University Interscholastic League (UIL)

University Interscholastic League Appendix II Who to Call Most questions a nd interpreta tions concerning extracurricula r activities a re covered in the Constitution and Con - test Rules or in the ma nuals for the individual activities. Questions for which a nswers a re not complete or not found in the a bove sources should be referred to the local school administra tor in cha rge of the va rious progra ms. Questions tha t ca nnot be resolved a t the local level should be directed to specific officials in the League office, a t phone number 512-471-5883 — or for thea tre only, 471-9996 or 471-4517. Topic Staff to Call Contest Rules and Eligibility Academics - High School David Stevens Alyssa Boehringer (Journalism) Jana Riggins (Speech & Debate) Academics - A+ Program David Trussell Lisa Parker One-Act Play & Theatre Paula Rodriguez Music Brad Kent Gabe Musella Athletics - High School & Junior High Ray Zepeda Grace McDowell A.J. Martinez Joseph Garmon Virginia Flores Leaguer Content Alyssa Boehringer Policy Kevin Jones Public Information Kim Carmichael Trophies & Medals Jason Castillo Orders/Invoices for Materials Lanita Hidalgo Business Office General Questions Ben Martinez UIL In-Service Presentations Caroline Walls TEA Related Questions Kevin Jones Waivers Nakita Guillory Rule Compliance/Violations Mark Cousins Darryl Beasley Joel Nolte Email Address: Administration/Eligibility: info@uiltexas.org Academics: academics@uiltexas.org Theatre: theatre@uiltexas.org Music: music@uiltexas.org Athletics: athletics@uiltexas.org Media/Public Information: pr@uiltexas.org UIL Web Address: www.uiltexas.org 194

Austin, TX 78722 Fax: Administra tion – 512-471-5908 Fax: Academics – 512-232-7311 Fax: Athletics – 512-471-6589 Fax: Thea tre – 512-471-7388 Fax: Order Depa rtment – 512-232-6471 E-ma il Addresses: Administra tion/Eligibility: info@uiltexas.org Academics: academics@uiltexas.org Thea tre: thea tre@uiltexas.org Music: music@uiltexas.org Athletics: a thletics@uiltexas.org Media /Public Informa tion: pr@uiltexas.org Publish Da te: July 25, 2026 See website for most current revisions. WEB Address: www.uiltexas.org THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN This publication is not copyrighted. Any or all sections may be duplicated . The benefits of education and of useful knowledge, generally diffused through a community, are essential to the preservation of a free government. SAM HOUSTON Cultivated mind is the guardian genius of Democracy, and while guided and controlled by virtue, the noblest attribute of man. It is the only dictator that freemen acknowledge, and is the only security which freemen desire. MIRABEAU B. LAMAR School and community opinion should be so conditioned that every interschool contest dramatizes not only the reign of law but the reign of a higher law giving the Spirit of the rules precedence over the Letter, thus establishing a jurisdiction in which Conscience is the court of final appeal, empowered to confer the ultimate and most highly valued awards. Educational Competition The Story of the University Interscholastic League by ROY BEDICHEK UIL Director, 1921-1948 University Interscholastic League 2 3 2026-2027 Constitution and Contest Rules 2026-2027 Official Calendar The Official calendar for the 2026-2027 school year can be found on the UIL website at: www.uiltexas.org/calendar 4 2026-2027 Constitution and Contest Rules Message from the Chair of the Legislative Council Dea r Students, Coaches, Administra tors a nd Pa rents, It is a grea t honor to serve as the Cha ir of the University Interscholastic League of the Legisla tive Council. The UIL is truly one of the finest orga niza tions in the grea t Sta te of Texas a nd in our na tion, a nd our students a re fortuna te to have ma ny opportunities to develop their talents a nd skills a nd compete with others across our sta te. The UIL Legisla tive Council is made up of 32 regionally elected school administra tors who a re responsible for esta blishing rules a nd policies tha t govern competitions a nd contests in the a reas of fine a rts, academics, a nd a thletics. The UIL has a rich history a nd continues to provide opportunities tha t a re often the highlight of our students’ educa tional experiences. On behalf of the Council, I would like to extend our sincere tha nks to Dr. Ja mey Ha rrison a nd his tea m who strive to provide fa ir a nd equita ble opportunities for our students to lea rn tea mwork, leadership, a nd persevera nce as well as good sportsma nship. Dr. Ha rrison’s vision a nd experience along with his dedica ted tea m members have kept the UIL strong, responsive, a nd ready to serve all students across our sta te. I would also like to tha nk each of you for your efforts a nd commitment to the UIL in providing these experiences for our students to enrich their educa tion. I wish all of our competitors a n exciting a nd rewa rding yea r as they engage in healthy competition a nd strive for success! Sincerely, Richa rd Kilgore Superintendent Bruceville-Eddy ISD 5 Statement of Purpose The University Interscholastic League believes that most students enjoy the pursuit of excellence and seek opportunities to test themselves against their own accomplishments and those of their peers, that such opportunities are best provided through properly conducted and equitably administered competitive activities, that the classroom is enriched by the flow of student energy into the more intensified arena of competition and back into the classroom. Therefore, we reaffirm that students are the focus of our endeavor and deserve an opportunity to: refine physical and mental aptitudes, nurture self-realization and build self-confidence, feel a sense of pride and dignity, experience teamwork and develop a sense of fair play, develop the ability to lead and the willingness to follow, foster self-discipline and perseverance, appreciate that rules, consistently applied, create order and discipline, learn to accept graciously the decisions of judges and officials, affirm self-worth in times of disappointment as well as adulation, cultivate lifetime skills, complement their class work with practice and performance, have fun, experience the joy of achieving their potential in a wholesome environment and, discover that ultimately the true meaning of winning is doing one’s best. 6 2026-2027 Constitution and Contest Rules Legislative Council Officers Chair: Richard Kilgore First Vice Chair: Walter Jackson Second Vice Chair: Aaron Hood Legislative Council Representatives Conf-Reg Term Name and Address 6A-I 2029 Supt. Gayle Stinson, Birdsville ISD, 6125 E. Belknap St. Haltom City 76117 6A-II 2030 Supt. Ma rty Crawford, Tyler ISD, PO Box 2035, Tyler 75710 6A-III 2028 Supt John Moore, Galena Pa rk ISD, PO Box 565, Galena Pa rk, TX 77547 6A-IV 2027 Supt. Eric Wright, Hays CISD, 21003 IH 35, Kyle 78640 5A-I 2030 Supt. Corey Hickerson, Joshua ISD, 310 E 18th Street, Joshua, TX 76058 5A-II 2029 Supt. Wendy Eldredge, Ca rrollton-Fa rmers Bra nch ISD, 1445 N Perry Rd, Ca rrollton 75006 5A-III 2030 Vaca nt 5A-IV 2028 Supt. Rola nd Herna ndez, Corpus Christi ISD, PO Box 110, Corpus Christi 78403 4A-I 2028 Supt. Bobby Aza m, Andrews ISD, 405 NW 3rd Street, Andrews 79714 4A-II 2029 Supt. Sta n Surra tt, Lindale ISD, P.O. Box 370, Lindale 75482 4A-III 2027 Supt. Sha ron Shields, Waco La Vega ISD, 400 E Loop 340, Waco, TX 76705 4A-IV 2030 Supt. Greg Bonewald, Wimberley ISD, 951 FM 2325, Wimberley, TX 78676 3A-I 2030 Supt. Robert Gibson, Idalou ISD, PO Box 1338, Idalou 79329 3A-II 2027 Supt. Jason McCollough, Mount Vernon ISD, 501 Tx Hwy 37, Mount Vernon 75457 3A-III 2029 Supt. Tommy Hooker, Thrall ISD, 107 S. Bounds, Thrall, 76578 3A-IV 2028 Supt. Jo Ann Bluda u, Hallettsville ISD, PO Box 368, Hallettsville 77964 2A-I 2029 Supt. Kurt Ashmore, Wellington ISD, 609 15th St., Wellington 79095 2A-II 2030 Supt. Todd Morrison, Honey Grove ISD, 1206 N. 17th Street, Honey Grove 75446 2A-III 2027 Supt. Richa rd Kilgore, Bruceville-Eddy ISD, 1 Eagle Dr., Eddy 76524 2A-IV 2028 Supt. Todd Pawelek, Falls City ISD, PO Box 399, Falls CIty, 78113 1A-I 2027 Supt. Wayne Henderson, Ackerly Sa nds CISD, PO Box 218, Ackerly 79713 1A-II 2030 Supt. Aa ron Hood, Robert Lee ISD, 1323 W. Ha milton St., Robert Lee 76945 1A-III 2028 Supt. Casey Ada ms, Woodson ISD, 100 Cowboy Ln, Woodson 76491 1A-IV 2029 Supt. Jason Jones, Tilden McMullen County ISD, 901 River Street, Tilden, TX 78072 At La rge 2027 Supt. Travis Fa nning, Huntsville ISD, 441 FM 2821 East, Huntsville, TX 77320 At La rge 2027 Supt. Susa n Bohn, Aledo ISD, 1008 Ba iley Ra nch Rd., Aledo 76008 At La rge 2029 Supt. Ginger Ca rra bine, Brya n ISD, 801 S. Ennis St., Brya n, TX 77803 At La rge 2027 Supt. LaTonya Goffney, Aldine ISD, 14910 Aldine Westfield Rd., Aldine, 77032 At La rge 2029 Supt. Shawn Pra tt, McKinney ISD, 1 Duvall St., McKinney 75069 At La rge 2027 Supt. Walter Jackson, La Porte ISD, 1002 Sa n Jacinto St., La Porte 77571 At La rge 2029 Supt. Ma rc Smith, Ft. Bend ISD, 16431 Lexington Blvd, Suga r La nd, TX 77479 At La rge 2027 Supt. Gonzalo Sala za r, Los Fresnos CISD, 600 N. Mesquite St., Los Fresnos 78566

16-01-11 Section 465 (b) (3) (A) and Section 468 (a) (3) (A)– Foreign Exchange Students and J-1 Visa: In cases where a foreign excha nge student is una ble to obta in a J-1 visa beca use such a visa is not legally ava ila ble or is not required of the student in order for them to travel to the United Sta tes to pa rticipa te in a n educa tion progra m a wa iver could be gra nted as long as the foreign excha nge student is a ble to provide sufficient evidence to show they do not qualify for a J-1 visa ; provide a copy of the passport or other travel documents (visa) the student intends to rely on when traveling to a nd entering the United Sta tes a nd meets all the other applica ble wa iver criteria. 15-08-19 Sections 400, 406 and 407 - Students affiliated with two schools: In circumsta nces where under local district policy a student is permitted to be a ffilia ted, either by enrollment or a ttenda nce, with two or more schools within the sa me school district, for the purposes of pa rticipa tion in UIL contests, one of the school’s shall be designa ted as the student’s ‘school of pa rticipa tion’. A student’s “home school” or a ny school of choice (as long as choice was made a t the first opportunity) tha t offers UIL activities may be designa ted as tha t student’s ‘school of pa rticipa tion’. (A student’s “home school” is a school tha t the student is required to a ttend under local district policy, typically based on pa rents’ resident.) In the circumsta nces described a bove, a student may represent a “school of pa rticipa tion” in UIL contests under the following conditions: (a) The hours tha t the student is enrolled in classes offered by the district a t two or more schools a re in total sufficient for the student to be considered a full time student. Full time is defined as enrolled in a t least four hours per day of instruction for either sta te or local credit. See Section 403 of the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules . (b) Student must comply with the regula r a ttenda nce rule a t “school of pa rticipa tion”. See Section 404, UIL Constitution and Contest Rules . (c) Student’s age must be verified a nd the student must comply with the 4-yea r rule a nd all other UIL eligibility requirements. See Subchapter M, Eligibility, UIL Constitution and Contest Rules . (d) Student may only represent one school as “school of pa rticipa tion”. The school must approve of the student’s pa rticipa tion a nd the student is under the jurisdiction of the school of pa rticipa tion principal for UIL purposes. (e) Any cha nges in the student’s “school of pa rticipa tion” a re to be processed a nd reviewed under the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules as would a ny other student who cha nges schools. (f) Student’s grades a re reported by all schools a ttended by the student to the student’s “school of pa rticipa tion” during tha t schools scheduled grading periods to ensure complia nce with no pass/no play law. 10-05-26 Section 441 – Athletic Amateur Rule: Previous Sta te Executive Committee Interpreta tions for Section 441 a re no longer applica ble since the rule has been modified. 10-03-12 Section 400 (b) 403 and 406 For the purposes of this interpreta tion, the divisions of UIL activities a re: Academics (includes One-Act-Play), Music a nd Athletics. Local school district policies may permit students who a re a ttending a magnet school loca ted on a ca mpus (within their ISD) tha t does not offer a ny activities within a pa rticula r division of UIL activities (Academics (including One Act Play), Music or Athletics) to pa rticipa te a t their home a ttenda nce zone ca mpus, in tha t division, under the jurisdiction of tha t principal for UIL purposes with the following provisions: (a) The home a ttenda nce zone ca mpus approves of the student’s pa rticipa tion. (b) Student is enrolled in enough classes to be considered a full time student a t the magnet school. Full time is defined as enrolled in a t least four hours per day of instruction for either sta te or local high school credit. (c) Student’s grades a re reported from the magnet school officials to the home attendance zone campus a t scheduled grading periods to insure complia nce with no-pass, no-play. (d) Verifica tion tha t the student complies with the age rule, 4-yea r rule (for high school students) a nd other pertinent informa tion requested by the home attendance zone campus principal would also have to be provided. (e) High school students who pa rticipa te in va rsity a thletics must comply with University Interscholastic League rules, sections 440 a nd 442 in the home a ttenda nce zone ca mpus. (f) A student in this situa tion is prohibited from representing both the magnet school a nd the home attendance zone campus in the sa me division of UIL activities. (g) If the magnet school offers a division of UIL activities, the student would have to represent the magnet school in tha t division of UIL activities. (h) If the magnet school does not offer a division of UIL activities, the student could petition to Page 191

Sec. 33.203. COMPLETION OF UNIVERSITY INTERSCHOLASTIC LEAGUE FORMS. (a) Each stu - dent pa rticipa ting in a n extracurricula r a thletic activity must complete the University Interscholastic League forms entitled “Prepa rticipa tion Physical Evalua tion--Medical History” a nd “Acknowledgment of Rules.” Each form must be signed by both the student a nd the student’s pa rent or gua rdia n. (b) Each form specified by Subsection (a) must clea rly sta te tha t fa ilure to accura tely a nd truthfully a nswer all questions on a form required by sta tute or by the University Interscholastic League as a condition for pa rticipa tion in a n extracurricula r a thletic activity subjects a signer of the form to penalties determined by the University Interscholastic League. Sec. 33.204. CERTAIN UNSAFE ATHLETIC ACTIVI - TIES PROHIBITED. A coach, tra iner, or sponsor for a n extracurricula r a thletic activity may not encourage or per - mit a student pa rticipa ting in the activity to engage in a ny unreasona bly da ngerous a thletic technique tha t unneces - sa rily enda ngers the health of a student, including using a helmet or a ny other sports equipment as a weapon. Sec. 33.205. CERTAIN SAFETY PRECAUTIONS REQUIRED. (a) A coach, tra iner, or sponsor for a n extracurricula r a thletic activity shall a t each a thletic practice or competition ensure tha t: (1) each student pa rticipa ting in the activity is adequa tely hydra ted; (2) a ny prescribed asthma medica tion for a stu - dent pa rticipa ting in the activity is readily ava ila ble to the student; (3) emergency la nes providing access to the practice or competition a rea a re open a nd clea r; a nd (4) hea tstroke prevention ma terials a re readily ava ila ble. (b) If a student pa rticipa ting in a n extracurricula r a th - letic activity, including a practice or competition, becomes unconscious during the activity, the student may not: (1) return to the practice or competition during which the student beca me unconscious; or (2) pa rticipa te in a ny extracurricula r a thletic activ - ity until the student receives written a uthoriza tion for such pa rticipa tion from a physicia n. Sec. 33.206. COMPLIANCE; ENFORCEMENT. (a) In accorda nce with Chapter 552, Government Code, a school shall make ava ila ble to the public proof of complia nce for each person enrolled in, employed by, or volunteering for the school who is required to receive sa fety tra ining described by Section 33.202. (b) The superintendent of a school district or the direc - tor of a school subject to this subchapter shall ma inta in complete a nd accura te records of the district’s or school’s complia nce with Section 33.202. (c) A school ca mpus tha t is determined by the school’s superintendent or director to be out of complia nce with Section 33.202, 33.204, or 33.205 with rega rd to University Interscholastic League activities shall be subject to the ra nge of penalties determined by the University Interscholastic League. Sec. 33.207. CONTACT INFORMATION. (a) The commissioner shall ma inta in a n existing telephone number a nd a n electronic ma il address to allow a person to report a viola tion of this subchapter. (b) Each school tha t offers a n extracurricula r a th - letic activity shall prominently display a t the administra tive offices of the school the telephone number a nd electronic ma il address ma inta ined under Subsection (a). Sec. 33.0832. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR CER - TAIN STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN UNIVERSITY INTERSCHOLASTIC LEAGUE ACTIVITIES. (a) In this section: (1) “League” mea ns the University Interscholastic League. (2) “Non-enrolled student” mea ns a student who receives instruction as described by Section 29.916(a) (1) from a nonpublic school. (b) Nothing in this section may be construed to a ffect the holding in Texas Educ. Agency v. Leeper, 893 S.W.2d 432 (Tex. 1994), classifying home schools as priva te schools. The legisla ture finds tha t a home school is a priva te school for purposes of this section. (c) Except as provided by Subsection (i), a public school tha t pa rticipa tes in a n activity sponsored by the league may provide a non-enrolled student, who otherwise meets league eligibility sta nda rds to represent tha t school in a league activity, with the opportunity to pa rticipa te in the activity Appendix V Applicable Portion of Texas Education Code, as required by Senate Bill 82 80th Legislative Session

Use reporting - Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1102 98 Use reporting - Jr . High . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1478 186 Awards Rules Gifts/Awards to Sponsors/Coaches . . . . . 481 62 High School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480-481 62-63 Junior High/Middle School (A+) . . . . . . . 1400 161 1408 165 Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 481 62 Balloons, Athletic Contests . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1208 132 Balloons, Music Contests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1107 103 Ballot Elections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 18-19 Referendum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331 45 Band Concert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1110 106-108 Marching Area Contest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1106 101 Certifying Eligible Students . . . . . . . . . 1105 101 Medical History Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1105 100 Music Reading Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . 1111 108 Pre-Participation Physical Examination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1105 100 Region Contest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1105 99 State Contest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1107 103 Barbara Jordan Historical Essay . . . . . . . . . 965 79 Baseball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1220 135 Basketball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1230 137 Binding Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 18 Broadcasting of UIL Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 868 64 1208 131 Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866 64 Burden of Proof, Eligibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410 53 Burden of Proof, Violations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410 53 Calculator Applications (HS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 924 74 Calculator Applications (E/JH) . . . . . . . . . . 1414 166 Calendar, Official . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Calendar Week, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 14 Camps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1209 134 Catastropic Injury Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . 1208 134 Changing Schools for Athletic Purposes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443 56 Charter School, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 14 Cheerleading/Spirit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1500 187-188 Safety Risk & Concussion Management 1208 133 Health and Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1503 188 (7th & 8th Grade) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1478 186 Choral Competition Concert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1110 106 Sightreading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1111 108 Coaches Athletic Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1201 114 Coaches Certification Program (CCP) . . 1208 130 Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1202 115 Gift Awards Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 481 62 Penalties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 24-34 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 37-38 Penalty for Ejection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1208 130 Professional Acknowledgment Form . . . . . 21 17 Stipends for Academic Coaches . . . . . . . . . 901 66 Violations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 41 Code of Ethics for UIL Committees . . . . . . . 33 40 Codes Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1201 114 Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1101 94 One-Act Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1034 90 Academic Meet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901 66 Computer Science (HS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 928 74 Concussion Incident Reporting (6A) . . . . 1208 133 Concussion Management Protocol . . . . . . 1208 133 1478 186 Conferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350-351 45 Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1102 97 Constitution, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 14 Contest, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 14 Contest Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 802 63 Contest Rules, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 14 Contests, List of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380 48 Contracting Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356 47 Copy Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1028 88 Copyright Music Copyright Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1104 99 Creative Writing (E/JH) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1418 167 Credit Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411 53 Cross Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1240 139 Cross-Examination Team Debate . . . . . . . 1001 80 Current Academic Requirements . . . . . . . . 401 49 1400 160 Current Issues and Events (HS) . . . . . . . . . . 932 75 Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 14-16 Dictionary Skills (E/JH) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1422 168 Disability, Waiver of Contest Rules . . . . . . 412 53 District Assignments, Appeal of . . . . 354-356 46-47 District, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 14 District Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 903 70 District Executive Committee, Defined . . . . 5 14 28 34 Academic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 903 70 Athletic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1203 116-118 Penalties Which May Be Imposed . . . . . . . . 29 37-38 Divorced Parent s, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 14 442 55 Editorial Writing (HS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1026 88 Editorial Writing (A+) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1424 168 Elementary School, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 14 Academic Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1401 162-164 A+ Meets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1408 164-165 Eligibility Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400 49 Academic 401 49 Athletic 403 50 Music 402 49-50 Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446 57-58 Amateur Athletic Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441 53-54 Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480-481 62 Burden of Proof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410 53 Changing Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443 56 Description Section Page Description Section Page

represent their home a ttenda nce zone ca mpus in tha t division of UIL activities. (i) It would be allowa ble to have a student represent their magnet school (school of a ttenda nce) in one division of UIL activities a nd their home a ttenda nce zone ca mpus (school of pa rents residence) in a division of UIL activities not offered a t the magnet school. (j) If the student subsequently cha nges schools within tha t ISD (to a school other tha n the home attendance zone campus), the student would be ineligible for va rsity a thletics for one calenda r yea r unless the pa rents made a corresponding move to the new school a ttenda nce zone. Exception: This interpreta tion would not require a student who has been pa rticipa ting a t a school, under this interpreta tion, for two or more continuous yea rs to chage their school of pa rticipa tion based on a chage of residence of their pa rents, as long as tha t cha nge of residence is still within the bounda ries of the school district in question. 18-08-14 Section 406(d). 09-03-04 Section 1202 (b) – Employment of Coaches: Compensa tion (not included as pa rt of the coach’s sala ry a t the beginning of the school yea r) for progress past the district level of competition is considered pay for success in the UIL competitive activity a nd a viola tion of Section 1202. Adva ncement beyond the first level of competition is one of the goals of a ny UIL activity a nd is a desired expecta tion of the sala ry a nd stipend set by the boa rd of trustees prior to the school yea r. 08-09-03 Section 1478 (b) (5) – Eligibility Requirements for Seventh and Eighth Grade Participants: Students a ttending a public K-8 ISD tha t does not field a tea m a nd does not have a designa ted receiving school district as indica ted in Section 1478 (b) (5), may pa rticipa te on the seventh a nd eighth grade baseball, basketball, football, soccer, softball a nd/or volleyball tea ms a t the junior high school with geographical bounda ries contiguous to his/her K-8 ISD; or the junior high school loca ted nea rest his/her residence. The student would be considered a full time student for eligibility purposes a t the school he/she selects a t his/her first opportunity. Should the student subsequently decide to represent a nother school under these guidelines without enrolling in the new school, he/she would be ineligible to pa rticipa te a t tha t new school. 08-09-10 (b) Sections 5 (u), 13 (b) and 400 (b) – Magnet Schools: When sepa ra te magnet schools a re loca ted together, the ISD shall designa te one of the following configura tions for UIL va rsity pa rticipa tion. (a) All components crea te one pa rticipa nt high school, a nd one membership fee is due for tha t school. Students enrolled in a ny of the magnet schools loca ted a t the center may represent tha t pa rticipa nt high school in UIL activities; or (b) Each magnet school within the center is considered a sepa ra te pa rticipa nt high school a nd must pay a sepa ra te UIL membership fee. Students enrolled in a magnet school may represent only tha t magnet school in UIL activities. 07-04-18 Sections 400 (g) and 405 (a) – Enrollment in Ninth Grade: Based on Section 5 (l), a student is considered to be enrolled in the ninth grade the day of tha t student’s registra tion a nd a ttenda nce in a full class period a t the ninth grade level. 05-09-01 (a) Section 409 (a) – Promotion: When pa rents or gua rdia ns a re successful in convincing school officials to allow their child to repea t the seventh or eighth grade, academic promotion is effectively withdrawn a nd the student is ineligible for the first six weeks beca use he is repea ting the grade. If the student passes all courses for the first six weeks, academic eligibility may be rega ined seven calenda r days la ter. 05-09-01 (b) Section 1340 (b) (2) – Boys’, Girls’ Restriction: This rule clea rly addresses students a nd does not prohibit a coach from providing instruction to a student of the opposite gender. 05-08-03 Sections 1033 and 1202 – Employment of Coaches: Full time employees must comply with the following sta nda rds in order to serve as a high school (grades 9-12) a thletic coach or a high school one-act play director. TRS Minimum Employment Eligibility Sta nda rds cited below a re used to define full-time (but the employee does not have to actually qualify for TRS): (a) A minimum of one-half of the time required of the sta nda rd workload (minimum of 15 hours per week for non-certified a nd 20 hours per week for certified employees); a nd (b) Ea rning a sala ry compa ra ble to one-half the sala ry ea rned by a full-time employee in a simila r position; a nd (c) For UIL: is under contract to the school boa rd for the whole scholastic or calenda r yea r for coaching or directing stipend (or contract could be contingent 192 State Executive Committee Official Interpretations on district’s a bility to hire a full time qualified instructor.) Exception: School boa rds may hire individuals to coach who a re not teachers a nd whose regula r duties do not qualify them for a contract with the school district, provided: their employment conditions sa tisfy (a) a nd (b) cited a bove; their ra te of pay for the school yea r is determined by the boa rd before they begin coaching; they a re informed by the person approving them for hire tha t they a re not eligible to receive a bonus or a ny pa rt of their coaching sala ry from a ny source (including booster clubs) other tha n the school district; they complete a nd sign a UIL Professional Acknowledgement Form. UIL rules do not govern cheer or drill sponsors - those decisions a re left with the local school district. 01-09-18 (a) Sections 353 and 440 – Optional Attendance Zone: A school boa rd may crea te a n optional a ttenda nce zone to facilita te the opening of a new high school by adopting the following la nguage: Students who pa rticipa te in extracurricula r activities who will not have the opportunity to compete for va rsity district honors a t the new high school have the option to a ttend the high school they would have a ttended if the new school had not been crea ted or to a ttend the new school. The student would be eligible a t the school they first select. If the student subsequently cha nges to a nother school within tha t district they a re not eligible for va rsity a thletic competition until they have been enrolled in a nd regula rly a ttended tha t school for a t least the previous yea r. 01-09-18 (b) Section 409 (a) – Promotion: Promotion mea ns tha t a student has been academically promoted from the previous grade level by officials in a n accredited public or priva te school. Students who enroll in a UIL pa rticipa nt school from home school or a n unaccredited priva te school become academically eligible seven calenda r days a fter the first grading evalua tion period in which they have passed all courses. 00-09-13 Sections 400 (b) and 440 (b) – Student Transfers: When a student tra nsfers from their home a ttenda nce zone ca mpus district to a public high school in a nother school district to enroll in a magnet progra m, the student may not be eligible for va rsity a thletics a t a high school other tha n the home a ttenda nce zone ca mpus. The policy tha t addresses returning to the home a ttenda nce zone ca mpus to pa rticipa te follows: When a student tra nsfers out of the district to a public high school tha t does not pa rticipa te in a thletics: (a) The student may petition administra tion of his home a ttenda nce zone ca mpus (school zone where his pa rents reside) to represent the home a ttenda nce zone ca mpus in a thletics. (b) Student’s grades must be reported from magnet high school officials to the home a ttenda nce zone ca mpus to ensure complia nce with no-pass, no-play. (c) Verifica tion tha t the student complies with the full-time student sta tus, age rule, four-yea r rule a nd other UIL eligibility rules a nd all other pertinent informa tion requested by home attendance zone campus principal would also have to be provided by magnet school principal. (d) Student is under the jurisdiction of the home attendance zone campus principal for all UIL purposes. It is importa nt to note tha t the student would also have to represent home attendance zone campus high school in UIL fine a rts a nd academic competition. A student in this situa tion is prohibited from representing more tha n one high school. Students in this situa tion would be a ble to represent the school they a ttend in a ny sub-va rsity a thletic activities. 00-08-03 Section 403 (a) – Local Eligibility Rules: School districts with boa rd policies tha t lock all four yea rs of eligibility for ninth grade students from a 7-8-9 ca mpus into the high school they first represent ca uses those students to be eligible only a t tha t high school. In the event the school boa rd cha nges it policy a nd the student wishes to return to the high school where the pa rents reside, loss of va rsity a thletic eligibility for a t least one calenda r yea r would occur. Local school district policies could ca use a student under these circumsta nces to be ineligible for more tha n one calenda r yea r. 99-04-20 Section 400 (b) – Charter Schools: (a) Students whose pa rents live within the bounda ries of a n independent school district where a cha rter high school is loca ted a nd opt to a ttend the cha rter high school a t their first opportunity to select a high school, a re eligible according to this section. (b) Students whose pa rents live within the independent school district where the cha rter 193 school is loca ted, who do not select the cha rter high school a t their first opportunity, a re ineligible for va rsity a thletic competition unless they have been enrolled in a nd regula rly a ttending the cha rter high school for a t least the previous calenda r yea r. (c) Students whose pa rents reside outside the bounda ries of the independent school district where the cha rter school is loca ted a re ineligible for va rsity a thletic competition unless they have been enrolled in a nd regula rly a ttending the cha rter school for a t least the previous calenda r yea r. 95-11-09 Section 400 (c) – Attendance: Section 400 (c) would allow a student to be considered in regula r a ttenda nce a t the pa rticipa nt high school even though the hospitalized student has been tra nsferred to a nother school’s home bound progra m provided: the student’s class work assignments a re determined by the home attendance zone campus; the hospitalized student never a ttends a class held in a regula r classroom of the home bound ISD; the student’s physicia n certifies tha t he/ she may return to the home a ttenda nce zone ca mpus a nd is a ble to pa rticipa te; the student’s grades a re tra nsferred back to the home attendance zone campus with him/her. 88-11-03 Section 442 – Boarding Facilities: Section 442 (b) applies if a t least one of a student’s pa rents is alive. Students who a re placed by their pa rent(s) or gua rdia n(s) in a home licensed by the sta te as a child ca re boa rding facility a re eligible for a thletic competition a fter one calenda r yea r, even though they a re tra nsferred from one boa rding facility ca mpus to a nother boa rding facility ca mpus, provided the home licensed by the sta te was appointed as their gua rdia n by appropria te a uthority more tha n one yea r ago.

