professional Division Bylaws Standing Committee Composition 1 9 Interscholastic Division Bylaws Standing Committee Composition 20 Student Eligibility 2 5 Coaches’ Eligibility 29 Transfer Rule 3 1 Athletic Recruitment 3 3 Waiver Procedure 3 7 Ineligible Coach – Penalties 3 7 Ineligible Player – Penalties 3 8 Four Seasons of Competition 39 Gender Identity Participation Policy 39 Sport Season Policy 4 0 Request for Waiver of the Sport Season Policy 4 3 Sport Season Dates 4 3 Infractions and Violations 47 Legal Action Policy 48 Individual Cooperative Athletes and Cooperative Teams 49 Rules Protests 5 1 Appeals 5 1 Appendix A — Finances 5 2 B — Meetings and Conferences 5 2 C — Publications 5 3 D — The Maine Principals’ Association Office 5 3 E — The Committee Chair’s Role 5 4 F — MPA Principal’s Award 5 5 G — MPA New Member School Orientation 5 5 H — Resolutions Process 5 6 I — Code of Ethics for Secondary School Activities 57 J — Officials’ Fee Schedule 58 K — Heal Point System 6 1 L — Sunday Activities and Postseason Games 6 2 M — MPA and NFHS Sanctioning Policy 6 2 N — A Guide to Processing Eligibility 6 4 3 O — General Guidelines for Sports Hygiene, Skin Infections and Communicable Diseases 6 6 P — Advisory on Sports Preseason or Preparticipation Physical Exams 67 Q — Guidelines for Academic Eligibility for Students from Equivalent Instruction Programs 68 R — Coaches’ Eligibility 69 S –– Ejection Rule for Coaches and Student Athletes 7 1 T –– Assault Upon Officials by Coaches and Students 7 1 U –– Dietary Supplements Position Statement 7 2 V –– Middle Level Co - Curricular Recommendations 7 4 W –– MPA Transfer Waiver Approval Form 79 X –– Foreign Exchange and Foreign Students 79 Y –– Addition or Elimination of an MPA Sponsored Activity 8 0 Z –– Non - completion of Season 8 0 AA –– Prep Level Participation 8 0 BB –– Orientation Requirement for New Principals and Athletic Administrators 8 0 CC — MPA Drone Policy 8 1 DD — MPA Name, Image, and Likeness Policy 8 1 Mission State of the Maine Principals’ Association 8 2 4 CONSTITUTION OF THE MAINE PRINCIPALS’ ASSOCIATION ARTICLE I Section 1: Maine Principals’ Association The name of this Corporation shall be Maine Principals’ Association hereinafter referred to as “MPA” or “Association.” Section 2: Mission The mission of the Association shall be: To assure a quality education for all students, the Association will: (1) promote the principalship; (2) support principals as educational leaders; and (3) promote and administer interscholastic activities in grade s 9 - 12. ARTICLE II DIVISIONS, MEMBERSHIP, AND DUES Section 1: Divisions Within the Association, there shall be a Professional Division and an Interscholastic Division (each herein individually referred to as a “Division” and collectively as the “Divisions”). Section 2: Professional Division In the Professional Division active membership shall be open to principals, assistant principals, career and technical education center directors, career and technical education center assistant directors, a thletic directors, assistant athletic directors, and other school administrators whose primary job function is that of a school building administrator in the state of Maine. These positions shall be in schools that are on the most current list of schools t hat have met the Basic School Approval Requirements established by the Maine Department of Education, those approved for attendance purposes, those recognized as providing equivalent instruction, and those authorized as Maine public charter schools. Associ ate membership is open to all former principals, assistant principals, and career and technical education center directors and assistant directors. Retired membership is open to fully retired principals, assistant principals, career and technical center di rectors or assistant directors, and athletic directors and assistant athletic directors who were active or associate MPA members for the final three years leading up to full retirement. Aspiring membership is open to aspiring principals, graduate students c urrently enrolled in a program leading to Administrative Certification, and other individuals interested in school administration. Honorary memberships in recognition of outstanding contributions to Maine youth may be extended to individuals as approved by the Board of Directors. Life members are those individuals holding Maine Elementary Principals’ Association life memberships, retired Maine Secondary School Principals’ Association and Maine Elementary Principals’ Association presidents, and retired presid ents of the Association. Subject to the limitations and restrictions set forth herein and in the Association’s Articles, active members of the Professional Division are entitled to vote, hold office, serve on all committees of the 5 Association (professional and interscholastic), and request legal assistance through the legal resource fund. Associate, aspiring, and life members of the Professional Division shall (i) receive all communications from the Association and be entitled to attend all conferences and meetings of the Association at the active membership rate. They shall not be entitled to vote, hold office, serve on standing comm ittees or ad hoc committees, nor have access to the legal resource fund. Retired members have all of the rights of active members and may be elected to the Board of Directors within the first five years of full retirement. However, they may not be elected president - elect or president. The annual membership dues to be paid by active, associate, retired and aspiring members of the Professional Division shall be recommended by the Board of Directors and approved by majority vote of the active and retired members of the Professional Division on a date and means established by the Board of Directors. Active and retired members of the P rofessional Division must be current with respect to their dues in order to be eligible for any of the rights and privileges available to members of the Profess ional Division. Section 3: Interscholastic Division In the Interscholastic Division all high schools that have met the Basic School Approval Requirements established by the Maine Department of Education, those approved for attendance purposes, those recognized as providing equivalent instruction, and those authorized as Maine charter schools. Each active member school is entitled to one vote and that vote shall be cast by a member of the school’s administration. Any designee other than the school’s administration must present a written letter from the building administrator authorizing the desi gnee to vote. The annual membership dues to be paid by active members of the Interscholastic Division shall be recommended by the Board of Directors and approved by majority vote of the active members of the Interscholastic Division on a date and means established by th e Board of Directors. The membership year shall be from July 1 to the following June 30. Payment of dues must be made by the first Friday of September and will be based on the October 1 enrollment of the preceding year. Schools that have not paid their dues by this date shall be considered dropped from the membership and shall be ineligible to participate in any activities of the Interscholastic Division un til reinstated or an extension is granted by the Interscholastic Management Committee. 6 ARTICLE III MEETINGS OF MEMBERS Section 1: Place All meetings of members of the Association shall be held at the registered office of the Association or at such other place or means as established by the Board of Directors. Section 2: Semiannual Meetings There will be an annual in - person business meeting of all members of each Division which will be held in the fall of each year. There will be either an in - person or virtual business meeting for each of the Divisions held in the Spring of each year. Section 3: Special Meetings Special meetings of the members of either Division for any purpose or purposes may be called to be held at the date, place and means as established in the call by the President, Board of Directors, or 20% of the members entitled to vote at the special meet ing in question. Section 4: Notice Unless waived in the manner prescribed by law, written notice stating the place, day, time, and means of any meeting of the members of the Association and, in case of a special meeting or when otherwise required by the Maine Nonprofit Corporation Act, the p urpose or purposes for which the meeting is called, shall be delivered to the members not less than three nor more than 60 days before the date of the meeting. Section 5: Quorum When possible, a quorum for the transaction of business at a meeting of Association members shall consist of no less than ⅕ of the number of active or retired members of the respective Professional or Interscholastic Divisions, represented in person or by other means as established by the Board of Directors. Section 6: Votes Except as otherwise provided by the Maine Nonprofit Corporation Act, at any meeting of the members of the Association at which a quorum is present, any corporate action shall be authorized by a majority of the votes cast as such meeting by the members entit led to vote on the subject matter in question. 7 ARTICLE IV BOARD OF DIRECTORS Section 1: Powers In the management and control of the business, property and affairs of the Association, the Board of Directors is hereby vested with the power to: ● set wages and benefits for staff, ● to employ executive director(s), ● to direct the business and affairs of the Professional Division, ● to provide for the care and upkeep of the MPA Office and Conference Center, ● to provide oversight of the implementation of a strategic plan, ● to provide guidance to the legislative lobbying process; except when member action is specifically required by the Maine Nonprofit Corporation Association Act, the Articles of Incorporation, or this Constitution, and ● The Board, after receiving input from the Interscholastic Management will recommend the annual budget for member approval. Section 2: Composition The Board of Directors shall consist of seven voting members, including the President, President - elect, and Past - President if that individual is still within his/her four - year term. The President of the Association shall serve as Chair of the Board. The Pr esident - elect and president will be nominated by the Board from within the Board membership and those nominations will be voted on each spring by the MPA active and retired members at a time and means to be determined by the Board of Directors. A Board mem ber may not serve as President in his/her first year as a member of the Board. The NAESP State Representative and the NASSP State Coordinator will serve as nonvoting liaisons and will provide timely updates to the Board regarding NAESP and NASSP when reques ted by the Board. In the event any active member of the Association is serving on the Board of Directors of either NAESP or NASSP, such active member shall be an ex officio member of the MPA Board of Directors. Vacancies on the MPA Board of Directors shall be filled by active or retired members through a process beginning with recommendations by executive staff, nominations by the Board of Directors, and election by the members of the Association each spring in a means established by the Board. Board members will serve a four - year term. They may not be considered for reappointment until at least two full years after leaving the Board. For any vacated position of less than two years, a person may complete that term and then be nominated and approved to comple te their own full term. For any vacated position of more than two years, a replacement will be nominated and approved for their own full term. Section 3: Regular Meetings of the Board of Directors Regular meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the President or any four (4) Directors. 8 Section 4: Special Meetings Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the President or any four (4) Directors. The person or persons calling the special meeting shall establish the date, time, place, and means thereof. Section 5: Notice Notices of special meetings of the Board of Directors required pursuant to this Constitution or the Maine Nonprofit Corporation Act shall be given by the Secretary or the person(s) calling the meeting at least 24 hours before the meeting. ARTICLE V INTERSCHOLASTIC MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE Section 1: General To the greatest extent permitted by the Maine Nonprofit Corporation Association Act, the Interscholastic Management Committee ( IMC ) shall have the authority to manage the business and affairs of the Interscholastic Division in the intervals between the fall and spring meetings of the members. The Management Committee shall implement the policies adopted by the Board of Directors and t he members of the Interscholastic Division and shall require the members of standing committees to adhere to these interpretat ions. Section 2: Composition (Interscholastic Management Committee – The Interscholastic Management Committee shall be composed of the following individuals: ● Nine active or retired MPA members, representing schools that are active members of the division of Interscholastic Activities – 3 large schools, 3 medium schools, 3 small schools; ● Two liaison members from Maine Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association; ● One liaison member from the Maine School Superintendents Association; ● In the event any active member of the Association is serving on the Board of Directors of the National Federation of State High School Associations, such active member shall be an ex officio member of the Interscholastic Division Management Committee. The large, medium, and small school designations shall be based on four - year enrollments and geographic distribution with approximately 1/3 of all member schools in each designation. 9 Section 3: When Chosen; Term The members of the Management Committee, other than an individual who is an ex officio member, shall be recommended by the executive staff, nominated by the Board of Directors, and elected by the active members of the Interscholastic Division each spring in a means established by the Board of Directors. The members of the Management Committee shall serve for three years and may be reelected for one additional three - year term. Term of office shall commence on July 1. Any member of the Management Committee may resign from such position by delivering a written resignation to the President. Any vacancy in the Management Committee prior to the expiration of the term in question may be filled for the remainder of the unexpir ed term by a majority of the remaining members of the Management Committee. Members of the Management Committee may not serve concurrently on the Board of Directors. Section 4: Regular Meetings Regular meetings of the Interscholastic Management Committee shall be held generally on alternate months at such date, time, place, and means as shall be established by the Management Committee. Section 5: Special Meetings Special meetings of the Management Committee may be called by the Chair of the Management Committee, Executive Director, or any four (4) members of the Management Committee. The person or persons calling the special meeting shall establish the date, time, place, means, and agenda thereof. Section 6: Notice; Quorum; Voting Except as otherwise herein provided, so far as applicable, the provisions of this Constitution relating to the calling, noticing and conduct of meetings of the Board of Directors shall govern the calling, noticing and conduct of meetings of the Management Committee. All members of the Management Committee shall be entitled to one vote on each matter submitted to a vote of the members of the Management Committee; provided, however, that none of the liaison members of the Management Committee shall have any v oting rights. A simple majority of the voting members of the Management Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of the Management Committee’s business. At any meeting of the Management Committee at which a quorum is present, any action of s uch Management Committee shall be authorized by a majority of the votes cast at such meeting by the members of the Management Committee entitled to vote on the subject matter in question. Section 7: Chairpersons of Interscholastic Management Committee The chair of the Interscholastic Management Committee shall be elected by the members of that Management Committee from within their committee membership at their last meeting of the year. 10 ARTICLE VI STANDING AND OTHER COMMITTEES Section 1: General The Board of Directors shall be empowered to establish and determine the composition and duties of standing and ad hoc committees in the Professional Division. The composition and duties of standing committees shall be listed in the bylaws. They may also approve of ad hoc committees as necessary. The Interscholastic Management Committee shall be empowered to establish and determine the composition and duties of standing and ad hoc committees of the Interscholastic Division. The composition and duties of the standing committees shall be listed in the bylaws. Standing committees, with the approval of the Management Committee, may invite non - voting liaisons to participate in their discussions. Section 2: Election; Term; Removal; Vacancies Membership on the standing committees of each division shall be recommended by executive staff, nominated by the Board of Directors, and elected each spring by members of each respective division at a date, time, place and means established by the Board of Directors. Terms of office shall commence July 1. The term of office for standing committee members of each division is three years, and standing committee members may be reelected for one additional three - year term. After a two - year interval, an active member of the Association is eligible to serve on tha t committee again. Members of standing committees who are unwilling or unable to carry out the mandate of the Association may be relieved of their responsibilities and replaced by the Board of Directors (Professional Division) or the Management Committee ( Interscholastic Division) until the time of the next spring election. Attendance issues will be monitored by the committee chair and the staff member assigned to the committee. Vacancies occurring in the membership of any standing committees, other than those due to expiration of term, may be filled by the Board of Directors (Professional Division) or the Management Committee (Interscholastic Division). Committee members so appoin ted will complete the term. They are eligible for re - nomination at the discretion of the appropriate nominating and election process. Section 3: Chairpersons; Reports Each standing committee shall elect a chair for the next year at the last meeting of the current year. The chair of each standing committee shall prepare a detailed, written report, which shall be submitted to the Executive Staff. This report shall be written annually or at other times specified by the Executive Staff and shall be available upon request to a ny member of the Association. Included in each report shall be an account of the successes and the issues of each standing committee. The Executive Staff will distribute these reports to the Board of Directors (Professional) and the Management Committee ( Interscholastic) for acceptance and action as necessary. 