Appendix III Interscholastic League Press Conference (a) PURPOSE. The purpose of the Interscholastic League Press Conference (ILPC) is to assist advis - ers a nd sta ffs in the production of journalistically sound Texas high school a nd junior high/middle school media. The progra m is sponsored by the University Interscholastic League. (b) MEMBERSHIP. Any high school or junior high school is eligible for membership in ILPC. A gen - eral membership ma iling is sent to all UIL member schools a nd others in la te August. Deadline for enrollment in ILPC is December 1. All inquiries a nd requests for enrollment must be made to the Director of Journalism, UIL, Box 8028, Austin, Texas 78713; e-ma il to: jacton@uiltexas.org. (c) DIRECTION. ILPC is supervised by the UIL Director of Journalism who consults with the Texas Associa tion of Journalism Educa tors, The University of Texas a t Austin Depa rtment of Journalism a nd the Texas Educa tion Agency. (d) FEES. Enrollment in ILPC requires a membership fee per publica tion/progra m to defray the expense of providing special services. The fee must be pa id a t the time of enrollment. Payment of ILPC mem - bership dues is sepa ra te from the school’s UIL membership fees. (e) SPECIAL SERVICES. ILPC offers its members several services a imed a t improving scholastic journalism in Texas. Specially prepa red books, pa m - phlets a nd other ma terials providing suggestions, instruction a nd informa tion on a va riety of journal - istic topics a re ava ila ble to ILPC members. (f) RATINGS. ILPC sponsors yea rbook, newspa - per a nd broadcast critique/ra ting competition for its members. All publica tions a re critiqued/ra ted by qualified scholastic journalists. ILPC cha mpions rep - resent the finest in America n scholastic journalism. (1) Ratings . Sta ffs must be ILPC members in order to submit ma terials for ra ting. Sta ffs must submit the publica tion or broadcast a nd other necessa ry paperwork to the ILPC office by individual deadlines. (2) Rating Categories . Certifica tes of ra ting a re issued in four degrees: (A) Awa rd of Distinguished Merit to the outsta nding publica tion/progra m in each class. (B) Awa rd of Achievement to outsta nding publica tion/progra m which fall short of the first degree of excellence. (C) Awa rd of Honor to publica tions/pro - gra ms of high caliber which have shown continued excellence throughout the yea r. (D) Awa rd of Merit to publica tions/pro - gra ms which have made contributions to the school for which they were pub - lished by ma inta ining a basic level of journalistic quality. Ra tings or ra ting certifica tes will not be given to members fa iling to submit their publica - tions for ra ting. (3) Star Awards . Judges a re asked to nomina te the most outsta nding yea rbooks or newspapers for either a Gold Sta r, Silver Sta r or Bronze Sta r Awa rd, which represent approxima tely the top 10% of publica tions in the sta te. These awa rds a re presented during the ILPC sta te convention. (g) INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS (IAA) CONTEST. A contest is sponsored each spring for individual work published in ILPC member publi - ca tions. (h) DIVISIONS. In the newspaper a nd yea rbook competitions, students compete in nine divisions, according to school enrollment a nd conference. Individual gold (first), silver (second) a nd bronze (third) medals a re awa rded in each enrollment divi - sion. Division winners in newspaper a nd yea rbook then compete for a “Tops in Texas” medal. Contest informa tion will be provided to ILPC members a t least six weeks prior to the contest deadline. Entries submitted become the property of ILPC. They will not be returned a nd may be used for UIL or ILPC publica tions. (i) STATE CONVENTION. The a nnual ILPC sta te convention will be held in Austin on the ca mpus of The University of Texas. The convention progra m is a rra nged to include workshops, semina rs a nd instructional sessions dealing with all aspects of scholastic journalism a nd general publica tions improvement. Convention pa rticipa tion is open to ILPC members, as well as to other school newspaper, broadcast a nd yea rbook sta ffs a nd non-ILPC members. All delega tes a re responsible for their own tra nsporta tion to Austin, lodging, meals a nd other expenses. ILPC ra tings, IAA contest winners a nd other special awa rds a re a nnounced during the convention. (j) SUMMER WORKSHOP. The ILPC summer workshops a re held each June on the ca mpus of Interscholastic Leauge Press Conference Texas Sta te University a t Sa n Ma rcos. The purpose of the workshop is to teach journalistic basics by which the publica tions will be judged the follow - ing yea r. A general workshop flier will be ma iled a nd/or ema iled to all ILPC member schools no less tha n two months prior to the workshop. Deadline for registra tion is June 1. For complete workshop informa tion, contact the ILPC Director. (k) ILPC DEADLINES (1) December 1 . Deadline for ILPC enrollment. (2) December 1. Yea rbooks for ra ting must be received by ILPC unless a n extension request is filed with the ILPC office. (3) December 1 . Last day for receipt of ILPC indi - vidual achievement awa rd (IAA) entries for yea rbooks. (4) February 15 . Last day for receipt of newspapers for ra ting. (5) February 15 . Last day for receipt of ILPC indi - vidual achievement awa rd (IAA) entries for newspapers. (6) March 1 . Last day for receipt of Edith Fox King a nd Max Haddick adviser awa rd nomina - tions. (7) May 1-2 . ILPC Sta te Convention. (8) June 1 . Deadline for receipt of publica tions workshop enrollment without penalty. (9) June 25-27 . ILPC Summer Publica tions Workshop. 196 197 University Interscholastic League Appendix IV 2026-2027 Rule Changes All amendments are effective for the 2026-2027 school year, unless otherwise noted. Policy • Section 403, Eligibility Athletics; Section 465, Decision by a Waiver Officer; Section 468, Review Decision Process; Section 469, Retroactive Waiver: Removes the wa iver process for foreign excha nge students to pa rticipa te a t the va rsity level in a thletics. This will allow foreign excha nge stu - dents to compete in UIL a thletics a t the sub-va rsity level, but not a t the va rsity level. • Heat Stress and Athletic Participation Guidelines: Cha nges the current recommended hea t sa fety procedures to required sta nda rds for member schools conducting a th - letic a nd ma rching ba nd practices a nd activities during periods of eleva ted hea t. Academics • Section 1001, Cross-Examination Debate; Section 1002, Lincoln Douglas Debate; Sections 1004-1007, Informative Speaking, Persuasive Speaking, Prose, Poetry: Increases the number of entries allowed in all individual speaking a nd deba te events. • Section 1401, A+ Program Academic Plan; Section 1408: Invita tional/District Meets – reorga nizes A+ academic meet timefra mes so district meets ca n be held during three testing windows. Athletics • Section 1202, Employment of Coaches: Proposes a two-yea r pilot progra m to expa nd the current exception for stu - dent teachers to include student coaches enrolled in a UIL-approved university coaching progra m. • Section 1203, Duties of Athletic District Executive Commit - tee: Requires, unless una nimously agreed otherwise, all schools assigned to a competitive district to be included in the district schedule, unless suspended from competi - tion by the Sta te Executive Committee. • Section 1208, Athletic Regulations: Revises the la nguage rega rding concussion incident reporting for 6A schools as well as the loca tion where these incidents should be reported. • Section 1209, Non-School Participation: Removes the pilot sta tus of the progra m tha t allows coaches to coach up to two of their students in a UIL-approved sta te associa - tion all-sta r ga me. • Section 1209, Non-School Participation: Allows students in their second, third or fourth yea r of high school to volunta rily work up to two ca mps in each tea m sport, without counting aga inst the student’s skill time. • Section 1270, Soccer Plan: Prohibits all interschool scrim - mages for boys a nd girls soccer from occurring a fter the designa ted first day for ga mes on the official UIL calenda r. • Section 1340, Water Polo Plan: Proposes a two-yea r pilot progra m to allow the addition of a n optional spring tra ining period for UIL wa ter polo progra ms. • Section 1478, 7-8th Grade Athletic Plan: Removes the pilot sta tus for allowing Conference 1A a nd 2A to field as ma ny as two tea ms when 6th grade pa rticipa tion is vital to tea m sports. Also removes pilot sta tus to allow for 6th grade pa rticipa tion in individual sports in Conference 1A a nd 2A. • Section 1478, 7-8th Grade Athletic Plan: Revises the allow - a ble season length for 7th a nd 8th grade football by increasing the number of consecutive calenda r days from 80 to 90. • Section 1503, Health and Safety: Requires cheerleading a nd spirit pa rticipa nts to complete the Medical Histo - ry/Pre-pa rticipa tion Physical Exa mina tion Form prior to pa rticipa tion in a ny cheer practices or tryouts. • Basketball Manual: Enacts a pilot progra m for the 2026- 27 school yea r for the optional use of a 35 second shot clock for basketball in all conferences for va rsity tourna ments a nd showcases upon mutual agreement between coaches. Music • Jazz Festival Pilot Proposal: Crea tes a sta te contest pilot for ja zz ensembles.

199 University Interscholastic League on behalf of the school in the sa me ma nner tha t the school provides the opportunity to pa rticipa te to students enrolled in the school. (d) A non-enrolled student who seeks to pa rticipa te or pa rticipa tes in a league activity on behalf of a school is sub - ject to the following releva nt policies tha t apply to students enrolled in the school: (1) registra tion for league activities; (2) age eligibility; (3) fees; (4) insura nce; (5) tra nsporta tion; (6) physical condition; (7) qualifica tions; (8) responsibilities; (9) event schedules; (10) sta nda rds of behavior; a nd (11) performa nce. (e) A non-enrolled student may only pa rticipa te in a league activity for the school in the school district tha t the student would be eligible to a ttend based on the student’s residential address. A non-enrolled student who seeks to pa rticipa te in a league activity on behalf of a school shall be required to esta blish minimum proof of residency accept - a ble to the district in the sa me ma nner as a n applica nt to a ttend a school in the district under Section 25.001. (f) The pa rent or person sta nding in pa rental rela tion to a non-enrolled student is responsible for oversight of academic sta nda rds rela ting to the student’s pa rticipa tion in a league activity. As a condition of eligibility to pa rticipa te in a league activity during the first six weeks of a school yea r, a non-enrolled student must demonstra te grade- level academic proficiency on a ny na tionally recognized, norm-referenced assessment instrument, such as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, Sta nford Achievement Test, California Achievement Test, or Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills. A non-enrolled student demonstra tes the required academic proficiency by achieving a composite, core, or survey score tha t is within the average or higher tha n average ra nge of scores, as esta blished by the applica ble testing service. For purposes of this subsection, a school district shall accept assessment results administered or reported by a third pa rty. (g) A non-enrolled student’s demonstra tion of aca - demic proficiency under Subsection (f) is sufficient for purposes of tha t subsection for the school yea r in which the student achieves the required score a nd the subsequent school yea r. (h) After the first six weeks of a school yea r, the pa rent or person sta nding in pa rental rela tion to a non-enrolled student pa rticipa ting in a league activity on behalf of a pub - lic school must periodically, in accorda nce with the school’s grading calenda r, provide written verifica tion to the school indica ting tha t the student is receiving a passing grade in each course or subject being ta ught. (i) A non-enrolled student is not a uthorized by this section to pa rticipa te in a league activity during the rema inder of a ny school yea r during which the student was previously enrolled in a public school. (j) The league may not prohibit a non-enrolled student from pa rticipa ting in league activities in the ma nner a utho - rized by this section. (k) With respect to a non-enrolled student’s educa tion progra m, nothing in this section shall be construed to permit a n agency of this sta te, a public school district, or a ny other governmental body to exercise control, regula tory a uthor - ity, or supervision over a non-enrolled student or a pa rent or person sta nding in pa rental rela tion to a non-enrolled student beyond the control, regula tory a uthority, or supervi - sion required to pa rticipa te in a league activity. (l) Subject only to eligibility requirements under this section for a non-enrolled student to pa rticipa te in a league activity: (1) the curriculum or assessment requirements, performa nce sta nda rds, practices, or creed of the educa tion progra m provided to a non-enrolled student may not be required to be cha nged in order for the non-enrolled student to pa rticipa te in a league activity; a nd (2) for a non-enrolled student pa rticipa ting in a n educa tion progra m on Ja nua ry 1, 2021, the educa tion progra m provided to tha t student may not be required to comply with a ny sta te law or agency rule rela ting to tha t educa tion progra m unless the law or rule was in effect on Ja nua ry 1, 2021. (m) Notwithsta nding a ny other law, a non-enrolled student who pa rticipa tes in a league activity under this section is subject to the immuniza tion requirements a nd exceptions of Section 38.001 in the sa me ma nner as a public school student. Academic Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401 49 1400 160 1478 179 Academics A+ Program (2nd - 8th grade) . . . . 1400-1401 160-164 Contests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 900 66 Contest Ethics Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901 66 Automated External Defibrillator Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1102 98 District Meets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 903 70 High School Academic Meet Plan . . . . . . . 900 66 Regional Meets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 904 72 State Meet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 905 73 Academy, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 14 Accounting (HS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 920 74 Accreditation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 17 Age Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446 58 All-Star Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1208 133 Alternates/Substitutes Academic District Meets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 903 71 Regional Meets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 904 72 State Meet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 905 73 Athletic Golf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1260 144 Swimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1290 148 Team Tennis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1310 152 Tennis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1300 150 Track & Field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1320 154 Journalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1023 87 Amateur Athletic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441 53 One-Act Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1033 89 Alternative School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 14 Amendments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330-331 45 Anabolic Steroid Testing Appeals of Positive Test Results . . . . . . . . . 150 43 Penalty for Positive Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1207 129 Responsibility for Cost of Tests . . . . . . . . 1207 129 Administration of Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1210 136 Appeals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 43 Art (A+) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1410 165 Athletic Camps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1209 134 Athletic/Physical Education Classes . . . . 1206 126 Athletic Plan, High School Athletic Eligibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1205 124 Individual Report Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . 1205 124 Previous Athletic Participation Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443 56 1205 124 Varsity Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1205 125 Coaches, Employment of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1202 115 Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1201 114 Non-School Participation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1209 134 Coaching Restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1209 135 Off-Season Participation . . . . . . . . . . . . 1209 135 School Facility Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1206 127 Summer Camps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1209 135 Practice and Game Restrictions . . . . . . . . 1206 125-128 Day of Game Restriction . . . . . . . . . . . . 1206 127 Holiday Restriction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1206 128 Non-Traditional School Years . . . . . . . 1206 125 Off-Season School Facility Use . . . . . . 1206 127 Off-Season Team Practices . . . . . . . . . . 1206 126-127 Off-Season Workouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1206 126 Pre-Season Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1206 128 Power Lifting Team Restrictions . . . . 1206 128 Room and Board Restrictions . . . . . . . 1206 127 Sixth Grade and Below . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1478 181-182 Summer Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1206 126 Summer Strength/Conditioning . . . . . 1206 125 Sunday Prohibition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1206 125 Sunday Regional/State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1206 126 Regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1208 129 Automated External Defibrillators (AED) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1208 133 AED Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1208 134 Breaking Contracts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1208 130 Catastrophic Injury Reporting . . . . . . 1208 134 Concussion Incident Reporting . . . . . 1208 133 Concussion Management . . . . . . . . . . . 1208 133 Contests with Non-Participating Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1208 134 Contests with Non-School Teams . . . 1208 133 Districts and Conferences . . . . . . . . . . . 1208 129 Eligible Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1208 129 Emergency Action Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . 1208 134 Failure to Complete Season . . . . . . . . . 1208 130 Game Administrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1208 130 Gate Guarantees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1208 131 Interdistrict Disputes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1208 133 Mascots, Firearms, Balloons, Pyrotechnic Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1208 132 Mid-Point Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1208 132 Penalties for Coaches’ Misconduct . . . 1208 130 Playing Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1208 130 Rebate from State Tournament . . . . . . 1208 132 Scrimmage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1208 130 Sites for Team Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1208 132 State Playoffs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1208 132 State Tournament Pairings . . . . . . . . . . 1208 132 Summer Camps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1209 134 Tournament Definitions and Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1208 132 Videotaping and Filming . . . . . . . . . . . . 1208 131-132 Rules, Violations & Penalties . . . . . . . . 1207 128 Athletic Plan, Junior High . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1478 179 Attendance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400 48 403-404 49-50 Audit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866 64 Automated External Defibrillators . . . . 1208 134 Use reporting - Academics . . . . . . . . . . . 902 70 Use reporting - Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . 1208 133 INDEX Description Section Page Description Section Page

202 Four-Year Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408 52 405 51-52 Full-Time Day Student . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406 52 400 49 High School Graduate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405 51-52 Nineteen Year-Old Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446 57 Regular Attendance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407 52 Residence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442 54-55 State Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404 51 Enrollment, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 14 351 45 Executive Director, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 14 22 17-18 Extemp . Informative Speaking . . . . . . . . . 1004 83 Extemp . Persuasive Speaking . . . . . . . . . . . 1005 84 Fans, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 14 Feature Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1024 88 Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-867 64 Football . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1250 140-143 Non-Honors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352 46 Football (1A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1250 141 Four-Year Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408 52 403 50 Full-Time Day Student . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406 52 Game Administrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1208 130 Gifts to Sponsors/Coaches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 481 62 Golf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1260 143 Guardian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442 54 Headline Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1027 88 High School, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 14 High School Graduate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405 51 1001 80 Holiday Restrictions High School Athletic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1206 128 Jr High/Middle School Athletics . . . . . . . 1478 182 Impromptu Speaking (E/JH) . . . . . . . . . . . . 1426 169 Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 867 64 International Baccalaureat Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463 59 465 60 468 61 Interpretations Official . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304 44 Official Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305 44 Interscholastic League Press Conference (ILPC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . App III 195 Intersession, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 14 Investigations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 24 28 36 56 42 Invitational Meets, Academic . . . . . . . . . . . . 906 73 Journalism Program and Contests . . . . . . 1021 87 Journalism Contest (HS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1023 87 Junior High Academics Contests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1401 162-164 District Assignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1400 161 A+ Meets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1408 164 Eligibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1405 164 Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1400 161 Optional Contests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1408 164 Organizing the District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1401 163 Sunday Participation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1408 164 Junior High Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1478 179 Districts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1400 161 Eligibility Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1478 179 Holiday Restriction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1478 182 Limitation of Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1400 161 Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1400 161 Non-Traditional School Year . . . . . . . . . . 1400 161 Protests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1400 161 Repeating Grades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1478 179 Rules Jurisdiction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1400 160 Scheduling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1400 160 Sunday Participation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1400 161 Violations and Penalties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1400 162 Junior High School, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 15 Lawsuits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 27 League, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 15 Leaguer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 826 63 Legislative Council, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 15 25 18 Lincoln-Douglas Debate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1002 81 Listening (A+) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1430 170 Literary Criticism (HS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 940 76 Magnet Program, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 15 Magnet School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 15 351 45 Maps, Graphs, & Charts (E/JH) . . . . . . . . . . 1434 170 Mariachi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1115 113 Mathematics (HS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 942 76 Mathematics (A+) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1438 171 Medical Advisory Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 22 High School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1205 124 Junior High . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1478 181 Medical History Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1205 124 Medium Ensemble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1109 105 Member School, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 15 Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14 16-17 Modern Oratory (A+) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1442 172 Move for Athletic Purposes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443 56 Music Contest Plan Adjudication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1112 111 Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1113 113 Contest Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1100 96 Copyright Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1104 99 Entry Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1103 99 General Regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1102 96 Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1102 99 Executive Secretary and/or Chair . . . 1102 99 Non-Traditional School Year . . . . . . . . 1102 98 Region Executive Committee . . . . . . . 1102 95 Region Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1102 95 School Eligibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1102 94 School Transfer Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1102 95 Student Eligibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400 48 402 49 1102 94 Sunday Participation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1102 98 Description Section Page Description Section Page 2026-27 Constitution and Contest Rules 203 Policies and Code of Ethics . . . . . . . . . . . . 1101 94 Technical Advisory Committee . . . . . . . . 1100 94 Music Memory (A+) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1446 172 Music Theory Contest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1113 112 News Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1025 88 Nineteen Year-Old Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403 50 446 57 Non-Discrimination Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360 47 Non-Enrolled (Home Schooled) Student . . . . 5 15 351 45-46 400 49 401 49 403 51 406 52 407 52 411 53 442 54 1102 95 1205 125 1206 126 1207 129 1208 133 1400 160 1478 180-182 Non-Participating School, Defined . . . . . . . . . 5 15 Non-Traditional School Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 15 383 49 Number Sense (HS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 944 77 Number Sense (E/JH) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1450 173 Off-Season Restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1209 134 Off-Season Workouts, School . . . . . . . . . . . 1206 126 Officers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 18 Official Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Official Interpretations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304 44 Appendix I 189 Official Staff Interpretations . . . . . . . . . . . . 305 44 Officials - Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1204 118 One-Act Play (HS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1033 89 Code of Ethics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1034 90 Contest Entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1033 89 Contest Planning Procedures and Judging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1033 89 Contest Play Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1033 89 One-Act Play (A+) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1454 174 Open Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-801 63 Optional Attendance Area, Defined . . . . . . . . 5 15 Oral Reading (E/JH) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1458 174 Orchestra Concert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1110 106 Sightreading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1111 108-110 Parents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442 54-55 Patron, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 15 Penalties Assessed by District Executive Comm . . . . 29 37 Assessed by Sta te Executive Comm . . . . . . 27 24 Physical Examination High School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1205 124 JH/Middle School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1478 181 Pilot Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380 48 Poetry Interpretation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1006 84 Points Schedule, HS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 902 68 Points Schedule, E/JH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1408 165 Postsecondary Institution, Defined . . . . . . . . 5 15 Power Lifting Team Restrictions . . . . . . . . 1206 128 Pre-Season Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1206 128 Previous Athletic Participation Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443 56 1205 125 Professional Acknowledgment Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 17 1202 116 Proposed Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301-303 43 Prose Interpretation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1007 85 Protests & Reports of Violations . . . . . . . 53-55 42 Junior High Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1400 161 Radio Broadcast, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 15 Ready Writing (HS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 948 77 Ready Writing (E/JH) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1462 175 Recruit, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 15 Recruiting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409 52 443 56 1203 116 Region, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 15 Region Executive Committee, Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1102 97 Regional Executive Committee . . . . . . . . . . . 30 38 Academics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 904 72 1478 179 Rescheduling Contests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382 49 Residence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442 54 Robotics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 970 79 Rule Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Appendix IV 197 Rule Changing Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330-331 44 Rules Acknowledgment Form . . . . . . . . . . 1205 124 Rules of Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306 44 School District, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 15 School Week, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 15 Science (HS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 952 78 Science (A+) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1466 176 Scrimmage, HS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1208 130 Football . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1250 142 Senate Bill 82 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Appendix V 198-199 Separated Parents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442 55 Sightreading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1111 108 Soccer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1270 145 Social Studies (HS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 956 78-79 Social Studies (A+) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1468 177 Softball, Girls ’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1280 146 Solo-Small Ensemble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1108 104 Speech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1000 80 Speech Contests, Individual . . . . . . . . . . . . 1003 83 Spelling and Vocabulary (HS) . . . . . . . . . . . . 960 79 Spelling (E/JH) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1470 177 Description Section Page Description Section Page University Interscholastic League Spirit (High School) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1500 187 Contest Ethics Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1501 187 General Regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1502 188 Health and Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1503 188 Sponsor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 15 Gift Awards Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 481 62 Penalties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 24-34 29 37 Professional Acknowledgment Form . . . . . 21 17 Stipends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901 66 Violations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50-52 41-42 Sports Officials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1204 118 Fee Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1204 120 Spouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442 54-55 Sports Officials Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 39 Spring Training, Football . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1250 140-141 State Board of Education, Defined . . . . . . . . . 5 15 State Convention, ILPC . . . . . . . . . Appendix III 195 State Executive Committee, Defined . . . . . . . 5 15 21-22 23-24 50-56 41-42 304 44 Appendix I 189 State Meet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 905 73 Steroid Testing - See Anabolic Steroid Testing Steroid Use/Testing Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1205 124 Storytelling (A+) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1474 178 Substitutes - See Alternates/Substitutes Summer Camps and Leagues . . . . . . . . . . . 1209 134 Summer Months/Vacation, Defined . . . . . . . 5 15 Summer Strength/Conditioning . . . . . . . . 1206 126 Summer Workshop, ILPC . . . . . . Appendix III 195 Sunday Participation Academics E/JH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1408 164 Academics HS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 900 69 Athletics HS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1206 125 Athletics JH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1478 182 Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1102 98 Superintendent, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 15 21 17 Swimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1290 148 Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Team Tennis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1310 150 Telecast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 15 Tennis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1300 149 Texas Education Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 16 13 17 Texas Education Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404 51 Texas State Solo-Ensemble Contest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1114 112 Theatrical Design Contest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1035 91 Ties, Athletic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1203 117 Ties, Football . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1250 142 Tournaments, Team Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1208 132 Track and Field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1320 152 Traditional School Year, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . 5 15 Transfer Student, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 15 403 50 442-443 54-56 Twirling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1108 104 UIL Contest, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 15 Valuable Consideration, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . 5 15 441 53 Varsity, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 15 Videotaping/Filming Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1208 131 Speech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1000 81 Violations Member School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 41 Non-Discrimination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360 47 School District Personnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 41 Student Representatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 41 Vocal Events Medium Ensemble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1109 105 Solo-Small Ensemble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1108 103 Vocational High School, Defined . . . . . . . . . . . 5 15 Volleyball, Girls’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1330 155 Waiver of Eligibility Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463 58 Waiver Officer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 38 464-466 59-60 Waiver Review Board Appointments and Composition . . . . . . . . . 31 38 Review of Decision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 466 60 Submitting False Information . . . . . . . . . . 470 62 Waiver, Types of: Foreign Exchange Waiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465 59 Four Year Waiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408 52 Over Age (Middle School) . . . . . . . . 1400(a)(3) 160 Over Age Waiver (High School) . . . . . . . . . 463 57 Parent Residence Waiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463 57 Retroactive Waiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469 61 Water Polo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1340 157 Webcast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 868 65 Who to Call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Appendix II 194 Wind Ensemble Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1114 113 Wrestling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1340 158 Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 36 1203 117 Description Section Page Description Section Page 204 2026-27 Constitution and Contest Rules

2026-2027 Waiver Review Board Conference Term Name and ISD 1A 2030 Hea th Blackmon, Superintendent of Loop ISD 2A 2028 Dr. Allen Reese, Superintendent, Mumford ISD 3A 2029 Jeff Byrd, Superintendent, Dalha rt ISD 4A 2030 La mond Dea n, Superintedent of Tyler Chapel Hill ISD 5A 2027 Judd Ma rshall, Superintendent, Mount Pleasa nt ISD 6A 2027 Dr. Tory Hill, Superintendent, Cha nnelview ISD Appointed 2026 Jimmy Thomas, Lubbock (Cha ir) Appointed 2026 Gilbert Leal, Athletic Director, Brownsville ISD Appointed 2026 Dr. Ga ry Ba tes, Superintendent, Fort Sa m Houston ISD Appointed 2026 Dr. Lisa La ngston, Athletic Director, Fort Worth ISD Appointed 2026 Dr. Silvia Salinas, Dallas Appointed 2026 Jeff Smith, Athletic Director, Prosper ISD 8 2026-2027 Constitution and Contest Rules 2026-2027 State Executive Committee Mike Motheral, Lubbock, Cha ir Stepha nie Behrens, Assista nt Director, Region 16 Service Center Dr. Arturo Cava zos, Ha rlingen Ja mes Colbert, Jr., Superintendent, Ha rris County Depa rtment of Educa tion Dr. Curtis Culwell, Frisco Dr. Anita Hebert, Superintendent, Shallowa ter ISD Fra nk Molina r, Superintendent, White Settlement ISD Dr. Roosevelt Nivens, Superintendent, Rosenberg La ma r CISD Melissa Gonzalez, Superintendent, Refugio ISD Dr. Tiffa ny Spicer, Superintendent, Buna ISD Dr. Glen Teal, Superintendent, Seminole ISD Da ryl Wade, Houston University Interscholastic League Official Calenda r ......................................................................................... 3 Message from the Legisla tive Council Cha ir .................................... 4 Sta tement of Purpose ................................................................................. 5 Legisla tive Council Representa tives ..................................................... 6 Wa iver Review Boa rd Members ............................................................ 7 Sta te Executive Committee Members .................................................. 8 Ta ble of Contents ....................................................................................... 9 Introduction by the Executive Director of the UIL ....................... 12 Administra tion ...................................................................................... 13 CHAPTER 1 Constitution Subchapter A NAME OF ORGANIZATION ........................... 14 Section 1 Na me .......................................................................... 14 Subchapter B OBJECTIVES ........................................................... 14 Section 2 Objectives of the UIL ............................................ 14 Subchapter C DEFINITIONS AND GENERAL PROVISIONS .......................................................... 14 Section 5 Definitions ................................................................ 14 Section 6 Computa tion of Time to Act .............................. 16 Subchapter D MEMBERSHIP IN UIL ........................................ 16 Section 10 Qualifica tions for Membership ......................... 16 Section 11 Admission to Membership .................................. 16 Section 12 Membership Dues .................................................. 16 Section 13 Initial a nd Continua tion of Membership a nd .. Right to Pa rticipa te ............................................... 16 Section 14 Ma nda tory Suspension ........................................ 17 Subchapter E ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION ............................................. 17 Section 20 Composition of the League ................................. 17 Section 21 Responsibilities of the Superintendent or Chief Administra tor ....................................... 17 Section 22 UIL Executive Director ........................................ 17 Section 23 UIL Binding Actions .............................................. 18 Section 24 UIL Officers ............................................................. 18 Section 25 Legisla tive Council ................................................ 18 Section 26 Sta te Executive Committee ................................. 23 Section 27 Penalties - Sta te Executive Committee ........... 24 Section 28 District Executive Committee ............................ 34 Section 29 Penalties - District Executive Committee ....... 37 Section 30 Regional Executive Committee .......................... 38 Section 31 Wa iver Review Boa rd; UIL Hea ring Officer; Wa iver Officer................ ........ ................................38 Section 32 UIL Sports Officials Committee.......... ..... .........39 Section 33 Code of Ethics for UIL Committees ................. 40 Subchapter F CLASSIFICATION OF VIOLATION ............ 41 Section 50 Student Viola tions ................................................. 41 Section 51 School District Personnel Viola tions ............... 41 Section 52 UIL School Viola tions .......................................... 42 Section 53 Conduct Subject to Protest .................................. 42 Section 54 Filing a Protest ........................................................ 42 Section 55 Report of Viola tion ................................................ 42 Section 56 Investiga tions of Protests or Allega tions ........ 42 Subchapter G COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND APPEALS .................................................................. 42 Section 100 General; Hea rings .................................................. 42 Section 150 Appeals ....................................................................... 43 Subchapter H RULES AND AMENDMENTS ......................... 43 Section 300 General Purposes .................................................... 43 Section 301 Notice of Proposed Rules .................................... 43 Section 302 Public Hea ring On Proposed Rules .................. 43 Section 303 Rule Promulga tion Process; Official Edition 44 Section 304 Official Interpreta tion of Rules ......................... 44 Section 305 Official Sta ff Interpreta tions .............................. 44 Section 306 Rules of Construction ........................................... 44 Section 330 Proposed Amendments to the Constitution ............................................................. 45 Section 331 Amending the Constitution ................................. 45 Subchapter I CONFERENCES AND DISTRICTS ............... 45 Section 350 Esta blishing Conferences .................................... 45 Section 351 Conference Based on Enrollment ..................... 45 Section 352 Non-Honors Football ........................................... 46 Section 353 Football Competition by New School ............. 46 Section 354 First Appeal: District Reassignment by Agreement ........................................................... 46 Section 355 District Assignment Appeals Committee ........ 46 Section 356 Final Assignments; Contracting Ga mes .......... 47 Subchapter J NON-DISCRIMINATION IN UIL CONTESTS ............................................................. 47 Section 360 Non-Discrimina tion Policy ................................ 47 Subchapter L CONTESTS ............................................................ 48 How to Use the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules To use the UIL Constitution a nd Contest Rules most efficiently a nd effectively, try the following methods: (1) TRY THE TABLE OF CONTENTS–the ta ble provides you with a n overview of the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules . (2) TRY THE INDEX–the index provides you with page number by subject ma tter. (3) Rules on which Official Interpreta tions have been issued by the Sta te Executive Committee a re cross referenced to Appendix I, which conta ins the Official Interpreta tions. (4) CALL THE UIL–Sta ff members a re identified under UIL Administra tion, a nd in Appendix II. (5) Rule cha nges for the 2026-2027 school yea r a re listed in Appendix V. TABLE OF CONTENTS (See Page 200 for Subject Index.) 2026-2027 UIL Constitution a nd Contest Rules 9 10 2026-2027 Constitution and Contest Rules Section 380 UIL Contests a nd Pilot Progra ms ..................... 48 Section 381 Official Calenda r Published ................................ 49 Section 382 Rescheduling Contests .......................................... 49 Section 383 Non-Traditional School Yea rs. .... ......................49 Subchapter M ELIGIBILITY ........................................................... 49 Section 400 Students Eligibility For All UIL Contests ....... 49 Section 401 Eligibility - Academics .......................................... 49 Section 402 Eligibility - Music ................................................... 49 Section 403 Eligibility - Athletics .............................................. 50 Section 404 Sta te Law .................................................................. 51 Section 405 High School Gradua te .......................................... 51 Section 406 Full-Time Student .................................................. 51 Section 407 Regula r Attenda nce ............................................... 52 Section 408 Four-Yea r Progra m - High School Courses .. 52 Section 409 Recruiting ................................................................. 53 Section 410 Burden of Proof ...................................................... 53 Section 411 Credit Requirements For Eligibility During ....... . First Six-Weeks ...................................................... 53 Section 412 Accommoda tions for Disa bility ........................ 53 Section 441 Ama teur Athletic Sta tus ....................................... 53 Section 442 Residence in School District Attenda nce Zone .................................................... 54 Milita ry, Peace Officer, Educa tor Pa rent(s) ... 55 Section 443 Cha nging Schools for Athletic Purposes ......... 56 Section 446 Age .............................................................................. 58 Subchapter N WAIVER OF ELIGIBILITY RULES ................. 58 Section 463 Applica tion for Wa iver ......................................... 58 Section 464 Submission to Wa iver Officer ............................ 59 Section 465 Decision by Wa iver Officer ................................ 59 Section 466 Review of Wa iver Officer’s Decisions ............ 60 Section 468 Review Decision Process ...................................... 61 Section 469 Retroactive Wa iver ................................................ 61 Section 470 Submitting False Informa tion ............................ 62 Subchapter O AWARDS .................................................................. 62 Section 480 Limita tion of Awa rds ............................................ 62 Section 481 Gifts or Awa rds to Sponsor or Coach ............. 62 Subchapter P RECORDS ................................................................ 63 Section 800 Open Records .......................................................... 63 Section 801 Requests for Access to Records .......................... 63 Section 802 Contest Records ...................................................... 63 Subchapter Q PUBLICATIONS .................................................... 63 Section 825 Constitution and Contest Rules ............................... 63 Section 826 The Leaguer ............................................................... 63 Section 827 Forms ......................................................................... 64 Section 828 Other Publica tions ................................................. 64 Section 829 Publica tion Cha rges .............................................. 64 Subchapter R FINANCES ............................................................... 64 Section 866 Annual Report; Budget; Audit ............................ 64 Section 867 Sources of Income .................................................. 64 Section 868 Broadcasts of UIL Events ..................................... 64 CHAPTER 2 Contest Rules Subchapter A ACADEMIC CONTESTS ................................... 66 Section 900 Intro. to High School Academic Contests ....... 66 Section 901 Academic Contest Ethics Code .......................... 66 Section 902 General Regula tions .............................................. 67 Section 903 District Meet ............................................................ 70 Section 904 Regional Meet .......................................................... 72 Section 905 Sta te Meet ................................................................. 73 Section 906 Invita tional Meets .................................................. 73 Section 920 Accounting (HS) ...................................................... 74 Section 924 Calcula tor Applica tions (HS) .............................. 74 Section 928 Computer Science (HS) ......................................... 74 Section 932 Current Issues a nd Events (HS) ......................... 75 Section 940 Litera ry Criticism (HS) ......................................... 76 Section 942 Ma thema tics (HS) .................................................. 76 Section 944 Number Sense (HS) ................................................ 77 Section 948 Ready Writing (HS) ................................................ 77 Section 952 Science (HS) .............................................................. 78 Section 956 Social Studies (HS) ................................................. 78 Section 960 Spelling a nd Voca bula ry (HS) ............................ 79 Section 965 Ba rba ra Jorda n Historical Essay ....................... 79 Section 970: Robotics ..................................................................... 79 Section 1000 Speech ........................................................................ 80 Section 1001 Cross-Exa mina tion Tea m Deba te .................... 80 Section 1002 Lincoln-Douglas Deba te ...................................... 81 Section 1003 Individual Speech Contests ................................. 82 Section 1004 Extempora neous Informa tive Speaking ......... 83 Section 1005 Extempora neous Persuasive Speaking ............ 84 Section 1006 Poetry Interpreta tion ............................................ 84 Section 1007 Prose Interpreta tion .............................................. 85 Section 1008 Congress .................................................................... 86 Section 1021 Journalism Progra m .............................................. 87 Section 1023 High School Journalism ........................................ 87 Section 1024 Fea ture Writing ...................................................... 88 Section 1025 News Writing .......................................................... 88 Section 1026 Editorial Writing .................................................... 88 Section 1027 Headline Writing .................................................... 88 Section 1028 Copy Editing ............................................................ 88 Section 1033 One-Act Play ............................................................ 88 Section 1034 One-Act Play Contest Ethics Codes ................. 90 Section 1035 Thea trical Design ................................................... 91 Section 1036 Film ............................................................................. 92 Subchapter B MUSIC ....................................................................... 94 Section 1100 Music Contest Introduction ............................... 94 Section 1101 Policy a nd Ethics .................................................... 94 Section 1102 General Regula tions .............................................. 94 Section 1103 Entry Procedures .................................................... 99 Section 1104 Copyright Complia nce ......................................... 99 Section 1105 Region Ma rching Ba nd Contest ........................ 99 Section 1106 Area Ma rching Ba nd Contest .......................... 101 Section 1107 Sta te Ma rching Ba nd Contest .......................... 103 Section 1108 Solo-Small Ensemble ........................................... 103 Section 1109 Medium Ensemble ............................................... 105 Section 1110 Concert Orga niza tion Evalua tion .................. 106 Section 1111 Sightreading Reading Evalua tion .................... 108 Section 1112 Adjudica tion .......................................................... 111 Section 1113 Texas Sta te Solo & Ensemble Contest ........... 112 Section 1114 Wind Ensemble Festival ..................................... 113 Section 1115 Ma riachi .................................................................. 113 Section 1116 Sta te Cha mber Music Contest ......................... 113 Subchapter C HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC PLAN .............. 114 Section 1200 Purpose of High School Athletics .................... 114 Section 1201 Athletic Codes ....................................................... 114 Section 1202 Employment of Coaches .................................... 115 Section 1203 Duties of Athletic District Executive Committee .............................................................. 116 Section 1204 Sports Officials ...................................................... 118 Section 1205 Athletic Eligibility ................................................ 124 University Interscholastic League Section 1206 School Practice a nd Ga me Restrictions ........ 125 Section 1207 Rules, Viola tions a nd Penalties ........................ 128 Section 1208 Athletic Regula tions ............................................ 129 Section 1209 Non-School Pa rticipa tion ................................. 134 Section 1210 Ana bolic Steroid Testing ................................... 135 Section 1220 Baseball Pla n .......................................................... 135 Section 1230 Basketball Pla n ...................................................... 137 Section 1240 Cross Country Pla n ............................................. 139 Section 1250 Football Pla n .......................................................... 140 Section 1260 Golf Pla n ................................................................. 143 Section 1270 Soccer Pla n ............................................................. 145 Section 1280 Girls’ Softball Pla n ............................................... 146 Section 1290 Swimming Pla n ..................................................... 148 Section 1300 Tennis Pla n ............................................................ 149 Section 1310 Tea m Tennis Pla n ................................................ 151 Section 1320 Track a nd Field Pla n ........................................... 152 Section 1330 Girls’ Volleyball Pla n ........................................... 155 Section 1340 Wa ter Polo Pla n .................................................... 157 Section 1350 Wrestling Pla n ....................................................... 158 Subchapter D ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE & JUNIOR HIGH ...................................................... 160 Section 1400 Junior High (7th & 8th Grades) ........................ 160 Section 1401 A+ Progra m Academic Pla n .............................. 162 Section 1405 Eligibility Requirements ..................................... 164 Section 1408 A+ Meets ................................................................. 164 Section 1410 Art ............................................................................ 165 Section 1414 Calcula tor Applica tions (A+) ............................ 166 Section 1416 Chess Puzzle .......................................................... 167 Section 1418 Crea tive Writing .................................................. 167 Section 1422 Dictiona ry Skills .................................................. 168 Section 1424 Editorial Writing (A+) ......................................... 168 Section 1426 Impromptu Speaking ......................................... 169 Section 1430 Listening ................................................................ 170 Section 1434 Maps, Graphs & Cha rts ..................................... 170 Section 1438 Ma thema tics (A+) ................................................. 171 Section 1442 Modern Ora tory .................................................. 171 Section 1446 Music Memory ..................................................... 172 Section 1450 Number Sense (A+) .............................................. 173 Section 1454 One-Act Play (A+) ................................................ 174 Section 1458 Oral Reading .......................................................... 174 Section 1462 Ready Writing (A+) .............................................. 175 Section 1466 Science (A+) ............................................................ 176 Section 1468 Social Studies ......................................................... 176 Section 1470 Spelling (A+) ........................................................... 177 Section 1474 Storytelling ............................................................. 178 Section 1478 7th & 8th Grade Athletic Pla n ................. 179-186 Subchapter E HIGH SCHOOL SPIRIT Section 1500 High School Spirit ................................................ 187 Section 1501 Spirit Contest Eithics Code ............................... 187 Section 1502 General Regula tions ............................................ 188 Section 1503 Health a nd Sa fety ................................................. 188 APPENDICES Appendix I Sta te Executive Committee Official Interpreta tions ............................................. 189-193 Appendix II Who To Call ........................................................... 194 Appendix III Interscholastic League Press Conference 195-196 Appendix IV Rule Cha nges for 2026-2027 ............................ 197 Appendix V Applica ble Portion of Sena te Bill 82 ..... 198-199 Index ........................................................................... 200-204 11 INTRODUCTION The University Interscholastic League was crea ted by The University of Texas a t Austin to provide leadership a nd guid - a nce to public school deba te a nd a thletic teachers. In 1909, with the approval of the Boa rd of Regents, Dr. S. E. Mezes, president of The University, orga nized a nd formed the Extension Burea u a t The University to serve the sta te. He la ter crea ted the Deba ting League of Texas High Schools as a pa rt of the Extension Division of The University. Almost simulta neously, he appointed a history professor, Dr. Cha rles W. Ra msdell, to the University Athletic Council a nd asked him to investiga te the possibility of orga nizing a n a nnual high school track meet, to be held a t The University. After talking with public school officials across the sta te, Professor Ra msdell orga nized such a meet a nd then formed the Interscholastic Athletic Associa tion to assure the continua nce a nd improvement of the meet a nd other simila r a thletic activities. In 1913, the Deba ting League of Texas High Schools a nd the Interscholastic Athletic Associa tion were merged to form the extension progra m known from 1913 to the present as the University Interscholastic League, which is still opera ted by The University of Texas a t Austin. The UIL is the la rgest orga niza tion of its kind in the world, covering a la rger geographic a rea, serving more public schools, scheduling a grea ter va riety of contests, a nd holding more contests a nd meets tha n a ny other simila r orga niza tion in the United Sta tes. Public school administra tors a nd contest sponsors believe tha t competitions orga nized a nd administered by educa tors, without interference from outside interest groups, have provided a useful cha nnel for the energies a nd talents of the sta te’s finest public school students. Special a ttention is called to the following ma tters: (a) The rules published herein a nd cita tions to special bulletins, as well as notices in the “Official Notices” column of the Leaguer , constitute official notice to all UIL members. (b) It is the responsibility of each school district superintendent to submit applica tion forms a nd see tha t payments for memberships a re made prior to the prescribed deadline. (c) When a school district joins the UIL, it agrees to accept a nd observe the terms of pa rticipa tion in the contests as set forth in the Constitution and Contest Rules . When disputes a rise, they shall be settled by the committees in the pre - scribed ma nner. This is a volunta ry orga niza tion a nd all conditions surrounding pa rticipa tion a re freely accepted. Both the letter a nd spirit of the rules a re to be observed with genuine coopera tion. (d) All persons involved in orga nizing, administering or sponsoring a UIL contest should fa milia rize themselves with rules governing pa rticipa tion, schedule a nd disposition of fees, definitions, eligibility rules, orga niza tion of the va rious meets, methods of settling disputes, etc. A Professional Acknowledgment Form shall be signed by all of the school district’s coaches a nd sponsors of UIL activities. (e) Special rules should be studied by the directors of the respective events. Sponsors should be experts on the rules of the contests which they undertake, a nd if rules a re not understood, the UIL office should be contacted for cla rifica - tion. (f) These rules will be distributed to schools by the opening of the school session in August. (g) Official Interpreta tions of the Sta te Executive Committee a re in Appendix I. Those rules on which Official Inter - preta tions have been issued a re indica ted within the rule. The UIL progra m does not offer a n activity for every student in the school. If a considera ble group of students find pa r - ticipa tion in a contest educa tionally rewa rding, then tha t progra m is justified from a n administra tive point of view. With the va ried progra m offered by the UIL, a la rge percentage of public school students find a t least one contest in which they ca n do well, thus enjoying the rewa rds of fa ir competition. It is the mission of the University Interscholastic League to continue a focus on the educa tional aspects of contests a nd on the positive benefits to Texas public school students. JAMEY HARRISON, Executive Director University Interscholastic League 2026-2027 Constitution a nd Contest Rules 12 University Interscholastic League Administration The UIL administra tion offices a re a t The University of Texas a t Austin. The street address is 1701 Ma nor Road, Aus - tin, Texas 78722. The ma iling address is 1701 Ma nor Road, Austin, Texas 78722. Office hours a re 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. da ily except on weekends a nd on official UT-Austin holidays. The telephone number is 512-471-5883. For thea tre only the telephone number is 512-471-9996. The following personnel serve in the capacities indica ted: Executive Director: Dr. Ja mey Ha rrison Assista nt to the Director: Glenda Muñoz Director of Academics: Dr. David Stevens Director of Athletics: Ray Zepeda Director of Music: Dr. Brad Kent Chief of Sta ff: Kim Ca rmichael Director of Eligibility a nd Educa tion: Dr. Ma rk Cousins Director of Complia nce: Da rryl Beasley Director of Complia nce Services: Dr. Joel Nolte Director of Policy: Dr. Kevin Jones Assista nt Director of Academics: Alyssa Boehringer Assista nt Director of Academics: Lisa Pa rker Assista nt Director of Academics: Ja na Riggins Assista nt Director of Academics: Pa ula Rodriguez Assista nt Director of Academics: David Trussell Assista nt Director of Athletics: Grace McDowell Assista nt Director of Athletics: A.J. Ma rtinez Assista nt Director of Athletics: Joseph Ga rmon Assista nt Director of Athletics: Virginia Flores Assista nt Director of Music: Ga briel Musella Technology: Kevin Johnson Wa iver Officer: Nakita Guillory 13 Subchapter A. NAME OF ORGANIZATION Section 1: NAME The na me of the orga niza tion shall be University Inter - scholastic League (UIL). Subchapter B. OBJECTIVES Section 2: OBJECTIVES OF THE UIL The objectives of the UIL a re: (a) to enha nce students’ educa tional experience; (b) to prepa re them for citizenship by providing inter - school competition a mong the public elementa ry a nd seconda ry schools of Texas; a nd (c) to esta blish rules a nd procedures for sa nction - ing a nd conducting interscholastic competition, including rules providing penalties for rules viola - tions by school district personnel, tha t a re consis - tent with rules of the Sta te Boa rd of Educa tion. Subchapter C. DEFINITIONS AND GENERAL PROVISIONS Section 5: DEFINITIONS In the Constitution and Contest Rules , unless the context requires otherwise: (a) Academy : two-yea r school for academically gift - ed a nd talented; crea ted by the sta te legisla ture, under the ma nagement a nd control of the boa rd of regents of the Texas Sta te University System. Examples : Texas Academy of Leadership in the Huma nities, La ma r University, Bea umont, a nd Texas Academy of Ma thema tics a nd Science, Uni - versity of North Texas, Denton. (b) Alternative School: generally alterna tive schools a re schools without defined a ttenda nce zones. Alter - na tive schools include (but may not be limited to): discipline alterna tive educa tion progra ms, juvenile justice alterna tive educa tion progra ms, juvenile detention centers, county ja ils, drop-out preven - tion a nd drop-out recovery schools, credit recov - ery schools, schools of choice, ISD cha rters, high school equivalency (GED) progra ms, ca reer a nd technical educa tion ca mpuses, ea rly college ca m - puses, T-STEM ca mpuses, men’s/women’s leader - ship academies, multiple school district coopera tive schools, virtual / hybrid ca mpuses or other ISD schools tha t do not have defined a ttenda nce zones from which they draw their students (c) Calendar week : 12:01 a.m. on Sunday through mid - night on Sa turday. (d) Charter school : a n open enrollment school approved by the Sta te Boa rd of Educa tion. (e) Constitution : the Constitution of the UIL. (f) Contest: includes competition. (g) Contest Rules : the rules governing UIL contests a nd competitions adopted by the UIL. (h) Director : the Executive Director of the UIL. (i) District : a grouping of member schools within a n esta blished conference tha t is determined to facili - ta te reasona ble competition a mong the schools in UIL contests for a two yea r period (designa ted as region in music competition). (j) District Executive Committee : the committee of superintendents or designa ted representa tives of member schools within a n assigned district. (k) Divorced parents : pa rents whose divorce has been decla red final. Pa rents who a re sepa ra ted or who have filed for a divorce a re not divorced. (l) Elementary school : a school tha t is a unit of a school district a nd offers instruction in kinderga rten through the sixth grade, rega rdless of whether all of the grades a re offered instruction in the sa me building. (m) Enrollment : begins the day of a student’s registra - tion a nd a ttenda nce in a full class period a nd ceases with the last day of a ttenda nce. (n) Fan(s) : devotees of a germa ne activity, e.g., specta - tors a t a sporting event or a performa nce involving school students. (o) High school : a school tha t is a unit of a school dis - trict a nd offers instruction in the ninth, tenth, elev - enth or twelfth grades, or a ny combina tion thereof, whether all of the grades a re offered instruction in the sa me building. A school also fits this definition if it has: (1) only one ninth grade, one tenth grade, one eleventh grade a nd one twelfth grade; (2) with one principal in cha rge of all four grades; (3) if all grades have the sa me school colors, the sa me school song a nd the sa me school paper; a nd (4) school is on a n esta blished ca mpus with per - ma nent classrooms. Tha t school would be eligible for UIL mem - bership as one four-yea r (grades nine through twelve) high school unit, even though all grades a re not on the sa me ca mpus or in the sa me building. (p) Intersession : tha t period of time during a non-tradi - tional school yea r when school is not in session or when a pa rticula r group of students is not required to a ttend school. Section 1: Na me 14 Chapter 1: Constitution Section 5: Definitions (q) Junior high school : a school tha t is a unit of a school district a nd offers instruction in the seventh a nd eighth grades, whether it also offers instruction in the sixth or ninth grade, a nd whether it occupies a build - ing sepa ra te from a n elementa ry or high school. (r) League : The University Interscholastic League. (s) Legislative Council : The Legisla tive Council of the UIL. (t) Magnet program : curriculum offered within a high school tha t also serves students in a regula r high school setting. (u) Magnet school : a high school within a multiple high school district where all students pa rticipa te in the magnet curriculum. (v) Member school : a public elementa ry or seconda ry school tha t is pa rt of a member school district a nd for which the a nnual pa rticipa tion fee has been pa id (w) Non-enrolled (home schooled) student : mea ns a stu - dent who receives instruction from a non-public school as described in section 29.916(a)(1) a nd 33.0832 of the Texas Educa tion Code. (x) Non-participating school : a public seconda ry school tha t is pa rt of a member school district tha t is clas - sified as a member or non-member a nd has not elected to pa rticipa te in the germa ne activity. (y) Non-traditional school year : a ny school yea r based on a system other tha n a n approxima te nine consecutive month instructional period with a n approxima te three month vaca tion during the sum - mer months. (z) Optional attendance area : a policy crea ted by school boa rd in a multiple high school district tha t permits students within tha t ISD to select the high school they wish to a ttend. Examples: school boa rd policy allows students the option to tra nsfer to a school outside their a ttenda nce zone to enroll in a magnet progra m; court ma nda ted majority to minority tra nsfers. (aa) Patron(s) : person(s) who reside in the germa ne school district. (bb) Postsecondary institution : a public or priva te educa - tional institution tha t offers educa tion a nd tra ining beyond the high school, whether it requires gradua - tion from high school for admission to its progra m. (cc) Radio Broadcast: a ny live or delayed a udio only broadcast of a contest rega rdless of the mea ns or medium of tra nsmission. (dd) Recruit : to encourage a student in a ny way to cha nge schools for the purpose of pa rticipa ting in UIL activities a t a ny grade level. It could include offering a student or the student’s pa rent cash, wa iver of tuition, boa rd or lodging, tra nsporta - tion, promise of better conditions a t the pa rtici - pa nt school or on its tea m, a job or other valua ble considera tion to induce the student to enroll in a pa rticipa nt school. (ee) Region : a grouping of districts of member schools tha t is determined to facilita te reasona ble competi - tion a mong schools certified to represent their dis - tricts in UIL contests (designa ted as a rea in music competition). (ff) School district : a n independent school district, a city or municipal school district, a nd common school district. (gg) School week : the week beginning a t 12:01 a.m. on the first instructional day of a calenda r week a nd ends a t the close of instruction on the last instruc - tional day of the calenda r week, excluding holidays. (hh) Sponsor : a ny person who is principally responsible, or responsible by delega tion, for directing or coaching a ny student in UIL contests. (ii) State Board of Education : reference to rules of the Sta te Boa rd of Educa tion including rules of the Commissioner of Educa tion. (jj) State Executive Committee : the Sta te Executive Committee of the UIL. (kk) Summer months or summer vacation : the approxi - ma tely three consecutive month period of time during the summer when schools using a tradi - tional school yea r a re closed. (ll) Superintendent : the superintendent of a n inde - pendent school district a nd/or a superintendent’s counterpa rt in a cha rter school or in those priva te schools eligible for UIL membership. (mm) Telecast : a ny live or tape-delayed video footage of a contest in its entirety rega rdless of the mea ns of tra nsmission. (nn) Traditional school year : a n approxima te nine consecutive month instructional period with a n approxima te three month vaca tion during the sum - mer months. (oo) Transfer student : a student who cha nges school without a corresponding cha nge of residence by the student’s pa rents into the new school a tten - da nce zone. (pp) UIL contest : interschool competition in a ny contest listed in Section 380. (qq) Valuable consideration : a ny ta ngible or inta ngible property or service tha t has a ny value, including a nything tha t is wea ra ble, usa ble or sala ble. (rr) Varsity : a contest entry level as provided for in aca - demic, music a nd a thletic pla ns a t which the tea m, tea m member or individual student is designa ted by the school to represent it in UIL district, region, zone, a rea, sta te or non-conference contests. 15 (ss) Vocational high school : a high school within a mul - tiple high school district where all students pa rtici - pa te in the voca tional curriculum. Section 6: COMPUTATION OF TIME TO ACT (a) COUNTING AFTER AN EVENT. When action is required within a specified period of time a fter a specific act or occurrence, counting sta rts the day a fter the act or occurrence. Do not count Sa turday, Sunday, or federal or sta te holidays. (b) COUNTING BEFORE AN EVENT. When action is required within a specified period of time before a specific occurrence, counting ends the day before the act or occurrence. Count backwa rds beginning with the day prior to the event to find the da te action should be taken. Do not count Sa turday, Sunday, or federal or sta te holidays. Subchapter D. MEMBERSHIP IN UIL Section 10: QUALIFICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP A public school district or open enrollment cha rter school in Texas tha t is subject to accredita tion by the Texas Educa tion Agency, or a priva te school subject to accredita - tion by the Texas Priva te School Accredita tion Commission, may become a member of the UIL in accorda nce with the following: (a) ALL HIGH SCHOOLS. A high school must fit the definition of “High School” in Section 5 in order to be eligible to pa rticipa te in UIL competition. (b) PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND OPEN ENROLLMENT CHARTER SCHOOLS. Unless its right to pa rticipa te has been suspended or revoked by the UIL, a n open enrollment cha rter school, a nd a public high school, junior high school or elemen - ta ry school of a school district tha t is a member of the UIL a nd for which the district has pa id the a nnual pa rticipa tion fee, is eligible to pa rticipa te in UIL competition. (c) PRIVATE SCHOOLS. Unless its right to pa rtici - pa te has been suspended or revoked for viola ting rules or codes by a nother league simila r to the UIL, a Texas non-public school may apply for UIL membership in the la rgest conference provided the school meets all the following conditions: (1) school is accredited by the Texas Priva te School Accredita tion Commission; (2) school does not qualify for membership in a ny other orga niza tion simila r to the UIL. Section 11: ADMISSION TO MEMBERSHIP A school seeking membership in the UIL shall submit its applica tion to the Executive Director. If the applica tion (a) demonstra tes tha t the school district or open enrollment cha rter school is eligible for membership, (b) sta tes tha t the school boa rd a nd superintendent comply a nd will comply with applica ble sta te law, Texas Educa tion Agency regula - tions a nd the terms of pa rticipa tion in UIL contests as set out in the Constitution and Contest Rules , (c) is signed by the superintendent, a nd (d) is accompa nied by payment of the a nnual membership fee, the Executive Director shall enroll the school as a member of the UIL. Section 12: MEMBERSHIP DUES (a) ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DUES. A member school shall pay a nnual membership dues in a n a mount determined by the Legisla tive Council. Section 13: INITIAL AND CONTINUATION OF MEM - BERSHIP AND RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE (a) NEW MEMBERSHIP. After enrollment as a new member but before membership ca n be effec - tive, a school must provide certifica tion from the school superintendent tha t the school superinten - dent, member seconda ry school principals, a nd all coaches, sponsors, a nd directors of UIL activities have completed the new school tra ining required by the UIL Legisla tive Council. All school person - nel required to complete the tra ining must do so no la ter tha n August 15 of the first school yea r in which the school will be pa rticipa ting in UIL activi - ties. Any member school superintendent or second - a ry school principal who is employed a fter August 15 must complete the tra ining within 60 days of employment in tha t position. Any school employee assigned as a UIL coach, director, or sponsor a fter August 15 must complete the tra ining prior to the first orga nized activity. (b) CONTINUATION. A member school or school district may continue its membership by paying the a nnual membership fee before October 1 for the membership yea r of August 1 through July 31. If it fa ils to pay the a nnual fee before Octo - ber 1, a school’s or school district’s membership may be suspended. Eligibility to pa rticipa te in activities a fter this time is subject to decision of the Sta te Executive Committee. If a member school or school district fa ils to pay its fee before Ja nua ry 1, the school’s or school district’s membership for the current school yea r may be termina ted. If the school’s membership is termina ted, the school or school district may reapply for membership. (c) SCHOOL PERSONNEL TRAINING. A member school’s right to continue to pa rticipa te in UIL con - tests is subject to certifica tion by the school superin - Section 6: Computa tion of Time to Act 16 Section 13: Membership-Right to Pa rticipa te tendent tha t the superintendent, member seconda ry school principals, a nd all coaches, sponsors, a nd directors of UIL activities have completed the a nnual tra ining required by the Legisla tive Council. (d) LOSS OF ACCREDITATION. A school district tha t loses its accredita tion by the Texas Educa tion Agency, or a priva te school tha t loses accredita tion by the Texas Priva te School Commission, ceases to be a member a t the end of the membership yea r in which the loss occurs. (e) DELINQUENT FEES. A school tha t pa rticipa tes in a UIL contest while its membership dues a re delin - quent may be suspended from pa rticipa ting in UIL contests in the current a nd following school yea r, unless the Sta te Executive Committee finds on peti - tion by the school or school district tha t there was a reasona ble expla na tion for the fa ilure to make timely payment. Section 14: MANDATORY SUSPENSION (a) A member school district a nd/or member school tha t files a lawsuit, which must be defended by the UIL, shall reimburse the UIL for all legal fees incurred to defend the suit upon a finding by the Court tha t the lawsuit was frivolous. (b) The Sta te Executive Committee shall suspend from pa rticipa tion in all UIL activities, for a period of one to three yea rs, a member school district a nd/ or member school which, a fter receiving written notice, fa ils to reimburse the UIL within 90 days for all legal expenses incurred in defending a frivolous lawsuit. Subchapter E. ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION Section 20: COMPOSITION OF THE UIL The UIL is composed of the Texas public schools a nd priva te schools tha t apply a nd a re accepted for enrollment as members of the UIL. Section 21: RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SUPERIN - TENDENT OR CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR The superintendent of a member school district, or if there is no superintendent (or designee), the chief adminis - tra tor of a member district or school (or designee): (a) shall exercise direction a nd ma nagement of all UIL contests a nd scrimmages in which schools in the district compete, including appointing a ga me administra tor for all home UIL va rsity a thletic tea m contests; (b) shall enforce all UIL rules concerning eligibility a nd health a nd sa fety with respect to students in schools in the school district; (c) shall be responsible for fully coopera ting with per - sons who a re appointed by the cha ir of the District Executive Committee, the cha ir of the Sta te Execu - tive Committee or the UIL Executive Director, to investiga te allega tions aga inst the school, student representa tives or school district personnel; (d) shall promptly report to the District Executive Committee, or other appropria te UIL committee, a ny viola tion of the Constitution and Contest Rules by a student, a member school within the school district or other school district, school personnel or a sports official unless the viola tion has already been reported; (e) shall provide the District Executive Committee with full disclosure when a student’s grade, given by a teacher, is modified by a n administra tor in such a ma nner tha t a ffects UIL eligibility; (f) may determine for which schools within the school district the membership fee is pa id; (g) shall submit to the school boa rd all recommenda - tions of employment of coaches, directors a nd sponsors; (h) shall complete the Professional Acknowledgment Form for all of the school district’s a thletic coaches a nd sponsors of UIL academic, thea tre a nd music activities (grades 9-12) a t the beginning of their tenure in tha t position. These forms shall be kept on file in the superintendent’s office; (i) shall provide a n a nnual orienta tion for all 9-12 grade UIL directors, sponsors, advisers a nd coaches rega rd - ing UIL rules, expecta tions rega rding appropria te conduct during UIL contests, goals a nd purposes; (j) shall approve all a thletic schedules; a nd (k) shall educa te UIL student pa rticipa nts, coaches a nd other appropria te persons, including a ny school representa tive serving on a District or Regional Executive Committee, on UIL rules tha t could a ffect them, a nd monitor the school’s complia nce with UIL rules. Section 22: UIL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (a) APPOINTMENT. The President of The University of Texas a t Austin appoints a person to serve a t his or her pleasure as the Executive Director of the UIL. The Executive Director is a n employee of The University of Texas a t Austin. (b) SUPERVISION. The Executive Director of the UIL is supervised by the Deputy to the President for Governmental Affa irs a nd Initia tives of The Uni - versity of Texas a t Austin. 17 (c) RESPONSIBILITIES. The Executive Director of the UIL has the responsibility: (1) to serve as the chief administra tive officer of the UIL; (2) to employ, in accorda nce with all applica ble employment policies of The University of Texas a t Austin, all UIL sta ff a nd consul - ta nts; (3) to issue a nnual pla ns for playoffs; (4) to reschedule contests (Refer to Section 382); (5) to seek support for the UIL by obta ining, subject to The University of Texas a t Aus - tin policy, beneficial sponsorships a nd other forms of support; (6) to negotia te media a nd other contracts con - cerning rights a nd assets owned a nd/or con - trolled by UIL tha t a re in accord with The University of Texas a t Austin policy a nd give the best value to the UIL; (7) to prepa re the a nnual budget for the UIL a nd submit for approval within the regula r process of The University of Texas a t Aus - tin; (8) to appoint hea ring officers a nd make va rious ad-hoc committee a nd other UIL appointments as necessa ry a nd consistent with the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules ; a nd (9) to take such other, further, a nd reasona ble actions tha t a re necessa ry or desira ble under a nd consistent with the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules ; a nd: (A) the binding actions taken by the Leg - isla tive Council or the Sta te Executive Committee or other UIL bodies a utho - rized to take binding actions on behalf of the UIL; (B) the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules ; (C) the rules of the Sta te Boa rd of Educa - tion; (D) the policies of The University of Texas a t Austin; a nd (E) the law. Section 23: UIL BINDING ACTIONS (a) BINDING ACTIONS. The UIL shall be bound only by those of its actions tha t a re reasona bly undertaken by UIL officers, pursua nt to the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules , or a written resolu - tion or motion passed by the a ffirma tive vote of a majority of the members of the UIL body who a re present a nd voting on a ma tter within its juris - diction a fter a quorum of the body has first been esta blished a t a n official UIL meeting. Actions taken pursua nt to this section shall be referred to as binding actions. Section 24: UIL OFFICERS (a) OFFICERS. The persons filling the following na med offices within the UIL shall be UIL officers who may be empowered on behalf of the UIL to take binding actions as provided for in the previous section: (1) the cha ir a nd members of the Legisla tive Council, the Sta te Executive Committee, a District Executive Committee, the Wa iver Review Boa rd, Sports Officials Committee a nd a Regional Executive Committee; (2) the UIL Executive Director, the Deputy Direc - tor, UIL Directors, a nd other UIL employees with express written delega tion of a uthority from the Executive Director; (3) persons filling expressly commissioned posi - tions of a limited cha racter, including the UIL sta ff directors of the va rious UIL contests, UIL Hea ring Officers a nd the UIL Wa iver Officer; a nd (4) UIL legal counsel (the General Counsel a nd Vice-Cha ncellor of The University of Texas System, or a designee, Vice President for Legal Affa irs a t The University of Texas a t Austin, or a designee a nd The Texas Attorney General, or a designee). Section 25: LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (a) COMPOSITION. The Legisla tive Council is the legisla tive body of the UIL a nd is composed of one member elected for a four-yea r term from each basketball region within each conference a nd eight members, two from each of the four UIL regions, appointed for four-yea r terms by the cha ir of the Legisla tive Council. The term of a member begins on June 1 following the election or appointment. (b) ELIGIBLE PERSONS. To be eligible for election or appointment to the Legisla tive Council, a person must be a superintendent or assista nt superinten - dent of a member school district or school, or prin - cipal of a member school within a member school district or school. (c) ELECTION. (1) Nominations . In odd yea rs the Executive Director shall send or otherwise make ava il - a ble electronically or online nomina tion forms to the superintendent of each member school district before Ja nua ry 15. The super - intendent may make one nomina tion for each Section 22: UIL Executive Director 18 Section 25: Legisla tive Council member high school in the school district by submitting a nomina tion form to the Execu - tive Director before Ja nua ry 31. (2) Top Two Nominees . As of Februa ry 5, the Executive Director shall determine which two persons received the grea test number of nomina tions in each basketball region. Absent a tie, the two persons receiving the most nomina tions in each basketball region shall be placed on the ballot per pa rt (3), below. Any ties between persons receiving the most nomina tions shall be broken by vote on the ballot. (3) Ballot . The Executive Director shall send to the superintendent of each member school district for each member high school in the district one ballot. Absent a ny ties, the two nominees shall be listed on the ballot. On behalf of the school district, the super - intendent may cast one vote per ballot for a nominee on behalf of each member high school in the district. The ballot must be received by the UIL office before Ma rch 1 to be counted. (4) Ballot Tally . On Ma rch 5 the cha ir of the Sta te Executive Committee a nd the Execu - tive Director, or their designees, shall tally the ballots a nd determine who is elected in each basketball region conducting a n election. In cases of a tie, the Executive Director shall determine the outcome by lot. (5) Results . The Executive Director shall publish the results of the election a nd before Ma rch 15 inform the person elected. The person elected shall promptly inform the Executive Director concerning his or her willingness to serve. (6) Validation . To be valid a nomina tion a nd ballot must be signed by the superintendent of the member school district. The Execu - tive Director shall take custody of the nomi - na tion forms a nd ballots a nd reta in them for a period of time consistent with The University of Texas a t Austin’s retention policy but in a ny event for a t least one yea r a nd, subject to sta te law, may not permit exa mina tion of them by a ny person, unless expressly a uthorized to do so by the Sta te Executive Committee to determine a n elec - tion contest. (7) Even Year Elections . In even numbered yea rs this schedule shall be altered to begin the elec - tion process as soon as the realignment a nd reclassifica tion process is final. (d) VACANCY AND REPLACEMENT. (1) Vacancy . A member of the Legisla tive Council vaca tes the position if tha t member ceases to be a superintendent or principal, joins a member school district in a nother basketball region, resigns as a member, or otherwise becomes una ble to serve. (2) Replacement . (A) Elected Members . If a n elected member vaca tes a position, the Executive Director shall conduct a n election to elect a person to serve the unexpired term. This election shall be conducted under conditions substa ntially equivalent to those for a regula r election. If the resigna tion of a n elected member occurs with less tha n two yea rs rema ining in the term, the cha ir of the Legisla tive Council may appoint a n eligible superintendent, assista nt superintendent or principal to serve the unexpired term of the member who vaca ted the position. (B) Appointed Members . If a n appointed member vaca tes a position, the cha ir of the Legisla tive Council shall appoint a replacement to serve the unexpired term of the member who vaca ted the position. (C) Elected and Appointed Positions . For both elected a nd appointed positions, no replacement will be sought when a vaca ncy occurs within six months of the end of the term. (e) ANNUAL MEETING. The Legisla tive Council shall begin its a nnual meeting on the weekend of the third Sunday in October. Fifteen members constitute a quorum. Exception: The da te of the Legisla tive Council meeting may be cha nged with the approval of the UIL Executive Director a nd the cha ir of the Legisla tive Council. (f) ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The Legislative Council shall a nnually elect from its membership a cha ir, vice cha ir a nd second vice cha ir to serve until the end of the next a nnual meeting. (g) SPECIAL MEETINGS. The cha ir of the Leg isla tive Council may call a special meeting of the Council by giving notice to members of the Council a nd member school districts a t least one month before the meet - ing. Seven members of the Council may call a special meeting of the Council by giving notice in writing to the Executive Director a t least one month before the meeting a nd by sta ting the ma tters to be considered 19 a t the meeting. Upon receiving a proper call for a special meeting from members of the Council, the Executive Director shall notify the members of the Council a nd member school districts. Subject to the Texas Open Meeting’s Act (Tex. Gov’t. Code Ch. 551), the cha ir may call a n emergency meeting by giving two days’ notice. The notice for a n emergency meeting should sta te the time, da te a nd place of the meeting a nd the subjects on the agenda. (h) RESPONSIBILITIES: The Legisla tive Council, consistent with the policies of The University of Texas a t Austin: (1) may propose a mendments of the Constitu - tion a nd may, if permitted under Section 331, a mend the Constitution ; (2) may a mend a nd adopt contest rules; (3) shall appoint ad hoc a nd advisory sta nding committees a nd may appoint committees; (4) shall fix a nnual membership dues, pa rticipa - tion fees a nd filing fees; a nd (5) may take such other action tha t is reasona ble, necessa ry or desira ble a nd consistent with the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules , the rules of the Sta te Boa rd of Educa tion a nd the law. (i) STANDING COMMITTEES. The Legisla tive Council shall have sta nding committees in the fol - lowing a reas: Academic; Athletic; Fina nce; Policy; Medical Advisory; Music; a nd Music Technical Advisory. All Sta nding Committees a re advisory only. (1) Academic, Athletic, and Music Advisory Com - mittees (A) Appointments, Composition, Quorum (i) Appointments. The cha ir of the Legisla tive Council appoints the members of the Academic, Ath - letic, a nd Music Advisory Com - mittees each April for a nnual terms beginning June 1. The Committee shall be composed of Legisla tive Council Members. (ii) Business Meeting Quorum. A majority of the members of a committee constitutes a quorum for business meetings. (B) Responsibilities. The Academic, Athletic a nd Music Committees shall provide independent a nd impa rtial advice a nd recommenda tions to the Legisla tive Council rega rding all rules, rule propos - als a nd issues rega rding the respective committees’ activity a rea : (i) Academic Committee. The Academic Committee shall be responsible for advice a nd recommenda tions to the Leg - isla tive Council in rega rds to rules, rule proposals a nd issues involving academic competition, including: (aa) student eligibility for academic contests; (bb) academic contest rules; (cc) fees, costs a nd adminis - tra tion of academic con - tests; a nd (dd) a ny other rules, propos - als or issues tha t apply to academic competitions . (ii) Athletic Committee. The Athletic Committee shall be responsible for advice a nd recommenda - tions to the Legisla tive Council in rega rds to rules, rule propos - als a nd issues involving a thletic competition, including: (aa) student eligibility for a thletic contests; (bb) a thletic contest rules; (cc) fees, costs a nd adminis - tra tion of a thletic con - tests; a nd (dd) a ny other rules, propos - als or issues tha t apply to a thletic competitions. (iii) Music Committee. The Music Committee shall be responsible for advice a nd recommenda - tions to the Legisla tive Council in rega rds to rules, rule proposals a nd issues involving music com - petition, including: (aa) student eligibility for music contests; (bb) music contest rules; (cc) fees, costs a nd administra - tion of music contests; a nd (dd) a ny other rules, propos - als or issues tha t apply to music competitions. (ee) The Music Committee may propose a ny rec - ommenda tions tha t it receives from the Music Technical Advisory Committee to the Legis - Section 25: Legisla tive Council 20 Section 25: Legisla tive Council la tive Council. (C) Procedural Rules. Upon recommenda - tion of a committee cha ir, the Academic, Athletic, a nd Music Advisory Commit - tees may adopt rules of procedure not inconsistent with the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules. (D) Pa rlia menta ria n. The cha ir of the Aca - demic, Athletic, a nd Music Advisory Committees may appoint a pa rlia men - ta ria n during business meetings a nd public hea rings. (2) Music Technical Advisory Committee (A) Appointments, Composition, Quorum (i) Appointments. The Sta te Direc - tor of Music shall appoint a com - mittee to consult with the Sta te Director of Music on recom - menda tions a nd proposed rule cha nges perta ining to the techni - cal a nd administra tive aspects of music. Representa tion from each performa nce a rea shall be con - sidered when making committee appointments. The committee shall be composed as follows: (aa) six music teachers or supervisors who shall serve three-yea r stag - gered terms; (bb) the president of the Texas Music Educa tors Associa tion or a desig - nee; a nd the (cc) Sta te Director of Music. (ii) Business Meeting Quorum. A majority of the members of the Music Technical Advisory Com - mittee constitute a quorum for business meetings. (B) Responsibilities. The Sta te Director of Music in consulta tion with the Music Technical Advisory Committee shall propose technical a nd administra tive rules a t the request of the Sta nding Committee on Music. (C) Procedural Rules. Upon recommenda - tion of the committee cha ir, the Music Technical Advisory Committee may adopt rules of procedure not inconsis - tent with the UIL Constitution and Con - test Rules. (D) Pa rlia menta ria n. The cha ir of the Music Technical Advisory Committee may appoint a pa rlia menta ria n during business meetings a nd public hea rings. (3) Finance Committee (A) Appointments, Composition, Quorum (i) Appointments. The cha ir of the Legisla tive Council appoints the members of the Fina nce Com - mittee each April for a nnual terms beginning June 1. The Committee shall be composed of active Legisla tive Council mem - bers. (ii) Business Meeting Quorum. A majority of the members of the Fina nce Committee constitute a quorum for business meetings. (B) Responsibilities. The Fina nce Commit - tee shall be responsible for advice a nd recommenda tions to the Legisla tive Council in rega rds to rules, rule propos - als a nd issues rega rding UIL fina nces, including: (i) budget a nd funding rules a nd issues; (ii) fees, dues a nd other cha rges to member schools; (iii) other sources of income; a nd (iv) a ny other rules, proposals or issues rega rding UIL fina nces tha t will ma terially impact the UIL a nd its member schools. (C) Procedural Rules. Upon recommenda - tion of the committee cha ir, the Fina nce Committee may adopt rules of pro - cedure not inconsistent with the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules . (D) Pa rlia menta ria n. The cha ir of the Fina nce Committee may appoint a pa r - lia menta ria n during business meeting a nd public hea rings . (4) Policy Committee (A) Appointments, Composition, Quorum (i) Appointments. The cha ir of the Legisla tive Council appoints the members of the Policy Commit - tee each April for a nnual terms beginning June 1. The Commit - tee shall be composed of active Legisla tive Council members. (ii) Business Meeting Quorum. A majority of the members of the Policy Committee constitute a 21 quorum for business meetings. (B) Responsibilities. The Policy Commit - tee shall be responsible for advice a nd recommenda tions to the Legisla tive Council in rega rds to all non-fina ncial rules, rule proposals a nd issues rega rd - ing policy, including: (i) rules a nd issues tha t apply to all UIL events a nd contest a reas; (ii) general membership a nd admis - sion to the UIL; (iii) conference a nd district align - ment; (iv) rules promulga tion a nd execu - tive a uthority; a nd (v) a ny other rule or issue rega rding governa nce a nd overall policy of the UIL. (C) Procedural Rules. Upon recommenda - tion of the committee cha ir, the Policy Committee may adopt rules of proce - dure not inconsistent with the UIL Con - stitution and Contest Rules . (D) Pa rlia menta ria n. The cha ir of the Pol - icy Committee may appoint a pa rlia - menta ria n during business meeting a nd public hea rings . (5) Medical Advisory Committee (A) Appointments, Composition, Quorum (i) Appointments. The cha ir of the Legisla tive Council appoints the members of the Medical Advi - sory Committee each April for a nnual terms beginning June 1. The Committee shall be com - posed as follows: (aa) eight Texas licensed phy - sicia ns, a t least one of who shall be a boa rd- certified neurologist or neurosurgeon a nd one a boa rd-certified ca rdiolo - gist; (bb) three a thletic tra in - ers with preference for two tra iners employed in the field of second - a ry high school sports a nd, of those two pref - era bly one tra iner who predomina ntly works with female a thletes a nd one who works predom - ina ntly with male a th - letes, a nd a third tra iner employed by a Texas col - lege or university sports progra m; a nd (cc) three non-voting mem - bers including one rep - resenta tive each from the Texas Sta te Athletic Tra iners Associa tion, the Texas Girls Coach - es Associa tion a nd the Texas High School Coaches Associa tion. (dd) The committee shall elect a cha ir a nnually a t the first meeting a fter June 30. (ii) Business Meeting Quorum. Six members of the Medical Adviso - ry Committee constitute a quo - rum for business meetings. (B) Responsibilities. The Medical Advisory Committee shall provide independent a nd impa rtial advice a nd recommenda - tions to the UIL rega rding all rules or rule cha nge proposals rela ted to student sa fety or medical science, including but not limited to : (i) pre-pa rticipa tion physical exa m - ina tions for students; (ii) practice a nd pa rticipa tion limi - ta tions for students; (iii) educa tion a nd tra ining pro - gra ms for students a nd school employees; a nd (iv) protective equipment a nd other sa fety measures. (C) Procedural Rules. Upon recommenda - tion of the committee cha ir, the Medical Advisory Committee may adopt rules of procedure not inconsistent with the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules . (D) Pa rlia menta ria n. T he cha ir of the Med - ical Advisory Committee may appoint a pa rlia menta ria n during business meet - ings a nd public hea rings . (j) AD HOC AND ADVISORY COMMITTEES. Unless otherwise provided in the UIL Constitu - tion and Contest Rules , the cha ir of the Legisla - tive Council, in consulta tion with the Executive Director, may crea te ad hoc a nd advisory com - mittees; appointing members a nd committee Section 25: Legisla tive Council 22 Section 25: Legisla tive Council cha irs. (k) COMMITTEE TERMS AND RESPONSIBILI - TIES. (1) Appointment Terms . Unless otherwise provided in the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules , the members shall serve on sta nding, advisory or ad hoc committees until the cha ir withdraws the appointment or until either the purpose or dura tion of the committee has been achieved or has expired, whichever comes first. (2) Conduct of Committee Business . The cha ir of a sta nding, advisory or ad hoc committee shall direct the work of the committee pursua nt to the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules a nd the special procedural rules of the Legisla tive Council. (3) Responsibilities . The responsibilities of the sta nding, advisory or ad hoc committees shall generally be as follows: (A) to study informa tion a nd issues rel - eva nt to the body within the subject ma tter a rea of the committee; (B) to inform the body of its findings; (C) to prepa re a nd present written motions or written resolutions concerning the issues to the body; a nd (D) to ha ndle those issues assigned by the body from time to time. (l) PROCEDURAL RULES. The Legisla tive Council may adopt procedural rules consistent with the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules , upon the recommen - da tion of its cha ir to facilita te its public hea rings a nd the legisla tive process. (m) PARLIAMENTARIAN. The cha ir of the Legisla tive Council may appoint a pa rlia menta ria n during business meetings a nd public hea rings. Section 26: STATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. (a) APPOINTMENT; COMPOSITION ; QUORUM. (1) Appointments . The Commissioner of the Texas Educa tion Agency appoints the members of the Sta te Executive Committee each April for a nnual terms beginning June 1. The committee shall be composed of eight current or former Texas public school administra tors, with a t least one from each UIL conference, a nd four a t-la rge members. The committee shall elect a cha ir a nnually a t the first meeting a fter June 30. (2) Business Meeting Quorum . Four members of the Sta te Executive Committee constitute a quorum for business meetings. (3) Quorum for Panels . In cases involving sponsor viola tions, appeals, applica tions for Official Interpreta tions, cases involving misconduct a t contests, or a ny other case the cha ir of the Sta te Executive Committee deems appropria te, the Sta te Executive Committee may sit in pa nels of three voting members a nd two of the three members constitute a quorum. (4) Hearing Officer . In a ny case including, but not limited to original determina tion of eligibility past the district level or the appeal of the a utoma tic penalty for ejection, the cha ir of the Sta te Executive Committee may tra nsfer the case to a UIL Hea ring Officer. (b) RESPONSIBILITIES. The Sta te Executive Com - mittee shall provide independent a nd impa rtial direction of the UIL by: (1) interpreting the Constitution and Contest Rules ; (2) enforcing the rules a nd regula tions conta ined in the Constitution and Contest Rules ; (3) conducting a ny necessa ry recount of a refer - endum vote; (4) determining disputes within its original juris - diction; a nd (5) hea ring appeals within its appella te jurisdiction. (c) JURISDICTION. The Sta te Executive Committee shall decide: (1) a protest or report of viola tion a rising between schools belonging to different con - ferences or districts; (2) a protest or report of viola tion involving indi - vidual contesta nts in a competition beyond the district level; (3) a case involving mistrea tment of a n official; (4) a n appeal from a decision of a District Execu - tive Committee tha t a school is disqualified; (5) a n appeal from a decision of a District Execu - tive Committee involving alleged discrimina - tion; (6) a n appeal from a decision of a District Execu - tive Committee concerning a student’s eligi - bility; (7) a n appeal from a decision of a District Execu - tive Committee ordering a reprima nd in the case of school district personnel viola tions; (8) a case involving allega tions of school district personnel viola tions tha t could result in a n order of public reprima nd or suspension; (9) a request for permission to pa rticipa te as out - lined in section 33.081 e-2 through e-4 of the Texas Educa tion Code. (10) a case referred by a District Executive Com - 23 mittee due to a conflict of interest or as oth - erwise provided in these rules; a nd (11) Concerns rela ted to the number of previous a thletic pa rticipa tion forms completed for new students enrolling in member schools; a nd (12) upon proper request, considering a nd issuing opinions interpreting UIL rules. This subchapter shall not be interpreted to limit the power of the Sta te Executive Committee in making investiga tions a nd initia ting proceedings aga inst a ny member school when sufficient justifica tion exists. (d) AD HOC COMMITTEES. The cha ir of the Sta te Executive Committee may appoint ad hoc commit - tees a nd their cha irs. (1) Appointment Terms . The members shall serve on ad hoc committees until the cha ir with - draws the appointment or until either the purpose or dura tion of the committee has been achieved or has expired, whichever comes first. (2) Conduct of Committee Business . The cha ir of a n ad hoc committee shall direct the work of the committee pursua nt to the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules a nd the procedural rules of the Sta te Executive Committee. (3) Responsibilities . The responsibilities of the sta nding or ad hoc committees shall generally be as follows: (A) to study informa tion a nd issues rel - eva nt to the body within the subject ma tter a rea of the committee; (B) to inform the body of its findings; (C) to prepa re a nd present written motions or written resolutions concerning the issues to the body; a nd (D) to ha ndle those issues assigned by the body from time to time. (e) PROCEDURAL RULES. The Sta te Executive Committee may adopt rules of procedure, not inconsistent with the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules , upon the recommenda tion of the cha ir to facilita te the: (1) executive a nd administra tive processes dur - ing business meetings; a nd (2) judicial processes during evidentia ry hea rings a nd open meetings. (f) PARLIAMENTARIAN. The cha ir of the Sta te Executive Committee may appoint a pa rlia me n - ta ria n during business meetings a nd public hea r - ings. (g) PRECEDENT MANUAL. (1) The Sta te Executive Committee shall adopt rules concerning the crea tion a nd ma inte - na nce of a precedent ma nual which shall conta in decisions of the Sta te Executive Committee tha t have sufficient precedential value to wa rra nt publica tion. Opinions in the precedent ma nual will be composed of a synopsis of the facts of the case along with the pa nel’s decision a nd a brief expla na tion of the basis for the decision. UIL sta ff may assist in the dra fting a nd prepa ra tion of the opinions directed by the committee. (2) Before being published in the precedent ma n - ual, a dra ft of the written opinion must be reviewed a nd approved by a majority of the members of the hea ring pa nel tha t hea rd the case. The precedent ma nual shall serve to provide guida nce to Sta te Executive Commit - tee hea ring pa nels when considering simila r cases. (3) The Sta te Executive Committee’s precedent ma nual shall be published on the University Interscholastic League’s website. Section 27: PENALTIES THE STATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CAN IMPOSE Subject to the provisions of all subsections below, the fol - lowing constitute the penalties tha t may be imposed by the Sta te Executive Committee following a determina tion of a viola tion of the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules . School district personnel covered by this section include a thletic tra iners employed by the district a nd all UIL contest spon - sors. (Refer to Sections 50, 51 a nd 52 for classifica tion of viola tions). (a) FOR STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES . The penal - ties tha t may be imposed by the Sta te Executive Committee on a student representa tive of a mem - ber school for viola tion of ethics, sportsma nship codes, eligibility rules, contest pla ns or reporting practices a re: public reprima nd a nd individual sus - pension. (1) Public Reprimand . A public reprima nd shall be in writing a nd shall sta te the viola tion found. A public reprima nd may include a proba tion - a ry period of up to three (3) yea rs, a nd may include a ny reasona ble conditions, which, if not fulfilled, may result in a more stringent penalty. (2) Individual Suspension . If the Sta te Executive Committee finds tha t a student has fa iled to comply with the rules it may suspend the student from competition, including prac - tices, in all germa ne activities for one (1) day to three (3) yea rs. Suspension may include a Section 26: Sta te Executive Committee 24 Section 27: Penalties - Sta te Executive Committee proba tiona ry period of up to three (3) yea rs, a nd may include a ny reasona ble conditions, which, if not fulfilled, may result in addi - tional suspension. In rega rd to a student who intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly ca uses bodily injury to a person serving as referee, judge, or other official of a n extracurricula r activity, see section 33.081 e-1 of the Texas Educa tion Code. (b) STUDENT PENALTY GUIDELINES. Student viola tions of UIL rules generally fall into two ca tegories, Ca tegory A a nd Ca tegory B. (Refer to Section 50). These guidelines a re intended to provide a hea ring pa nel of the Sta te Executive Committee with general guida nce only a nd a re not intended as a substitute for a ca reful review of each case a nd, based upon the facts of each case, the exercise of appropria te discretion by the hea ring pa nel when determining a penalty to impose on student. In addition to a ny pa rticula r sa nction or penalty sta ted in a specific rule, students found to have viola ted UIL rules a re subject to the imposition of penalties consistent with the following guidelines. (1) Category A Violations . Ca tegory A Viola tion for students a re: (A) viola tion of eligibility rules; (B) falsifying records or reports or with - holding informa tion; (C) fa iling to comply with rules prohibit - ing interactions with officials, judges or referees (verbal or physical a buse), or fighting with opponents; (D) fa iling to comply with applica ble sta te laws rega rding extra curricula r activi - ties; or (E) fa iling to comply with a ma teur rules. (2) Minimum Penalty . In addition to a ny specifi - cally required sa nction or penalty for viola - tion of a pa rticula r rule as set out in the Constitution and Contest Rules a nd a bsent a ny grounds for enha ncement, the minimum penalty for a Ca tegory A viola tion is a public reprima nd. A public reprima nd shall be in writing a nd shall sta te the viola tion found. (3) Enhanced Penalty Factors . (A) Repea t Offense - In cases where a Ca tegory A viola tion is found a nd the student has previously been found in viola tion of the sa me rule, the penalty may be enha nced. An enha nced pen - alty for repea t viola tors of a Ca tegory A viola tion may include a proba tiona ry period of up to three (3) yea rs a nd may also include the imposition of reasona ble conditions which must be fulfilled. An enha nced penalty for such viola tors may also include a period of suspension from competition, including practices, in all germa ne activities for a period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs. (B) Prior Conditions/Proba tion - In cases where a Ca tegory A viola tion is found a nd the student has fa iled to comply with previously imposed conditions due to a prior viola tion of UIL Rules or has committed a Ca tegory A viola tion during a previously imposed proba - tiona ry period, the penalty for a Ca t - egory A viola tion may be enha nced. An enha nced penalty for such viola tors may include a requirement tha t the prior conditions be sa tisfied as well as a ny new reasona ble conditions imposed a nd/or the imposition of a proba tion - a ry period of up to three (3) yea rs a nd may also include a period of suspension from competition, including practices, in all germa ne activities for a period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs. (C) Intent/Ha rm - In cases where a Ca t - egory A viola tion is found to be deliber - a te a nd to have provided a competitive adva ntage to the student viola tor or the viola tion cased physical ha rm to a person or property, the penalty for a Ca tegory A viola tion may be enha nced. An enha nced penalty for such viola tors may include reasona ble conditions a nd/ or the imposition of a proba tion period of up to three (3) yea rs a nd may also include a period of suspension from competition, including practices, in all germa ne activities for a period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs. In rega rd to a student who intentionally, know - ingly, or recklessly ca uses bodily injury to a person serving as referee, judge, or other official of a n extracurricula r activity, see section 33.081 e-1 of the Texas Educa tion Code. (D) Other Factors - In cases where a Ca te - gory A viola tion is found a nd two (2) or more enha ncement factors a re present or there a re other circumsta nces found tha t in the opinion of the Sta te Execu - 25 tive Committee Hea ring Pa nel wa r - ra nt increased sa nctions, the penalty may be enha nced. An enha nced penalty for such viola tors may include reason - a ble conditions a nd/or the imposition of a proba tion period for up to three (3) yea rs a nd may also include a period of suspension from competition, includ - ing practices, in all germa ne activities for a period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs. (4) Category B Violations . Ca tegory B viola tion for students a re: (A) fa iling to comply with rules a nd guide - lines conta ined in contest pla ns a nd written instructions in ma nuals a nd ha ndbooks provided for contests; (B) self-recruiting or recruiting others; or (C) fa iling to report known viola tions in a timely ma nner. (5) Minimum Penalty . In addition to a ny specifi - cally required sa nction or penalty for viola - tion of a pa rticula r rule as set out in the Constitution and Contest Rules a nd a bsent a ny grounds for enha ncement, the minimum penalty for a Ca tegory B viola tion is a public reprima nd. A public reprima nd shall be in writing a nd shall sta te the viola tion found. (6) Enhanced Penalty Factors . (A) Repea t Offense - In cases where a Ca tegory B viola tion is found a nd the student has previously been found in viola tion of the sa me rule, the penalty may be enha nced. An enha nced pen - alty for repea t viola tors of a Ca tegory B viola tion may include a proba tiona ry period of up to three (3) yea rs a nd may also include the imposition of reason - a ble conditions which must be fulfilled. (B) Prior Conditions/Proba tion - In cases where a Ca tegory B viola tion is found a nd the student has fa iled to comply with previously imposed conditions due to a prior viola tion of UIL rules or has committed a Ca tegory B viola tion dur - ing a previously imposed proba tiona ry period, the penalty for a Ca tegory B vio - la tion may be enha nced. An enha nced penalty for such viola tors may include a requirement tha t the prior conditions be sa tisfied as well as a ny reasona ble conditions a nd/or the imposition of a proba tiona ry period of up the three (3) yea rs. (C) Intent/Ha rm - In cases where a Ca t - egory B viola tion is found to be deliber - a te a nd to have provided a competitive adva ntage to the student in question or the viola tion cased physical ha rm to a person or property, the penalty for a Ca tegory B viola tion may be enha nced. An enha nced penalty for such viola tors may include reasona ble conditions a nd/ or the imposition of a proba tion period of up the three (3) yea rs. (D) Other Factors - In cases where a Ca te - gory B viola tion is found a nd two (2) or more enha ncement factors a re present or there a re other circumsta nces found tha t in the opinion of the Sta te Execu - tive Committee Hea ring Pa nel wa rra nt increased sa nctions, the penalty may be enha nced. An enha nced penalty for such viola tors may include reasona ble conditions a nd/or the imposition of a proba tion period of up to three (3) yea rs. (c) FOR MEMBER SCHOOLS . The penalties tha t may be imposed by the Sta te Executive Committee on a member school for viola tions of the Constitution or viola tions by member school student representa tives, pa trons, personnel or fa ns of ethics or sportsma nship codes, eligibility rules, contest pla ns or reporting practices a re: reprima nd; public reprima nd; forfeiture of contest; disqualifica tion from germa ne activity; a nd suspension. (1) Reprimand . A reprima nd may be oral or in writing a nd shall not be published in the Leaguer . A penalty stronger tha n reprima nd to the school should be strongly considered in cases involving pa tron or fa n misconduct. (2) Public Reprimand . A public reprima nd shall be in writing, published in the Leaguer , a nd sta te the viola tion found. A public reprima nd may include a proba tiona ry period of up to three (3) yea rs, a nd may include a ny reasona ble conditions, which, if not fulfilled, may result in a more stringent penalty. (3) Forfeiture of Contest . The Sta te Executive Committee may order contests to be forfeited prior to or a fter the competition for viola tions of rules by covered school district personnel a nd/or pa rticipa nts if a n unfa ir adva ntage was ga ined. The Sta te Executive Committee shall forfeit the contests(s) won by the individual or school, as a minimum penalty, if it finds tha t Section 27: Penalties - Sta te Executive Committee 26 Section 27: Penalties - Sta te Executive Committee a n individual contesta nt was not eligible to pa rticipa te in the contest. Exception : When a student who has pa rticipa ted in contests tha t count on UIL sta nding is found to be ineligible, a nd the school has properly verified eligibility based on the facts ava ila ble, has exercised sufficient diligence in determining actual conditions a nd facts, a nd the District Executive Committee has previously ruled the student eligible, the Sta te Executive Committee may find the student in question ineligible from the da te of the hea ring, a nd thus not require the member school to forfeit contests. (4) Disqualification . (A) Disqualifica tion from District Honors. Disqualifica tion from district hon - ors shall deny the awa rding of district cha mpionship honors a nd deny pa r - ticipa tion in UIL contests beyond the district level for a period of up to three (3) yea rs. Disqualifica tion from district honors may include a proba tiona ry period of up to three (3) yea rs, a nd may include a ny reasona ble conditions, which, if not fulfilled, may result in a n extension of the disqualifica tion or a more stringent penalty. (B) Ma nda tory Disqualifica tion. The Sta te Executive Committee shall disqualify a member school or member from all germa ne activities if the member school or school district has fa iled ma terially a nd knowingly to comply with the Constitution and Contest Rules , or if the member school or school district has knowingly a nd intentionally permitted a n ineligible individual to represent it in a UIL contest, or if the member school or school district has competed aga inst or pa rticipa ted in a tourna ment with a non-school tea m composed of one or more UIL member high school students with rema ining eligibility in tha t sport, in viola tion of Section 1208. In addition, a more stringent penalty may be assessed. (C) Disqualified Tea m Does Not Have to Be Replaced. The Sta te Executive Commit - tee has the option not to replace a tea m tha t is disqualified from the playoffs a t or nea r the certifica tion da te for district representa tives. (5) Suspension. (A) Terms of Suspension. Suspension shall deny pa rticipa tion in specified UIL activities for a period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs. Suspension may include a proba tiona ry