11 Section 4: Policies The policies and activities of all standing committees shall be consistent with the policies adopted by the members of the Association, the Board of Directors, and the Management Committee. Section 5: Meetings Except as otherwise provided herein, so far as applicable, the provisions of this Constitution relating to the calling, noticing and conduct of meetings of the Board of Directors or the Management Committee shall govern the calling, noticing and conduct of meetings of standing committees. ARTICLE VII OFFICERS, NAESP STATE REPRESENTATIVE, and NASSP STATE COORDINATOR Section 1: Officers The officers of the Association shall be a President, President - elect, and the immediate Past President if still within his/her/their 4 - year term. If the Past President has surpassed their 4 - year term, they will serve as a non - voting member in an advisory role for one year. The Executive Director(s) serve as Secretary and Treasurer. Section 2: When Chosen; Term The officers of the Association shall be elected/appointed as follows as described in Article IV, Section 2 of this Constitution. (A) The President - Elect, President, and immediate Past President shall be elected for one - year terms. (B) A National Associatio n of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) State Coordinator and a National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) State Representative shall be elected by the same process used for the election of the Board of Directors for a maximum of two, th ree - year terms. They must be members of the respective national organization. (C) Executive Director(s) shall be employed by the Board of Directors and shall serve in such position until his/her successor is chosen and have qualified, or until his/her earlier death, resignation, or termination; (D) The Executive Director shall serve as Secretary and Treasurer so long as he/she is employed as the Execut ive Director; and terms of office shall commence July 1. Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, al l of the aforementioned officers shall hold office until their successors are chosen and have qualified, or until their earlier death, resignation or removal from office. Section 3: Compensation of Officers None of the officers, other than the Executive Directors, shall be compensated by the Association for serving in such a position . The compensation of the Executive Directors shall be fixed by the Board of Directors from time to time. 12 Section 4: Authority and Duties Each officer shall have such authority and perform such duties as are set forth in the Maine Nonprofit Corporation Association Act or in this Constitution and as shall be determined from time to time by the Board of Directors. Each officer shall also have su ch authority and perform such duties as are usually incumbent upon his/her office except as the same may be limited from time to time by the Board of Directors. Section 5: President The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Association, shall preside at all meetings of the members of the Association and of the Board of Directors at which he/she is present, and shall see that all orders and resolutions of the Board of Di rectors are carried into effect. Section 6: President - elect The President - elect shall act for the President in his/her absence. Section 7: Immediate Past President The immediate Past President, if still a member of the Board, shall act for the President and President - Elect in their absence. Section 8: NASSP Coordinator The NASSP Coordinator shall: (1) encourage membership in state and national associations, (2) interpret and explain the work and various projects of the national association to the state association, (3) encourage individual participation in the professio nal work of the state and national associations, (4) in coordination with the Association’s Executive Director, recommend key people in Maine for committee assignment by the NASSP Board of Directors, and (5) keep the NASSP Board of Directors informed conce rning problems and projects of the Association and (6) other duties as required by NASSP. Section 9: NAESP State Representative The NAESP State Representative shall: (1) encourage, promote, and coordinate membership in the state and national associations, (2) serve as a liaison between the state and national associations, (3) serve as the lead delegate to the NAESP Delegate Assembl y, (4) interpret and explain the work of NAESP to the Association, (5) provide NAESP with information about the work and activities of the Association, (6) encourage individual participation in the professional work of both NAESP and the Corporation Associ ation, and (7) in coordination with the Association’s Executive Director (s) , recommend key people in Maine for service on national committee assignments, and (8) other duties required by NAESP. 13 Section 10: Executive Director(s) The Executive Director(s) shall be the Association’s chief operating officer(s). The Executive Director(s) shall attend and serve as secretary at all meetings of the members of the Association, the Board of Directors, and the Management Committees. The Ex ecutive Director(s) shall be the Treasurer and Secretary of the Association and shall receive and disburse funds under the supervision of the Board of Directors and the Management Committee. ARTICLE VIII INDEMNIFICATION Section 1: Definitions For all purposes of this Article, (I) the term “Officer” (when capitalized, but not otherwise) shall mean any person who is or was a Director, IMC member, the President, the President - elect, the immediate Past President, the NASSP State Coordinator, the NAE SP State Representative, the Executive Director(s), Treasurer, the Secretary of the Association; (ii) the term “Employee” (when capitalized, but not otherwise) shall mean any other person (whether or not a common law employee) who is or was an officer, empl oyee or agent of the Association, or is or was serving at the request of the Association as a director, officer, trustee, partner, fiduciary, employee or agent of another Association, partnership, joint venture, trust, pension or other employee benefit plan , or other enterprise; and (iii) the term “Claimant” (when capitalized, but not otherwise) shall mean any Officer or Employee seeking indemnification under this Article. Section 2: Indemnification The Association shall in all cases indemnify any Officer, and shall have power exercisable by its Board of Directors as provided in Section 5 hereof to indemnify any Employee, who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a part to any threatened, pending o r completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that the Claimant is or was an Officer or Employee, against expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgements, fines and amounts paid in settlement to the extent actually and reasonably incurred by the Claimant in connection with such action, suit or proceeding; provided that no indemnification may be provided for any Claimant with respect to any matter as to which the Claimant shall have b een finally adjudicated: (A) Not to have acted honestly or in the reasonable belief that the Claimant’s action was in or not opposed to the best interests of the Association or, in the case of a Claimant serving as a fiduciary of an employee benefit plan or trust, in or not opposed to the best interests of that plan or trust, or its participants or beneficiaries; or (B) With respect to any criminal action or proceeding, to have had reasonable cause to believe that the Claimant’s conduct was unlawful. 14 The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order or conviction adverse to the Claimant, or by settlement or plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not of itself create a presumption that the Claimant did not act honestly or in the reasonable belief that the Claimant’s action was in or not opposed to the best interests of the Association or, in the case of a person serving as a fiduciary of an employee benefit plan or trust, in or not opposed to the best interests of that plan or trust or its participants or beneficiaries and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that the Claimant’s conduct was unlawful. Section 3: Derivative Actions Notwithstanding any provision of Section 2 hereof, the Association shall not indemnify any person with respect to any claim, issue or matter asserted by or in the right of the Association as to which the Claimant is finally adjudicated to be liable to the A ssociation unless the court in which the action, suit or proceeding was brought shall determine that, in view of all the circumstances of the case, the Claimant is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such amounts as the court shall deem reasona ble. Section 4: When Defense Successful Any provisions of Sections 2, 3, or 5 hereof to the contrary notwithstanding, to the extent that a Claimant has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in Sections 2 or 3, or in defense of any cla im, issue or matter therein, the Claimant shall be indemnified against expenses, including attorneys’ fees, actually and reasonably incurred in connection therewith. Section 5: Determination in Specific Cases Any indemnification of an Employee under Section 2 hereof, unless ordered by a court or required by Section 4 hereof, shall be made by the Association only as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of the Claimant is proper in the circumstances and in the best interests of the Association. Where such a case specific determination is required, that determination shall be made by the Board of Directors by a majority vote of a quorum consisting of Directors who were not parties to the action, suit or proceeding, or if such a quorum is not obtainable, or even if obtainable if so directed by a majority vote of a quorum of disinterested Directors, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion. Such a determination once made may not be revoked and, upon the making of that determination, the Employee may enforce the indemnification against the Association by a separate action notwithstanding any attempted or actual subsequent action by the Board of Directors. Section 6: Advances of Expenses Expenses incurred by or in behalf of an Employee in defending a civil, criminal, administrative or investigative action, suit or proceeding may be authorized and paid by the Association in advance of the final disposition of that action, suit or proceeding upon a determination made in accordance with the procedure established in Section 5 hereof that, based solely on the facts then known to those making the determination and without further investigation, the Claimant satisfies the standard of conduct prescri bed by Section 2 hereof. 15 Expenses incurred by or in behalf of an Officer in defending a civil, criminal, administrative or investigative action, suit or proceeding shall in all cases be paid, as reasonably requested from time to time by the Officer, by the Association in advance of the final disposition of the action, suit or proceeding upon receipt by this Association, at the time of the initial advance, of: (A) A written undertaking by or on behalf of the Officer to repay all amounts advanced if the Officer is finally adjudicated: 1. not to have acted honestly or in the reasonable belief that his/her action was in or not opposed to the best interests of the Association, or, in the case of a Claimant serving as a fiduciary of an employee benefit plan or trust, in or not opposed to the bes t interests of that plan or trust, or its participants or beneficiaries; 2. with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, to have had reasonable cause to believe that his/her conduct was unlawful; or 3. with respect to any claim, issue or matter asserted in any action, suit or proceeding brought by or in the right of the Association, to be liable to the Association, unless the court in which the action, suit or proceeding was brought permits indemnificatio n in accordance with Section 3 hereof; and (B) A written affirmation by the Officer that he/she has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the Association as authorized in this Article. The undertaking required by paragraph A of this Section 6 shall be an unlimited general obligation of the Officer seeking the advance, but need not be secured and may be accepted without reference to financial ability to make the repayment. Section 7: Indemnification Not Exclusive The indemnification and entitlement to advances of expenses provided by this Article shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which a Claimant may be entitled under any agreement, vote of members or disinterested Directors or otherwise, both as to action in the Claimant’s official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding an office with the Association, and shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be an Officer or Employee and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, personal representatives, executors and administrators of such a person. Section 8: Enforceable By Separate Action A right to indemnification required by this Article or established pursuant to the provisions of this Article may be enforced by a separate action against the Association, if an order for indemnification has not been entered by a court in any action, suit or proceeding in respect to which indemnification is sought. 16 Section 9: Miscellaneous For purposes of this Article, (i) references to the “Association” shall include, the surviving Association or new Association, any participating Association in a consolidation or merger; (ii) the Association shall have power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Association, or is/was serving at the request of the Association as a director, officer, employee or age nt of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against him and incurred by him in any such capacity, or arising out of his/her/their status as such, whether or not the Association would have the power to indemnify him/her/them against such liability under this section; and (iii) excise taxes assessed on a person seeking indemnification with respect to an employee benefit plan pursuant to applicable law shall be deemed “fines.” Section 10: Amendment Any amendment, modification or repeal of this Article shall not deny, diminish or otherwise limit the rights of any Claimant to indemnification or advances hereunder with respect to any action, suit or proceeding arising out of any conduct, act or omission o ccurring or allegedly occurring at any time prior to the date of such amendment, modification or repeal. ARTICLE IX NOTICE Whenever notice is required or permitted under the provisions of this Constitution, such notice shall be deemed delivered: (A) three (3) days after a copy thereof is deposited in the United States mail, first class postage prepaid, addressed to the recipient at his/her/ their usual or last known business or residence address; (B) one (1) day after a copy thereof is delivered to a recognized overnight delivery or express service addressed to the recipient at his/her /their usual or last known business or residence address; (C) a copy thereof is delivered by hand to the recipient; (D) a copy thereof is read to the recipient over the telephone; 17 (E) a copy thereof is transmitted by electronic means for the simultaneous or substantially simultaneous transmission of date to a telephone number held out by the recipient as a number maintained by him/her/them for the receipt of the means of transmission selected; or (F) a copy thereof is transmitted by e - mail to an electronic address held out by the recipient as an electronic address maintained by him/he r/ them for the receipt of e - mail. ARTICLE X PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE Except as otherwise provided in this Constitution, all questions of parliamentary procedure relating to the Association shall be governed by Roberts Rules of Order (latest edition). ARTICLE XI DISSOLUTION POLICY Section 1 Upon dissolution or liquidation, no member, officer, or any private individual shall benefit materially or monetarily from any part of income, revenue, and grants of or to the Association (except that reasonable compensation may be paid for services rendered in connection with one or more of its purposes). No officer or other private individual shall be entitled to share in the distribution of any of the assets of the Association on its dissolution or liquidation. In any event of such dissolution or liquidat ion, the assets of the Association shall be transferred to an organization(s) with federal tax exemption for charitable and educational uses and purposes similar to those of the Association, which exempt organization(s) shall be designated by the Board of Directors. Section 2 In the event that the Association should divide into a separate elementary association and a separate secondary school association, the total worth of the Association on the date of legal dissolution will be divided between the two separate associations in a ratio equal to the ratio of Maine Secondary School Principals’ Association worth to Maine Elementary Principals’ Association worth on July 1, 1992. The funds held in retirement accounts for executive staff shall not be included in the division of funds in the event of dissolution. Those funds will continue to be held in separate accounts as designated funds. That ratio as determined by a Certified Public Accountant is 91 (MSSPA) to 9 (MEPA). 18 ARTICLE XII GOVERNANCE This Constitution, as adopted by the active members of the Association together with the bylaws, regulations, and activity bulletins, shall govern the activities of members of the Association. Electronic newsletters of the Association shall be the official publications which contain all changes recommended by the separate committees and those enacted at meetings of the members of the Association, the Interscholastic Management Committee and/or the Board of Directors. ARTICLE XIII AMEND THE CONSTITUTION The Constitution may be amended if proposed by the Board of Directors or any member of the Association. A proposed amendment shall be: (A) presented in writing to the members of the Association for discussion through a means determined by the Board of Directors; (B) placed on the table for a minimum of thirty (30) days; (C) sent to the entire membership of the Association at least two weeks prior to any action; (D) acted upon by the membership of the Association through a means determined by the Board of Directors held within (7) months after being proposed; and (E) accepted by a 2/3 vote of all of the active and retired members voting through the means established by the Board of Directors. Revised: April 2003 19 BYLAWS OF THE MAINE PRINCIPALS’ ASSOCIATION PROFESSIONAL DIVISION Section 1 The eight geographic regions referred to in the MPA Constitution and Bylaws shall be: Andy Valley, Aroostook, Cumberland, Downeast, Kennebec Valley, Mid - Coast, Northeast, and York. Section 2 When possible, the Legislative Committee shall be composed of eight members, representing each of the geographic regions identified in Section 1. The President, President - elect, and if available, the Past President will serve as ex officio members. The committee may recommend to the Board of Directors that new legislation be initiated. The committee shall review all pending legislation which may influence member s chools, professional members, or the MPA. When appropriate, the committee shall present oral a nd/or written testimony to the Legislature. The committee shall also be responsible for developing and presenting resolutions that reflect statements of position on educational issues in prekindergarten through grade twelve. The committee will periodically review existing resolutions. Revisions to existing resolutions as well as new resolutions will be forwarded to the Board of Directors. The Board will either return the Resolution to the Committee or will forward it to the professional membership for a vot e by means established by the Board. Section 3 The President shall call regional meetings of the MPA as necessary. 20 BYLAWS OF THE MAINE PRINCIPALS’ ASSOCIATION INTERSCHOLASTIC DIVISION ARTICLE I Section 1 The Interscholastic Management Committee shall establish, amend, and revise basic rules governing interscholastic activities. These rules shall be designed to ensure fair competition, equal opportunity to compete, and adequate protection of student athlet es. The rules, as updated, shall be published annually in the Association Handbook and made available to all member schools. Schools which plan to conduct or participate in interscholastic athletic activities involving multiple schools, some of which are out - of - state, shall obtain prior approval from the Executive Director or designee, acting for the Management Committee. (See Appendix M – Sanctioning Policy). Section 2 The appropriate activity standing committee shall assume control of all interscholastic tournaments, meets or other forms of competition, subject to final review by the Management Committee to ensure conformity with Association policy. No standing committe e may set policy in areas reserved for the Classification Committee. For all activities in which the MPA elects to recognize state champions, the standing committee for that activity shall prescribe the method for determination of the champion or champions. Section 3 Active and retired members of the Professional Division or active members of the Maine Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association shall be eligible to serve as voting members on standing committees. Section 4 The Baseball Committee shall be composed of fi ve active or retired members of the MPA or MIAAA representing a balance of geography and classification. Section 5 The Basketball Committee shall be composed of members representing three subcommittees: 21 1. A North/CD South: Five active or retired members of the MPA or MIAAA representing Northern and Southern Maine 2. Class AA, A, and B South: Five active or retired members of the MPA or MIAAA representing Southern Maine. 3. Class BCD North: Five active or retired members of the MPA or MIAAA representing Northern Maine. The full committee shall meet to determine statewide policies applying to basketball and basketball tournaments and shall have jurisdiction over all matters pertaining to basketball except those specifically delegated to the State Basketball Commission. Th e full committee, as well as each of the three subcommittees, shall annually select their chair(s). Revised by the Membership, April 30, 2015. Section 6 The President, after consulting with the Management Committee, shall appoint three representatives to the State Basketball Commission. Section 7 The Cheering Committee shall be composed of six active or retired members of the MPA or MIAAA representing a balance of geography and classification. The committee shall determine statewide policies applying to cheering and cheering competition and shall ha ve jurisdiction over all matters pertaining to cheering except those specifically delegated to committees responsible for athletic tournaments in which cheering teams participate. Section 8 The Classification Committee shall be composed of ten active or retired members of the MPA or MIAA representing a balance of geography and classification. The committee shall be responsible for classification in all MPA athletic activities. Members from act ivity standing committees shall be invited to attend any meeting in which classification is being considered in that activity. Section 9 The Cross - Country Committee shall be composed of four active or retired members of the MPA or MIAAA representing a balance of geography and classification . Section 10 The Sportsmanship Committee shall be composed of five active or retired members of the MPA or MIAAA representing a balance of geography and classification. 22 Section 11 The Drama Committee shall be composed of twelve active or retired members of the MPA or MIAAA representing a geographic balance of the state. The committee shall oversee the Association’s working relationship with the Maine Drama Council. Section 12 The Eligibility Committee shall be composed of five active or retired members of the MPA or MIAAA, representing a balance of geography and classification. The committee shall be responsible to receive, to evaluate, and to render judgments on all requests fo r additional eligibility or questions concerning eligibility other than those specifically assigned by policy to the Executive Director. The committee will hold four regularly scheduled meetings per year in August, September, November and March. Decisions of the Committee on Eligibility may be appealed to the Interscholastic Management Committee pursuant to the provisions o f (Article VIII, Section 1, of these bylaws). Section 13 The Esports Committee shall be composed of three active or retired members of the MPA or MIAAA representing geographic balance. Section 14 The Field Hockey Committee shall be composed of five active or retired members of the MPA or MIAAA representing a balance of geography and classification. Section 15 The Football Committee shall be composed of five active or retired members of the MPA or MIAAA representing a balance of geography and classification. Section 1 6 The Golf Committee shall be composed of five active or retired members of the MPA or MIAA representing a balance of geography and classification. Section 1 7 The Ice Hockey Committee shall be composed of five active or retired members of the MPA or MIAAA representing a balance of geography and classification. Section 1 8 The Lacrosse Committee shall be composed of five active or retired members of the MPA or MIAAA representing a geographic balance. 23 Section 19 The MPA staff member assigned to music shall serve as the liaison with the Maine Music Educators’ Association (MMEA) in order to enhance communication between the organizations. Section 2 0 The MPA staff member assigned to the National Honor Society shall oversee the student executive board and their advisors. Section 2 1 The Officials’ Advisory Committee shall be composed of five active or retired members of the MPA or MIAAA. The committee shall establish officials’ fees for all sports. Section 2 2 The Ski Committee shall be composed of six active or retired members of the MPA or MIAAA representing a balance of geography and classification. Section 2 3 The Soccer Committee shall be composed of eight active or retired members of the MPA or MIAAA representing a balance of geography and classification. Section 2 4 The Softball Committee shall be composed of five active or retired members of the MPA or MIAAA representing a balance of geography and classification. Section 2 5 The Speech and Debate committee shall be composed of three active or retired members representing a geographic balance of the state. The committee shall oversee the Association’s working relationship with the Maine Forensics Association. Section 2 6 The Sports Medicine Advisory Committee shall be composed of five active or retired members of the MPA or MIAAA. Additionally, there shall be six liaisons including two athletic trainers, two physicians (M.D.), one school nurse, and one mental health professional. The MPA president shall appoint liaisons as openings occur. This committee shall recommend sports medicine policy to and oversee coaches’ education for the Interscholastic Management Committee and MPA membership. 24 Section 2 7 The MPA staff member assigned to Student Council shall serve as the Maine Association of Student Council’s (MASC) Executive Director working with the student executive board. Section 2 8 The Swim Committee shall be composed of five active or retired members of the MPA or MIAA. representing a balance of geography and classification. Section 29 The Technology Committee shall be composed of seven active or retired members of the MPA or MIAAA representing a balance of geography and classification. Section 3 0 The Tennis Committee shall be composed of five active or retired members of the MPA or MIAAA representing a balance of geography and classification. Section 3 1 The (Indoor) Track Committee shall be composed of four active or retired members of the MPA or MIAAA representing a balance of geography and classification. Section 3 2 The (Outdoor) Track Committee shall be composed of six active or retired members of the MPA or MIAAA representing a balance of geography and classification. Section 3 3 The Unified Sports Committee shall be composed of four active or retired members of the MPA or MIAAA. Section 3 4 The Volleyball Committee shall be composed of five active or retired members of the MPA or MIAAA representing geographic balance. 25 Section 3 5 The Wrestling Committee shall be composed of six active or retired members of the MPA or MIAAA representing a balance of geography and classification. ARTICLE II ELIGIBILITY RULES Section 1 Eligibility rules apply to all secondary school interscholastic varsity athletic events: A. All conferences and leagues shall be governed by the MPA Eligibility Rules. B. The use of an ineligible player by a school in any interscholastic competition game shall result in a forfeiture of that contest. C. The eligibility rules shall apply to all regular season, and postseason contests. Section 2 Student Eligibility A student shall be eligible to participate in any interscholastic secondary school athletic contest: A. Who meets the eligibility rules established by the local school authorities. B. Who is regularly enrolled in the school which he/she represents. 1. To be considered regularly enrolled, a student must be fully enrolled and academically active in the school which he/she represents. An academically active student must be pursuing a program of studies approved by the principal and superintendent of schoo ls. Exception: At the end of the current grading period a student, who has met all school requirements for graduation and will not receive/accept a diploma until the school’s graduation date, may complete the sports season even though he/she is no longer a regularly enrolled student. All other MPA and local policies will be adhered to. (Revised 11/16/06) 2. Students in grade 9 in separately organized junior high/middle schools are eligible to participate in the varsity athletics program of the senior high school in their school administrative unit. 3. In order to make possible the formation of interscholastic Heal Point athletic teams in smaller secondary schools, a student may be drafted from grade eight (8) of the same school system, provided that such student is in satisfactory physical condition, an d provided that the secondary school using the student does not have an enrollment of greater than sixty (60) girls or sixty (60) boys. It is further understood that this extra year of athletic competition does not penalize such students under the eight - semester rule. This applies to the following team sports only: Baseball, Basketball, Cheerleading, Field Hockey, Football, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, and Volleyball. 26 4. Homeschooled students will be exempt from the enrollment rule (Article II, Section 2, Paragraph B) if their equivalent instruction program has been approved as outlined in Maine Law. Homeschooled students must meet all other eligibility rules in Article II , Section 2, of the MPA Bylaws. 5. A student fully enrolled in a Maine Department of Education recognized private school or in a Maine Department of Education approved private school with 60 or fewer students combined in grades 9 - 12, is eligible to participate in co - curricular activities at the local public high school to which the student would otherwise attend based on the student’s and parent/guardian’s legal residen cy as long as the private school does not offer the same activity. The principal of the public high school may withhold approval of participation under certain circumstances such as lack of capacity. The student must agree to meet established behavioral, d isciplinary, and other rules applicable to regularly enrolled students. 6. Out - of - district placement students shall be exempt from the regular enrollment provisions of Article II, Section 2 (B)(1) and may participate in the interscholastic program of the school in which they are placed if the following provisions are met: a. The school accepting the out - of - district placement student requests a waiver from the Committee on Eligibility; b. The waiver request is accompanied by a written consent from the principal of the sending school that a waiver should be granted; c. The Committee on Eligibility determines that it is in the best interests of the student to participate in the interscholastic program of the receiving school. For purposes of this paragraph, "out - of - district placement students" shall be defined as students placed by the PET process in a private special purpose school, as defined by the Maine Department of Education regulations. C. Who competes using his/her own name, substantiated by a birth certificate. Otherwise, a student is ineligible for nine weeks from the time it is discovered a false name was used. D. Who is regularly present for and actively participates in team practices and competitions. Bona fide members of a school team are prevented from missing high school practice or competition to compete or practice elsewhere. 1. Two waivers per student athlete per sport season may be granted by the school administration on a case - by - case basis for extraordinary circumstances. (e.g. If a student/athlete were invited to participate in a prestigious weekend event then a waiver may be granted. If a student/athlete were invited to participate in a nationally recognized tourn ament over a school vacation, then that waiver may be granted for that activity. If a student requests to miss practice every Friday because he/she is receiving specialized coaching from an outside team/coach, then a waiver should not be granted because i t violates the spirit and intent of the rule.) 2. This policy is not intended to restrict dual sport participation in schools that allow dual participation. 27 3. Penalty for violation of this policy: a. 1st Violation Suspension from play for one game/contest b. 2nd Violation Removal from team for remainder of season D. Who is under twenty years of age at the time of participation. E. Who has maintained undergraduate status in a four - year program in a Maine secondary school or its equivalent as outlined in the MPA Constitution, Article II, Section 2. F. Who has yet to fulfill eight full semesters at an approved secondary school or its equivalent. A student is only eligible to compete for the first eight consecutive semesters after he or she first enrolls as a freshman in high school, or in the ninth gra de in a junior high school. 1. Upon application by a student's administration , the Committee on Eligibility of the Maine Principals' Association may grant no more than eighteen consecutive weeks of additional eligibility upon a satisfactory showing that: a. A student has failed one or more semesters because of absence due to illness or injury. b. A student has been absent one or more semesters because of required military service. c. A student withdrew from school to assume full fiscal responsibility for the support of the family because of illness or incapacity of a parent. d. A student has encountered unusual circumstances that warrant an exception. Such cases will be reviewed on an individual basis. e. If a student is granted an additional semester of eligibility, such eligibility may be given for any eighteen consecutive weeks, not necessarily concurrent with a semester, during the student's fifth year of attendance at the specific request of the school . 2. No student who has been enrolled at any approved school shall participate in the same athletic activity for more than four seasons. This rule does not apply to the eligibility rule affecting small schools who are permitted to use eighth grade students whe n there are not more than sixty boys or sixty girls in grades 9 - 12. 