period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs, a nd may include a ny reasona ble conditions, which, if not ful - filled, may result in additional suspen - sion. (B) Effect of Decision. A suspended school may not play or scrimmage a UIL mem - ber school a t the va rsity or sub-va rsity level in grades nine through twelve in the activity from which it was sus - pended. A contract for a germa ne com - petition by the suspended school with a member school district or one of its member schools shall be null a nd void. (C) Ma nda tory Suspension for Fa ilure to Reimburse Legal Fees. The Sta te Execu - tive Committee shall suspend from pa r - ticipa tion in all UIL activities a member school district a nd/or member school which, a fter receiving written notice, fa ils to reimburse the UIL within ninety days for all legal expenses incurred in defending a frivolous lawsuit. (d) UIL MEMBER SCHOOL PENALTY GUIDE - LINES . Viola tions of UIL rules by UIL member schools, school student representa tives, pa trons, personnel or fa ns generally fall into two (2) ca tego - ries, Ca tegory A a nd Ca tegory B. (Refer to Section 52). As set out in this section, the penalties tha t may be imposed on UIL member schools for such viola - tions a re reprima nd, public reprima nd, forfeiture of contest, disqualifica tion from germa ne activity a nd suspension. In determining penalties to be imposed on member schools, the Sta te Executive Committee hea ring pa nel shall give due considera tion to the guidelines below. These guidelines a re intended to provide a hea ring pa nel of the Sta te Executive Committee with general guida nce only a nd a re not intended as substitute for a ca reful review of each case a nd, based upon the facts of each case, the exercise of appropria te discretion by the hea ring pa nel when determining a penalty to impose on a member school. In addition to a ny pa rticula r sa nction or pen - alty sta ted in a specific rule, UIL member schools, school student representa tives, pa trons, personnel or fa ns found to have viola ted UIL rules subject 27 the member school in question to the imposition of penalties consistent with the following guide - lines: (1) Category A Violations. Ca tegory A viola tions for member schools a re viola tions of sta te law a nd rules of the Sta te Boa rd of Educa tion in rega rds to: (A) fa iling to comply with applica ble sta te laws rega rding previous a nd current academic requirements; (B) fa iling to comply with applica ble rules of the sta te boa rd of educa tion rega rd - ing previous a nd current academic requirements; (C) fa iling to comply with applica ble rules of the sta te boa rd of educa tion rega rd - ing loss of school time requirements; or (D) fa iling to comply with applica ble sta te laws rega rding extracurricula r activi - ties. (2) Minimum Penalty. (A) In addition to a ny specifically required sa nction or penalty for viola tion of a pa rticula r rule as set out in the Consti - tution and Contest Rules a nd a bsent a ny grounds for enha ncement, the mini - mum penalty for a Class A viola tion is a public reprima nd. A public reprima nd shall be in writing a nd shall sta te the viola tion found. A public reprima nd may include a proba tiona ry period of up to three (3) yea rs, a nd may include a ny reasona ble conditions, which, if not fulfilled, may result in a more stringent penalty. (B) The Sta te Executive Committee shall require forfeit of a contest(s) won by a n individual or school, as a minimum pen - alty, if it finds tha t a n individual con - testa nt was not eligible to pa rticipa te in the contest. However, when a student who has pa rticipa ted in contests tha t count on UIL sta nding is found to be ineligible, a nd the school has properly verified eligibility based on the facts ava ila ble, has exercised sufficient dili - gence in determining actual conditions a nd facts, a nd the District Executive Committee has previously ruled the stu - dent eligible, the Sta te Executive Com - mittee may find the student in question ineligible from the da te of the hea ring, a nd thus not require the member school to forfeit contests. (3) Enhanced Penalty Factors. (A) Repea t Offense – In cases where a Ca tegory A viola tion is found a nd the school in question has previously been found in viola tion of a Ca tegory A rule, the penalty may be enha nced. An enha nced penalty for repea t Ca tegory A viola tors may include a proba tiona ry period of up to three (3) yea rs a nd may also include the imposition of reason - a ble conditions which must be fulfilled. An enha nced penalty for such viola tors may also include a period of suspension or disqualifica tion from district hon - ors. If imposed, suspension shall deny pa rticipa tion in specified UIL activities for a period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs. Suspension a nd disqualifica tion from district honors may include a pro - ba tiona ry period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs, a nd may include a ny reason - a ble conditions, which, if not fulfilled, may result in additional suspension or a more stringent penalty. (B) Prior Conditions/Proba tion – In cases where a Ca tegory A viola tion is found a nd the school in question has fa iled to comply with previously imposed conditions due to a prior viola tion of UIL rules or has committed a Ca t - egory A viola tion during a previously imposed proba tiona ry period, the pen - alty for a Ca tegory A viola tion may be enha nced. An enha nced penalty for such viola tors may include a require - ment tha t prior conditions be sa tisfied as well as a ny new reasona ble condi - tions imposed a nd/or the imposition of a proba tiona ry period of up to three (3) yea rs. The penalty may also include a period of suspension from competi - tion, including practices, in all germa ne activities for a period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs or disqualifica tion from district honors. If imposed, suspension shall deny pa rticipa tion in specified UIL activities for a period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs. Suspension or disqualifica tion from district honors may include a proba tiona ry period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs, a nd may include a ny reasona ble condi - Section 27: Penalties - Sta te Executive Committee 28 Section 27: Penalties - Sta te Executive Committee tions, which, if not fulfilled, may result in additional suspension. (C) Intent/Ha rm - In cases where a Ca t - egory A viola tion is found to be deliber - a te a nd to have provided a competitive adva ntage to the viola tor or the viola - tion ca used physical ha rm to a person or property, the penalty for a Ca tego - ry A viola tion may be enha nced. An enha nced penalty for such viola tors may include forfeiture of a contest, disqualifica tion, reasona ble conditions a nd/or the imposition of a proba tion period of up to three (3) yea rs a nd may also include a period of suspension from competition, including practices, in all germa ne activities for a period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs. If imposed, suspension shall deny pa rticipa tion in specified UIL activities for a period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs. Suspen - sion or disqualifica tion from district honors may include a proba tiona ry period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs, a nd may include a ny reasona ble condi - tions, which, if not fulfilled, may result in additional suspension. (D) Other Factors – In cases where a Ca t - egory A viola tion is found a nd two (2) or more enha ncement factors a re pres - ent or there a re other circumsta nces found tha t in the opinion of the Sta te Executive Committee hea ring pa nel wa rra nt increased sa nctions, the pen - alty may be enha nced. An enha nced penalty for such viola tors may include forfeiture of a contest, disqualifica - tion, reasona ble conditions a nd/or the imposition of a proba tion period for up to three (3) yea rs a nd may also include a period of suspension from competition, including practices, in all germa ne activities for a period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs. If imposed, suspension shall deny pa rticipa tion in specified UIL activities for a period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs. Sus - pension may include a proba tiona ry period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs, a nd may include a ny reasona ble condi - tions, which, if not fulfilled, may result in additional suspension. (E) Ma nda tory Disqualifica tion – The Sta te Executive Committee shall disqualify a member school or member from all germa ne activities if the member school or school district has fa iled ma teri - ally a nd knowingly to comply with the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules , or if the member school has knowingly a nd intentionally permitted a n ineli - gible individual to represent it in a UIL contest, or if the member school or school district had competed aga inst or pa rticipa ted in a tourna ment with a non-school tea m composed of one or more UIL member school students with rema ining eligibility in tha t sport, a viola tion of Section 1208. In addition, a more stringent penalty may be assessed. The Sta te Executive Committee has the option not to replace a tea m tha t is disqualified from the playoffs a t or nea r the certifica tion da te for district repre - senta tives. (4) Category B Violations . Ca tegory B viola tions for pa rticipa nt or member schools a re: (A) Fa iling to comply with the UIL Con - stitution and Contest Rules , when not in conflict with Sta te Boa rd of Educa tion rules or regula tions. (5) Minimum Penalty . In addition to a ny specifical - ly required sa nction or penalty for viola tion of a pa rticula r rule as set out in the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules a nd a bsent a ny grounds for enha ncement, the minimum penalty for a Ca t - egory B viola tion is a reprima nd. A reprima nd shall be in writing a nd shall sta te the viola tion found but shall not be published in the Leaguer . At the discretion of the hea ring pa nel, the repri - ma nd may be made public. (6) Enhanced Penalty Factors. (A) Repea t Offense – In cases where a Ca tegory B viola tion is found a nd the school in question has previously been found in viola tion of a Ca tegory B rule, the penalty may be enha nced. An enha nced penalty for repea t viola tors of a Ca tegory B viola tion may include a proba tiona ry period of up to three (3) yea rs a nd may also include the imposi - tion of reasona ble conditions which must be fulfilled. (B) Prior Conditions/Proba tion – In cases where a Ca tegory B viola tion is found a nd the school in question has fa iled to 29 comply with previously imposed condi - tions due to a prior viola tion of UIL rules or has committed a Ca tegory B viola tion during a previously imposed proba tiona ry period, the penalty for a Ca tegory B viola tion may be enha nced. An enha nced penalty for such viola tors may include a requirement tha t the prior conditions be sa tisfied as well as a ny new reasona ble conditions a nd/or the imposition of a proba tiona ry period of up to three (3) yea rs. (C) Intent/Ha rm - In cases where a Ca t - egory B viola tion is found to be deliber - a te a nd to have provided a competitive adva ntage to the school in question or the viola tion ca used physical ha rm to a person or property, the penalty for a Ca tegory B viola tion may be enha nced. An enha nced penalty for such viola tors may include reasona ble conditions a nd/ or the imposition of a proba tion period of up to three (3) yea rs. The penalty may also include a period of suspension from competition, including practices, in all germa ne activities for a period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs. If imposed, suspension shall deny pa rticipa tion in specified UIL activities for a period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs. Suspen - sion may include a proba tiona ry period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs, a nd may include a ny reasona ble conditions, which, if not fulfilled, may result in additional suspension. (D) Other Factors – In cases where a Ca te - gory B viola tion is found a nd two (2) or more enha ncement factors a re present or there a re other circumsta nces found tha t in the opinion of the Sta te Execu - tive Committee hea ring pa nel wa rra nt increased sa nctions, the penalty may be enha nced. An enha nced penalty for such viola tors may include reasona ble conditions a nd/or the imposition of a proba tion period for up to three (3) yea rs. The penalty may also include a period of suspension from competi - tion, including practices, in all germa ne activities for a period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs. If imposed, suspension shall deny pa rticipa tion in specified UIL activities for a period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs. Suspension may include a proba tiona ry period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs, a nd may include a ny reasona ble conditions, which, if not ful - filled, may result in additional suspen - sion. (e) FOR SCHOOL DISTRICT PERSONNEL . The penalties tha t may be imposed by the Sta te Execu - tive Committee on school district personnel found to have ca used viola tions of ethics, sportsma nship codes, eligibility rules, contest pla ns or reporting practices a re: reprima nd, public reprima nd or sus - pension from pa rticipa tion in UIL activities. (1) Covered Personnel . School district personnel covered by this section include a thletic tra in - ers employed by the district a nd all UIL con - test sponsors. (2) Reprimand . Following a protest or report of viola tion the Sta te Executive Committee may issue a reprima nd to a covered school district employee if it finds the employee viola ted the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules . (3) Public Reprimand . The Sta te Executive Com - mittee may issue a n order of public repri - ma nd to a covered school district employee it finds to have ca used viola tions of ethics, sportsma nship codes, eligibility rules, contest pla ns or reporting practices. A public repri - ma nd may include a proba tiona ry period of one to three (3) yea rs, a nd may include a ny reasona ble conditions, which, if not fulfilled, may result in a subsequent order of suspen - sion. (4) Suspension . The Sta te Executive Commit - tee may issue a n order of suspension to a covered school district employee suspending the employee from pa rticipa ting in a ny ger - ma ne contest pla n for a period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs. Suspension shall include refra ining from coaching a t least one (1) contest. It may include suspension from other activities, such as a ttending the germa ne con - test, scouting, practicing with the a thlete(s), or a ny other reasona ble condition the Sta te Executive Committee chooses to impose. (5) Penalty Criteria . In determining penalties to be imposed under this section, the Sta te Exec - utive Committee shall give due considera tion to the intentions of the employee a t the time of the viola tion as well as a t the time of the hea ring; the severity of the viola tions; the benefits ga ined a nd the detriments incurred, both to the contesta nts involved a nd to the Section 27: Penalties - Sta te Executive Committee 30 Section 27: Penalties - Sta te Executive Committee UIL as a whole; the penalties imposed under simila r circumsta nces; a nd the rela tive seri - ousness with which the UIL members con - sider the viola tions. (6) Decision . The Sta te Executive Committee’s decision to impose a penalty shall be purposeful, reasona ble, based upon facts made evident a t the hea ring, a nd made a fter due delibera tion; a nd, therefore, shall not be valid if beyond its jurisdiction, if a rbitra ry, if not based upon the evidence, or if capricious. (7) Previous Suspension . The Sta te Executive Committee shall forfeit a ny contest won by a n individual or school if it finds a school district employee previously suspended pa r - ticipa ted on behalf of the individual or school in the contest pla n while prohibited from doing so under order of the Sta te Executive Committee, or by Section 1208. (8) Classification of Violations . Viola tions in Ca t - egory A a nd B a nd a ny delibera te viola tion of rules otherwise classified a re more serious tha n those in the other ca tegories. (f) SCHOOL DISTRICT PERSONNEL PENALTY GUIDELINES. School district personnel viola tions of UIL rules generally fall into three ca tegories, Ca tegory A, Ca tegory B a nd Ca tegory C. (Refer to Section 51). As set out in this section, the penalties tha t may be imposed on school district personnel a re reprima nd, public reprima nd or suspension from UIL activities. In determining penalties to be imposed on school district personnel, the Sta te Executive Committee hea ring pa nel shall give due considera tion to the guidelines below a nd the penalty criteria set out for school district personnel in this section. These guidelines a re intended to provide a hea ring pa nel of the Sta te Executive Committee with general guida nce only a nd a re not intended as a substitute for a ca reful review of each case a nd, based upon the facts of each case, the exercise of appropria te discretion by the hea ring pa nel when determining a penalty to impose on school district personnel. In addition to a ny pa rticula r sa nction or penalty sta ted in a specific rule, school district personnel found to have viola ted UIL rules a re subject to the imposition of penalties consistent with the follow - ing guidelines: (1) Category A Violations . Ca tegory A viola tions for school district personnel a re: (A) viola ting eligibility rules; (B) improper interaction with officials, judges, referees; (C) ejection from contest or receipt of two 15-ya rd penalties in football during one contest; (D) removing a tea m from a contest, as in protest; (E) falsifying records or reports; (F) fa iling to report known viola tions in a timely ma nner or withholding informa - tion; (G) pressuring teachers to modify the grade or grades of UIL pa rticipa nts in such a ma nner as to a ffect eligibility; (H) recruiting; (I) fa iling to comply with applica ble sta te laws rega rding extracurricula r activi - ties; or ( J) fa iling to comply with the a ma teur rule, the awa rds rules, the gifts/awa rds to coaches rule, the reba te rule, or the coach - es employment a nd source of pay rule. (2) Minimum Penalty. In addition to a ny specifically required sa nction or penalty for viola tion of a pa rticula r rule as set out in the Constitution and Contest Rules a nd a bsent a ny grounds for enha ncement, the minimum penalty for a Ca tegory A viola tion is a public reprima nd. A public reprima nd shall be in writing a nd shall sta te the viola tion found. (3) Enhanced Penalty Factors . (A) Repea t Offense – In cases where a Ca tegory A viola tion is found a nd the school district employee in question has previously been found in viola tion of a Ca tegory A rule, the penalty may be enha nced. An enha nced penalty for repea t Ca tegory A viola tors may include a proba tiona ry period of up to three (3) yea rs a nd may also include the imposi - tion of reasona ble conditions which must be fulfilled. An enha nced penalty for such viola tors may also include a period of suspension. If imposed, sus - pension shall include a prohibition aga inst coaching for a t least one (1) contest a nd may include suspension from other activities, such as a ttending the germa ne contest, scouting, practic - ing with the a thlete(s), or a ny other rea - sona ble condition the Sta te Executive Committee chooses to impose. (B) Prior Conditions/Proba tion – In cases where a Ca tegory A viola tion is found 31 a nd school employee in question has fa iled to comply with previously imposed conditions due to a prior vio - la tion of UIL rules or has committed a Ca tegory A viola tion during a previ - ously imposed proba tiona ry period, the penalty for a Ca tegory A viola tion may be enha nced. An enha nced pen - alty for such viola tors may include a requirement tha t prior conditions be sa tisfied as well as a ny new reasona ble conditions imposed a nd/or the imposi - tion of a proba tiona ry period of up to three (3) yea rs. The penalty may also include a period of suspension from competition, including practices, in all germa ne activities for a period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs. If imposed, suspension shall include a prohibition aga inst coaching for a t least one (1) contest a nd may include suspension from other activities, such as a ttending the germa ne contest, scouting, practic - ing with the a thlete(s), or a ny other reasona ble condition the Sta te Execu - tive Committee chooses to impose. (C) Intent/Ha rm - In cases where a Ca t - egory A viola tion is found to be deliber - a te a nd to have provided a competitive adva ntage or the viola tion ca used phys - ical ha rm to a person or property, the penalty for a Ca tegory A viola tion may be enha nced. An enha nced penalty for such viola tors may include reasona ble conditions a nd/or the imposition of a proba tion period of up to three (3) yea rs. The penalty may also include a period of suspension from competi - tion, including practices, in all germa ne activities for a period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs. If imposed, suspen - sion shall include a prohibition aga inst coaching for a t least one (1)contest a nd may include suspension from other activities, such as a ttending the ger - ma ne contest, scouting, practicing with the a thlete(s), or a ny other reasona ble condition the Sta te Executive Commit - tee chooses to impose. (D) Other Factors – In cases where a Ca te - gory A viola tion is found a nd two (2) or more enha ncement factors a re present or there a re other circumsta nces found tha t in the opinion of the Sta te Execu - tive Committee hea ring pa nel wa rra nt increased sa nctions, the penalty may be enha nced. An enha nced penalty for such viola tors may include reasona ble conditions a nd/or the imposition of a proba tion period for up to three (3) yea rs. The penalty may also include a period of suspension from competi - tion, including practices, in all germa ne activities for a period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs. If imposed, suspen - sion shall include a prohibition aga inst coaching for a t least one (1) contest a nd may include suspension from other activities, such as a ttending the ger - ma ne contest, scouting, practicing with the a thlete(s), or a ny other reasona ble condition the Sta te Executive Commit - tee chooses to impose. (4) Category B Violations . (A) Ca tegory B viola tions for school district personnel a re: (i) fa iling to comply with the Ath - letic Code, Athletic Code for Coaches, Music Code, Academic Code or One-Act Play Code; (ii) breaking contracts; (iii) coercing contesta nts; or (iv) scouting (deba te). (5) Minimum Penalty. In addition to a ny specifically required sa nction or penalty for viola tion of a pa rticula r rule as set out in the Constitution and Contest Rules a nd a bsent a ny grounds for enha ncement, the minimum penalty for a Ca tegory B viola tion is a reprima nd. A reprima nd shall be in writing a nd shall sta te the viola tion found but shall not be published in the Leaguer. At the discretion of the hea ring pa nel, the reprima nd may be made public. (6) Enhanced Penalty Factors. (A) Repea t Offense – In cases where a Ca tegory B viola tion is found a nd the school district employee has previously been found in viola tion of a Ca tegory B rule, the penalty may be enha nced. An enha nced penalty for repea t viola tors of a Ca tegory B viola tion may include a proba tiona ry period of up to three (3) yea rs a nd may also include the imposi - tion of reasona ble conditions which must be fulfilled. Section 27: Penalties - Sta te Executive Committee 32 Section 27: Penalties - Sta te Executive Committees (B) Prior Conditions/Proba tion – In cases where a Ca tegory B viola tion is found a nd the school district employee has fa iled to comply with previously imposed con - ditions due to a prior viola tion of UIL rules or has committed a Ca tegory B viola tion during a previously imposed proba tiona ry period, the penalty for a Ca tegory B viola tion may be enha nced. An enha nced penalty for such viola tors may include a requirement tha t the prior conditions be sa tisfied as well as a ny new reasona ble conditions a nd/or the imposi - tion of a proba tiona ry period of up to three (3) yea rs. (C) Intent/Ha rm - In cases where a Ca t - egory B viola tion is found to be deliber - a te a nd to have provided a competitive adva ntage or the viola tion ca used phys - ical ha rm to a person or property, the penalty for a Ca tegory B viola tion may be enha nced. An enha nced penalty for such viola tors may include reasona ble conditions a nd/or the imposition of a proba tion period of up to three (3) yea rs. The penalty may also include a period of suspension from competi - tion, including practices, in all germa ne activities for a period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs. If imposed, suspen - sion shall include a prohibition aga inst coaching for a t least one (1) contest a nd may include suspension from other activities, such as a ttending the ger - ma ne contest, scouting, practicing with the a thlete(s), or a ny other reasona ble condition the Sta te Executive Commit - tee chooses to impose. (D) Other Factors - In cases where a Ca t - egory B viola tion is found a nd two or more enha ncement factors a re present or there a re other circumsta nces found tha t in the opinion of the Sta te Execu - tive Committee hea ring pa nel wa rra nt increased sa nctions, the penalty may be enha nced. An enha nced penalty for such viola tors may include reasona ble conditions a nd/or the imposition of a proba tion period for up to three (3) yea rs. The penalty may also include a period of suspension from competi - tion, including practices, in all germa ne activities for a period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs. If imposed, suspen - sion shall include a prohibition aga inst coaching for a t least one (1) contest a nd may include suspension from other activities, such as a ttending the ger - ma ne contest, scouting, practicing with the a thlete(s), or a ny other reasona ble condition the Sta te Executive Commit - tee chooses to impose. (7) Category C Violations. (A) Ca tegory C viola tions for school dis - trict personnel a re: (i) fa iling to comply with rules a nd regula tions in individual pla ns a nd/or UIL ma nuals; or (ii) viola tion of reporting require - ments concerning: (aa) eligibility forms; (bb) professional acknowl - edgment; (cc) previous pa rticipa tion; (dd) pa rent/ acknowledg - ment; (ee) medical/physical exa mi - na tions; or (ff) weekly or season contest reports. (8) Minimum Penalty In addition to a ny specifically required sa nction or penalty for viola tion of a pa rticula r rule as set out in the Constitution and Contest Rules a nd a bsent a ny grounds for enha ncement, the minimum penalty for a Ca tegory C viola tion is a reprima nd. A reprima nd shall be in writing a nd shall sta te the viola tion found but shall not be published in the Leaguer . (9) Enhanced Penalty Factors (A) Repea t Offense – In cases where a Ca te - gory C viola tion is found a nd the school employee has previously been found in viola tion of Ca tegory C rule, the penalty may be enha nced. An enha nced penalty for repea t viola tors of a Ca tegory C viola tion may include a proba tiona ry period of up to three (3) yea rs a nd may also include the imposition of reason - a ble conditions which must be fulfilled. (B) Prior Conditions/Proba tion – In cases where a Ca tegory C viola tion is found a nd the school district employee has fa iled to comply with previously imposed conditions due to a prior vio - la tion of UIL rules or has committed a 33 Ca tegory C viola tion during a previ - ously imposed proba tiona ry period, the penalty for a Ca tegory C viola tion may be enha nced. An enha nced penalty for such viola tors may include a require - ment tha t the prior conditions be sa t - isfied as well as a ny new reasona ble conditions a nd/or the imposition of a proba tiona ry period of up to three (3) yea rs. (C) Intent/Ha rm - In cases where a Ca t - egory C viola tion is found to be deliber - a te a nd to have provided a competitive adva ntage or the viola tion ca used phys - ical ha rm to a person or property, the penalty for a Ca tegory C viola tion may be enha nced. An enha nced penalty for such viola tors may include reasona ble conditions a nd/or the imposition of a proba tion period of up to three (3) yea rs. In cases where there is physical ha rm to a person or property, the penalty may also include a period of suspension from competition, including practices, in all germa ne activities for a period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs. If imposed, suspension shall include a prohibition aga inst coaching for a t least one (1) contest a nd may include suspension from other activities, such as a ttending the germa ne contest, scouting, practic - ing with the a thlete(s), or a ny other rea - sona ble condition the Sta te Executive Committee chooses to impose. (D) Other Factors – In cases where a Ca te - gory C viola tion is found a nd two (2) or more enha ncement factors a re present or there a re other circumsta nces found tha t in the opinion of the Sta te Execu - tive Committee hea ring pa nel wa rra nt increased sa nctions, the penalty may be enha nced. The penalty may also include a period of suspension from competi - tion, including practices, in all germa ne activities for a period of one (1) day to three (3) yea rs. If imposed, suspen - sion shall include a prohibition aga inst coaching for a t least one (1) contest a nd may include suspension from other activities, such as a ttending the ger - ma ne contest, scouting, practicing with the a thlete(s), or a ny other reasona ble condition the Sta te Executive Commit - tee chooses to impose. (g) FOR UIL CONTEST DISTRICTS . (1) If the Sta te Executive Committee decides tha t a District Executive Committee or a music region executive committee interpreted a nd applied the Constitution a nd/or Contest Rules knowing tha t the interpreta tion or applica tion was ma terial a nd erroneous, the Sta te Executive Committee may disqualify the district or the music region in the germa ne activity. (2) If the Sta te Executive Committee decides tha t a District Executive Committee or a Music Region Executive Committee has interpreted a nd applied the constitution a nd/or contest rules in a ma nner tha t demonstra tes a lack of full understa nding of the rules, a nd/or the spirit of the rules, the Sta te Executive Committee may appoint a cha ir to oversee committee meetings a nd determine when to refer ma tters to the Sta te Executive Commit - tee a nd/or appoint committee members to conduct committee business. (3) The Sta te Executive Committee has the option not to replace a competitive group tha t is disqualified from the playoff structure a t or nea r the certifica tion da te for district representa tives. Section 28: DISTRICT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (a) JURISDICTION. The District Executive Commit - tee, or its equivalent committee, shall rule on protests a nd reports of viola tions concerning eligi - bility a nd other viola tions of the Constitution a nd/ or Contest Rules tha t occur within its district. A per - son who represents a school involved in a protest or a report may not pa rticipa te in the committee’s decision. The District Executive Committee’s deci - sion is final a nd there is no appeal in cases occur - ring within its district when schools a re publicly reprima nded. (b) COMPOSITION. The District Executive Com - mittee is composed of the superintendents of member schools competing in the assigned UIL playing district. The superintendent may designa te administra tors to represent member schools in a multi-high school district. The superintendent may designa te a n administra tor to represent more tha n one member school a nd vote in turn for each school on ma tters brought before the committee. The superintendent may appoint a n alterna te to serve in the event the superintendent or the designa ted Section 27: Penalties - Sta te Executive Committee 34 Section 28: District Executive Committee representa tive ca nnot a ttend a meeting. (c) DISTRICT ORGANIZATION. (1) Organizational Meeting . The district execu - tive cha ir shall call a UIL business meeting to orga nize the district. Subsequent regula r a nd special business meetings shall be called by the cha ir, or by the cha ir upon the request of a member of the committee. (2) New District . In each new district a tempora ry cha ir shall be appointed by the UIL Executive Director. This tempora ry cha ir shall serve until the District Executive Committee elects a cha ir. (3) Temporary Chair . Until a cha ir for the current school yea r’s contest pla n has been elected, the cha ir of the previous District Executive Committee or the person appointed by the UIL Executive Director shall serve as tempo - ra ry cha ir a nd be a uthorized to call meetings of the member schools. (4) Vice Chair . The District Executive Committee shall elect a vice cha ir to serve when the cha ir is not in a ttenda nce or in the event the district cha ir represents a member school involved in a ma tter which would prevent the cha ir from casting a vote. (5) Vacancies . In the event a cha ir or vice cha ir has been elected by the committee a nd becomes for a ny reason una ble to serve, the Dis - trict Executive Committee shall elect a nother cha ir or vice cha ir. The vice cha ir shall serve in the capacity of acting cha ir until the com - mittee elects a new cha ir. (d) MEETINGS. In accorda nce with the provisions of the Constitution , a District Executive Committee may hold meetings. (e) CONDUCT OF BUSINESS. The cha ir of the Dis - trict Executive Committee shall direct the work of the committee pursua nt to the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules . District Executive Committees shall comply with the following: (1) Accounts . District Executive Committees shall have a UIL member school tha t is pa rt of the district act as a fiscal agent for the committee. The school acting as the fiscal agent shall hold funds for the committee’s use a nd benefit a nd provide monthly a nd a nnual sta tements to the committee showing all fina ncial activity. (2) Administrative Assistance . Should a District Executive Committee decide to have someone other tha n a member school district employee provide adminstra tive assista nce to the com - mittee, the committee may contract for ser - vices with a qualified individual to serve in a n administra tive position using a UIL-approved form tha t sets forth the terms a nd conditions of the rela tionship between the individual, the District Executive Committee a nd the UIL. In no event shall a ny person who contracts to perform services with a District Executive Committee be a n employee or trea ted as a n employee of the District Executive Commit - tee, the UIL or the University. (3) Approval Authority . Only a designa ted UIL member school employee who is employed a t the school acting as a fiscal agent may have approval a uthority on a District Executive Committee account. (4) Training . All members of a District Execu - tive Committee must take the online tra ining provided by the UIL, including the Attorney General’s open meeting tra ining. Informa tion on required courses will be posted on the UIL website. (5) Management Of Funds. By June 30th of each even numbered yea r, a n account holding Dis - trict Executive Committee funds, shall, a fter all of the district’s debts a re pa id, be equita bly divided a nd distributed a mongst the schools tha t have pa id funds to the District Executive Committee during the preceding two-yea r period resulting in a zero-fund bala nce in the District Executive Committee account(s). After each biennial UIL reclassifica tion a nd realignment process is complete a nd the makeup of a district has been determined, funds to fina nce a district’s activities may be assessed to schools tha t make up a district in the regula r course of the District Executive Committee’s business meetings. (6) Audit . An a udit of a District Executive Com - mittee fina ncial account a nd rela ted documen - ta tion shall be conducted, a t a minimum, every two (2) yea rs by the UIL member school acting as the committee’s fiscal agent. This a udit may be conducted as pa rt of the fiscal agent school’s overall a udit. The results of the a udit shall be provided to the UIL as pa rt of the fina ncial reporting set forth in pa rt (n), below. (7) Record Keeping. Each District Executive Com - mittee shall make accura te minutes of all meetings a nd reta in all non-fina ncial records for no less tha n three (3) yea rs a nd all fina n - cial records for no less tha n five (5) yea rs. Cir - cumsta nces, such as legal action, may require records of the District Executive Committee 35 be reta ined longer tha n the minimum periods set forth a bove. (8) Ethics . All school representa tives serving on a District Executive Committee a nd persons who otherwise perform work on the com - mittee’s behalf shall be subject to the Code of Ethics for UIL committees found in Section 33. (f) HEARINGS. The process for District Executive Committee hea rings shall be published in the Dis - trict Executive Committee Ha ndbook. (g) VOTES. Each member school in the assigned dis - trict shall have one vote. All votes shall be taken in open session. (h) VOTING ON BUSINESS ITEMS. In order to take binding actions on items of business, the committee must vote in accorda nce with the provisions of Sec - tion 23 of the Constitution . (i) VOTING ON QUESTIONS BEFORE THE COM - MITTEE. (1) Inquiry Concerning Involvement . Prior to calling for a vote, the cha ir of the committee shall ask each member if he or she or the member school represented is involved in the ques - tion. (2) Determination of Involvement . Involvement in a question shall be determined on a factual, case-by-case, basis. (3) Involved Not Entitled to Vote . A member of the committee shall not be entitled to vote in a case in which he or she or the member school represented is involved. This includes the rep - resenta tive from the school: (A) tha t is presenting a formal protest or presenting evidence a nd a rgument as a n informal protest; (B) tha t is making a report of viola tion; (C) tha t is being cha rged with a viola tion; (D) the student in question is leaving; or (E) to which the student in question is cha nging. (4) Schools Involved in the Case . Schools tha t a re involved in a case a nd not entitled to vote on the ma tter should only pa rticipa te by provid - ing witnesses a nd acting as a source of infor - ma tion during a ny hea ring or delibera tion on the case in question. (5) Transferal of Case . If the cha ir determines tha t fewer tha n three (3) members of the commit - tee rema in entitled to vote in the case, the cha ir may immedia tely tra nsfer the record of the case to the Sta te Executive Committee for disposition. (j) RESPONSIBILITIES . In addition to those respon - sibilities found elsewhere in the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules for a District Executive Committee, it shall have the following responsibilities: (1) Enforcement . The District Executive Committee shall enforce all rules conta ined in the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules . This includes assessing a penalty for every rule viola tion. (2) Investigations . The District Executive Com - mittee shall investiga te all allega tions of vio - la tions of the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules rega rding a district’s schools, school employees or students, including the eligibil - ity of contesta nts. (3) Assist Other Member Schools . The District Executive Committee shall furnish, upon the request of member schools in the district, a list of eligible players submitted by each mem - ber school. (4) Disputes; Eligibility Questions . The District Executive Committee shall try to settle within the district all disputes a nd shall decide all questions of eligibility according to the Con - stitution and Contest Rules . (5) Determination of Tie Breaker Process . The Dis - trict Executive Committee shall determine in writing prior to a contest’s season the method to determine the district representa tives in the event two or more schools a re tied in win- loss percentages. (6) Other Required or Desirable Actions . The Dis - trict Executive Committee shall take such other action tha t is reasona ble, necessa ry or desira ble, a nd consistent with the UIL Consti - tution and Contest Rules , the rules of the Sta te Boa rd of Educa tion a nd the law. (7) A District Executive Committee does not have the a uthority to require a school to purchase equipment which is not required by rules sta ted in the Constitution and Contest Rules . (k) PERMISSIBLE ZONES. The District Executive Committee, by majority vote, may subdivide for con - test purposes into geographic zones. The zones of a district shall conta in a n equal number of tea ms, or as nea rly equal as possible. For exa mple: a 16-tea m dis - trict shall be divided 8-8; a 14-tea m district shall be divided 8-6 unless by majority vote the district wa nts a 7-7 division. The District Executive Committee may not subdivide into zones for contest purposes according to the size of the schools, previous success or win-loss records. Note: This rule does not apply to One-Act Play. (l) SETTING ASIDE RULES PROHIBITED. The District Executive Committee does not have the Section 28: District Executive Committee 36 Section 29: Penalties the District Executive Committee Ca n Impose a uthority to vote a student eligible when tha t stu - dent does not meet the requirements of Subchapter M of the Constitution . (m) CONSEQUENCES OF UNAUTHORIZED COM - MITTEE ACTION. The Sta te Executive Committee shall have the a uthority to reject for post-district competition a ny member school or its representa - tive contesta nt whose District Executive Committee is found to have fa iled to comply with a ny rule of the Constitution and Contest Rules , or order of the Wa iver Review Boa rd or Sta te Executive Committee. (n) FINANCIAL REPORT. Each District Executive Committee or administra tive equivalent (Region in Music) shall by June 30th of each yea r submit a fina ncial report to the UIL office on a form approved by the Executive Director a nd the cha ir of the Legisla tive Council. The report shall conta in informa tion showing receipts a nd disbursements for each district contest or event tha t was held over the course of the school yea r along with a ny of the district’s account bala nces a nd other pertinent fina ncial informa tion. The UIL sta ff shall review all submitted reports, conducting a ny a nalysis the Executive Director deems appropria te a nd report a ny releva nt informa tion or findings to the Legis - la tive Council a t its a nnual fall meeting. Section 29: PENALTIES THE DISTRICT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CAN IMPOSE Subject to the provisions of all subsections below, the follow - ing constitute the penalties tha t may be imposed by the District Executive Committee following a determina tion of a viola tion of the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules . School district person - nel covered by this section include a thletic tra iners employed by the district a nd all UIL contest sponsors. (Refer to Sections 50, 51 a nd 52 for Classifica tion of Viola tions). (a) FOR STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES . The penal - ties tha t may be imposed by a District Executive Committee on a student representa tive of a mem - ber school for viola tions of ethics, sportsma nship codes, eligibility rules, contest pla ns or reporting practices as provided for in Section 50 a re: repri - ma nd a nd individual suspension. (1) Reprimand . A reprima nd shall be in writing a nd shall sta te the viola tion found, with one copy going to the school a nd one copy being a ttached to the minutes of the meeting. A reprima nd may include a proba tiona ry period of up to three (3) yea rs, a nd may include a ny reasona ble conditions, which, if not fulfilled, may result in a more stringent penalty. (2) Individual Suspension . If a District Executive Committee finds tha t a student has fa iled to comply with the rules it may suspend the pa rticipa nt student from competition, includ - ing practice, in all germa ne activities for up to three (3) yea rs. Suspension may include a proba tiona ry period of up to three (3) yea rs, a nd may include a ny reasona ble conditions, which, if not fulfilled, may result in addi - tional suspension. For students found to have cha nged schools for a thletic purposes, [Refer to Section 443 (f) (3)]. In rega rd to a student who intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly ca uses bodily injury to a person serving as referee, judge, or other official of a n extracur - ricula r activity, see section 33.081 e-1 of the Texas Educa tion Code. (b) FOR MEMBER SCHOOLS . The penalties tha t may be imposed by a District Executive Com - mittee on a member school for UIL Constitution and Contest Rules viola tions by member school student representa tives, fa ns, pa trons or person - nel, of ethics, sportsma nship codes, eligibility rules, contest pla ns or reporting practices a re: reprima nd; public reprima nd; forfeiture of con - test; disqualifica tion from germa ne activity; a nd suspension recommended. (1) Reprimand . A reprima nd may be oral or in writing a nd shall not be published in the Leaguer . A penalty stronger tha n reprima nd to the school should be strongly considered in cases involving pa tron or fa n miscon - duct. (2) Public Reprimand . A public reprima nd shall be in writing, published in the Leaguer , a nd sta te the viola tion found. A public reprima nd may include a proba tiona ry period of up to three (3) yea rs, a nd may include a ny reasona ble conditions, which, if not fulfilled, may result in a more stringent penalty. (3) Forfeiture of Contest. (A) Minimum Penalty for Ineligible Con - testa nt. A District Executive Committee shall forfeit the contest won by the indi - vidual or school, as a minimum penalty, if it finds tha t a n individual contesta nt was not eligible to pa rticipa te in the contest. (B) Ma nda tory Forfeiture for Pa rticipa tion of a n Ineligible Student Under Court Order. If a student who is finally deter - mined to be ineligible pa rticipa tes in a UIL contest under a tempora ry or other court order, the District Executive Committee shall forfeit the contest. 