3. It is the responsibility of each school's administration to verify the eligibility of each student at the beginning of each semester or equivalent. G. Who has completed and passed work in the equivalent of four (4) full - time subjects or learning experiences with credit toward graduation in the most recently completed quarter or equivalent. 1. Failure to earn passing grades in four full - time subjects (or the equivalent) shall render a student ineligible for a period determined by the local school. 2. The record at the end of the marking period shall be final and scholastic deficiencies may not be removed for the purpose of meeting minimum eligibility requirements except: a. For those grades/credits earned in a regular accredited summer school program accepted by the school district; b. Incomplete grades which may be made up for credit during the first five (5) weeks of the subsequent quarter. 28 3. It is understood that homeschooled students will have completed and passed the equivalent of four (4) full - time courses or approved learning experiences which meet the requirements of the approved home school program of instruction in the most recently com pleted quarter. 4. It is understood that a special education student will not be denied participation in interscholastic activities solely because the student is enrolled in a reduced course load when the reduced course load is due to the student's exceptionality, provided t hat the student is satisfactorily completing the requirements of the educational component of an individual education plan and is otherwise in compliance with the plan. It is further understood that the special education student not satisfactorily completi ng the educational components of an individualized plan or is not otherwise in compliance with the plan shall have his/her eligibility status determined in the same manner as the eligibility of a non - special education student who is not satisfying the appl icable academic standards. H. A student who is otherwise eligible, but who was not enrolled in a given secondary school during the preceding semester, shall be considered eligible provided the pupil: 1. c arried successfully during the preceding semester of attendance at another approved secondary school or its equivalent, the minimum scholastic requirement for eligibility of the receiving school. 2. successfully completed the work of an elementary or junior high school during the preceding semester. J. A student who fails to qualify, comply, or conform with the eligibility provisions, or who violates these eligibility provisions shall be ineligible to compete in any interscholastic secondary school athletic contest. K. A student transferring to a member school may be added to a varsity eligibility roster if the student is enrolled and in full attendance no later than the opening date that countable games may be played, assuming the student meets all other local and MPA eligibility rules. Students not meeting the deadline cannot be added to the varsity eligibility roster during the remainder of that sport season. Adopted by the Interscholastic Management Committee on April 27, 2005; Revised by the Membership on April 28, 2011 and April 30, 2015 29 The following specific student eligibility questions and answers can also be found in the MPA Coaches’ Handbook Q. May a student that has completed their program of studies at the school compete on a school’s athletic team? A. No, a student must be fully enrolled at the school to compete on a team. Students may take college courses that also appear on their high school transcript. An exception would be for those students that complete their work prior to the end of grading peri od, those students may finish the season that they are currently participating in. Q. May an 8 th grade student participate on the high school team? A. No, students are allowed eight consecutive semesters in which to compete at the high school level. An exception would be in those schools with fewer than 60 students of a given gender. In those cases, 8 th grade students may be used to give the high school students an opportunity to field a team. This rule is not intended to make a team more competitive and displace high school students on the roster. Q. May a girl play on a school’s baseball team? A. Yes, baseball and softball have been deemed as different sports and girls may play on the baseball team even if the school sponsors softball. Q. May a boy play on a school’s field hockey team? A. No, it has been determined through state and federal courts, that allowing single sex teams for girls is a valid means of achieving equal athletic opportunity under Title IX. Q. Is a foreign student able to compete on a high school athletic team? A. Yes, if there is agreement that the transfer to the school was not primarily for athletics and the student meets all student eligibility requirements. S ection 3 Coaches’ Eligibility The Coaches’ Eligibility Policy was established by the MPA membership to provide proper training of coaches, to ensure the safety of student athletes, and to improve the overall quality of the interscholastic program. A person shall be eligible to coach in any interscholastic high school athletic contest, provided the person satisfies all of the following conditions (for purposes of this section, “coach” shall mean all persons who coach an interscholastic high school ath letic team in any way, whether for pay or as a volunteer at the varsity, junior varsity and freshman/first team level): A. The person’s appointment as coach must be approved by the local educational agency responsible for the member school at which the person coaches. B. The coach must be at least 20 years of age, or a high school graduate, at the commencement of the sport season for which the person has been appointed to coach. For purposes of this section, a season shall be deemed to have commenced on the first 30 day on which the team practices, including practices scheduled to determine the members of the team. C. The coach must sign a statement acknowledging that he/she has read, understood, and agreed to comply with and abide by all MPA Bylaws, policies, and the MPA Code of Ethics. D. The coach must have successfully completed a coaching principles eligibility course. (Refer to Appendix R, Coaches’ Eligibility of the MPA Handbook). E. The coach must have successfully completed a sport first aid course. Every coach must take a sport first aid course every five years. F. Every coach must have successfully completed a basic CPR/AED program . G. Every coach must have viewed the NFHS “Concussion in Sport” video. H. Every coach must have viewed the NFHS “Heat Illness Prevention” video. I. Every coach must have viewed the NFHS “Sudden Cardiac Arrest” video. J. Every coach must have viewed the NFHS “ Protecting the Students from Abuse video. ” A coach who fails to satisfy, comply with or conform to the requirements of this section shall be ineligible to coach in any interscholastic athletic contest. Implementation All coaches shall have a period of twelve (12) months after their date of hire or appointment to satisfy the requirements of successfully completing the coaching principles course, the sport first aid program, the CPR/AED program. Components A, B, C, G, H, I , and J must be met prior to working with students. The administration at the school is responsible for determining the eligibility of coaches prior to the start of each sport season. The school must maintain a current portfolio for each coach containing evidence of compliance. The MPA may request access to the portfolio if a challenge occurs. Coaches are encouraged to maintain copies of their portfolio. The association strongly suggests that this information be reviewed at a meeting of all coaches prior to the start of each season. A pre - season meeting may be used to discuss the school’s athletic philosophy when reviewing the MPA Handbook, the MPA Code of Ethics, and individual sport bulletins. If a coach changes assignments to another school, the school of hire will be expected to review the coach’s portfolio and eligibility. Please refer to the MPA Coaches’ Handbook or the MPA website to review the complete coaches’ eligibility implementation process. When in doubt, please call the MPA at 622 - 0217. 31 The following specific coaches’ eligibility questions and answers can also be found in the MPA Coaches’ Handbook: Q. Does a school need to submit proof of coaches’ eligibility to the MPA office? A. No, a school should keep a portfolio of each coaches’ eligibility on file at the school. Should a coach move from one school to another they should be given a copy of their portfolio. Q. Are volunteer coaches required to meet MPA coaches’ eligibility requirements? A. Yes, any coach working with high school students, regardless of compensation, must meet the coaches’ eligibility requirements. Q. May a 19 - year - old , recent graduate, serve as an assistant coach with a high school team? A. Yes, if they have graduated from high school, and completed all the coaches’ eligibility requirements, they could serve as an assistant coach. If they have not graduated from high school, then they must be at least 20 years of age. Q. May a volunteer coach “resign” their position and coach a premier team outside of the sports season? A. Yes, but they would be ineligible to coach at the school for 365 days after they resigned their position at the school . Q. May a middle school coach work with athletes outside of the designated sports season? A. No, a middle school coach is a part of the coaching staff and may only coach high school athletes during the designated sport season or during the summer. Section 4 Transfer Rule A. A student, who transfers enrollment to another school without a corresponding change of residence by his/her parent(s) or legal guardian(s), may become eligible to participate in interscholastic activities if a Transfer Waiver Approval Form is properly file d with the MPA office, with the administration from both schools agreeing that the transfer was not primarily for athletic purposes. The waiver will become effective upon approval by the MPA or the approval of the Eligibility Committee at its next regularl y scheduled meeting should the MPA refer the request to said committee. The student will become eligible on the date the waiver request is approved by MPA or the Eligibility Committee. Either member school may appeal the decision to the Eligibility Commi ttee and ultimately to the Interscholastic Management Committee. ● In the instance of foreign (international) students who are otherwise eligible, the certification and contact name of the exchange agency may be substituted for the sending administrator’s certification when the approval cannot be obtained in a timely fash ion. ● For the purposes of the transfer rule, “primarily” shall mean that the student would not have transferred and/or would not have sought to transfer “but for” athletic purposes. 32 B. A student declared ineligible due to the transfer rule shall be eligible to participate only after being in attendance at the new school for three hundred sixty - five (365) consecutive calendar days which will commence with the first day of attendance at the new school. C. In the “special situations” described below, this transfer rule shall not apply, and the eligibility of the student may not be challenged. 1. Students placed in a school by outside governmental agencies; or as the result of federal or state statutes ( e.g., State Department of Human Services, Individual Education Plan (IEP) Evaluation Teams, their school district, medical referrals) become eligible upon registration and enrollment in the receiving school. 2. A student of divorced or legally separated parents who moves into another school district with one of the parents and enrolls in a school in the district to which said parent has moved within four weeks of the time said parent moves into the district, will be eligible upon registration assuming compliance with Article II, Section 2K. 3. A student whose parents move out of the school district may continue to be eligible in the same school provided enrollment is unbroken. 4. A student who returns from service in the armed forces to the school in which s/he was enrolled prior to serving in the armed forces is eligible immediately if s/he meets all other eligibility requirements. D. Legal Guardianship 1. For the purpose of the transfer rule, a legal guardian is one who is entrusted by law with the care of a student. 2. If a student transfers from one school to another and a new legal guardian is appointed for the student, the student is in violation of the transfer rule and is thus ineligible except for Subsections A or C - 1 above. E. All requests for a ruling on the transfer rule shall be presented first to the Executive Director, then the Eligibility Committee, which in its discretion, may waive, but not shorten, the time requirement of subsection B above. Revised and approved by the membership: April 2002 33 The following specific transfer policy questions and answers can also be found in the MPA Coaches’ Handbook: Q. If an athlete attends a preseason practice at a school but then transfers to another school, is that student eligible? A. Yes, if the transfer took place prior to the date of the first countable game, even if a school is not scheduled to play on that day, and the appropriate paperwork has been completed. Q. If a student resides in a “school choice” community, may they transfer from one school to another? A. No, once a student chooses a high school to attend then any transfer must be accompanied by the appropriate paperwork. Q. If a student is granted a superintendent’s agreement, are they eligible to compete at the receiving school? A. No, the transfer must occur prior to the start of the sports season and the transfer waiver form must be completed. Section 5 Athletic Recruitment A. The MPA is opposed to athletic recruitment and defines such recruitment as the attempt, either directly or indirectly, to induce a student of any school to sever connections with the current school of attendance and transfer to a member school for athletic purposes. Similarly, efforts at persuasion, including but not limited to visits to a student’s home, invitations to visit the school, or invitations to the student to train with the school shall be deemed to be recruitment. B. Academic Recruitment Programs This policy is not intended to prevent a member school from conducting academic recruitment programs or recruitment programs designed to attract students based upon the school’s overall educational and extracurricular programs. However, such recruitment p rograms must be designed to present the overall educational and extracurricular programs of the school and not be used as subterfuge for recruiting students for athletic purposes. No information distributed through any speech, slide, film, tape, e - mail, or written material can imply that the school’s athletic program is better than any other school’s athletic program or that it would be more advantageous for a prospective student - athlete if he/she participated at that member school as opposed to any other s chool. C. General Principles 1. Recruiting is the use of influence and/or inducement by anyone associated with a school to encourage a prospective student to attend that school. 2. Recruitment of students or attempted recruitment of students for athletic purposes, regardless of their residence, is a gross violation of the spirit and philosophy of the bylaws of the Maine Principals’ Association and is expressly forbidden. 3. Member schools are responsible for any violation committed by any person associated with the school, including principals, assistant principals, athletic administrators, coaches, 34 teachers, any other staff members or employees, or any organization, i.e., booster clubs, having connection to the school. Member schools also are responsible for any violation committed by any person acting at the direction of the school or anyone associated with the school. Use of third parties such as students, parents, etc ., is also a violation of this policy. D. Influence for Athletic Purposes 1. The use of influence, which is direct or indirect communication by anyone associated with a school with a prospective student athlete to solicit or encourage the enrollment of a prospective student - athlete in that school for athletic purposes, is prohibited. Additionally, no one associated with a school may request any third party to solicit or encourage the enrollment of a prospective st udent - athlete in that school, for, in that case, the third party also becomes associated with the school. 2. Influence for athletic purposes includes, but is not limited to: a. initiating or arranging telephone, electronic, or other contact such as questionnaires, cards, letters, and/or face - to - face conversations, with a prospective student - athlete or member of his/her family for the purpose and intent of soliciting or encouragin g the enrollment of the student in a school; b. visiting or entertaining a prospective student - athlete or member of his/her family for the purpose and intent of soliciting or encouraging the enrollment of the student in a school ; c. providing transportation to a prospective student - athlete or member of his/her family to visit a school or to meet with anyone associated with a school for the purpose and intent of soliciting or encouraging the enrollment of the student in that school ; d. requesting booster club members, students, parents, or alumni from a school to discuss the merits of the school’s athletic program with a prospective student - athlete or member of his/her family by phone, in person, or through any other type of communicatio n; e. any other contact with a prospective student - athlete or member of his/her family for the purpose and intent of soliciting or encouraging the enrollment of the student in a school and, f. accepting a student - athlete whose transfer was arranged through any agent or agency, and the initial contact did not involve the school principal or designee. The principal assumes responsibility for action taken by his/her designee. 3. No member school and no one acting on behalf of any member school may give any speech or give any slide, film, or tape presentation or distribute any written material, including advertisements in newspapers, magazines or other publications, which states or implies that a member school’s athletic program is better than the athletic program of any other school or that it would be more advantageous for any prospective student - athlete to participate in athletics at that member school as opposed to any other scho ol. E. Inducement for Athletic Purposes 1. A student - athlete may not receive or be offered any remuneration of any kind or receive or be offered any inducement of any kind which is not made available to all students who enroll in or apply to a school. 35 2. Inducements for athletic purposes include, but are not limited to: a. offer or acceptance of money or other valuable consideration such as free or reduced tuition during the regular school year or summer school by any person associated with a school ; b. offer or acceptance of room, board, textbooks or clothing, or financial allotment for textbooks or clothing ; c. offer or acceptance of pay for work that is not performed or that is in excess of the amount regularly paid for such service ; d. offer or acceptance of free transportation by any person associated with the school ; e. offer or acceptance of a residence with any person associated with the school which would result with the student - athlete living with a non - custodial parent ; f. offer or acceptance of any privilege not afforded to non - athletes ; g. offer or acceptance of free or reduced rent for parents or guardians ; h. offer or acceptance of payments of moving expenses of parents or guardians or assistance with the moving of parents or guardians ; i. offer or acceptance of employment of parent (s) or guardian(s) in order to entice the family to move to a certain community if any person associated with the school makes the offer ; j. offer or acceptance of help in securing a college athletic scholarship; k. offer or acceptance of the opportunity to gain significant playing time and , l. offer or acceptance of the opportunity to be associated with a more competitive team. F. Financial Assistance 1. Member schools are permitted to maintain financial assistance programs for students and must be available without regard to athletic potential or performance. 2. Financial assistance based even partially on athletic potential or performance is not permitted from the school or any individual or group associated with the school. G. Filing Complaints Any member school by its representative or any MPA Committee by majority vote of its members, may file with the Interscholastic Executive Director a complaint alleging violation of this section. The Interscholastic Executive Director shall initiate Section I below. H. Penalties 1. A student recruited for athletic participation may be declared ineligible for a period of up to 365 days. 36 2. Other penalties may be assessed as prescribed in the MPA Bylaws. I. Investigative Process for Athletic Recruitment 1. If a charge of athletic recruiting is brought against a member school, the MPA Interscholastic Executive Director and the Interscholastic Management Committee Chair shall appoint from among the MPA membership a principal who shall serve as investigating of fi cer, whose duty it shall be to determine the facts in the case. This person shall be empowered to summon representatives of both the complainant and the school accused of recruiting to an informal fact - finding meeting which shall be held within fifteen (15) school days of receipt of the complaint. No parties may at this time be represented by counsel. The investigating officer shall attempt to resolve the matter at issue between the two schools. If the schools accept the investigating officer’s decision, it shall be reported in writing to the MPA Management Committee, the report shall be entered in the minutes of the management committee, and the matter adjudicated and closed. 2. If the investigating officer’s decision is not accepted, the MPA Interscholastic Management Committee shall, within fifteen (15) days of the date of receipt of such report, establish a three - member panel to arbitrate the issue. The panel shall consist of th ree member principals, one member chosen by the complainant, one member chosen by the accused school, and a third member agreed upon by the two parties. The neutral member will serve as chair. The panel shall be empowered to call both parties to a formal hearing, at which time the parties shall not be represented by counsel, and which shall be conducted according to existing MPA Bylaws and precedent. The hearing must be held no later than 21 days after the appointment by the panel. The decision of the panel shall be reported to the MPA I nterscholastic Management Committee, and the two parties involved within one week following the conclusion of the hearing. 3. Where a finding of violation of the recruitment rules has been determined by a three - member panel, the panel may rule in its discretion that the offending school (a) be placed on probation pending future conduct for a definite time; or (b) be prohibited from participation in MPA - sponsored meets or tournaments for a definite time; or (c) be suspended from the MPA for a definite time; or (d) any combination of the above. 4. Should the findings and judgment of the panel be accepted by both parties, said findings and judgment shall be communicated by the panel in writing to the MPA Interscholastic Management Committee, which shall enter the findings and judgment in the minutes of the management committee, and the matter shall be declared adjudicated and closed. 5. Should the findings and judgment of the panel not be accepted by the parties, either may appeal to the MPA Interscholastic Management Committee for a formal hearing before the committee. Such an appeal must be made within fifteen (15) days following the announcement of the decision of the panel. If a request for an appeal is not made within that time, the matter shall be considered closed, and the judgment of the panel shall stand. 6. Upon appeal made in a timely fashion, the MPA Interscholastic Management Committee shall convene a formal hearing, where each party may be represented by counsel, to be held no later than 30 days from the day of receipt of the request. The hearing shall be conducted in accordance wi th existing MPA Bylaws and precedent in such cases. If any 37 party elects to be represented by counsel, the other parties must be informed in a timely fashion. 7. The school appealing the finding and judgment of the panel shall be subject to the application of Article V of the MPA Bylaws. Revised and approved by the membership: April 2002 Section 6 Waiver Procedure - Students A. Any high school administrator who believes that a student may qualify for a waiver of any eligibility rule in Article II because it causes an undue hardship upon the student, may submit an application to the Committee on Eligibility. The application, whic h can be found on the MPA website, shall be submitted to the MPA and contain the following information: 1. A complete academic transcript including the dates of attendance. 2. Signed statements in support of the request from school staff members, parents, medical personnel, and/or other verifying parties. B. The Interscholastic Executive Director will schedule the hearing on the application for the next meeting of the Committee on Eligibility. The school’s designated representative (who may be the Executive Director upon specific request of the school) shall m ake the application presentation. C. The Interscholastic Executive Director shall record the decision of the Committee on Eligibility and forward a copy thereof to the applicant school. D. Requests for waivers to be effective the first semester of the subsequent school year need to be submitted to the Eligibility Committee. E. Requests for waivers to be effective the second semester of a school year should be submitted by November 1 of that school year. All other waiver requests for the second semester will be processed at the next regular meeting of the Eligibility Committee. Section 7 Ineligible Coach – Penalties Any member school that learns that a person appointed to coach a team at the member school has failed to satisfy, comply with, or conform to the requirements of Article II, Section 3 shall immediately report the fact to the Interscholastic Management Commi ttee (IMC). The IMC shall then direct the Executive Director to investigate the situation and present information to the IMC for its consideration and determination. The Executive Director may also investigate and present to the IMC any allegations of no n - compliance the Executive Director becomes aware of from any other source. The IMC’s determination on the eligibility issue shall be final. 38 Whenever a determination is made that a coach has violated the Coaches’ Eligibility Rules, the IMC may take the following actions: 1. Require that the member school take specific corrective action; 2. Issue a letter of reprimand; 3. Declare the coach ineligible for a stated amount of time, not to exceed three hundred sixty - five (365) days, in which case the member school shall forfeit any contests in which the coach was involved while ineligible; 4. Require forfeiture of all contests in which the coach has been involved; or 5. Any combination of the above. Section 8 Ineligible Player - Penalties In any interscholastic athletic contest in which a participating school plays an ineligible student , the contest shall be declared a loss for the school using the ineligible player. In multiple interscholastic meets, any school playing an ineligible student shall be given no rating in any event in which the ineligible student participates. A. Protest against schools using ineligible players are to be made to the IMC and received in the form of a letter to the Interscholastic Executive Director. The Interscholastic Executive Director will proceed to investigate the protest and present the facts established to the IMC. Its ruling on the case shall be final. B. In all interscholastic athletic competition, each member school administration shall abide by the eligibility rules of the Maine Principals’ Association, and he/she shall furnish to the administrator of a competing school, or to his/her accredited representative, a certified list of approved players or contestants, if requested. All athletic contests arranged with non - member schools shall be considered exhibition contests , with the exception of football. Section 9 Career and Technical Education Students Students attending career and technical education centers or schools are eligible to participate in the interscholastic athletic program at their school of enrollment only. 39 Section 10 Restitution If a student is ineligible according to MPA rules but is permitted to participate in interscholastic competition contrary to such MPA rules but in accordance with the terms of a court restraining order or injunction against his/her school and/or the MPA; a nd if said injunction is subsequently voluntarily vacated or vacated, stayed, reversed by a court of competent jurisdiction; or if it is finally determined by the courts that injunctive relief is not or was not justified, then any one or more of the followin g actions shall be taken against such school in the interest of restitution and fairness to the competing schools: A. Require that individual or team records and performances achieved during participation by such ineligible students shall be vacated or stricken. B. Require that team victories shall be forfeited to the opponent . C. Require that team or individual awards earned by such ineligible students be returned to the association. Section 11 Four Seasons of Competition Except as set forth in this Article, a student is ineligible to participate in more than four seasons in the same sport at the high school level. This rule shall not apply to a ny student who participates in a sport at the high school level in accordance with A rticle II, Section 2(B)(3) of the Bylaws . For purposes of this Article, “high school level” shall mean varsity, junior varsity, club, freshman, and/or first team athletic teams (regardless of whether freshman students attend the high school). Also for purposes of this Article, a student shall be deemed to have participated in a sport during a season at the high school level when a team of which he/she is a member participates in a regularly scheduled athletic event. Section 12 Gender Identity Participation Policy The Maine Principals’ Association is committed to providing all students with an equal opportunity to participate in interscholastic athletics regardless of their sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. In furtherance of this commitment, the MPA has a dopted the following policy related to the participation of students whose gender identity differs from the student’s sex assigned at birth. 1. Definitions: a. Gender identity is defined as a student’s innate sense of their gender, which may be the same as or different from the sex assigned at birth. 40 b. A transgender student is defined as a student whose gender identity differs from the sex assigned at birth. For example, a transgender person who was assigned female at birth may identify as a boy, girl, a combination of both, or neither. c. A nonbinary student is defined as a student whose gender identity differs from the sex assigned at birth and does not conform to traditional binary beliefs about gender being exclusively either a boy or girl. d. A cisgender student is a student whose gender identity matches the sex assigned at birth. 2. A student who wishes to participate in MPA sponsored interscholastic athletics must declare their gender identity to their member school if their gender identity differs from the student’s sex assigned at birth. The member school shall have the sole author ity to verify the student’s gender identity assignment for the purposes of athletic registration and participation in MPA sponsored events. No medical records or official documents shall be requested or required to establish a student’s gender identity. 3. A transgender student shall be eligible to participate in accordance with either their birth sex or in accordance with their gender identity, but not both. For example, a transgender student who was assigned male at birth may play field hockey in the fall but cannot tryout for the boys’ basketball team in the winter (assuming they continue to identify as a girl). Similarly, a transgender student who was assigned female at birth may try out for the boys’ basketball team but may not try out for the girls’ ba sketball team if they are cut from the boys’ team. 4. The existence of boy/girl gender divisions on most teams creates a need for a non - binary student to determine which gendered team they feel most closely aligns with their gender identity. Alternatively, a non - binary student may select the gendered team on which they feel most comfortable participating. Factors that the nonbinary athlete may take into consideration include established camaraderie with fellow athletes, personal safety, and/or privacy concerns. The member school will assist in designating spor ts team eligibility through discussions with the student regarding their gender identity. Once a nonbinary student decides to participate in a sport different from the student’s assigned sex at birth, the student will be eligible to participate in sports offered for the selected gender, following the same rules as a transgender student. 5. If a transgender or non - binary student has not yet declared through communication with the school administration their transgender or non - binary status, this policy shall not apply. If a transgender or non - binary student, at some point during their high sc hool career, no longer identifies as a transgender or non - binary student, this policy shall not apply. In either case, the student will be eligible to participate as a cisgender student. Revised 5 - 6 - 24 ARTICLE III MPA SPORT SEASON POLICY Introduction The MPA Sport Season Policy has been written and accepted by the membership for the following reasons: 41 ● to provide a “level playing field” between schools, so that one set of students is not placed at a disadvantage to others with whom they compete for state championships; ● to create definable seasons of competition which allow students to participate in various activities without coaches feeling the need to “compete” with each other for athletes within their own school; ● to discourage specialization in the sense that students are not deprived of a variety of co - curricular experiences which the high school “exploratory” life stage provides; ● to create a corridor which protects some personal time for students between activities; ● to provide opportunity for families to clearly define times for vacations and other family functions; and ● to prevent the exploitation and “burn out” of participant student athletes and coaches. Section 1 MPA member schools are required to limit all participation, play, or practice in a sport by all teams and individuals to the season to which the sport is assigned. This policy applies to all team and individual interscholastic competition grades 9 through 12 during the school year only and does not apply during the summer recess. A coach, paid or volunteer, may coach a team that his/her high school aged son/daughter plays for outside the MPA assigned sport season provided that the son/daughter is the only student from that high school on that team. All other aspects of the sport s eason policy will apply. In order to provide a window of personal time similar to the time available prior to the winter and spring sports seasons, summer recess is defined as the time period between the last day of the spring sport season to fourteen (14) days prior to the beginni ng of the fall sport season. This does not exclude individual students from attending camps during this two - week period of personal time as long as all other Sport Season Policy requirements are met. Individuals choosing to attend camps during this two - w eek period may use school protective gear or track and field implements depending on each school’s policy. School teams wishing to attend a camp, etc. off campus may not leave until the Monday morning of the first day of practice. Administration of an MPA member high school may request a waiver for a sports season coach to continue to have contact with specific student athletes during the two - week period prior to the fall sport season. The request must be in writing and must be rece ived by the Executive Director no later than prior to the start of the hands - off period. The Executive Director is authorized to grant waivers only in unusual and specific instances. This waiver process is not intended to permit a coach to extend a summer program during this two - week period. Booster Clubs are an extension of a school’s athletic program and, therefore, are subject to the restrictions of the Sport Season Policy. It is understood that fundraising is exempt from this restriction for booster clubs and coaches but not for athletes. The sport seasons shall be preceded by a practice period of a minimum of two weeks and a maximum of three weeks. During the 42 practice period, teams may participate in clinics, scrimmages, round - robins, exhibition games, and invitational events. MPA sports committees will establish dates for the last countable games and play - off/tournament games. Exceptions to the Sport Season Policy have been granted for teams invited to participate in MPA invitational tournaments, the Aroostook potato harvest, Deering - Portland Thanksgiving Day football game, skiing (when weather conditions dictate delays), and a faculty/ student exhibition game conducted following the sports season. Section 2 Violations of this policy will occur when MPA member schools permit a team or individuals to play or practice a sport outside the sport’s season through use of high school equipment including facilities, provision of transportation by the school or a schoo l - affiliated organization, or use of the school name for out - of - season sports activities. Additionally, activities organized for the purpose of an out - of - season practice, as defined by the Sport Season Policy, are prohibited. Coaches or advisors are prohi bited from coaching or giving instructions about a sport to members of their teams individually or collectively outside the sport season for that sport. Others who may not organize or coach include, but are not limited to, school affiliated organizations a nd their members, school administrators, captains, and players. Exceptions to this paragraph are: 1. A (one - time) meeting for the purpose of administrative organization is permissible. 