37 (C) Viola tions by Personnel or Pa rticipa nts. The District Executive Committee may order contests to be forfeited prior to or a fter the competition for viola tions of rules by covered school district per - sonnel a nd/or pa rticipa nts if a n unfa ir adva ntage was ga ined. (4) Disqualification. (A) Disqualifica tion from District Honors. Disqualifica tion from district honors shall deny the awa rding of district cha mpionship honors a nd deny pa rticipa tion in UIL contests beyond the district level for a period of up to three (3) yea rs. This penalty may include a proba tiona ry period of up to three (3) yea rs a nd a ny reasona ble conditions, which if not fulfilled, may result in a n extension of the disqualifica tion or recommenda tion of suspension to the Sta te Executive Committee. The penalty of disqualifica tion may be appealed to the Sta te Executive Committee. (B) Ma nda tory Disqualifica tion. The Dis - trict Executive Committee shall dis - qualify a member school from all germa ne activities if the member school or school district has fa iled ma teri - ally a nd knowingly to comply with the Constitution a nd/or Contest Rules , or if the member school or school dis - trict has knowingly a nd intentionally permitted a n ineligible individual to represent it in a UIL contest, or if the member school or school district has competed aga inst or pa rticipa ted in a tourna ment with a non-school tea m composed of one or more UIL member high school students with rema ining eligibility in tha t sport, in viola tion of Section 1208. The penalty of disquali - fica tion may be appealed to the Sta te Executive Committee. (5) Suspension Recommended . (A) Competing Aga inst a Suspended School. If a District Executive Committee finds tha t a member school has know - ingly competed with a suspended school in a germa ne contest or scrimmage, it shall submit to the Sta te Executive Commit - tee its findings a nd recommend tha t the member school be suspended. (B) Other Offenses. If in the opinion of the District Executive Committee the offense is of sufficient gravity to wa r - ra nt suspension in the germa ne activity, the committee shall make such recom - menda tion a nd tra nsmit its findings to the Sta te Executive Committee. The Sta te Executive Committee shall determine whether or not the offending school shall be suspended. (c) FOR SCHOOL DISTRICT PERSONNEL . The only penalty tha t may be imposed by the District Execu - tive Committee on school district personnel is reprima nd. Following a protest or report of viola - tion as provided for under Section 51, the com - mittee may issue a reprima nd to a covered school district employee if it finds tha t the employee viola ted the Constitution and Contest Rules . If a rep - rima nd is appealed to the Sta te Executive Commit - tee, the District Executive Committee shall provide the Sta te Executive Committee a complete record of the minutes of the meeting wherein the decision was made. If the committee decides tha t a public reprima nd or suspension should be considered, the committee shall tra nsfer the protest or report of viola tion to the Sta te Executive Committee for disposition. Section 30: REGIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (a) The Regional Executive Committee shall decide questions of qualifica tion a nd entry a nd clerical disputes a rising a t a regional meet. (b) The Sta te Executive Committee shall decide ques - tions of eligibility or viola tion of the Contest Ethics Code. Section 31: WAIVER REVIEW BOARD; UIL HEARING OFFICER; WAIVER OFFICER (a) WAIVER OFFICER. The Executive Director shall appoint a Wa iver Officer along with deputies who may act on behalf of the Wa iver Officer in his or her a bsence. (b) HEARING OFFICER. The Executive Director of the UIL may appoint a Hea ring Officer to rule on appeals. (c) PURPOSE. The Wa iver Review Boa rd or a UIL Hea ring Officer shall review the decision of the Wa iver Officer when a n appeal is filed. (d) COMPOSITION. The Wa iver Review Boa rd con - sists of twelve persons, whose terms begin on June 1. After consulting the cha ir of the Sta te Executive Committee, the cha ir of the Legisla tive Council shall appoint six members to serve for one (1) yea r. Section 29: Penalties the District Executive Committee Ca n Impose 38 Section 31: Wa iver Review Boa rd A member of the Legisla tive Council is not eligible to serve on the Wa iver Review Boa rd. Each of the six conferences shall elect a member of the boa rd, who shall serve for four (4) yea rs. The election shall be conducted in the ma nner specified in Section 25 for election of members of the Legisla tive Council. Conference rota tion within basketball regions is as follows: Conference Region Term Ends 3A IV 2025 1A II 2026 4A I 2026 5A II 2027 6A III 2027 2A IV 2028 (e) VACANCY. If a n elected member of the Wa iver Review Boa rd ceases to be a superintendent or princi - pal, joins a school tha t is not a member, joins a mem - ber school in a nother region, resigns as a member, or otherwise becomes una ble to serve or if the member school is tra nsferred to a nother region, the member vaca tes the office. When the member’s position is vaca ted, the Executive Director shall conduct a n elec - tion of a n individual to complete the unexpired term if two (2) yea rs or more rema in, under Section 25. If less tha n two (2) yea rs rema in of the unexpired term, the cha ir of the Legisla tive Council shall appoint a replacement from the sa me conference a nd region as the person who is vaca ting the position, to fill the unexpired term. (f) REPLACEMENT. If a n appointed member of the Wa iver Review Boa rd resigns or becomes una ble to serve, the cha ir of the Legisla tive Council shall appoint a person to complete the unexpired term. (g) CHAIR OF THE WAIVER REVIEW BOARD. Each yea r the members of the Wa iver Review Boa rd shall elect a member of the boa rd to serve as cha ir. The cha ir shall preside a t meetings of the boa rd or designa te a nother member to preside, appoint committees of the boa rd, a nd designa te a person to keep records a nd may appoint pa nels of three members to review cases. Section 32: UIL SPORTS OFFICIALS COMMITTEE (a) APPOINTMENT; COMPOSITION; QUORIUM. (1) Appointments. The cha ir of the Sta te Execu - tive Committee appoints the members of the Sports Officials Committee each April for a nnual terms beginning June 1. The com - mittee shall be composed of five member school administra tors, with a t least one from each UIL region, a nd four a t-la rge members, each representing a sports officials chapter or associa tion. The committee shall elect a cha ir a nnually a t the first meeting a fter June 30. (2) Business Meeting Quorum. Six members of the Sports Officials Committee constitutes a quorum for business meetings. (3) Quorum For Panels. In cases involving viola - tions, appeals, applica tions for official inter - preta tions by a sports official, cases involving misconduct by a sports official, or a ny other case the cha ir of the Sports Officials Com - mittee determines is within the committee’s jurisdiction, the UIL Sports Officials Com - mittee may sit in pa nels of three voting mem - bers a nd two of the three members constitute a quorum. A pa nel must include a t least one member who is a member school administra - tor a nd one member who represents a sports officials chapter or associa tion. (b) RESPONSIBILITIES. The Sports Officials Com - mittee shall provide independent a nd impa rtial direction of the UIL by: (1) a t the request of the Sta te Executive Commit - tee , interpreting rules from the Constitution and Contest Rules rela ted to sports officials; (2) enforcing the rules a nd regula tions conta ined in the Constitution and Contest Rules tha t apply to sports officials; (3) hea ring appeals of sports officials found ineli - gible for UIL sports officials registra tion due to criminal background check findings; a nd (4) otherwise acting within its jurisdiction. (c) JURISDICTION. The Sports Officials Committee shall decide: (1) a report of viola tion of rules from the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules rela ted to sports officials by a sports official; a nd (2) a n appeal from a sports official rela ted to the findings of a criminal background check. (3) This subchapter shall not be interpreted to limit the power of the Sports Officials Com - mittee in making investiga tions a nd initia t - ing proceedings aga inst a ny sports official who has officia ted or otherwise worked a ny ga me or contest between UIL member schools a t a ny level of competition, rega rd - less of the sports officials registra tion sta tus, when sufficient justifica tion exists. However, in no event shall the committee have a ny jurisdiction in rega rds to a ny protests or otherwise determining the outcome of a ny ga mes or contests. 39 (4) The committee shall adopt criteria for the UIL recognition of new sports officials asso - cia tions or chapters a nd make a determina - tion as to whether the associa tion or chapter in question meets the adopted criteria. The committee shall publish a nd make publicly ava ila ble the criteria chosen a nd adopt a fa ir a nd open process for the committee to employ when considering UIL recognition of a n associa tion or chapter. (d) SPECIAL PROCEDURAL RULES. The UIL Sports Officials Committee may adopt special rules of pro - cedure, not inconsistent with the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules , upon the recommenda tion of the cha ir to facilita te the: (1) executive a nd administra tive processes dur - ing business meetings; a nd (2) judicial processes during evidentia ry hea rings a nd open meetings. (e) PARLIAMENTARIAN. The cha ir of the Sports Officials Committee may appoint a pa rlia menta ria n during business meetings a nd public hea rings. Section 33: CODE OF ETHICS FOR UIL COMMITTEES The UIL adopts the following Code of Ethics for all of its committees: (a) OVERVIEW (1) Pursua nt to Section 572.051(c) of the Texas Government Code a nd University of Texas a t Austin policy, the University Interscholastic League (UIL) promulga tes the following Eth - ics Policy: (2) This ethics policy prescribes sta nda rds of conduct for all persons who serve on a ny UIL committee or otherwise perform work on behalf of a UIL committee. This policy does not apply to UIL employees, who a re covered by University of Texas a t Austin policies. (3) This ethics policy does not supersede a ny applica ble federal or Texas law or adminis - tra tive rule. All persons who serve on UIL committees or otherwise perform work on a UIL committee’s behalf must fa milia rize themselves with this ethics policy. (4) All persons who serve on UIL committees or otherwise perform work on behalf of a UIL committee must a bide by all applica ble fed - eral a nd Texas laws, administra tive rules, a nd the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules , includ - ing this ethics policy. (5) A UIL committee member or person per - forming services for a UIL committee who viola tes a ny provision of this ethics policy may be removed from a committee by the appropria te District Executive Committee (or equivalent) or the Sta te Executive Com - mittee a nd is subject to a ra nge of sa nctions set forth in Sections 27 a nd 29 of the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules . A person who serves on a UIL committee or otherwise per - forms work on a UIL committee’s behalf a nd who viola tes a ny applica ble federal or Texas law or rule may be subject to civil or crimi - nal penalties in addition to a ny UIL-rela ted sa nction. (b) STANDARDS OF CONDUCT. All persons who serve on UIL committees or otherwise perform work on a UIL committee’s behalf shall: (1) Perform his or her official duties in a lawful, professional, a nd ethical ma nner befitting the sta te a nd UIL; a nd (2) Report a ny conduct or activity tha t the per - son or committee member believes to be in viola tion of this ethics policy to the appropri - a te District Executive Committee or the UIL Executive Director (or his or her designee). (c) All persons who serve on UIL committees or oth - erwise perform work on a UIL committee’s behalf shall not: (1) Accept or solicit a ny gift, favor, or service tha t might reasona bly tend to influence a person in the discha rge of official duties, or tha t the person knows or should know is being offered with the intent to influence the person’s offi - cial conduct; (2) Intentionally or knowingly solicit, accept, or agree to accept a ny benefit for having exer - cised his or her official powers or performed his or her official duties in favor of a nother; (3) Disclose confidential informa tion, informa - tion tha t is excepted from public disclosure under the Texas Public Informa tion Act (Tex. Gov’t Code Ann. Ch. 552), or informa tion tha t has been ordered sealed by a court, tha t was acquired by reason of the person’s official position, or accept employment, including self- employment, or engage in a business, cha rity, nonprofit orga niza tion, or professional activ - ity tha t the employee might reasona bly expect would require or induce the employee to dis - close confidential informa tion; (4) Accept employment, including self-employ - ment, or compensa tion or engage in a busi - ness, cha rity, non-profit orga niza tion, or professional activity tha t could reasona bly be Section 33: Code of Ethics for UIL Committees 40 Section 50: Classifica tion of Student Viola tions expected to impa ir the employee’s indepen - dence of judgement in the performa nce of the person’s official business; (5) Make personal investments, or have a person - al or fina ncial interest, tha t could reasona bly be expected to crea te a substa ntial conflict between the person’s priva te interest a nd the public interest; (6) Utilize UIL meetings, events or contests, property, facilities, or equipment for a ny pur - pose other tha n official UIL business, unless such use is reasona ble a nd incidental a nd does not result in a ny direct cost to the sta te or UIL, interfere with the person’s official duties, a nd interfere with UIL functions; (7) Utilize his or her official position, or sta te issued items, such as a badge, indica ting such position for fina ncial ga in, obta ining privi - leges, or avoiding consequences of illegal acts; (8) Knowingly make misleading sta tements, either oral or written, or provide false informa tion, in the course of official UIL business; or (9) Engage in a ny political activity or utilize UIL resources for a ny political activity dur - ing the course of a UIL committee meeting or when otherwise conducting UIL-rela ted business. Subchapter F. CLASSIFICATION OF VIOLA - TIONS; PROTESTS Section 50: CLASSIFICATION OF STUDENT VIOLATIONS Any student representa tive of a member school, who by act or omission ca uses himself or herself, a nother con - testa nt, or a member school to do or fa il to do a ny one or more of those actions or omissions listed below shall be in viola tion of the Constitution and Contest Rules . Viola tions by student representa tives of member schools a re classi - fied below. (a) Ca tegory A viola tions requiring severe penalty or viola tions of rules tha t ca rry a specific penalty a re: (1) viola tions of eligibility rules; (2) falsifying records or reports or withholding informa tion; (3) fa iling to comply with rules prohibiting interactions with officials, judges or referees (verbal or physical a buse), or fighting with opponents; (4) fa iling to comply with applica ble sta te laws rega rding extracurricula r activities; or (5) fa iling to comply with a ma teur rules. (b) Ca tegory B viola tions a re: (1) fa iling to comply with rules a nd guidelines conta ined in contest pla ns a nd written instructions in ma nuals a nd ha ndbooks pro - vided for contests; (2) self-recruiting or recruiting others; or (3) fa iling to report known viola tions in a timely ma nner. Section 51: CLASSIFICATION OF SCHOOL DISTRICT PERSONNEL VIOLATIONS Any covered school district personnel (all UIL contest sponsors), who by act or omission ca uses a student repre - senta tive or a member school to do or fa il to do a ny one or more of those actions or omissions listed below shall be in viola tion of the Constitution and Contest Rules . Vio - la tions by school district personnel a re classified below. (a) Ca tegory A viola tions requiring more severe pen - alty a re: (1) viola ting eligibility rules; (2) improper interaction with officials, judges, referees; (3) ejection from contest or receipt of two 15-ya rd penalties in football during one con - test; (4) removing a tea m from a contest, as in protest; (5) falsifying records or reports; (6) fa iling to report known viola tions in a timely ma nner or withholding informa tion; (7) pressuring teachers to modify the grade or grades of UIL pa rticipa nts in such a ma nner as to a ffect eligibility; (8) recruiting; (9) fa iling to comply with applica ble sta te laws rega rding extracurricula r activities; or (10) fa iling to comply with the a ma teur rule, the awa rds rules, the gifts/awa rds to coaches rule, the reba te rule, or the coaches employment a nd source of pay rule. (b) Ca tegory B viola tions a re: (1) fa iling to comply with the Athletic Code, Athletic Code for Coaches, Music Code, Aca - demic Code or One-Act Play Code; (2) breaking contracts; (3) coercing contesta nts; or (4) scouting (deba te). (c) Ca tegory C viola tions a re: (1) fa iling to comply with rules a nd regula tions in individual pla ns a nd/or UIL ma nuals; or (2) viola tion of reporting requirements concern - ing: (A) eligibility forms; (B) professional acknowledgment; (C) previous pa rticipa tion; 41 (D) pa rent/student acknowledgment; (E) medical/physical exa mina tions; or (F) weekly or season contest reports. Section 52: CLASSIFICATION OF UIL SCHOOL VIO - LATIONS Any member school district tha t by act or omission fa ils to do one or more of the actions or omissions listed below shall be in viola tion of the Constitution and Con - test Rules . Viola tions by UIL member schools a re listed below. (a) CATEGORY A. Viola tions of sta te law a nd rules of the Sta te Boa rd of Educa tion: (1) fa iling to comply with applica ble sta te laws rega rding previous a nd current academic requirements; (2) fa iling to comply with applica ble rules of the Sta te Boa rd of Educa tion rega rding previous a nd current academic require - ments; (3) fa iling to comply with applica ble rules of the Sta te Boa rd of Educa tion rega rding loss of school time requirements; or (4) fa iling to comply with applica ble sta te laws rega rding extracurricula r activities. (b) CATEGORY B. Viola tions of UIL rules: Fa iling to comply with the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules , when not in conflict with Sta te Boa rd of Educa tion rules or regula tions. Section 53: CONDUCT SUBJECT TO PROTEST (a) PROTEST OF MEMBER SCHOOL. A member school may protest a n act or omission tha t is a vio - la tion of the Constitution a nd/or Contest Rules , but may not protest a contest judge’s, referee’s or other official’s decision. (b) PROTEST OF AN INDIVIDUAL. If a n individual protests a n act or omission tha t is a viola tion of the Constitution a nd/or Contest Rules , the super - intendent should try to resolve the protest within 15 days. If the individual is not sa tisfied with the disposition of the protest, the superintendent shall notify the individual tha t the individual may file the protest with the District Executive Commit - tee. If still dissa tisfied with the District Executive Committee’s disposition of the case, a nd if further informa tion is forthcoming, the Executive Director may refer the case to the Sta te Executive Commit - tee to determine if there is substa nce to re-hea r the case. Section 54: FILING A PROTEST The superintendent or designa ted administra tor must file the protest in writing with either the District Executive Committee or the Sta te Executive Committee, whichever is appropria te. The protest must be filed within a reasona ble time. The committee shall determine on a case-by-case basis wha t is a reasona ble time, however, there is no time limit to protest eligibility or a ny other rule which imposes ma nda - tory penalties. This rule does not apply to contest officials decisions. Section 55: REPORT OF VIOLATION A superintendent, principal, school administra tor, teach - er, coach or sponsor may report a n alleged viola tion of the Constitution a nd/or Contest Rules by his or her school or school district. The report must be in writing a nd filed with the District Executive Committee or the Sta te Executive Committee, whichever is appropria te, within a reasona ble time. The committee shall determine on a case-by-case basis wha t is a reasona ble period of time, however, there is no time limit to protest eligibility or a ny other rule which imposes ma nda tory penalties. Section 56: INVESTIGATION OF PROTESTS OR ALLE - GATIONS (a) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S INVESTIGATION. The Executive Director, or designee, shall initially review protests or compla ints tha t allege viola tions of the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules , UIL ma nu - als, ha ndbooks or other UIL rules or policies a nd, using his or her professional judgement a nd discre - tion, determine if a protest or compla int should be investiga ted a nd, upon completion of the Executive Director’s investiga tion, if the compla int or protest should be referred to a nd considered by the Sta te Executive Committee or other appropria te UIL committee. (b) SUBMISSION OF RECORDS. In response to a request by the Sta te Executive Committee, District Executive Committee or Executive Director, a member school district a nd its schools shall fully coopera te with the request a nd submit its records a nd a ny other informa tion tha t is germa ne to the protest or compla int being investiga ted. Subchapter G. COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND APPEALS Section 100: GENERAL HEARINGS (a) When it is necessa ry for a District Executive Com - mittee, the Wa iver Review Boa rd, Sports Officials Committee or the Sta te Executive Committee to make a determina tion with rega rd to the applica - bility of UIL rules to persons within the jurisdiction of the UIL, including eligibility cases or alleged vio - la tions of UIL rules, the applica ble committee shall have the option of making a decision on the ma tter Section 53: Conduct Subject to Protest 42 Section 150: Appeals based upon written submissions or convening a n informal meeting or hea ring to discuss the ma t - ter in a n effort to achieve a n equita ble resolution. Cases involving school district personnel shall be hea rd by the Sta te Executive Committee pursua nt to the rules adopted by the Sta te Executive Com - mittee. (b) If a decision is made to hold a n informal meeting or hea ring, the interested pa rties should be given written notice of the meeting a nd invited to a ttend. All decisions by committees shall be in writing, whether based upon a written submission or testi - mony a t a n informal meeting. (c) While all pa rties appea ring before a District Execu - tive Committee, Sports Officials Committee, Wa iv - er Review Boa rd or Sta te Executive Committee may be represented by legal counsel should they so desire, a n a ttorney’s role is limited to providing advice to their client(s) during the course of the hea ring; requesting tha t the committee or hea ring pa nel pose certa in questions or lines of inquiry to a nother pa rty or witnesses a nd to making opening a nd closing sta tements on behalf of their client(s). All questioning of pa rties or other witnesses shall be conducted by members of the committee or boa rd holding the hea ring. Neither counsel, nor a ny pa rty or witness, is permitted to question or cross-exa mine a witness or to make objections while a witness is testifying. Section 150: APPEALS (a) APPEALS TO THE STATE EXECUTIVE COM - MITTEE. Decisions by a District Executive Com - mittee to disqualify a school or to issue a reprima nd to school district personnel, or decisions involving alleged discrimina tion under the provisions of Section 360 or cases involving student eligibility may be appealed to the Sta te Executive Commit - tee which shall have the discretion to either accept or decline the appeal. If a n appeal is accepted by the Sta te Executive Committee, it shall have the option to render a decision in the ma tter based upon either a written submission or a n informal meeting wherein interested pa rties a re invited to appea r a nd present testimony a nd other evidence concerning the facts a t issue. (b) DE NOVO REVIEW. The Sta te Executive Com - mittee shall conduct a de novo review of all appeals under its jurisdiction. (c) APPEALS OF DISTRICT ASSIGNMENT. (Refer to Sections 354-356). (d) APPEALS OF DECISION OF WAIVER OFFICER. Decisions of the Wa iver Officer may be appealed to the Wa iver Review Boa rd. Such a n appeal may also be hea rd by a Hea ring Officer. (Refer to Section 466). (e) APPEALS OF POSITIVE ANABOLIC STEROID TEST RESULTS. Upon notifica tion of the speci - men B positive finding, the student-a thlete a nd his/ her pa rent or the member school the student-a th - lete represents have the opportunity for a n appeal as outlined in the UIL Ana bolic Steroid Testing Progra m Protocol. Subchapter H. RULES AND AMENDMENTS Section 300: GENERAL PURPOSES The Constitution and Contest Rules facilita tes the self-gov - erna nce of the UIL a nd is used so tha t the UIL ca n act in a cha racteristic a nd customa ry ma nner tha t is timely, orderly, reasona ble, delibera te, fa ir a nd equita ble. Section 301: NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULES (a) PRIOR NOTICE. Subject to the provisions of this section, prior to the regula r adoption of a rule, the UIL shall give a t least 30 days’ notice of its intended action. (b) NOTICE IN EMERGENCY. The UIL may adopt rules under emergency circumsta nces a fter two hours’ prior written notice filed with the Commis - sioner of Educa tion. (c) PUBLICATION OF PROPOSED RULE. Notice of the proposed rule shall be filed with the Com - missioner of Educa tion a nd posted on the UIL website. Fa ilure to provide notice of a proposed rule shall not invalida te a ny action taken or rule adopted. (d) CONTENTS OF NOTICE. The notice shall include: (1) a brief expla na tion of the proposed rule, including the factual a nd policy justifica tions a nd/or implica tions; (2) the text of the proposed rule, prepa red in a ma nner to indica te the words to be added or deleted from the current text, if a ny; a nd (3) a n indica tion of the potential fiscal impact of the proposed rule to member schools as out - lined in TEC 33.0831. (e) DATE OF NOTICE. Each notice of a proposed rule shall become effective as of the da te it is posted. Section 302: PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED RULES (a) PUBLIC COMMENT. Prior to the adoption of a ny rule, the UIL shall a fford all interested per - sons, including representa tives of the Sta te Boa rd 43 of Educa tion, a reasona ble opportunity to submit da ta, comments or a rguments, orally or in writing. (b) NOTICE. Notice of the public hea ring shall be filed with the Commissioner of Educa tion a nd shall be published in the Leaguer or other UIL bulletin not la ter tha n the 20th day before the scheduled da te of the hea ring. (c) CONSIDERATION OF COMMENTS. The UIL shall consider fully all written a nd oral comments concerning the proposed rule prior to taking bind - ing action on it. Section 303: RULE PROMULGATION PROCESS; OFFICIAL EDITION (a) FILING, RULE SUBMISSION, PUBLICATION. The UIL shall submit all rules approved by the Legisla tive Council to the Commissioner of Educa - tion for approval. Once approved, the rule shall be published on the UIL website in the online version of the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules as well as in the next ava ila ble Leaguer or other UIL bulletin. The official edition of the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules shall be the version published on the UIL website no la ter tha n August 10th of each yea r. (b) CONTENTS OF PUBLICATION. The publica tion of the rule shall include: (1) a reasoned justifica tion of the rule; a nd (2) a n indica tion of a ny cha nge between the text of the proposed rule as noticed previously a nd tha t adopted, with reasons for the cha nge. (c) RECORD OF RULE-MAKING PROCESS. The Executive Director of the UIL shall ma inta in a n accura te a nd up-to-da te edition of the Constitution and Contest Rules on the UIL website a nd a record of rules adopted. When errors of gra mma r, spell - ing or simila r mistakes a re noted in the Constitu - tion and Contest Rules , the Executive Director may approve non-substa ntive edits to the Constitution and Contest Rules . Section 304: OFFICIAL INTERPRETATION OF RULES (a) APPLICATION TO STATE EXECUTIVE COM - MITTEE. Anyone may request the Sta te Executive Committee to issue a n Official Interpreta tion of a UIL rule. (b) BINDING EFFECT OF OFFICIAL INTERPRETA - TION. The Official Interpreta tion of a ny of these rules by the Sta te Executive Committee shall be the final, a uthorita tive expla na tion of the rules so interpreted; no other interpreta tion by a ny person is binding on the UIL. (c) RELIANCE ON OTHER INTERPRETATIONS. Anyone relying on a n interpreta tion other tha n the Sta te Executive Committee’s, except as provided for under Section 305, below, rega rding official UIL sta ff interpreta tions, risks the consequences, including the imposition of penalties. (d) CONTENTS. The Sta te Executive Committee in determining its Official Interpreta tions of the rules of the UIL shall sta te clea rly a nd concisely: (1) the la nguage of the interpreta tion; a nd (2) a ny consequent instructions to the Executive Director for subsequent execution or admin - istra tion of actions on the Committee’s behalf including the publica tion of brief summa ries of the Official Interpreta tions in the Leaguer a nd in the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules . Section 305: OFFICIAL STAFF INTERPRETATIONS (a) AUTHORIZED INTERPRETATIONS. Those sta ff members of the UIL who a re a uthorized by the Executive Director may issue written sta ff interpreta tions of general applica bility tha t con - stitute binding actions of the UIL so long as the conditions set out below have been fulfilled in adva nce. (b) CONDITIONS FOR ISSUANCE. If but only if a person requests a sta ff interpreta tion in writing, a nd accompa nies the request with a n applica tion for a n Official Interpreta tion by the Sta te Executive Committee, then the sta ff member may issue a written sta tement of general applica bility tha t implements, interprets or prescribes UIL policy or procedure or practice requirements. This sta tement shall be referred to as a sta ff interpreta tion. (c) EFFECT OF STAFF INTERPRETATION. The sta tement issued to the applica nt may be relied upon until the Sta te Executive Committee issues its order on the applica tion. (d) NO ORAL REQUESTS ACCEPTED. No oral requests for sta ff interpreta tion will be accepted. (e) NO ORAL OR WRITTEN OPINIONS BINDING. No oral or written opinions inconsistent with this section will be considered sta ff interpreta tions a nd they will not be considered binding on the UIL. Persons relying upon such oral or written opinions do so a t their own risk. Section 306: RULES OF CONSTRUCTION (a) GENERAL CONSTRUCTION. Generally, the rules of the UIL shall be broadly construed to give reasona ble effect to the intentions, purposes a nd objectives of the UIL. However, rules involving Section 303: Rule Promulga tion Process Official Edition 44 Section 330: Proposed Amendments to the Constitution eligibility, rules involving viola tions a nd rules involving penalties shall be strictly construed. (b) MANDATORY, DIRECTORY, PERMISSIVE, FACTUAL. Rules a re ma nda tory if the word “shall” is written, directive if the word “should” is written a nd permissive if the word “may” is written. Factual or expected events of the past, present or future times a re written either in the present tense or in tenses of the verb “to be”. (c) UIL CONSTITUTION PREVAILS OVER CON - TEST RULES. Where a ny term or section of the Contest Rules is found to be inconsistent with the Constitution , the Constitution shall preva il a nd apply a nd the rema ining terms a nd sections of the Contest Rules shall continue in effect. (d) STATE LAW PREVAILS OVER UIL CONSTITU - TION AND CONTEST RULES . Where a ny term or section of the Constitution and Contest Rules is found to be inconsistent with the laws of the Sta te of Texas, the laws shall preva il a nd the rema ining terms a nd sections of the Constitution and Contest Rules shall continue in effect. (e) EFFECT OF TITLES. The titles appea ring throughout the Constitution and Contest Rules a re for descriptive purposes only. Section 330: PROPOSED AMEND MENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION (a) UIL PROPOSALS. The Sta te Executive Committee, a committee of the Legisla tive Council or a member of the Legisla tive Council may propose a n a mendment of the Constitution . (b) INTERESTED PARTIES. Any individual or orga niza tion may suggest a revision of the Constitution a nd/or Contest Rules by submitting the proposal in writing to the cha ir of the Legisla tive Council with a n expla na tion of the proposal. (c) REFERRAL. The cha ir of the Legisla tive Council shall refer suggestions for revision of the Constitu - tion a nd/or Contest Rules to a n appropria te sta nd - ing or special committee. Section 331: AMEND ING THE CONSTITUTION (a) ELIGIBILITY AND MAJOR CHANGE S . If the proposed a mendment involves cha nge in a n eligi - bility rule or if the Legisla tive Council determines tha t a n a mendment involves a major cha nge in UIL policy a nd it approves the proposed a mendment by majority vote, it shall submit the proposed a mend - ment to the member school districts for approval. However, it shall not submit the sa me item on a referendum ballot more tha n once in a ny given three-yea r period unless the Council, by majority vote, deems it to be a n emergency. (b) SCHOOL DISTRICT VOTES. A member school dis - trict is entitled to cast one vote for each of its mem - ber high schools. The Executive Director shall send the appropria te number of ballots to the superinten - dent of each member school district. To be counted a ballot must be received by the Executive Director by the reasona ble da te specified by the Legisla tive Council a nd must be signed by the superintendent. An a ffirma tive vote by a majority of the ballots cast is required to a mend the Constitution . The Executive Director shall take custody of the ballots a nd reta in them. (According to Section 26 the Sta te Executive Committee is responsible for conducting a ny neces - sa ry recount of a referendum vote.) (c) OTHER CHANGES. If it determines tha t the cha nge does not involve a major cha nge in UIL policy, the Legisla tive Council may by majority vote, a mend the Constitution without submitting the a mendment to the member school districts. (d) POLICIES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN. Neither the member school districts nor the Legisla tive Council may a mend the Constitution if the proposed a mendment is inconsistent with policies of The University of Texas a t Austin. Subchapter I. CONFERENCES AND DISTRICTS Section 350: ESTABLISHING CONFERENCES Before May 1 of each even numbered yea r, the UIL shall esta blish conferences for League contests a nd assign each member school wishing to compete in UIL activities to a n appropria te district in accorda nce with reclassifica - tion a nd realignment policies as approved by the Legis - la tive Council. These conferences a nd districts shall be ma inta ined for the next two school yea rs. The Executive Director shall promptly notify each member school of its conference a nd the district to which it has been assigned a nd of the identity of the other schools in the district a nd notify each member school district of the assignments of its member schools. When rule cha nges tha t impact reclassifica tion a nd realignment a re passed by the council in October of odd numbered yea rs, a nd not approved by the commissioner of educa tion a t TEA (as required by section 33.083 (b) of the Texas Educa tion Code) by November 15, the UIL executive director has the a uthority to conduct the alignment process under the most current version of the reclassifica tion a nd realignment policies as approved by the legisla tive council a nd the commissioner. Section 351: CONFERENCE BASED ON ENROLL - MENT (a) ENROLLMENT. Schools tha t allow homeschool 45 pa rticipa tion must notify their DEC a nd UIL each yea r by a da te set on the UIL calenda r. Notifi - ca tion is due by August 1st, in order for those students to be eligible for va rsity a thletic pa rtici - pa tion. For schools tha t decide to allow such pa r - ticipa tion a fter the August 1 da te, those students would be eligible for academics, music a nd sub- va rsity a thletic activities only for tha t school yea r. Member schools shall be assigned to a conference on the basis of enrollment on a da te from the previous October. Schools will include all resident students including those in alterna tive settings. The formulas used to determine enrollment shall be: (1) Schools with four high school grades (9-12) a nd three-yea r high schools (grades 10-12) which will receive incoming tenth graders from specific, identifia ble feeder schools: Grades 9, 10, 11, 12 = Enrollment (2) Schools with only grades 10, 11, 12 when it ca nnot easily be determined which schools the ninth graders will a ttend as tenth graders: Grades 10, 11, 12 x 1.33 = Enrollment (3) Schools choosing to pa rticipa te in 1A football may submit enrollment figures by a ny one of the following combina tions of grades: grades 9, 10, 11 a nd 12; grades 8, 9, 10 a nd 11; grades 7, 8, 9 a nd 10; or grades 9 a nd 10 doubled. If no prior enrollment figures a re ava ila ble for the specified da te, assignment of a pa rticipa nt school just admitted to competition shall be on the basis of the projected enrollment. A non dis - ciplina ry ‘alterna tive’ school such as a magnet or ISD cha rter school within the sa me independent school district shall be assigned to a conference as outlined in the la test approved version of the UIL Conference a nd District Assignment Poli - cies a nd Procedures. Schools tha t have esta b - lished a ttenda nce zones do not fit the definition of a non disciplina ry ‘alterna tive’ school even if they opera te a non disciplina ry ‘alterna tive’ school progra m with optional a ttenda nce zones. (b) CONFERENCES. Member high schools shall be divided into conferences for the 2024-25 a nd 2025- 26 school yea rs according to the following enroll - ments: Conference 6A .............. 