2. High school students may assist their high school coaches in providing instruction to middle level or elementary schools for any three - week period designated by the high school administration . 3. Senior athletes may work with their coach after the close of the sport season in all sports except fall cheerleading, cross country, and indoor track. Coaches whose employment by a school is limited to coaching duties shall be subject to the same restrictions as regular school employees with respect to the Sport Season Policy. Section 3 The administration of MPA member schools is responsible to interpret both the meaning and intent of the Sport Season Policy for the local school and is also responsible for its enforcement. Section 4 Violations reported under this policy will be dealt with as outlined in Article IV of the MPA Bylaws. Violations of this policy may result in sanctions against the school; in no case will violations of this policy affect a student’s eligibility. 43 Section 5 Waiver of the Sport Season Policy Requests for waivers of the Sport Season Policy must be submitted in advance of the effective time of the activity or date. The request for waivers of the Sport Season Policy must be made by a school administrator. In no case shall the waiver be for a pe riod of time to exceed one season. The form can be found on the MPA website. Revised and Approved by the Membership, November 2002 Clarified by the Interscholastic Management Committee, January 2006 Clarified by the Interscholastic Management Committee, March 2009 and 2010 Section 6 Sport Season Dates The sports season dates below will be updated annually to project a four - year calendar based upon President’s Day vacation week, Thanksgiving, and Patriot’s Day vacation week. First Possible Practice Date First Possible Countable Contest Closing Date No. Weeks 2025 - 26 Fall August 18 September 4 November 8 9 Winter November 17 December 4 February 21 11 Spring March 30 April 16 June 13 8 2026 - 27 Fall August 17 September 3 November 7 9 Winter November 16 December 3 February 20 11 Spring March 29 April 15 June 1 2 8 2027 - 28 Fall August 16 September 2 November 6 9 Winter November 22 December 9 February 26 11 Spring March 27 April 13 June 1 0 9 2028 - 29 Fall August 14 August 31 November 4 9 Winter November 20 December 7 February 24 11 Spring March 26 April 12 June 9 8 44 Section 7 Assignment of Sports to Seasons Subsection A - Sports Assigned to the Fall Season Cross Country, Field Hockey, Football, Golf, Soccer, Volleyball Subsection B - Sports Assigned to the Winter Season Basketball, Cheerleading - Competitive Season, Ice Hockey, Skiing, Swimming, Track - Indoor, Wrestling Subsection C - Sports Assigned to the Spring Season Baseball, Lacrosse, Softball, Tennis, Track - Outdoor Section 8 Definitions (Sport Season Policy) Cheering - Cheering as a support group activity may occur during the fall or winter season; as a competitive activity, it is assigned to the Winter Season. The competitive cheering team shall be chosen when the Winter Season begins similar to other winter sports; cheering groups to support activity purposes shall be chosen at the beginning of the appropriate sports season. Clinics - Programs conducted for the purpose of instruction in rules, playing techniques, demonstrations or other teaching purposes. Clinics conducted for players must be held within the designated sport season; the Sport Season Policy does not apply to clinics f or coaches only. Coach - An individual who has been selected (paid or unpaid) by the local governing agent to assume responsibility for an interscholastic team, who provides coaching/instruction, and who selects team personnel. The coach will be considered a coach of a team un til his/ her replacement has been named by the local governing agent. Coachin g – For the Sport Season Policy purposes, coaching is the giving of instruction, selection of team personnel or conducting a practice or game. This also includes directing a team - only, off - season activity related to conditioning or other type of activity related to the activity. Exhibition Games - Contests conducted under game conditions but not intended to count as official games for tournament qualification. Hands - Off Period – The two - week period prior to the opening date of the fall season. Intramurals - Activities conducted for students at a school for which all students in the school are eligible to participate. Fundraising - The process of gathering voluntary contributions of money or resources. Booster groups and coaches may participate in fundraising activities throughout the year. Athletes may fundraise only during that sport season or the summer period. 45 Open Gym/Open Activities - Activities approved by the school administration, announced to all students, and scheduled for a school gym, pool, or other facility for which all students or age groups are invited to participate. Adults involved in such activities should be supervisin g and should not be coaching or giving instruction. The emphasis should be on recreation not practice, participation not instruction, and may not be a captain’s practice which is a sports season violation on or off school property. Similarly, a weight room session or conditioning program must be pre - announced and open to all students whether attending for the purpose of preparing for a high school sport or not. Frequently Asked Questions: Q. Can a coach be used to supervise an “open gym,” or “open pool” in a sport/activity he/she coaches? A. If the gym or pool is open to all students in the school and if the predominant number of participants are not his/her players, a coach may supervise providing there is no instruction involved. Q. How would a reasonable person determine if an Open Activities Period is in compliance? A. If a school official from another school walked through a gym without raising his/her/their eyebrows, you are probably okay. Practice - Any organized activity, for which the purpose is selection of team personnel or the coaching of participants. School affiliated organization - Athletic booster clubs, friends of programs or other support groups who are aligned with athletic organizations of high schools. School Year - For purposes of the Sport Season Policy, the school year shall be from the beginning of the Fall sports season to the last day of the Spring sports season. Summer Recess - For the purposes of the Sport Season Policy, summer recess is the time between the last day of the Spring sports season to the beginning of the Fall sports season, subject to Article III, Section 1, Paragraph 2. Use of the weight room/fitness center - A coach may supervise a strength or fitness area outside of his/her/their coaching season provided that the area is open to all students in the school, and that participants in the program must include others not on his/her team. Volunteer coach - A coach who meets the above definition for coach, but who serves without compensation. Volunteer coaches are held to the same standards as coaches who receive compensation. See MPA Coaches’ Handbook for further clarification. Revised and approved by membership: November 20, 1997 Revised and approved by Interscholastic Executive Committee: January 1998 Revised and approved by Interscholastic Management Committee: March 21, 2008 46 Section 9 Countable Competitions Policy The following policy, which recognizes the need for limitations on the number of games scheduled/played, will determine the maximum / minimum (for H eal point competitions) number of regular season competitions which may be scheduled by MPA member schools in a specified season. Fall Season Winter Season Spring Season Cross Country 9* Basketball 18 / 12 Baseball 16 / 12 Field Hockey 14 / 8 Ice Hockey 18 / 14 Softball 16 / 12 Football 9 Skiing 12* Lacrosse 14 / 8 Golf 10* Track (Indoor) 8* Tennis 12* / 8 Soccer Volleyball 14 / 8 14 / 8 Wrestling Swimming 18*^ 10* Track (Outdoor) 8* * Game dates — they may be multiple school events ^ Maximum of three preseason and 15 regular season Schools are required to limit the maximum number of non - countable dates to five (5), including exhibitions, holiday tournaments, special events and preseason interschool games or scrimmages to be played in each sport. One additional date may be added for t eams qualifying for postseason play. Adopted by vote of the MSSPA: November 16, 1979 Revised and approved by Executive Committee: February 1, 1980 and March 31, 1988 Revised and approved by membership: April 25, 1996 Revised and approved by membership: November 19, 2004 Revised and approved by membership: April 30, 2009 Revised and approved by Interscholastic Management Committee: 2010 The following specific Sport Season Policy questions and answers can also be found in the MPA Coaches’ Handbook: Q. May a coach, paid or volunteer, supervise an open gym prior to the start of a season? A. Yes, if the activity is open to the entire school, there is no requirement of participation, and the coach is not working with the athletes. Q. May a team’s booster club pay for a team to play in an out - of - season league? A. No, a booster club is an extension of the school, and it would be a violation for them to sponsor a team outside of a sports season. Q. May a middle school coach work with high school athletes outside of the sports season? A. No, middle school coaches are an extension of the high school program and may not work with athletes outside of the sports season. Q. May a coach that has a child on their teamwork with their child outside of the sports season? 47 A. Yes, a parent, even if they are a coach, may work with their child at any time. There may not be other athletes from the program involved in the workouts. Q. May high school athletes work with middle school programs after the sports season? A. Yes, the school administration may designate a three - week period after the season where the high school athletes may work with the middle school or youth program, even if the coach is also involved in the program. ARTICLE IV INFRACTIONS AND VIOLATIONS Section 1 Violations of the MPA Code of Ethics and the Rules Relating to interscholastic activities regulated by the Maine Principals’ Association. A. Any participant school by its representative, any MPA committee by majority vote of its members, any game official or supervisor, may, for good cause, file with the Interscholastic Executive Director a complaint alleging violation of the MPA Code of Ethics or rules relating to interscholastic activities. Complaints made on behalf of student participants shall be made by the representative school system. B. The complaint shall be made in writing, addressed to the Management Committee of the Maine Principals’ Association, shall set forth the name of the complainant, the name of the party or parties complained against, a concise statement of the nature of the c omplaint or violation, the date and place of occurrence and the provisions of the codes or rules alleged to have been violated. The complaint may be e - mailed, mailed or delivered to the MPA headquarters in Augusta, Maine. C. Upon receipt of a complaint, the Interscholastic Executive Director shall record the time and date thereof and proceed to investigate the facts relating thereto, presenting the complainant with their summary statement thereof to the next meeting of the Man agement Committee or any special meeting called for the purpose. D. The Management Committee, at its next meeting, shall review the complaint and report thereof of the Interscholastic Executive Director to decide initially if it is such as might be disposed of satisfactorily by a negotiated settlement or is sufficiently se rious and grave to warrant an adversary hearing. E. In the event the complaint is believed to be negotiable, the Interscholastic Executive Director or any designe e f or the Management Committee shall be appointed by the Management Committee to meet with the parties, arbitrate the claim and report back to the Management Committee the outcome thereof. In the event that a negotiated settlement attempt fails, the complaint shall be set for an adversarial hearing. F. When the adversarial hearing is called, the Management Committee shall proceed as follows: 48 1. Fix a hearing date and order the Interscholastic Executive Director to give ten days written notice thereof by certified mail to the complainants and parties complained against (respondents). The notice shall contain the date, time and place of the hearing and a copy of the complaint as filed in the matter . 2. Notify the respondent of its right to representation by counsel if desired. 3. A request to record the meeting must be given to the Executive Director 24 hours prior to the hearing. All parties attending the hearing will be notified of the recording. 4. Minutes of the meeting will be made available. 5. The hearing shall be conducted by the Chair of the Interscholastic Management Committee or a designee. Court rules of evidence shall not apply and all rulings shall be made by the presiding officer upon advice of the Association’s legal counsel, if present. 6. The Management Committee shall render a written decision within ten days of the close of the hearing, a copy of which shall be furnished to the complainants and respondents by the Interscholastic Executive Director. Section 2 Whenever a determination is made that a violation of the MPA Code of Ethics or rules relating to interscholastic activities has occurred, the Management Committee may penalize the offending parties according to the gravity of the offense in the following m anner: A. the issuance of a letter of admonition or reprimand. B. placing the offender on probationary status for a period of up to one (1) year. C. loss of or withdrawal of awards related to the area of the offense. D. suspension from participation in MPA sponsored interscholastic activities up to 365 calendar days. E. any combination of the above. Summaries of all actions wherein a violation of the MPA Code of Ethics or rules relating to Interscholastic Activities has occurred shall be published in the Maine Principals’ Association newsletter. ARTICLE V LEGAL ACTION POLICY A. Action Against the Association by a Member School Any MPA member school which initiates legal action to overturn, stay, or enjoin the final decision of any MPA committee and is subsequently unsuccessful in seeking a verdict shall be liable for reasonable costs and attorney’s fees incurred by the Association in defending against such action. Further, should the Association be forced to initiate legal action to collect the aforementioned costs and attorney’s fees, the member school shall be additionally liable for the Association’s reasonable costs and attorney’s fees resulting from the collection action. 49 B. Legal Expenses Incurred by the Association in Due Process Hearings Any member school which employs legal counsel to initiate and/or conduct hearing procedures where the MPA engages legal counsel to assist in or to defend an action of the Interscholastic Management Committee and/or Board of Directors, and is subsequently unsuccessful in its attempts to overturn, alter, or stay a decision of the Interscholastic Management Committee and/or Board of Directors shall be liable for reasonable costs and attorney’s fees incurred by either the Interscholastic Management Committee and/or Board of Directors in the matter at issue. Further, should the Association be forced to initiate legal action to collect the aforementioned costs and attorney’s fees, the member school shall be additionally liable for the Association’s reasonable costs and attorney’s fees resulting from the collection action. ARTICLE VI INDIVIDUAL COOPERATIVE ATHLETES AND COOPERATIVE TEAMS Section 1 An individual cooperative athlete is a student - athlete who practices and competes with another school but represents his/her own school. A cooperative team shall be defined as an interscholastic team which includes individual students from two or more schools. Section 2 Individual Cooperative Athlete A. An individual student may participate as an individual with another school in the sports of cross country, golf, ski, swim, tennis, track, and wrestling under the following conditions: 1. The administration of participating schools must approve the individual’s participation and apply to the Interscholastic Executive Director for permission for the individual to participate; 2. The application, which can be found on the MPA website, must be made prior to the start of the competitive season for the sport involved. For purposes of this subsection, the start of the competitive season shall be the date of the first regular season con test for both schools involved; and 3. The Interscholastic Executive Director, upon review of the application, determines that the individual’s participation as requested (a) would be consistent with the Association’s dedication to fairness in competition and (b) would be consistent with the sp irit and intent of this article. If the request by application is approved, all individual students must compete under his/her own school’s name and may score only for his/her school of residence. Cooperative Teams B. Schools may apply for the establishment of a cooperative team in any sport offered by the Maine Principals’ Association under the following conditions: 50 1. Administration, as well as the governing body (school board, trustees, etc.) of all participating schools must support the establishment of the cooperative team. 2. The application must be submitted three months prior to the start of the competitive season for the sport involved. For purposes of this subsection, the start of the competitive season shall be the date of the first countable contest. 3. The application must include a rationale for the formation of the cooperative team. 4. The classification enrollment will be determined based on the percentage of anticipated athletes from each school, other than the host school, which will be 100%. 5. The modified 9 - 12 enrollment of all the schools involved will not exceed the 9 - 12 enrollment of the largest high school in Maine. 6. The MPA Sport Committee, along with the staff person assigned to the sport, determines that the establishment of the cooperative team (a) would be consistent with the Association’s dedication to fairness in competition and (b) would be consistent with the spirit and intent of this article. 7. The formation of the cooperative team may not displace any students from the program (no cuts). 8. If the request by application is approved: a. Classification will be based upon the modified combined enrollments of the schools participating in the cooperative team; b. The name of the cooperative team must include the name of the schools involved in the cooperative team; and c. The cooperative team will be approved for no more than a two - year period. 9. If the application is approved, upon completion of the classification cycle, the schools may reapply for the continuation of the cooperative team, there shall be no limit to the number of two - year periods for which schools can apply for approval of a coop erative team. 10. Should an application be denied, the schools involved will be notified in writing. The decision to deny may be appealed to the Interscholastic Management Committee. Revised by the Membership, April 27, 2017 ARTICLE VII RULES PROTESTS Protests will be made and dealt with in the manner prescribed by the rulebook adopted for play in each MPA - sponsored interscholastic activity. In the absence of a statement in the officially adopted rulebook, the game results shall be final when the contes t has been concluded by the officials. 51 ARTICLE VIII APPEALS Section 1 Standing Committee A member school aggrieved by a decision of a standing committee may, within fifteen days of said decision, appeal in writing to the Interscholastic Management Committee whose decision shall be final and binding on all parties. A member school aggrieved by a decision of a standing committee may, within fifteen days of said decision, request in writing to the standing committee a rehearing, but only on submission of new evidence of a substantial nature. Section 2 Interscholastic Management Committee A member school aggrieved by a decision of the Interscholastic Management Committee, pertaining to the MPA Code of Ethics or rules related to interscholastic activities, may, within fifteen days of said decision, request in writing to the Interscholastic M anagement Committee a rehearing, but only on submission of new evidence of a substantial nature. The decision of the Interscholastic Management Committee shall be final and binding on all parties. APPENDIX A FINANCES A. Income Sources: 1. Dues –– Individual dues for membership in the Professional Division are $340.00 for 202 5 - 202 6 and are payable on the member’s renewal date. Institutional dues for membership in the Interscholastic Division are two dollars ($2.00) per pupil in grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 based upon the previous year’s October 1 enrollment count. These dues are payable on the first Friday of September. 2. Tournaments –– Tournament admission fees are charged; adult tickets are $1 2 .00, student tickets are $ 6 .00, and senior citizens 65 and over are $ 6 .00. 3. Publications –– Fees for items such as rulebooks etc. are payable on receipt of the MPA’s invoice. 4. Clothing, Lapel Pins, etc. –– Fees for items such as clothing, lapel pins are payable on receipt of the MPA’s invoice. 52 5. Conference and Meeting Center –– Fees for room rental are payable on receipt of MPA’s invoice. B. Reserves : The MPA has a goal of maintaining an invested capital reserve equal to one year’s operating expenses in order to ensure that the Association’s programs continue uninterrupted, even if there is a serious shortfall in income during the course of the year. The financial statement indicates the disposition of these invested reserves. APPENDIX B MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES A. Regional Meetings: The MPA divides the state into regions as defined in the Professional Division Bylaws, Section 1. Regional meetings may be hel d i n each region that is active. Active members in each region are responsible for developing the program and planning for a meeting place and meals (if appropriate). The MPA Professional Division Executive Director and President or President - elect will attend each regional meeting and report the results of the discussion at the next Board of Directors’ meeting. B. Membership Conferences: A three - day Principals’ Conference may be held each year. In addition to the many professional activities, workshops and vendor exhibits, business meetings may be held for both the Professional and Interscholastic Divisions. C. Other Conferences: Annually, there is an A ssistant P rincipals’ C onference, a S chool S ecretaries’ Conference , a N ew A thletic A dministrators’ W orkshop, Great Beginnings and Mentor Programs, and other professional development activities such as law seminars, conferences, workshops, ongoing we binar series on specific topics, and study groups. D. Refund Policy: The Maine Principals’ Association will offer a full refund of registration fees up to 1 week prior to the event. Following that time, no refunds will be issued. The refund date is clearly stated in the registration materials for each event. E. Board of Directors and Committee Meetings: Professional Division members or Interscholastic Division member schools with specific concerns or problems not solvable by the Professional Division Executive Director or by the Interscholastic Division Executive Director may request an issue be placed on the respective Board or Management Committee agenda for discussion and action at its next meeting. Each standing committee meets prior to the beginning of its respective activity and as often thereafter as is needed. APPENDIX C PUBLICATIONS A. “The Maine Apprise” (Professional Division newsletter of the MPA): Periodically during the school year, the Professional Division Executive Director issues the newsletter to all schools which contains news of the association, articles of interest and other information useful to school administrators. 53 B. “Chalk Talk” (Interscholastic Division newsletter of the MPA): Periodically during the school year, the Interscholastic Division Executive Director issues timely information regarding all interscholastic activities useful to school administrators. C. Activity Bulletins and Forms: Each standing committee, which has a responsibility for conducting a regional or statewide invitational tournament or festival, publishes an annual bulletin and forms detailing the procedures member schools must follow to part icipate in the event. Bulletins and forms may be accessed through the MPA website at http://www.mpa.cc . D. Handbook: The MPA Handbook is published and updated annually as a source of information to members. It is available on the MPA’s Interscholastic and Professional Division websites. Members are encouraged to make suggestions for additions and changes to me et the needs of the membership. APPENDIX D THE MAINE PRINCIPALS’ ASSOCIATION OFFICE The Maine Principals’ Association is located at 50 Industrial Drive, Augusta. Visitors traveling from the north are advised to take Exit 112 from Interstate 95 and follow Route 27 north toward Belgrade for 7/10 of a mile. Turn left onto Leighton Road (opposite the Elks Lodge) at the traffic light and an immediate right onto Industrial Drive. The MPA office and Conference Center is on the left. Visitors traveling from the south are advised to take Exit 112B from Interstate 95 and follow Route 27 north toward Belgrade for 7/10 of a mile. Turn left onto the Leighton Road and take the first right onto Industrial Drive. The MPA office and Conference Center is on the left. Office hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Summer hours are reviewed annually and published in the June issue of The Maine Apprise . APPENDIX E THE COMMITTEE CHAIR’S ROLE 1. In cooperation with the MPA staff, set the date, time, and agenda for the first committee meeting. When developing the agenda, take a moment to review meeting minutes of the previous year. These minutes often contain references to specific issues that the committee intended to discuss at the next meeting. 2. On the day of the meeting, plan to arrive a half - hour early. This will give you time to discuss last - minute agenda items with the staff. 54 3. Reward punctual committee members by beginning the meeting on time. Resist the temptation to wait “a few more minutes” until the stragglers arrive. 4. Introduce yourself and ask other committee members to do the same. Use this opportunity to thank everyone for coming. Check to see that expense vouchers have been distributed. 5. Spend a few moments discussing the role of your committee and the procedures you will follow. This is a good time to set the tone for future meetings. Set out a few general guidelines such as: ● Nothing said in honest, open discussion will be held against you. ● We are here to make the best decisions we can. ● Focus on the task and try to keep a statewide perspective in mind. ● No personal attacks will be allowed. If disagreements arise, we will focus on behaviors and not personalities. ● All ideas advanced by committee members will get a fair hearing. 6. Orient members to the committee budget. Be certain that they understand who is authorized to spend what. 7. As the committee works on the agenda, keep discussion focused on relevant issues. End discussion and call for a vote (if necessary) when discussion becomes repetitive. 8. New members may feel that they have little to contribute to discussions. Encourage them to participate by directly asking for their opinion. 9. Help committee members identify assumptions and traditions that may be inhibiting innovative thinking. 10. As decisions are made, be sure that formal votes are taken and recorded by the staff member taking minutes. 11. As chair, you will need to keep your own role in perspective. You are a committee member with your own constituency to represent. 12. Be certain that all members clearly understand the tasks they have been assigned. Establish due dates and timelines when necessary. 13. End the meeting on time. Remember that many committee members have long drives home. Set the next meeting date before adjournment. 14. In cooperation with the staff, follow up with absent members, especially if they have not called the office in advance to say they will not be present. Many members will miss an occasional meeting because of unavoidable conflicts, but a pattern of nonattendance must be addressed. 15. Between meetings, keep the staff informed of any new developments that impact on the work of the committee. 16. Prepare a written annual report of the committee’s activities and present this report to the membership at the appropriate business meeting. 55 17. In cooperation with the appropriate staff person, prepare a budget for the committee’s work for the coming year. Developed by: The attendees of the 1989 Committee Chair Orientation Workshop APPENDIX F MPA PRINCIPAL’S AWARD HORACE O. MCGOWAN, RICHARD W. TYLER, AND RICHARD A. DUROST SCHOLARSHIPS The Principal’s Award was established in 1984 to recognize students for academic excellence and good citizenship. Each member school names a senior class student as its award recipient. Award winners and their principals are invited to an Honors Luncheon e ach spring. Each student receives a plaque and lapel pin in recognition of his/her achievement. A minimum of ten students, chosen by lottery from a pool of names of those students present at the luncheon, are awarded $1000 scholarships. APPENDIX G MPA NEW MEMBER SCHOOL ORIENTATION Schools not having been a member of the MPA in any of the last three (3) years, and which wish to become a member of the MPA, shall be assessed a one - time initiation fee of $250.00, which will include an orientation by an MPA staff member. All new member s chools may be subject to a six - month waiting period following application before being eligible to participate in interscholastic activities for tournament consideration. Effective Date: August 1997; Revised: April 1999 APPENDIX H RESOLUTIONS PROCESS Rationale : A resolutions process will: 1. give focus to Association committee work (such as the Legislative Committee); 2. provide a regular vehicle for communicating important beliefs and positions to the general membership and state policymakers, 3. allow the Association to adopt positions of record; and 4. encourage meaningful discussion and action on important educational issues in grades prekindergarten through grade twelve. Step One: The Legislative Committee is responsible for soliciting suggested resolution topics and accompanying rationale from the membership. 56 Step Two : The Legislative Committee will meet regularly to consider resolutions and to develop additional statements as appropriate. Step Three: The resolutions will be shared with the Board of Directors (and the Interscholastic Management Committee as appropriate). If approved, they will then be presented for adoption in a means and time determined by the Board of Directors. Step Four: If approved, the resolutions will be codified, typed in final form, and distributed to the membership and other policy - makers and influencers. Step Five: Every five years, the Legislative Committee will review existing resolutions and refer revisions to the Board of Directors (and the IMC as appropriate). November 1996; Revised 2002; revised August 2008 57 APPENDIX I Code of Ethics for Secondary School Activities Maine Principals’ Association The Code of Ethics for secondary school activities has been developed for the purpose of stating the behavioral expectations of all who are involved with (secondary) school activities programs. Adherence to the Code is expected at all MPA sponsored or sanctioned activities. Reported consistent and/or flagrant violations of the Code may result in punitive action by the MPA Interscholastic Management Committee if charges are substantiated at a hearing convened for that purpose. To promote desirable behavior and enhance the overall quality of secondary school activities programs for which MPA has assumed responsibility, the following Code of Ethics is in effect: It is the duty of all concerned with secondary school activities programs to... 1. Cultivate an awareness that participation in high school activities is part of the total education experience. No one should either seek or expect academic privileges for the participants. 2. Emphasize sportsmanship, ethical conduct and fair play as they relate to the lifetime impact on the participants and spectators. 3. Develop an awareness and understanding of the rules and guidelines governing competition, and comply with them in all activities. 4. Recognize the purpose of activities in school programs is to develop and promote physical, mental, moral, social and emotional well - being of participants. 5. Avoid any practice or technique which endangers the present or future welfare of a participant. 6. Avoid practices that encourage students to specialize or that restrict them from participation in a variety of activities. 7. Refrain from making disparaging remarks to opponents, officials, coaches, or spectators. 8. Encourage the development of proper health habits and discourage the use of chemicals. 9. Exemplify self - control and accept adverse decisions without public display of emotion. 10. Encourage everyone to judge the success of the activities and programs on the basis of the attitude of the participants and spectators, rather than based on a win or loss. Adopted by the MPA Membership: April 29, 1988; Revised: April 29, 1999 58 APPENDIX J OFFICIALS’ FEE SCHEDULE 202 5 - 202 6 Sports Varsity JV Baseball $ 97.50 $ 73.00 Basketball $97.50 $73.00 Cheerleading $97.50 $73.00 Field Hockey $97.50 $73.00 Football $97.50 $73.00 Ice Hockey $97.50 $73.00 Lacrosse $97.50 $73.00 Soccer $97.50 $73.00 Softball $97.50 $73.00 Swimming $7 5 . 00 n/a Volleyball $97.50 $73.00 Wrestling $97.50 $73.00 * Beginning in 2024 - 2025 and moving forward every year thereafter, fees are adjusted equal to the previous twelve - month period (November – October) CPI - U at no less than 1% and no greater than 4%. Mileage - All Officials: $. 5 4 /mile and tolls for all miles traveled. There shall be no travel reimbursement if total roundtrip mileage is 10 miles or less. Mileage will be paid to any official that is designated to drive. A 3 - tier rider fee for officials riding in another vehicle will be implemented for all sports. 