2275 a nd a bove Conference 5A ........................ 1315-2274 Conference 4A ........................... 545-1314 Conference 3A ............................. 254-544 Conference 2A ............................. 105-253 Conference 1A ............. 104.9 a nd below For the 2025-26 school yea r, there a re approxi - ma tely the following number of basketball schools in each conference: Conference 6A ...................................... 247 Conference 5A ...................................... 253 Conference 4A ...................................... 216 Conference 3A ...................................... 229 Conference 2A ...................................... 226 Conference 1A ...................................... 215 Section 352: NON-HONORS FOOTBALL A school which has been eleva ted one conference to avoid extreme travel situa tions may be assigned on a non- honors basis to a football district. Section 353: FOOTBALL COMPETITION BY A NEW SCHOOL A member school just admitted to competition in the UIL shall be assigned to a conference for football competition only a t the beginning of a n even-numbered yea r. (Refer to Official Interpreta tion 01-09-18, Appendix I). Section 354: FIRST APPEAL: DISTRICT REASSIGN - MENT BY AGREEMENT Subject to Section 355 (b) below for release of the football, basketball a nd volleyball alignments, if within one month a fter the district assignments have been released for other activities, a school tha t is not sa tisfied with its assignment a nd obta ins a majority vote through written approval by the superintendents of the schools in the district to which it was assigned a nd of the schools in the district to which it wa nts to be assigned, a nd the contiguous rela tionship of all of the schools involved is not disturbed by the proposed reassign - ment, the school is entitled to be reassigned as it proposed. A school may appeal to be assigned to a district within a higher conference tha n tha t to which its membership qualifies it, a nd if the appeal is gra nted, it will be assigned to the higher conference for all UIL activities. Exception: Music. A school shall not appeal to be assigned to a district within a lower conference tha n tha t to which it is assigned. The school shall promptly inform the Executive Director of the proposed reassignment, furnishing the supporting sta tements. If the Executive Director finds tha t the school is entitled to be reassigned, the Executive Director shall reassign the school as it proposed a nd shall notify all the other schools a nd school districts concerned of the district reassignment. Section 355: DISTRICT ASSIGNMENT APPEALS COMMITTEE (a) APPEAL COMMITTEE. The cha ir of the Legis - la tive Council shall appoint from the Legisla tive Council the members of the District Assignment Appeal Committee a nd designa te a cha ir. Section 351: Conference Based on Enrollment 46 Section 356: Final District Assignments a nd Contracting Ga mes (b) REQUEST. Within 10 days a fter the conference a nd district assignments have been released, a school whose first appeal was denied by the send - ing a nd/or receiving district may request a review of the district assignment by filing its request a nd a supporting sta tement with the District Assignment Appeal Committee a nd informing in writing the superintendent a nd principals of the schools in the district to which it was assigned a nd in the district to which it wishes to be assigned. (c) RULES. The Committee shall adopt a nd publish rules of procedure to be followed in the reviews. (d) REVIEW. Upon receipt of a timely request for review, the Committee shall set the da te for the review a nd inform the applica nt school a nd the schools in the a ffected districts of the time a nd place of the review. Pa rties may provide oral testi - mony. (e) MEMBER INVOLVED. If a member of the Com - mittee is involved in the appeal, tha t member shall a bsta in from delibera tions a nd voting, a nd the cha ir of the Legisla tive Council shall appoint a member of the Council to sit in tha t member’s place. (f) GROUND FOR CONFERENCE REVIEW. The only ground for review of conference assignment is a n error in the enrollment basis. It is not consid - ered a n error in enrollment when a school wa nts to revoke its decision to be eleva ted one confer - ence a fter the deadline for making this decision has passed. Schools shall not appeal to be assigned to a smaller conference based on evidence tha t they submitted figures tha t were too high, unless original documents verifying the error(s) a re pre - sented to the UIL sta ff prior to the release of the cutoff figures. A cha rter school tha t is physically loca ted within the bounda ries of a n independent school district with three or more high schools, a nd is placed in a conference higher tha n the one for which its enrollment qualifies it, may appeal its conference assignment according to the UIL reclas - sifica tion a nd realignment policies. (g) DECISION OF THE COMMITTEE . The Com - mittee shall make a decision in writing within two days a fter the review. The Executive Direc - tor shall promptly inform the applica nt school a nd the schools in the a ffected districts of the decision. Section 356: FINAL DISTRICT ASSIGNMENTS AND CONTRACTING GAMES (a) When all reviews a nd appeals of conference deci - sions a nd assignments to districts have been made, the conferences a nd assignments to districts shall be final. (b) Until the conferences a nd assignments to districts a re final, contracts for contests by schools a re not valid. (c) A school may be disqualified for district honors for up to two (2) yea rs in tha t sport for con - tracting ga mes with other Texas schools prior to the finaliza tion of the reclassifica tion a nd realignment by all UIL appeal committees. Ath - letic schedules will not be considered official until approved by the superintendent of the member school district. Subchapter J. NON-DISCRIMINATION IN UIL CONTESTS Section 360: NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY Fa ilure to comply with the provisions of this subchap - ter constitutes a n act or omission tha t is a viola tion of the Constitution . Except as provided for below, no student otherwise eligible under Subchapter M of the Constitution shall be denied, beca use of disa bility, race, color, gender, religion or na tional origin, the equal opportunity to try out for a nd, if selected, pa rticipa te in the Academic, Music, a nd Athletic Pla n contests offered by the member school districts. (a) Member schools may not permit boys to try out for, or pa rticipa te under the Jr. High School or High School Athletic Pla ns designa ted for girl’s tea ms. (b) Member schools tha t offer Cross Country, Golf, Swimming, Tennis, Track a nd Field a nd/or Wres - tling individual a thletic pla ns may not permit mixed pla ns for boys a nd girls in those activities. (c) Member schools offering mixed or coed Tea m Tennis in which the ga me rules designa te a certa in number of tea m pa rticipa nts from each gender, may not permit boys to qualify for girls’ positions on the mixed tea ms nor permit girls to qualify for boys’ positions on the mixed tea ms. (d) Girls may try out for, a nd if selected, pa rticipa te on the corresponding boys’ tea m if the member school does not offer a corresponding girls’ pla n for basketball, a nd/or soccer. Otherwise, a member school tha t offers a ny of these pla ns may not per - mit boys to pa rticipa te on the girls’ tea ms, nor girls to pa rticipa te on boys’ tea ms in these activities. UIL considers the following to be corresponding sport a thletic pla ns: boys a nd girls basketball; boys a nd girls soccer. (e) Girls may try out for a nd, if selected, pa rticipa te in the Junior High School or the High School Football Pla n. (f) Girls may try out for a nd, if selected, pa rticipa te in the Junior High School or High School Baseball Pla n, however, girls shall not pa rticipa te in both 47 48 baseball a nd girls’ softball. (g) Boys may not wrestle aga inst girls, a nd vice versa. This prohibition is only applica ble when the con - test is held in Texas or in a ny other sta te tha t sponsors wrestling progra ms for both boys a nd girls. (h) Gender shall be determined based on a student’s birth certifica te as outlined in Section 33.0834 of the Texas Educa tion Code. In cases where a stu - dent’s birth certifica te is unava ila ble, other simila r government documents used for the purpose of identifica tion may be substituted. (Sections 361-379 a nd Subchapter K reserved for expa nsion.) Subchapter L. CONTESTS Section 380: UIL CONTESTS AND PILOT PROGRAMS The UIL shall conduct: (a) ANNUAL CONTESTS, AS FOLLOWS: (1) Accounting (2) Art (3) Ba nd, Concert Performa nce (4) Ba nd, Sight-Reading Evalua tion (5) Ba rba ra Jorda n Historical Essay Competition (6) Baseball (7) Basketball, Boys (8) Basketball, Girls (9) Calcula tor Applica tions (10) Chess Puzzle (11) Choir, Concert Performa nce (12) Choir, Sight-Reading Evalua tion (13) Computer Science (14) Congress (15) Copy Editing (16) Crea tive Writing (17) Cross Country, Boys (18) Cross Country, Girls (19) Current Issues a nd Events (20) Deba te, Cross-Exa mina tion (21) Deba te, Lincoln-Douglas (22) Dictiona ry Skills (23) Editorial Writing (24) Extempora neous Informa tive Speaking (25) Extempora neous Persuasive Speaking (26) Fea ture Writing (27) Film (28) Football (29) Football, Six-Ma n (30) Golf, Boys (31) Golf, Girls (32) Headline Writing (33) Impromptu Speaking (34) Instrumental Cha mber Music (35) Listening (36) Litera ry Criticism (37) Maps, Graphs a nd Cha rts (38) Ma rching Ba nd (39) Ma riachi Festival (40) Ma thema tics (41) Modern Ora tory (42) Music, Medium Ensemble Performa nce (43) Music Memory (A+) (44) Music, Solo-Small Ensemble Performa nce (45) Music Theory (46) News Writing (47) Number Sense (48) One-Act Play (49) Oral Reading (50) Orchestra, Concert Performa nce (51) Orchestra, Sight-Reading Evalua tion (52) Poetry Interpreta tion (53) Prose Interpreta tion (54) Ready Writing (55) Robotics (56) Science (57) Social Studies (58) Soccer, Boys (59) Soccer, Girls (60) Softball, Girls (61) Spelling (62) Spelling a nd Voca bula ry (63) Spirit (64) Storytelling (65) Swimming, Boys (66) Swimming, Girls (67) Tea m Tennis (68) Tennis Singles a nd Doubles, Boys (69) Tennis Singles a nd Doubles, Girls (70) Tennis, Mixed Doubles (71) Thea trical Design Contest (72) Track a nd Field, Boys (73) Track a nd Field, Girls (74) Volleyball, Girls (75) Wa ter Polo, Boys (76) Wa ter Polo, Girls (77) Wrestling, Boys (78) Wrestling, Girls (b) PILOT PROGRAM CONTESTS AS PROVIDED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The UIL administra tion is a uthorized to design, orga nize, a nd implement contests a nd contest rules a mong member schools on a pilot progra m basis upon the recommenda tion of the Executive Director of the UIL a nd the approval of the Legisla tive Council. A pilot progra m shall exist for the time period speci - Section 380: UIL Contests a nd Pilot Progra ms 48 fied by the Legisla tive Council. Section 381: OFFICIAL CALENDAR PUBLISHED Before June 1 the Executive Director shall a nnounce the offi - cial calenda r for UIL contests for the coming yea r. Section 382: RESCHEDULING CONTESTS If it appea rs not to be feasible to hold a contest a t the scheduled place or time beca use of wea ther, facilities or other ca use, the Executive Director shall determine where, when, or if the contest will be held. Section 383: NON-TRADITIONAL SCHOOL YEARS. (a) Non-Traditional School Year . Refer to Section 5 for definitions of traditional school yea r, summer vaca - tion, non-traditional school yea r a nd intersession. (b) Rules Applicable During School and Intersessions . (1) All rules found in the UIL Constitution and Con - test Rules tha t apply to school district personnel, students, individuals, tea ms a nd/or schools during the traditional school yea r also apply to the non-traditional school yea r during the time school is in session a nd during intersessions. (2) During intersessions schools shall schedule no more tha n one contest or performa nce per activity per student per school week. (3) During intersessions schools shall limit practice for UIL music activities to a maximum of eight hours per school week per activity, in addition to a maximum of sixty minutes per day, (or 300 minutes per week on a block schedule), Monday through the end of the school day on Friday. (c) Rules Applicable Specifically During Summer Vacation Months . Activities tha t a re allowed only during sum - mer vaca tion a re not allowed during intersessions unless the intersession falls within the summer months. Subchapter M. ELIGIBILITY Section 400: STUDENT’S ELIGIBILITY FOR ALL UIL CONTESTS Subject to the other sections of this subchapter, a n indi - vidual is eligible to pa rticipa te in a UIL va rsity contest as a representa tive of a member school if tha t individual: (a) is not a high school gradua te (Refer to Section 405); (b) is a full-time, day student in the member high school the student represents; or is a non-enrolled (home schooled) student seeking pa rticipa tion a nd is in complia nce with all provisions included in section 33.0832 of the Texas Educa tion Code. (Refer to Section 406, academic exception, Official Interpreta tions 08-09-10, 99-04-20, 10-03-12 a nd 00-09-13, Appendix I); (c) has been in regula r a ttenda nce a t the member school since the sixth class day of the present school yea r or has been in enrolled a nd in regula r a ttenda nce for 15 or more calenda r days before the contest or competition ( student becomes eligible on the fifteenth day ) (Refer to Section 407 a nd Official Interpreta tion 95-11-09, Appendix I); (d) is in complia nce with rules of the Sta te Boa rd of Educa tion; (Refer to Section 404 a nd sta te law rega rding credit requirements a nd grades (the school shall verify a student’s grades on the basis of the official grade report a nd independently of involvement by the student); (e) has the required number of credits for eligibility dur - ing the first six weeks of school (Refer to Section 411); (f) is enrolled in a four-yea r progra m of high school courses (Refer to Section 408); (g) initially enrolled in the ninth grade not more tha n four yea rs ago nor in the tenth grade not more tha n three yea rs ago (Refer to Section 408 a nd Official Interpreta tion 07-04-18, Appendix I); (h) was not recruited (Refer to Section 5 a nd Section 409 ); (i) is not in viola tion of the Awa rds Rules (Refer to Section 480); a nd (j) meets the specific eligibility requirements for UIL academic competition in Section 401, for music competition in Section 402, a nd/or for a thletic competition in Section 403. Section 401: ELIGIBILITY - ACADEMICS Subject to the other sections of this subchapter, a n indi - vidual is eligible to pa rticipa te in a UIL va rsity academic contest as a representa tive of a member school if tha t indi - vidual: (a) meets all the requirements of Section 400; a nd (b) did not cha nge schools for the purpose of pa rtici - pa ting in a UIL academic contest. (c) Cha rter Schools. For non-enrolled (home schooled) students, if the public independent school district where the pa rent(s) / gua rdia n(s) of the student reside decides not to allow non-enrolled (home schooled) students to pa rticipa te, the non-enrolled (home schooled) student could petition for pa r - ticipa tion a t a cha rter school loca ted within the bounda ries of the independent school district where the pa rent(s) / gua rdia n(s) of the student reside, if allowed by tha t cha rter school administra tion. Section 402: ELIGIBILITY - MUSIC Subject to the other sections of this subchapter, a n indi - Section 400: Student Eligibility for all UIL Contests 49 vidual is eligible to pa rticipa te in a UIL va rsity music contest as a representa tive of a member school if tha t individual: (a) meets all the requirements of Section 400; a nd (b) did not cha nge schools for the purpose of pa rtici - pa ting in a UIL music contest. (c) Cha rter Schools. For non-enrolled (home schooled) students, if the public independent school district where the pa rent(s) / gua rdia n(s) of the student reside decides not to allow non-enrolled (home schooled) students to pa rticipa te, the non-enrolled (home schooled) student could petition for pa r - ticipa tion a t a cha rter school loca ted within the bounda ries of the independent school district where the pa rent(s) / gua rdia n(s) of the student reside, if allowed by tha t cha rter school administra tion. Section 403: ELIGIBILITY - ATHLETICS Subject to the other sections of this subchapter, a n indi - vidual is eligible to pa rticipa te in a UIL va rsity a thletic contest as a representa tive of a member school if tha t individual: (a) meets all the requirements of Section 400; (b) is less tha n 19 yea rs old on September 1 preceding the contest, or has been gra nted eligibility based on a disa bility which delayed his or her educa tion by a t least one yea r (Refer to Section 446); (c) did not cha nge schools for a thletic purposes (Refer to Sections 5 a nd 443); (d) is a n a ma teur (Refer to Section 441); (e) was eligible according to Section 400 (c) (fifteen calenda r day rule) a nd Section 403 (f) (residence rule) a t the member school the student wishes to represent prior to the deadline for district certifica - tion (non-complia nce results in ineligibility only in post-district competition in tha t sport); a nd (f) is a resident of the member school district (Refer to Section 442), a nd a resident of the a ttenda nce zone in which the member school being a ttended is situ - a ted, (1) or has been continuously enrolled in a nd regula rly a ttending the school for a t least the previous calenda r yea r if his or her pa r - ents do not reside within the school district’s a ttenda nce zone; Refer to (5) (B) below for exception . Note: A student who has cha nged schools for a thletic purposes may be decla red ineligible for more tha n one calenda r yea r. Refer to Section 443 (f) (3). For students placed on a wa iting list for admitta nce to a n open enrollment cha rter school tha t is a member school, the ea rlier of the first day of enroll - ment or the first day of school for the school yea r following the da te of applica tion begins the time fra me for complia nce with the excep - tion noted in this section. (2) or the student is a ttending a school outside the a ttenda nce zone where the pa rents reside beca use the school boa rd or other appropria te a uthority cha nged district or a ttenda nce zone lines. (3) or is a tra nsfer student from a public 8-grade ISD not conta ining a high school, who tra ns - ferred a t the first opportunity: (A) to select a high school with geographical bounda ries contiguous to his or her K-8 school; (B) to a high school for which the K-8 school a ttended receives sta te tra nspor - ta tion funds; or (C) to the high school loca ted nea rest the student’s residence. (4) Intra-District Transfers . A student who has a n option to a ttend more tha n one high school within a school district, ra ther tha n being assigned to a school according to a ttenda nce zones, is eligible a t the school first selected if he/she tra nsfers a t the first opportunity. If a student subsequently tra nsfers to a nother school, the student is not eligible for va rsity a thletic competition until he/she has been in a nd regula rly a ttended tha t school for a t least the previous calenda r yea r. Refer to Official Interpreta tions 01-09-18 a nd 10-03-12, Appendix I (6) Charter Schools: (A) Students whose pa rents live within the bounda ries of a n independent school district where a cha rter high school is loca ted a nd opt to a ttend the cha rter high school a t their first opportunity to select a high school a nd a re otherwise in complia nce with va rsity eligibility requirements, a re eligible. If a student subsequently tra nsfers to a nother school within the bounda ries of the independent school district, the student is not eligible for va rsity a thletic competition until he/she has been in a nd regula rly a ttended tha t school for a t least the previous calenda r yea r. (B) Students whose pa rents live within the independent school district where the cha rter school is loca ted, who do not select the cha rter high school a t their first opportunity, a re ineligible for va rsity a thletic competition unless they have been enrolled in a nd regula rly Section 403: Eligibility - Athletics 50 a ttending the cha rter high school for a t least the previous calenda r yea r. (C) Students whose pa rents reside outside the bounda ries of the independent school district where the cha rter school is loca ted a re ineligible for va rsity a thletic competition unless they have been enrolled in a nd regula rly a ttending the cha rter school for a t least the previous calenda r yea r. (D) Cha rter Schools. For non-enrolled (home schooled) students, if the public independent school district where the pa rent(s) / gua rdia n(s) of the student reside decides not to allow non-enrolled (home schooled) students to pa rticipa te, the non-enrolled (home schooled) student could petition for pa rticipa tion a t a cha rter school loca ted within the bounda ries of the independent school district where the pa rent(s) / gua rdia n(s) of the student reside, if allowed by tha t cha rter school administra tion. (7) A student who has esta blished va rsity eligibil - ity under this section a t a member school but who subsequently cha nged schools to a nother member school zone a nd is found to have cha nged schools for a n impermissible reason, rema ins eligible a t the school where eligibil - ity was first esta blished without the need of a wa iver. A student must reenroll in the school where eligibility was previously esta blished within thirty (30) days of being found ineligi - ble a t the school the student moved to for this provision to apply. The Executive Director or his or her designee may inquire into such cases a nd may make a determina tion rega rding a student’s qualifica tion for this exception to the pa rent residence rule. (8) This section a nd the rules cited herein shall be interpreted a nd applied to the extent reason - a bly possible so tha t, a bsent a specific sa nction ba rring a thletic pa rticipa tion, a student who meets basic va rsity a thletics eligibility require - ments should have UIL va rsity a thletics eligi - bility a t a UIL member school. This is a general rule of construction tha t may be impacted by the facts of a given case. Section 404: STATE LAW (a) INTERPRETATION OF STATE LAW. The Com - missioner of the Texas Educa tion Agency delega ted hea ring a uthority over ma tters perta ining to the enforcement of applica ble sta te law to the UIL. UIL sta ff opinions should be requested on all sta te laws rela ting to UIL eligibility, a nd rules a nd regula tions promulga ted by the Sta te Boa rd of Educa tion or the Texas Educa tion Agency rega rding the follow - ing as they apply to UIL eligibility: (1) grades; (2) credit requirements; (3) number of contests per school week; (4) limit on practice a nd performa nce per school week; a nd (5) limit on school yea r a bsences for extracur - ricula r activities. (b) SOURCES OF INFORMATION. In addition to calling or writing UIL sta ff, the UIL publishes a ma nual ava ila ble to member schools entitled TEA- UIL Side By Side tha t conta ins interpreta tions a nd a nswers to frequently asked questions. It is ava il - a ble on request, a nd is on the UIL website. (c) VENUE. In accorda nce with Texas Educa tion Code 67.26, a ny lawsuit filed aga inst the UIL shall be filed in Travis County. Section 405: HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE (a) COMPLETION OF HIGH SCHOOL. A person is considered a high school gradua te if tha t person received a diploma or other certifica te signifying successful completion of high school from a high school or other institution of equal or higher ra nk, pa rticipa ted as a gradua te in the gradua tion exer - cises of a high school, or complied with the require - ments for gradua tion during a four-yea r progra m, whether or not the student pa rticipa ted in the gradua tion exercises. However, a student who has accumula ted enough credits to sa tisfy gradua tion requirements prior to the end of four yea rs, but rema ins in school as a full time student, is not con - sidered a high school gradua te under this rule. (b) GED TESTING PROGRAM. A student who receives a n equivalency credential based on the General Edu - ca tion Development Testing Progra m is not consid - ered a high school gradua te, if tha t student rema ins in or returns to high school, a nd has not otherwise met the requirements for high school gradua tion. (c) This section shall not disqualify a contesta nt who is eligible in all other respects a t the time of spring gradua tion. This exception refers only to contes - ta nts whose UIL competition extends into the sum - mer from the end of the school yea r. Section 406: FULL-TIME DAY STUDENT A person is considered a full-time day student if tha t Section 404: Sta te Law 51 person: (a) is enrolled a nd a ttends classes in a member school for which the current yea r’s membership fee has been pa id, or is enrolled in the ninth grade or tenth grade on a ca mpus sepa ra te from the high school, a nd who will, by school district policy a nd not by choice, a ttend a specific high school (Refer to Offi - cial Interpreta tion 05-09-01, Appendix I); (b) is enrolled in the number of courses required by sta te law a nd by rules of the Sta te Boa rd of Educa - tion; a nd (c) is in complia nce with written tra nsfer a nd admis - sion policies of the local school district. (d) Subject to local school district discretion, students a ttending non-disciplina ry ‘alterna tive’ schools such as virtual, hybrid, magnet or ISD cha rter schools within the sa me independent school dis - trict, or in a different independent school district, tha t do not offer UIL pa rticipa tion opportunities, may be in complia nce with this section a nd eligible to pa rticipa te in the division (Academics, Athletics, Music) of UIL activities not offered a t the non-dis - ciplina ry ‘alterna tive’ school. A student’s eligibility under these circumsta nces would be a t the school the student would a ttend based on the residence of the pa rents of the student a nd/or the school the stu - dent would a ttend by school district policy (school of residence) if they were not enrolled in the non- disciplina ry ‘alterna tive’ school. (Refer to Official Interpreta tion: Exception: 18-08-14 Section 406(d) immedia tely following 10-03-12 Section 400 (b) 403 a nd 406. (e) A student pa rticipa ting in UIL activities a t a member school under (d) a bove or official Sta te Executive Committee Interpreta tion 10-03-12 or 00-09-13 could do so by completing a nd filing Pre - vious Athletic Pa rticipa tion Form with the appli - ca ble school, District Executive Committee a nd the UIL office prior to sa id pa rticipa tion. (f) Is a non-enrolled (home schooled) student seeking pa rticipa tion a nd is in complia nce with all provi - sions included in section 33.0832 of the Texas Edu - ca tion Code. (g) Is enrolled in enough virtual / hybrid classes as out - lined in section 30 B of the Texas Educa tion Code (as added by SB 569) a nd / or in person classes to be a full-time student. Virtual / hybrid courses would count towa rd determining the full-time student sta tus of a pa rticipa nt a t the students’ school of residence only. Each virtual / hybrid course taken through the district, or from a n entity as defined in section 30 B of the Texas Educa tion Code (as added by SB 569), would count equivalent to the a mount of time spent each day a t school for a student tak - ing tha t course or a simila r course as pa rt of their regula r school day. Virtual / hybrid classes would not count towa rd the full-time sta tus of a student a t a ny school other tha n the students’ school of residence. It is importa nt to remember tha t school districts may volunta rily impose stricter sta nda rds tha n those cited in this document. Section 407: REGULAR ATTENDANCE (a) A student is in regula r a ttenda nce even though he or she is a bsent for 10 class days or less a fter enrolling in school beca use of illness or other unavoida ble ca use, if the pa rent or gua rdia n submits a written sta tement certifying this as the reason for the a bsence a nd the principal approves the a bsence. (b) Except for a n otherwise eligible student who is a dependent of a pa rent or gua rdia n who is active duty milita ry, a student who does not enroll in a nd a ttend school within the first six class days is ineligible to pa rticipa te until the 15th day a fter enrollment a nd a ttenda nce. In each case where applica ble, the superintendent or their designee shall certify to the appropria te District Executive Committee tha t, based on reasona ble evidence, the active duty milita ry exception noted a bove applies. (c) Students who a re in a n alterna tive progra m under Texas Educa tion Code, Section 37.006 may resume UIL pa rticipa tion on the first day they return to regula r classes, with local school district approval. (d) A non-enrolled (home schooled) student seeking pa rticipa tion, who is in complia nce with all pro - visions included in section 33.0832 of the Texas Educa tion Code would not be subject to this rule. Section 408: FOUR-YEAR PROGRAM OF HIGH SCHOOL COURSES (a) A student may pa rticipa te in UIL contests during a progra m of high school courses over a period of four consecutive yea rs a fter the student first enrolls in the ninth grade. A student is considered to be enrolled in the ninth grade the day of tha t student’s registra tion as a ninth grader a nd a ttenda nce in a full class period (including a n a thletic period or practice) a t the ninth grade level. (b) Students who never entered the ninth grade but were placed into the tenth grade have three con - secutive yea rs from their first entry into tenth grade to complete their high school eligibility. (c) Over-age eighth grade students who pa rticipa te on the high school va rsity a thletic tea m have four con - Section 408: Four-Yea r Progra m of High School Courses 52 secutive yea rs, including grade eight, to complete their high school a thletic eligibility. Refer to Section 1478 (b). Section 409: RECRUITING Recruiting is not only a viola tion by the student who has been recruited, but it is also a viola tion by the school a nd/or the school district personnel who recruited the student. It is a viola tion to recruit a t all grade levels. Section 410: BURDEN OF PROOF (a) ELIGIBILITY . If a student’s eligibility to compete in a UIL contest is questioned, the student has the burden in a ny proceeding to esta blish by the pre - pondera nce of the evidence tha t he or she is eligible. (b) ALLEGATIONS OF VIOLATIONS. If a District Executive Committee or the Sta te Executive Com - mittee determines tha t a compla int or report of a viola tion has enough validity or substa nce to hold a hea ring, the burden by the prepondera nce of the evidence to disprove the allega tions a t issue rests with the member school, member school district or covered school district personnel cha rged with the viola tion. Section 411: CREDIT REQUIREMENTS FOR ELIGI - BILITY DURING FIRST SIX WEEKS The sta nda rds below determine academic eligibility for the first six weeks of the school yea r. Students in non- complia nce may request a ha rdship appeal of their academic eligibility through the UIL. (a) GRADES NINE AND BELOW . Students must have been promoted from the previous grade. (Refer to Offi - cial Interpreta tion 01-09-18 Appendix I). (b) SECOND YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL . Five accu - mula ted credits tha t count towa rd sta te gradua tion requirements. (c) THIRD YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL . Ten accumu - la ted credits tha t count towa rd sta te gradua tion requirements or student must have ea rned a t least five credits within the last twelve months tha t count towa rd sta te gradua tion requirements. (d) FOURTH YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL . Fifteen accumula ted credits tha t count towa rd sta te gradua tion requirements or student must have ea rned a t least five credits within the last twelve months tha t count towa rd sta te gradua tion requirements. (e) NON-ENROLLED (HOME SCHOOLED) STU - DENTS . A non-enrolled (home schooled) student seeking pa rticipa tion for the first six weeks must demonstra te grade-level academic proficiency on a ny na tionally recognized, norm-referenced assessment instrument, such as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, Sta nford Achievement Test, Cali - fornia Achievement Test, or comprehensive test of basic skills prior to the first day of school. A non-enrolled student demonstra tes the required academic proficiency by achieving a composite, core or survey score tha t is within the aver - age or higher tha n average ra nge of scores, as esta blished by the applica ble testing service. For purposes of this bisection, a school district shall accept assessment results administered or reported by a third pa rty. Section 412: ACCOMODATIONS FOR DISABILITY Students with disa bilities as defined by section 504 of the Reha bilita tion Act a nd/or Title II of the America ns With Dis - a bilities Act, who a re currently being served under either or those acts, may apply to the UIL sta ff for accommoda tions to applica ble contest rules or playing rules. Contact the UIL office or visit the UIL website for deta ils a nd a n applica tion. Section 441: AMATEUR ATHLETIC STATUS The a ma teur rule sta rts the first class day of a student’s ninth grade yea r, a nd is in continuous effect during the school yea r a nd summer months until all a thletic competi - tions a re completed in the 12th grade. The student a t all times (whether in school or outside school) shall a bide by the letter a nd intent of a ma teurism, as set forth in this section. Schools a re cha rged with the responsibility of informing students of all applica ble subsections of this rule a nd enforc - ing this rule. Administra tors a nd coaches must ensure tha t a thletes receive only services specifically permitted by writ - ten rule. Any breach of the rule undermines the educa tional goals of interscholastic a thletics. (a) NOT AN AMATEUR. For purposes of competing in a n a thletic contest, a student in grades 9-12 is not a n a ma teur if tha t individual, within the preceding 12 months: (1) except as provided otherwise in this section, received money or other valua ble consider - a tion for pa rticipa ting in a UIL sponsored school sport; (2) received valua ble considera tion for allowing his or her na me to be used in promoting a product, pla n or service rela ted to a UIL sport or contest; or (3) accepted money or other valua ble consider - a tion from school booster club funds for a ny non-school purpose. Section 441: Ama teur Athletic Sta tus 53 (4) For the purposes of this section, “pa rtici - pa ting” mea ns taking pa rt or playing a ny role in the covered sport or otherwise being involved in a ny practice, ga me or contest of the covered sport, as a coach, player, ma nager, assista nt, or a ny other involve - ment besides tha t of a specta tor. A ga me or activity involving cha nce not sponsored by the UIL but tha t may also involve a student using some a thletic skill or a bility does not constitute “pa rticipa ting” under this section. Such a ga me or activity would be a “half- court shot” contest as pa rt of a ma rketing progra m or throwing balls a t a ta rget for a prize. “Teaching” a nd ‘coaching” a re synony - mous terms. (5) For the purposes of this section a “UIL sponsored school sport” is a ny sport tha t is sponsored by the UIL as either a regula r approved UIL activity or pilot progra m a nd tha t is made ava ila ble through the school the student a ttends. For exa mple, baseball is a UIL sponsored sport a nd is covered by this rule, rega rdless of the level of com - petition involved or orga niza tion tha t is administering the ga me in which the sport is played. (b) EXCEPTIONS : (1) Students may accept reasona ble fees tha t do not exceed local preva iling ra tes for teaching or coaching activities. (2) Students may accept reasona ble fees tha t do not exceed local preva iling ra tes for officia t - ing a thletic contests. (3) Prospective collegia te student-a thletes may sign a schola rship agreement which conta ins the conditions of a schola rship with a post - seconda ry institution. Prospective collegia te student-a thletes may also sign other fina ncial agreements, including Na me, Image or Like - ness agreements, with a postseconda ry insti - tution, in accorda nce with sta te law. (4) For purposes of competing in a n a thletic contest, the member school, school district or a student’s pa rent(s) may provide medical exa mina tion a nd services, a thletic insura nce, tra nsporta tion a nd other travel expenses incurred in competing away from home, or supplies a nd services during a nd in connec - tion with a ga me or practice period. Jerseys or ga me shirts may be worn on ga me day as well as during practice or competition, with school district approval. (5) Pa rticipa nt schools a nd member school districts may permit student a thletes to a ttend contests by permit admission through a pass ga te. (6) A student-a thlete in grades 9-12 may accept funds tha t a re administered by the United Sta tes Olympic Committee (USOC) or other na tional governing body. (7) Student a thletes may accept small “goodie bags” consisting of cookies, ca ndy a nd sym - bolic gifts from their classma tes, if allowed by local school policy. (8) Student a thletes may accept travel expenses a nd a ttend free ba nquets in connection with a n awa rds ceremony to accept a na tional a nd/or sta te-wide awa rd, a fter completing their eligibility in tha t sport. (9) Meals. The local school district determines when, how a nd from whom student a thletes ca n receive meals a nd snacks. (10) This rule is sport-specific. For exa mple if a stu - dent viola tes the rule in one sport tha t student would be ineligible for tha t sport only. (c) STATUS REGAINED. If a student did not real - ize tha t accepting the valua ble considera tion was a viola tion of the a ma teur rule a nd returns the valua ble considera tion within 30 days a fter being informed of the viola tion, tha t student may rega in a thletic eligibility as of the da te the valu - a ble considera tion is returned. If a student fa ils to return it within 30 days, tha t student rema ins ineligible for one yea r from when he or she accepted it. During the period of time a student is in possession of valua ble considera tion, he or she is ineligible for va rsity a thletic competition in the sport in which the viola tion occurred. Any ga mes or contests in which the student pa rtici - pa ted during tha t time would be forfeited as the minimum penalty. (d) TEAM VIOLATION. If the tea m viola tes this sec - tion, the penalty shall be assessed aga inst the tea m a nd not aga inst each individual. Section 442: RESIDENCE IN SCHOOL DISTRICT AND ATTENDANCE ZONE This section applies to the first calenda r yea r of a tten - da nce in grades 9-12 a nd to a non-enrolled (home schooled) student seeking pa rticipa tion in accorda nce with section 33.0832 of the Texas Educa tion Code. Pa rent(s) in the context of this rule mea ns pa rents or adoptive pa rents who adopted the student prior to the student’s first entry in the ninth grade. (a) PRESUMPTION OF RESIDENCE OF STUDENT, Section 442: Residence in School District a nd Attenda nce Zone 54 PARENT(S), SPOUSE. The residence of a single, divorced or widowed student is presumed to be tha t of the pa rents of the student. The residence of a ma rried student is presumed to be tha t of his or her spouse. (b) GUARDIAN OF PERSON. If a student’s pa rents a re alive but a gua rdia n of his or her person was appointed by appropria te a uthority a nd recorded in the county clerk’s office more tha n one yea r ago, the residence of the student is presumed to be tha t of the gua rdia n if the student has continuously resided with the gua rdia n for a calenda r yea r or more. If no legal gua rdia nship has been taken out, three yea rs’ residence with a nd support of a contesta nt esta blishes gua rdia nship within the mea ning of this rule. (c) GUARDIAN. If a student’s pa rents a re dead a nd a gua rdia n of his or her person has been appointed by appropria te a uthority, the residence of the student is presumed to be tha t of the gua rdia n. (d) RELATIVE; SUPPORTER . If a student’s pa rents a re dead a nd a gua rdia nship of his or her person has not been appointed, the residence of