100 - 125 miles $20.00 ; 126 - 150 miles $25.00 ; 151+ miles $30.00 . The Officials’ Advisory Committee has negotiated certain provisions unique to each sport. Listed below are those provisions that affect the basic (varsity) fees to be paid to officials in those particular sports. CHEERING: 1. The head official shall receive 150% of the base fee for conference/league regular season competitions. Sub varsity head officials shall receive 150% of the basic sub varsity fee for conferences/regular season competitions. 59 2. A competition consisting of two sessions at the same site or more than (12) twelve routines shall receive 200% of the basic fee. 3. When varsity and sub varsity teams combined in competition the competition shall be considered varsity if one varsity routine(s) competes. FOOTBALL: 1. The fee for the clock operator shall be 80% of the varsity fee. SWIM: 1. Basic fee is the referee fee for dual meets (NOTE: for this contract a dual meet is a single sex meet consisting of 2 or more teams). 2. In a single gender meet, schools are allowed up to 5 additional heats for no extra fee. 6 - 10 additional heats will result in an additional fee of $15.00 for the referee, $10.00 for the starter, and $5.00 for the stroke and turn judge. 11 or more additional heats shall be an extra dual meet fee. In a combined boys’ and girls’ meet, two dual meet fees shall be paid and additional heats in a gender will be charged at the same rate as a single gender meet. 3. Starter fee will be $5.00 less than basic dual meet fee (referee fee). 4. Stroke and turn judges and other officials’ fees will be $10.00 less than basic dual meet fee (referee fee). WRESTLING: 1. The fee is for dual meets. 2. Fees for multi - team meets shall be calculated as multiples of the basic fee and divided between the officials. (e.g., A tri - meet is three dual meets and the fee is 300% of the basic fee. A quad - meet is six dual meets and the fee is 600% of the basic fee.) 3. The recommended regular season tournament fees shall be 100% divided by the number of NFHS weight classes multiplied by the basic fee multiplied by the number of bouts wrestled. This dollar figure will be divided between the officials. (e.g., basic fee $9 5 .00 divided by 14 = $6.7 5 per bout.) 4. The fee for J.V. and 9 th grade is $ 5 . 0 0 for all bouts wrestled. No fee shall be paid if there are fewer than three bouts. 5. In wrestling meets where two officials would normally be hired to work (tri - meets) and only one official appears for the meet, the fee for that official shall be 300% of the dual meet fee. In addition, every negotiated contract contains the following general terms and conditions unless otherwise noted in the statements listed above. 60 TERMS AFFECTING THE FEES: 1. In all athletic contests when only one official appears for the game in which two officials would normally be hired to work, the fee for that official shall be one hundred fifty percent (150%) of the basic fee. 2. The fee for all regional tournament games, in all sports, is to be one hundred twenty - five percent (125%) of the regular season basic fee. 3. The fee for all state championship games, in all sports, is to be one hundred fifty percent (150%) of the regular season basic fee. 4. A travel allowance for all regional tournament games and state championship games shall be paid to officials at the rate of fifty ($. 5 4 ) cents per mile as well as any toll accrued. CONDITIONS OF SERVICES: 1. No Board will permit its members to work for fees either less than or greater than those specified above. 2. No MPA member school will pay fees to members of this Board either less than or greater than those specified above. 3. Where a Board does exist, all officials are to be members in good standing with a Board of officials recognized by MPA on that sport and be qualified by the Board. 4. Notice of schedule changes or cancellations shall be made at least 48 hours before the scheduled event or the host school shall pay the official(s) a fee equal to 50% of the basic fee. In the event of postponements due to inclement weather or emergency situations, schools must notify the officials of the postponement prior to the officials’ departure for the game, or the official must be paid the game fee and travel allowance (if the official reaches the game site). Officials are expected to check with the school before departure when the weather is obviously a serious threat to the scheduled contest. 5. All officials must be enrolled and qualified annually by the Board prior to the season for the sport(s) which they are to officiate during the school year . 6. All enrolled officials must comply with the regulations for uniforms as established by their Board. 7. All officials will be provided with reasonable measures of safety and security at game sites. 8. If an official violates or cancels his/her contract with a member school without sufficient cause or notice, he/she/they will be reported to his/her/their Board and/or the MPA. 9. If a school violates its contract without sufficient cause or notice, the officials may file a grievance with the MPA. 10. Each official is guaranteed a full fee if the contest has begun, and it is terminated for reasonable cause. 61 11. When two officials are traveling from the same general area, they shall travel together and only one travel fee shall be paid, unless otherwise agreed upon prior to the game date. APPENDIX K HEAL POINT SYSTEM The Heal Point System is designed to select teams for tournament play based on athletic strength as demonstrated through the regular season schedule. The athletic strength of a team is determined by a two - step process. In the first step, the preliminary index of the school is ascertained. This is computed by assigning forty - two (42) points for each Class AA victory, forty (40) points for each Class A victory, thirty - eight (38) points for each Class B victory, thirty - six (36) points for each Class C victory, and thirty - four (34) for each Class D victory. These points are added, and the total is divided by the number of scheduled games . In all cases, a minimum divisor is established by the appropriate standing committee. A team with no victories is assigned a preliminary index of 1.000 (Example: If a team had two victories over class B schools, two victories over Class C schools, and two victories over Class D schools, their total would be reached by adding 38 + 38 + 36 + 36 + 34 + 34 = 220. If the team played an 18 - game schedule, the 200 points would be divided by 18, giving a preliminary index of 12.2222222222 and would be reported as 12.222. The tournament index for the team used as an example would be determined by adding the preliminary indices of the schools from which it had defeated. This total would be divided by the number of games on the schedule (18 in this case). If the two B schools had preliminary indices of 8.000 and 5.000; the two C schools 6.000 and 5.400; and the two D schools 4.400 and 4.200; the total of these would be 33.000. This total of 33.000 divided by the 18 games on the schedule would give the team a figure of 1.833333 333333, reported as 1.8333. Finally, the tournament index is computed by then multiplying that figure by 10, giving the reported figure as 18.3333. In those sports where tie contests are allowed, each participating team is awarded one - half of the preliminary opposing school’s class. For example, a tie with a Class A school results in half of 40 or 20 points added to the calculation of the preliminary index. A tie with a Class C school results in half of 36 or 18 points added to the calculation of the preliminary index. No team may have a preliminary index of less than 1.000. In the Final Heal Points, that figure will be increased to 1.000. The official Heal Points are maintained by the MPA. Heal Point standings will be released by posting them on the MPA website (http://www.mpa.cc). During the season, the preliminary and tournament index of each team will be determined by using a divisor of the total number of games to be played that season. For purposes of computing the Heal Points, the preliminary index is carried out to ten (10) places and the tournament index is carried out to twelve (12) places. For reporting purposes, these indices are rounded to three (3) places and four (4) places, res pectively. A tie in the final Heal Point standings will be resolved by each standing committee for its sport. The resolution may vary from committee to committee but will have some variation of using head - to - head 62 competition, a coin toss, or a lottery to determine seeding placement, and/or a play - off game if to determine tournament participation. The Heal Point System is used in Baseball, Basketball, Field Hockey, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse, Softball, Soccer, Tennis, and Volleyball. Two - thirds of the teams will qualify for postseason, rounding up with any part of a number. The tournament brackets for all Heal point sports will be filled with eight teams, regardless of the 67% rule. In regions with less than eight teams participating, the invitation will be extended to all schools in that region. Revised By the Interscholastic Management Committee September 26, 2023. APPENDIX L SUNDAY ACTIVITIES AND POSTSEASON CONTESTS A. The MPA is opposed to interscholastic activities on Sunday. Contests played by member schools on Sunday will not be recognized for tournament selection or championships. Note: The decision to allow a Sunday practice is a local decision. B. The MPA is not opposed to student participation in all - star, preseason, postseason games, or exhibition contests for any purposes outside the direct control of schools. C. The MPA is opposed to the exploitation of student athletes. APPENDIX M MPA AND NFHS SANCTIONING POLICY http://www.mpa.cc/images/pdfs/forms_and_dates/nfhssanctionform.pdf 1A. Events that Require MPA and NFHS Sanctioning: a. Any interstate event involving two (2) or more schools which is cosponsored by or titled in the name of an organization outside the high school community (e.g., a university, a theme park, an athletic shoe/apparel company).1 b. Non - bordering events if five (5) or more states are involved. c. Non - bordering events if more than eight (8) schools are involved. d. Any event involving two (2) or more schools that involves a team from a foreign country. The host school should complete the international sanction application. (The exceptions to this rule are Canada and Mexico which are considered “bordering states.”)2 63 1B. New Hampshire schools are required by the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association (NHIAA) to file a New Hampshire sanction form for any game, scrimmage, etc. between a New Hampshire and a Maine school. 2. Request for Sanction: Only a member school of an NFHS member state association, or a school approved by such an association, or such an association itself, is eligible to request sanctioning through the NFHS Interstate Sanctioning Program. An event seeking NFHS sanction must be sponsored by a member high school, approved high school or state association. 3. Interstate Competition: Interstate competition occurs when either teams or individuals who represent their schools travel across state lines to participate in competitive sports events, including but not limited to such events as “shoot - outs,” “showcases,” “round - robin tournaments,” etc. Subject to Paragraph 3, no sanction is required from the NFHS office if all competing schools, r egardless of the number of competing schools, are from states that border the host state unless the event is cosponsored by or titled in the name of an organization outside the high school community. Note: CNESSPA New England Championships are exempt. 4. Timelines/Fees: The application for sanction must be completed online at www.nfhs.org by clicking on “Sanctioned Events.” Th e host school’s processing fee is $100, payable by credit card or electronic check, per application made payable to the NFHS. (Do not send cash.) The sanction application must be received in the NFHS office sixty (60) calendar days or more prior to the event. The late fee for any application that arrives in the NFHS office 15 - 59 calendar days prior to the event will be $100 for a total of $200. If the application arrives in the NFHS office less than 15 calendar days prior to the event, there is a $200 penalty added to the $100 application fee for a total of $300. There is an additional $100 penalty fee in all the categories above if the list of actual entries are not forwarded at least 20 days prior to the event date. If the NFHS does not receive the late fees within ten days, the event will not be sanctioned, and the meet director will be notified they are running a non - sanctioned event. 5. Names and Addresses of Invited/Participating Schools: All sanction requests submitted to the NFHS office must be accompanied by the names and addresses of all invited/participating schools. In the case of cross country and track and field events, the host school will complete the sanction application and forward it to the host state association office with the list of invited schools so that it will arrive in the NFHS office 60 days or more prior to the event. The final list of actual entri es will be due to the NFHS office twenty days prior to the event. If the list is not received ten days prior to the event, the application for sanction will be disapproved, and the meet director will be notified that they are running a non - sanctioned event . 6. Equal treatment: Schools participating in interstate competition, as well as the schools’ employees and agents, shall be treated equally. Examples of such shall include, but not be limited to, the following: a. reduction or waiver of the entry fee for one school must result in a reduction or waiver of entry fee for all schools; b. appearance fee paid to one school must result in an equal amount of appearance fee paid to all participating schools; c. expense reimbursements, if any, must result in equivalent payments to all participating schools, subject to reasonable adjustments for differing distances traveled; 64 d. share of proceeds/live gate paid to one school must result in equal share of proceeds/live gate paid to all participating schools. 7. NFHS Website: Information regarding the status of an event that has requested NFHS Sanctioning will be posted at: www.nfhs.org/sanctioning.htm. If you have any questions regarding the status of your event, please contact the NFHS Sanctioning Department at (317) 972 - 6900 Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. 8. Financial Report: When NFHS sanction is required, the host school shall submit a financial report about the event to the NFHS on the accompanying form upon request. 1. Competition involving border states, and all other configurations of interstate competition not requiring the sanction of the NFHS office, shall be sanctioned by the state associations involved according to their own procedures. 2. NFHS Bylaw 17 provides that each member state association shall approve and receive NFHS approval for competition by a member school against a school from a foreign country, except for two (2) school and (3) school competition with a school or schools fro m Canada or Mexico which necessitates a round trip of less than 600 miles. IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO REQUEST SANCTIONS FOR CONTESTS INVOLVING ONLY MAINE SCHOOLS. APPENDIX N A GUIDE TO PROCESSING ELIGIBILITY - BE SAFE, NOT SORRY The administration of a school is responsible for the observance and enforcement of MPA eligibility rules. Member schools should develop a procedure which is consistent with local school policies to determine the eligibility of their student athletes for p articipation in interscholastic athletics. The following guide is recommended by the MPA to respond to requests from member schools for assistance in this area. Each member school should develop a procedure which provides an effective means to keep eligibility data current. The following outline is an attempt to assist you in developing a procedure for your school: Step 1 - Guidance Department should provide the Administration with a list of all transfer students on a timely basis. Particular attention should be paid as to whether the transfer student and parent/guardian have established legal residency in the district and that both the student and parent(s)/guardian(s) have moved. If not, a transfer waiver request form must be filed . Step 2 - Head Coach should provide the Administration, and/or Guidance Department with list of all candidates for his/her/their team . Step 3 - Guidance Director or Administrator then reviews the scholastic record, age, first entrance into a 9th grade, and transfer status of all candidates and provides the Administration and Head Coach with a complete list of all candidates, noting those candid ates who are ineligible and the reason for their ineligibility. (A simple key can be developed for this purpose.) Include steps to accommodate 65 local school eligibility rules; and if physical exams are required, a process for checking on them should also be included. Step 4 - The Administration should provide the Head Coach with the final eligibility record (sample below) for each interscholastic sport which must include the following. The administration must keep such eligibility lists available in the office file; they are not forwarded, unless requested by MPA or member schools. a. name of the student b. date of birth c. date of first enrollment in 9th grade d. credits passed e. school from which student transferred and date attended first class at present school . SAMPLE ELIGIBILITY FORM To be used by the Guidance Director for referral to a Building Administrator. Coach will fill out names of team members before forwarding to the Guidance Director. Please list in descending grade order (12, 11, 10, 9). Name DOB Mo. & Yr. of 1 st Entry in 9 th Grade Credits Passed See Below Previous School Date of Withdrawal Present School Date Attended 1 st Class Date Eligible *Credits passed preceding year for Fall or Summer school; preceding quarter for Winter sports; preceding quarter for Spring sports. To assure games or meets will not be forfeited, Steps 1 through 4 must be completed prior to the first interscholastic regular season competition. It is recommended that this be done prior to the second week of preseason practice. I NDEX FOR IMPORTANT INFORMATION (From The MPA Interscholastic Bylaws, Article II, Sections 1 - 11) Page(s) Page(s) Page(s) Academic Eligibility 2 5, 27 Enrollment 25 Seasons of Competition 39 Age 2 7 Local Eligibility Rules 25 - 26 Transfer Students 28 Bona Fide Teams 26 Maximum Semesters