the student is presumed to be tha t of the gra ndpa rent, a unt, uncle, adult brother or sister or other person with whom the student is living a nd by whom the stu - dent is supported. (e) CUSTODIAL. The residence of a student assigned by appropria te a uthority to a foster home (or in kinship placement, as provided for in Chapter 264; Subchapter K, Tex. Fa mily Code, in lieu of foster ca re) or a home licensed by the sta te as a childca re boa rding facility, or placed in a home by the Texas Depa rtment of Fa mily a nd Protec - tive Services, Texas Juvenile Justice Depa rtment or a n equivalent sta te agency, is presumed to be a t the home or facility to which the student has been placed. If a student’s pa rent(s) move the student to a foster home in a nother school district, the student is not eligible, but may apply for a wa iver. The residence of a student placed in a home or residential facility tha t is a ffilia ted with a spe - cial purpose school district as outlined in Section 11.351 of the Texas Educa tion Code is presumed to be a t the special school district-a ffilia ted home or residential facility where the student is placed. A student in ma naging conserva torship as noted in this section, who is determined to meet va rsity eli - gibility requirements a nd is subsequently reloca ted by Texas Depa rtment of Fa mily a nd Protective Services, Texas Juvenile Justice Depa rtment or a n equivalent sta te agency, to a placement outside the current school’s a ttenda nce zone, would not lose va rsity eligibility under this section as long as they rema in enrolled in the school. (f) DIVORCED PARENTS. The residence of a student whose pa rents a re divorced is presumed to be tha t of either pa rent. (g) SEPARATED PARENTS. (1) If a student’s pa rents sepa ra te (a nd a re not divorced), a nd if one pa rent rema ins in the a ttenda nce zone where the student has been a ttending school, the student’s residence is presumed to be tha t of the pa rent who did not move. (2) If a student tra nsfers to a new school with a sepa ra ted (but not divorced) pa rent, the student is ineligible for one calenda r yea r, but may apply for a wa iver. (3) Pa rents who have been sepa ra ted for a t least the previous three consecutive yea rs would be considered as ‘divorced’ for purposes of this rule. (h) MILITARY PARENT(S); PEACE OFFICER PARENT(S); EDUCATOR PARENT(S). (1) A student whose pa rent is active milita ry a nd receives a perma nent cha nge of sta tion to a milita ry base with a special purpose school district, or whose pa rent has been released into retirement by the Depa rtment of Defense for a reason other tha n a dishonora ble dis - cha rge a nd the student enrolls in the special purpose school district on a milita ry base a t the student’s first opportunity, is considered in complia nce with this rule. (2) A student whose pa rent is a ‘servicemember’ as defined in section 25.0344 of the Texas Educa tion Code (TEC), a nd tra nsfers to a new school as outlined in TEC 25.0344 a t first opportunity, a nd is otherwise in complia nce with eligibility rules, is considered in compli - a nce with this rule. (3) Does the student a nd the pa rent or gua rdia n A student whose pa rent is a ‘peace officer’ as referenced in section 25.0344 of the Texas Educa tion Code (TEC) (definition in section 1701.001, occupa tions code), a nd tra nsfers to a new school as outlined in TEC 25.0344 a t first opportunity, a nd is otherwise in compli - a nce with eligibility rules, is considered in complia nce with this rule. (4) A student whose pa rent is hired for a full-time position requiring a certifica te from the Sta te Boa rd for Educa tor Certifica tion (SBEC) a t a member independent school district (ISD) or member cha rter school orga niza tion a nd tra nsfers to a new school in the ISD or the cha rter school in which the pa rent is employed, a t first opportunity, a nd is other - wise in complia nce with eligibility rules, is Section 442: Residence in School District a nd Attenda nce Zone 55 considered in complia nce with this rule, with local school district approval. (i) CRITERIA OF RESIDENCE. The intent of this sec - tion is to ensure tha t unless circumsta nces fit one of the exceptions a bove, a ny reloca tion of residence is a complete a nd perma nent move for the fa mily. The residence shall be the domicile which is a fixed, perma nent a nd principal home for legal purposes. The residence is not bona fide under UIL rules unless it complies with all of the following criteria. (1) Does the student’s pa rent, gua rdia n or other person whose residence determines the student’s residence own a house or condominium or rent a house, apa rtment or other living qua rters in the school district a nd a ttenda nce zone? Parents or guardians must provide documentation to verify the purchase, lease or rental of a home located in the new attendance zone. A lease agreement or rental agreement should be for a reasonable duration . (2) Does the student a nd the pa rent or gua rdia n have their furniture a nd personal effects in the district a nd a ttenda nce zone? There should be no personal effects or furniture belonging to the family in the previous residence . (3) Does the student a nd the pa rent or gua rdia n receive their ma il (other tha n office ma il) in the district a nd a ttenda nce zone? The fam - ily should have submitted a change of mailing address to the Post Office. (4) Are the pa rents or gua rdia ns registered to vote in the district a nd a ttenda nce zone? If either of the parents or guardians was registered to vote at the previous address, they should have applied for a new voter registration card at the new address. (5) Do the pa rents or gua rdia ns regula rly live in the district a nd a ttenda nce zone a nd intend to live there indefinitely? The new residence should accommodate the entire family. The for - mer house should be on the market at a reason - able market price or sold, or the lease or rental agreement terminated. All utilities and telephone service should be disconnected or no longer in the family’s name. All licensed drivers in the house - hold should have complied with DPS regulations for changing their address. (6) Are the pa rents or gua rdia ns required to live in the district a nd a ttenda nce zone for the first calenda r yea r? If the parents or guardians of a contestant move from the district or school zone before the student has been in attendance for one year, the student loses athletic eligibility in the school district from which the parents or guardians move, and remains ineligible there for varsity athletics until a year is up. Section 443: CHANGING SCHOOLS FOR ATHLETIC PURPOSES (a) NEW STUDENT ELIGIBILITY QUESTION - NAIRE. The new student eligibility questionna ire (page 1 of the PAPF) is required for a ny new stu - dent in grades 9-12. The new student eligibility questionna ire a nd sections I a nd II of the PAPF (page 2) shall be completed a nd submitted prior to the student pa rticipa ting in a ny contest a t the high school level, including va rsity a nd sub va rsity / junior va rsity a thletics. (b) PREVIOUS ATHLETIC PARTICIPATION FORM (PAPF). An individual is presumed to have cha nged schools for a thletic purposes if he or she pa rticipa t - ed with his or her former school in a ny UIL a thletic contest or practice in grades eight through twelve during a ny previous school yea r until: (1) the student’s pa rents cha nge their residence to the new school or a ttenda nce zone; (Refer to Section 442 (g) for a student who cha nges residence with a sepa ra ted pa rent); (2) a representa tive of the new school completes a nd signs the New School Certifica tion por - tion of the PAPF.; (3) a representa tive of the previous school signs a PAPF sta ting tha t the student was not recruit - ed a nd is not cha nging schools for a thletic purposes; (4) the District Executive Committee approves the completed PAPF. NOTE: The District Executive Committee is not bound to determining only the sta tus of students who pa rticipa ted a t a nother school the previous or current yea r, as it rela tes to cha nging schools for a thletic purposes. (c) NO PREVIOUS ATHLETIC PARTICIPATION FORM REQUIRED. The Previous Athletic Pa rticipa tion Forms (page 2 of PAPF) a re not required to be signed by a previous school if the student did not practice or pa rticipa te with his or her former school in grades eight through twelve or if the student was required to cha nge schools beca use the school district or a ttenda nce zone lines were cha nged by the school boa rd or other appropria te a uthority. (d) DETERMINATION BY DISTRICT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. The District Executive Committee is to determine whether or not a student cha nged schools for a thletic purposes, when considering each student who cha nged schools a nd has com - pleted the eighth grade, whether or not the student has represented a school in grades nine through Section 443: Cha nging Schools for Athletic Purposess 56 twelve. (e) COMMON INDICATORS . District Executive Committees should look closely to determine if a student is cha nging schools for a ny a thletic pur - pose. Some common indica tors committees should include in their considera tions include, but a re not limited to: checking to see if a student was recruited; ascerta ining whether a student was in good sta nding in the previous school, either aca - demically or in a sports progra m; determining if a student was unhappy with a coach in the previous school; determining if a student played on a non- school tea m a nd is tra nsferring to the school where members of the non-school tea m a ttend; determin - ing if a student played on a non-school tea m a nd is tra nsferring to the school where the non-school tea m coach or a rela tive of the non-school tea m coach, is the school coach; a nd determining if a stu - dent received individual or tea m instruction from a school coach a nd is tra nsferring to the school of tha t coach. (f) ELIGIBILI TY DETERMINATION BY DISTRICT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. (1) If the District Executive Committee where the student a ttends school finds tha t the student did not cha nge schools for a thletic purposes a nd meets all the criteria listed in Section 442, it shall decla re the student eligible if he/she meets all other eligibility requirements. (2) If the District Executive Committee where the student now a ttends school finds tha t the student did not cha nge schools for a thletic purposes, it may decla re tha t student eligible even though the school district from which he or she moved refused to sign the PAPF. (Extreme ca ution should be used in gra nting eligibility under this condition.) (3) If the District Executive Committee where the student now lives finds a t a ny time tha t the cha nge was made for a thletic purposes, it shall decla re tha t student ineligible to pa rticipa te in a thletic contests for one yea r. This may include a student who did not com - pete a t the previous school. If the committee decides tha t the period of ineligibility should be longer tha n one yea r, the committee shall tra nsfer the case to the Sta te Executive Committee. Subject to Section 403 (f) a nd 463 (2)(A), a student who has esta blished va rsity eligibility under this section a t a member school but who subsequently enrolls in a nother member school a nd is found to have cha nged schools for a thletic purposes rema ins eligible a t the school, where eligibil - ity was first esta blished. (4) When officials from both the sending a nd receiving schools agree tha t a student cha nged schools for a thletic purposes, the Sta te Execu - tive Committee will not hea r or gra nt a n appeal. (g) INELIGIBLE. A student who cha nges schools for a thletic purposes is not eligible to compete in va r - sity UIL a thletic contest(s) a t the school to which he or she moves for a t least one calenda r yea r, even if both pa rents move to the new school district a tten - da nce zone. Refer to (a) a nd (b) a bove. (1) Exception: (A) One time only, intra-district tra nsfer stu - dents a re eligible for one va rsity a thletic activity tha t was not offered a t their pre - vious school. The student must wa it one calenda r yea r before ga ining eligibility for a ny other va rsity a thletic contest. If a student who has been gra nted pa r - ticipa tion under this section returns to the school in the a ttenda nce zone where the pa rents reside, a Previous Athletic Pa rticipa tion Form shall be furnished to the District Executive Committee, who will rule on the student’s eligibility a t tha t school. (h) LENGTH OF INELIGIBILITY. The District Execu - tive Committee for the district into which the student moves shall determine when or if a student who moves for a thletic purposes becomes eligible. Refer to (g) a nd (f)(3) a bove. (i) MINIMUM PENALTY. If a new student eligibil - ity questionna ire or previous a thletic pa rticipa tion form was not filed prior to competition a nd it was a n inadvertent error a nd the student is actually eligible under subchapter M of the constitution, the district executive committee is not required to dema nd forfeiture or to rule the student ineligible. The committee may assess the minimum penalty of reprima nd. Repea ted viola tions of this section could subject the school in question to the ra nge of penalties, in sections 29 (DEC) a nd 27 (SEC), including enha nced penalty factors. NOTE: (f) a nd (h) a bove speak to the applica bility of the Previous Athletic Pa rticipa tion Form as it rela tes to students who have or have not represented a nother school in grades nine through twelve in either va rsity or sub va rsity competition. Section 403 (c) prohibits students from cha nging schools for a thletic purposes. Section 446: Age 57 Section 446: AGE (a) PROOF OF AGE . Age shall be determined based on a student’s birth certifica te. In cases where a stu - dent’s birth certifica te is unava ila ble, other simila r government documents used for the purpose of identifica tion may be substituted. (b) NINETEEN ON SEPTEMBER 1 . (1) Eligibility. A student who is nineteen on Sep - tember 1 preceding the contest, a nd who ini - tially enrolled in the ninth grade no more tha n four calenda r yea rs ago, a nd who prior to the end of his or her second yea r in high school was in special educa tion, under the a uspices of a n ARD committee or identified as a 504 student by a 504 committee, is eligible to pa rticipa te in a UIL va rsity a thletic contest as a representa - tive of a member school if: (A) the student has or had a disa bility which delayed his or her educa tion for a yea r or more; (B) the student is currently in special educa - tion a nd under the a uspices of a n ARD committee or is currently identified as a 504 student by a 504 committee, a nd (C) the student has not already pa rticipa ted one extra yea r under this exception. (2) Requirements . The requirements below a re to be met by the superintendent. A student may apply for a wa iver as outlined in Section 463 only if the superintendent does not submit proper verifica tion. (A) The following must be submitted to the superintendent of the school district for eligibility determina tion: (i) Special educa tion students must provide documenta tion of a special educa tion sta tus a nd documenta tion tha t a disa bil - ity delayed their educa tion by a t least one yea r. (ii) Students with a history of a dis - a bility must provide documen - ta tion from a 504 committee proving the existence a nd length of time of the disa bility tha t ca used the delay of a t least one yea r in their educa tion. (B) The superintendent must certify tha t the student has met eligibility require - ments on a form prepa red by the UIL office, a nd submit the completed form to the cha ir of the District Executive Committee. If a student is una ble to obta in the required certifica tion from the superintendent, the student may appeal the ma tter to the UIL Wa iver Officer for disposition. (Refer to Sec - tion 463). (3) District Executive Committee. (A) The cha ir of the District Executive Committee will accept only completed certifica tion forms. The following will be returned to the superintendent by the cha ir of the committee with eligibility denied: (i) forms tha t do not certify tha t the student meets the requirements for eligibility; (ii) forms tha t indica te tha t the student is not in complia nce with the four-yea r rule a nd a wa iver for tha t rule has not been gra nted, or (iii) forms tha t conta in a ny missing informa tion or missing signa - tures. (B) The District Executive Committee will verify completed certifica tion forms a nd decla re the student eligible for va r - sity competition. (C) The student rema ins ineligible for va rsity a thletics unless a nd until all eligibility is verified by the District Executive Committee. Subchapter N. WAIVER OF ELIGIBILITY RULES Section 463: APPLICATION FOR WAIVER (a) WHO MAY APPLY. (1) When a student does not comply with Sec - tions 400 (g) a nd 408 beca use tha t student has not met the requirements for gradua tion four yea rs a fter first entering into the ninth grade a nd has missed a n entire season’s pa r - ticipa tion in a specific activity due to inad - vertent circumsta nces other tha n a n a thletic injury, tha t student may apply for a wa iver of the appa rent non-complia nce a nd a decla ra - tion of eligibility in those activities tha t were missed. A student may apply for a wa iver of the four-yea r rule only once. The fact tha t a member school does not offer a specific activ - ity is not grounds for cla iming the student was una ble to pa rticipa te in tha t activity. (2) Parent Residence Rule. (A) If a District Executive Committee or the Sta te Executive Committee finds tha t a Section 463: Applica titon for Wa iver 58 student does not comply with Sections 403(f) a nd 442 (residence rules), tha t student may apply for a wa iver of the appa rent non-complia nce a nd a decla - ra tion of eligibility. As An Exception: A student who is found by a District Executive Committee, or upon appeal, the Sta te Executive Committee, to have cha nged schools for a thletic purposes or other impermissible reasons may return within thirty (30) days a fter being ruled ineligible to the school the student left without need of a pa rent residence wa iver as long as all other eligibility rules a re sa tisfied. In cases where there is a dispute rega rding the student’s qual - ifica tion for this exception, the Execu - tive Director or his or her designee may make a determina tion as to whether the student qualifies. (B) A wa iver of the residence rule shall be null a nd void in rega rds to the school the student has moved to when either the District Executive Committee or the Sta te Executive Committee determines tha t the student cha nged schools for a thletic purposes. (C) If a student who has been gra nted a wa iver returns to the school in the a ttenda nce zone where the pa rents reside, a Previous Athletic Pa rticipa tion Form shall be furnished to the District Executive Committee, who will rule on the student’s eligibility a t tha t school. (3) Students who cha nge schools from one independent school district to a nother inde - pendent school district to enroll in the Inter - na tional Baccala urea te Progra m may apply for a wa iver of Sections 403 (f) a nd 442 (resi - dence rules) to be eligible for va rsity a thletics the first yea r of a ttenda nce. (4) Age Rule, Sections 403 (b) and 446 . If a student is nineteen or older a nd has met all the criteria in Section 446 prior to the end of his or her second yea r in high school, but the superintendent does not submit proper verifica tion to the District Executive Committee a nd the UIL, tha t student may apply for a wa iver if: (A) the student has or had a disa bility which delayed his or her educa tion for a yea r or more; (B) the student is currently in special educa - tion a nd under the a uspices of a n ARD committee or is currently identified as a 504 student by a 504 committee; a nd (C) the student has not already pa rticipa ted a n extra yea r under this exception. NOTE: This wa iver procedure is only for students who a re una ble to obta in the required certifica tion from the superintendent as outlined in Section 446. (5) Retroactive Waiver Procedure (Refer to Section 469). (b) PROCEDURE. The applica tion must be in writing on the UIL Applica tion for Wa iver form a nd signed by the student a nd, if the student is under 18 yea rs of age, by a pa rent or gua rdia n. The applica nt shall submit a copy of all documenta tion to the super - intendent. The superintendent shall send a copy of the applica tion to the cha ir of the District Executive Committee. The cha ir shall notify members of the district tha t the applica tion has been filed. Section 464: SUBMISSION TO WAIVER OFFICER (a) The applica nt for a wa iver shall submit with the applica tion sta tements of the facts a nd circum - sta nces tha t excuse the appa rent non-complia nce with the rules. (b) An applica nt for a wa iver of the age-rule, Sections 403 (b) a nd 446, must also submit the following: (1) a n applica nt who is a special educa tion stu - dent must provide documenta tion of special educa tion sta tus a nd documenta tion tha t a disa bility delayed his or her educa tion by a t least one yea r; (2) a n applica nt who is a student with a history of a disa bility must provide documenta tion from a 504 committee proving the existence a nd length of time of the disa bility tha t ca used the delay of a t least one yea r in his or her edu - ca tion; a nd (3) applica nts must submit documenta tion a nd/ or a sta tement of the facts a nd circumsta nces indica ting tha t the applica nt was una ble to obta in the required certifica tion from the superintendent. Section 465: DECISION BY WAIVER OFFICER (a) DECISION. Within 14 days a fter the Wa iver Offi - cer determines tha t the applica tion is complete, the Wa iver Officer shall upon the basis of the applica tion a nd written sta tements decide whether the wa iver should be gra nted a nd the applica nt decla red eligible. (b) BASIS FOR DECISION. (1) Residence Rule, Sections 403 (f) and 442 . Section 465: Decision by Wa iver Officer 59 60 (A) International Baccalaureate Program . The wa iver of the residence requirements of a student who cha nges schools to enroll in the Interna tional Baccala urea te Pro - gra m may be gra nted unless the District Executive Committee has determined the student cha nged schools for a thletic purposes. (B) Other Waivers of Parent Residence Rule . If the Wa iver Officer finds tha t the circum - sta nces tha t ca used the student to be inel - igible were ca used by involunta ry a nd/or unavoida ble action such tha t the Wa iver Officer could not reasona bly expect the student to comply with the rules, the Wa iver Officer shall gra nt the wa iver. (2) Four Year Rule, Sections 400 (g) and 408 . If the Wa iver Officer finds tha t the circumsta nces tha t ca used the student to be ineligible were ca used by involunta ry a nd/or unavoida ble action such tha t the Wa iver Officer could not reasona bly expect the student or the pa rents to comply with the rule, a nd if those sa me circumsta nces ca used the student to miss a n entire season’s pa rticipa tion in a n activity, the Wa iver Officer shall gra nt the wa iver. (3) Age Rule, Sections 403 (b) and 446 . (A) If the Wa iver Officer finds tha t the student meets the requirements set forth in Section 463, the Wa iver Officer shall gra nt the wa iver. (B) The decision of the Wa iver Officer shall be final. (4) The wa iver is gra nted for specific a thletic activities. If students wish to pa rticipa te in a n a thletic activity other tha n the specific one(s) for which they were originally gra nted a wa iver, such requests shall be presented by the school to the District Executive Committee which shall gra nt or deny the request. Notify - ing the Wa iver Officer for each subsequent sport is not required. (5) Ignora nce of the rules is not a basis for gra nt - ing a wa iver. (c) NOTIFICATION. The Wa iver Officer shall promptly send a copy of the decision to the appli - ca nt, superintendent, principal a nd the cha ir of the District Executive Committee. (d) EFFECT OF DECISION. If the Wa iver Officer decides tha t the applica nt is eligible, the student may pa rticipa te in a UIL contest until the Wa iver Review Boa rd issues a cha nge in eligibility sta tus by overturning the wa iver. Section 466: REVIEW OF WAIVER OFFICER ’S DECI - SION (a) Except in appeals under the age rule, Section 465 (b)(4),the applica nt, the pa rent or gua rdia n of the applica nt, or a ny superintendent may request a review of the decision of the Wa iver Officer. The request for review must be in writing a nd be accompa nied by payment of a $200.00 filing fee. If the applica nt or the applica nt’s pa rents request the review, a nd the applica nt is indigent or a depen - dent of a n active milita ry personnel, the filing fee may be wa ived. (b) RULES OF BOARD. The Wa iver Review Boa rd shall adopt a nd publish the rules of procedure to be followed by it in reviews. In accorda nce with Section 150, the Wa iver Review Boa rd or a UIL Hea ring Officer may hold a n informal hea ring with witness testimony a nd other evidence, or decide the appeal based on the written record. (c) REVIEW SCHEDULE. Unless the request for review is received less tha n seven days before its next meeting, the Wa iver Review Boa rd shall schedule the review of the case a t its next meet - ing except for appeals tha t have been tra nsferred to a UIL Hea ring Officer. The Boa rd may meet monthly from August through Ma rch a nd may meet a t such other times as the Cha ir of the Boa rd may designa te. The seven-day limit may be wa ived if the Wa iver Review Boa rd is scheduled to meet to review other cases. (d) REVIEW. The entire Wa iver Review Boa rd, a pa nel of three members, or a UIL Hea ring Officer may review the case. If a member of the Boa rd is involved in the case being reviewed, tha t member shall a bsta in from delibera tions a nd voting, a nd the Cha ir of the Boa rd may appoint a person to sit in tha t member’s place. (e) REVIEW PROCEDURE. The review shall be con - ducted in accorda nce with the rules a nd procedures of the Wa iver Review Boa rd a nd may consist of a n informal meeting where witnesses a re allowed to testify or may be decided on the written record. The applica tion for wa iver, the written ma terial submitted to the Wa iver Officer by the applica nt, superintendent, principal a nd District Executive Committee, a nd the decision of the Wa iver Offi - cer constitute the written record made before the Wa iver Officer. (f) ARGUMENT. In cases where a n informal hea ring is conducted, the Wa iver Officer, applica nt, superintendent, principal a nd District Executive Committee may submit written documenta tion or make oral a rgument. The Boa rd or a UIL Hea ring Section 468: Review of Wa iver Officer’s Decision 60 Officer may limit the time for oral a rgument. (g) PRECEDENT MANUAL. The Waiver Review Boa rd shall adopt rules concerning the crea tion a nd ma intena nce of a precedent ma nual which shall conta in decisions of the Wa iver Review Boa rd tha t have sufficient precedential value to wa rra nt publica tion. Opinions in the precedent ma nual will be composed of a synopsis of the facts of the case along with the pa nel’s decision a nd a brief expla na tion of the basis for the decision. UIL sta ff may assist in the dra fting a nd prepa ra tion of the opinion as directed by the boa rd. (1) Before being published in the precedent ma n - ual, a dra ft of the written opinion must be reviewed a nd approved by a majority of the members of the hea ring pa nel tha t hea rd the case. (2) The precedent ma nual shall serve to provide guida nce to Wa iver Review Boa rd Pa nel’s when considering simila r cases. (3) The Wa iver Review Boa rd’s Precedent Ma n - ual shall be published on the University Inter - scholastic League’s website. Section 468: REVIEW DECISION PROCESS (a) BASIS FOR DECISION. (1) Residence Rule, Sections 403 (f) and 442 . (A) Interna tional Baccala urea te Progra m. The wa iver of the residence require - ments of a student who cha nges schools from one independent school district to a nother independent school district to enroll in the Interna tional Baccala ure - a te Progra m may be gra nted unless the District Executive Committee has determined the student cha nged schools for a thletic purposes. (B) Other Wa ivers of Pa rent Residence Rule. If the Boa rd or Hea ring Officer finds tha t the circumsta nces tha t ca used the student to be ineligible were ca used by involunta ry a nd/ or unavoida ble action such tha t the student could not reasona bly be expected to comply with the rules, the wa iver shall be gra nted. (2) Four-Year Rule, Sections 400 (g) and 408 . If the Boa rd or Hea ring Officer finds tha t the circumsta nces tha t ca used the student to be ineligible were ca used by involunta ry a nd/or unavoida ble action such tha t the student could not reasona bly be expected to comply with the rule, a nd if those sa me circumsta nces ca used the student to miss a n entire season’s pa rticipa - tion in a n activity, the wa iver shall be gra nted. (3) The wa iver may be specific to a n activity. (4) Ignora nce of the rules is not a basis for gra nt - ing a wa iver. (b) ANNOUNCEMENT OF DECISION. The Boa rd or Hea ring Officer shall a nnounce a decision in writing within 15 days a fter the review. (c) REHEARING; EFFECT OF DECISION. The eligi - bility sta tus of the applica nt as determined by the Boa rd or Hea ring Officer is effective on the da te the decision is a nnounced. The Boa rd may gra nt a rehea ring on cases tha t a re wa ived by the Boa rd provided new credible evidence is presented by the District Executive Committee, a nd it may gra nt a rehea ring on cases tha t a re denied by the Boa rd provided new credible evidence is present - ed by the applica nt or the school the applica nt is a ttending. (d) NOTIFICATION. A copy of the decision shall be sent to the applica nt, the superintendent or princi - pal a nd the cha ir of the District Executive Commit - tee a nd each member in the district. Section 469: RETROACTIVE WAIVER (a) WHO MAY APPLY. If a District Executive Com - mittee has determined tha t a student who is other - wise ineligible according to Section 400 (g) or 403 (f) has pa rticipa ted in a va rsity contest, a nd the Dis - trict Executive Committee a nd the superintendent of the school the student a ttends jointly request a retroactive wa iver, the Wa iver Officer shall review the facts of tha t case. (b) APPLICATION PROCEDURE. The applica tion must be in writing on the UIL Applica tion for Wa iver form, a nd signed by the superintendent, the cha ir of the District Executive Committee, the student a nd a pa rent or gua rdia n if the student is under 18. (c) REVIEW PROCEDURE. The informa tion shall be presented to the Wa iver Officer who shall decide whether the wa iver should be gra nted a nd the applica nt decla red eligible. (d) EFFECT OF DECISION. In gra nting a wa iver, the Wa iver Officer may determine tha t the student’s eligibility is retroactive to a ny da te during the cur - rent school yea r, so long as the student has been continually eligible under all rules other tha n the rule being wa ived since tha t da te. If the Wa iver Officer denies the wa iver, the applica nt may appeal the decision to the Wa iver Review Boa rd. The appeal must be accompa nied by a $700 payment to be applied to the filing fee. The filing fee is the actual Section 468: Review Decision Process 61 expense incurred in convening the wa iver review boa rd. The bala nce of the fee shall be billed to the school or pa rent a fter expenses a re calcula ted. (e) EXCEPTION TO ABOVE PROCEDURE . The UIL Wa iver Officer ca n rule on a retroactive wa iver, a fter the season in question is complete, without consent from a District Executive Committee when the request comes from a pa rent a nd has no bea ring on the district race. The applica tion fee is $700. Section 470: SUBMITTING FALSE INFORMATION If the Wa iver Officer, the UIL hea ring officer or the Wa iver Review Boa rd finds tha t informa tion was submitted on behalf of a n applica nt tha t the applica nt knew was false, the Wa iver Officer, hea ring officer or the Wa iver Review Boa rd shall decla re the applica nt ineligible for one yea r a nd the contests in which the applica nt competed on behalf of the school he or she now a ttends forfeited. Subchapter O. AWARDS Section 480: LIMITATION OF AWARDS (a) LIMIT. (1) Awards Schools May Give . A member school or member school district may give one major awa rd not to exceed $70 in value to a student during tha t student’s high school enrollment a t the sa me school for pa rticipa tion in UIL interschool competition(s) listed in Section 380. Each yea r a member school or member school district may give one additional awa rd per stu - dent per interschool activity listed in Section 380, not to exceed $20 each. Schools may give a student the $20 minor awa rd for a n activ - ity during the sa me school yea r the $70 major awa rd is given for tha t activity. A school may contribute to major awa rds in honor of win - ning a UIL Sta te Cha mpionship event. (2) Awards Students May Receive. A student may not accept from a ny source other tha n the school a ttended or the school district, a ny awa rd in money, product or service for competing in a n interschool contest except as follows. (A) A certifica te, medal, trophy, ring, or other symbolic awa rd for pa rticipa ting in a ny UIL activity which counts on UIL sta nding, if it is given: (i) by the school, or school district in accorda nce to the limita tions in Section 480 (a)(1); (ii) the District Executive Commit - tee or the entity tha t orga nized the competition (i.e., the regional director or zone director; (iii) the UIL or one of the profes - sional, educa tion orga niza tions sa nctioned by the UIL; or (iv) a n outside source approved by the school or school district. (B) A medal, trophy, pa tch or other sym - bolic awa rd for pa rticipa ting in a n invita tional a thletic contest which does not count on UIL sta nding, in a n activity which the UIL sponsors as listed in Section 380, if it is given by the orga niza tion conducting the contest or competition (Sports which a re not sa nctioned by the UIL, such as bowl - ing, motorcycle racing or rodeo do not come under this rule). (C) Unlimited awa rds for pa rticipa ting in a n invita tional academic or fine a rts contest which does not count on UIL sta nding, whether or not it is a n activity which the UIL sponsors. (D) Educa tional trips sponsored by the school. (E) Schola rships for college or university enrollment if awa rded a t or a fter gradu - a tion from high school. (3) Awards Students May Receive for Intraschool Competition . A student may accept unlimited awa rds for pa rticipa ting in intraschool com - petition. (b) LEAGUE STANDING DEFINED. For purpos - es of this rule, “counts on UIL sta nding” mea ns a ny contest tha t ca uses a n individual or tea m to adva nce towa rd a UIL district, bi-district, a rea, zone, regional or sta te cha mpionship. (c) AMATEUR STATUS. Refer to Section 441 for rules governing a ma teur a thletic sta tus. (d) INDIRECT AWARD. An awa rd given to a second pa rty to be held for la ter delivery to the student is considered received by the student when the awa rd is given to the second pa rty. This conduct is a viola tion by the member school or school dis - trict. Section 481: GIFTS OR AWARDS TO SPONSOR OR COACH Individuals who coach, direct or sponsor UIL activities in grades 9-12 may be suspended if: (a) they accept more tha n $500 in money, product or service from a ny source, over a nd a bove the stipend pa id by the school district, in recognition Section 469: Retroactive Wa iver 62 of or apprecia tion for coaching, directing or spon - sorship of UIL activities. (Refer to Section 1202). The $500 limit is cumula tive for a calenda r yea r a nd is not specific to a ny one pa rticula r gift; (b) they accept money, product or service for entering their student(s) in a contest or other activity; (c) this section includes, but is not limited to, money, gifts, use of a utomobiles, insura nce, club privileges a nd a ny funds tendered by booster clubs for other services; a nd (d) it is a viola tion if coaches a nd/or their a ttorney(s) accept money or other valua ble considera tion for payment of legal expenses incurred to file suit or take other legal action aga inst a school, school dis - trict or the UIL. (e) EXCEPTIONS: (1) Scholarships . A sponsor or coach may accept from a ny source in a ny a mount a postsecond - a ry institution schola rship. (2) Retirement . Upon retirement from the pro - fession, sponsors or coaches may accept money or other valua ble considera tion in a ny a mount from a ny source. (3) Annual UIL Award for Excellence . A sponsor or coach may accept the Annual UIL Awa rd for Excellence sa nctioned by the UIL. Subchapter P. RECORDS Section 800: OPEN RECORDS The Executive Director shall collect, assemble a nd ma in - ta in all records of official UIL business a nd, except as oth - erwise provided by law, all such informa tion in connection with its tra nsaction of official business is, subject to legal exceptions, public informa tion under the provisions of the Texas Open Records Act a nd is ava ila ble for public inspec - tion a nd disclosure during normal business hours. Section 801: REQUESTS FOR ACCESS TO RECORDS (a) REQUESTS. Any Open Records Request seeking access to UIL records should be directed to the Vice President a nd Chief Fina ncial Officer a nd Custodia n of Records a t The University of Texas a t Austin as follows: • A request for public informa tion from the university ca n be made through The University of Texas Public Informa tion Portal: https://utexas.mycusthelp.com/ WEBAPP/_rs/(S(rsgbf51keweada 35rmcsqqnu))/ supporthome.aspx. • If you have questions or need additional informa - tion, please contact Mr. Bob Davis, Open Records Coordina tor, Office of the Vice President for Legal Affa irs: publicinforma tionrequest@a ustin.utexas. edu | (512)-471-8300. (b) PRODUCTION COSTS. Any expense incurred in the reproduction, prepa ra tion or retrieval of records shall be pa id by the person requesting the record. Cha rges a re set by the General Services Commission. Section 802: CONTEST RECORDS Each school yea r, the Executive Director shall collect, assemble, ma inta in a nd publish the previous yea r’s list of the winners of the UIL sta te contests . Subchapter Q. PUBLICATIONS Section 825: UIL CONSTITUTION AND CONTEST RULES The Executive Director shall publish the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules , a nd all a mendments thereto. The docu - ment will be ava ila ble as a n online version a nd printa ble PDF on the UIL website. Section 826: THE LEAGUER (a) PUBLICATION. The Executive Director shall pub - lish a newspaper, the Leaguer . The Leaguer is ava ila ble online a t www.uiltexas.org. Each member school is responsible for checking the website for upda tes. (b) OFFICIAL INTERPRETATIONS. The Executive Director shall publish in the Leaguer the Sta te Executive Committee’s Official Interpreta tions of the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules . (c) STATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ORDERS. The Executive Director shall publish in the Leaguer a ny other written order of the Sta te Executive Committee when the order requests such publica - tion. (d) WAIVER REVIEW BOARD ABSTRACTS. The Executive Director shall publish in the Leaguer a bstracts of written orders of the Wa iver Review Boa rd when the orders request such publica tion. (e) DISTRICT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ABSTRACTS. The Executive Director may publish in the Leaguer a bstracts of written orders of District Executive Committees in cases when the orders request such publica tion. (f) OTHER MATTERS: DISCLAIMER. The Execu - tive Director may publish a ny other writing submit - ted for publica tion, but only with appropria te a nd prominently displayed discla imers tha t the writing does not constitute, under the provisions of the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules , a n Official Interpre - ta tion or a n official sta ff interpreta tion. (g) MEMBER SCHOOLS, DISTRICTS PENALTIES . Subchapter O: Awa rds 63 The Executive Director shall publish a t least a nnu - ally in the Leaguer the list of member schools, mem - ber school districts a nd contest districts currently being penalized. (h) SCHOOL PERSONNEL PENALTIES . The Execu - tive Director shall publish a t least a nnually in the Leaguer the list of school district personnel who a re currently being publicly penalized. Section 827: FORMS The Executive Director shall publish a nd make ava ila ble to UIL member schools all forms required under the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules . Section 828: OTHER PUBLICATIONS The Executive Director may publish other documents tha t a re necessa ry or desira ble for the activities of the UIL a nd consistent with the policies of The University of Texas a t Austin. Section 829: PUBLICATION CHARGES Except as otherwise provided a bove, the Executive Director shall esta blish a nd cha rge reasona ble prices for all UIL publica tions. Subchapter R. FINANCES Section 866: ANNUAL REPORT; BUDGET; AUDIT (a) UNIVERSITY POLICY. This section involves poli - cies of The University of Texas a t Austin. (b) PART OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN. The UIL is a pa rt of The University of Texas a t Austin. (c) SUBMISSION OF ANNUAL REPORT, BUDGET. The UIL Executive Director a nnually prepa res a report on the fina ncial a nd progra mma tic condi - tions a nd activities of the UIL a nd a budget for the next yea r a nd submits them to the Vice President of The University of Texas a t Austin. (d) UNIVERSITY APPROVAL OF BUDGET REQUIRED. The UIL budget shall be approved by The University of Texas a t Austin. (e) AUDIT. All of the fina ncial a ffa irs of the UIL a re a udited in accorda nce with the policies of The Uni - versity of Texas a t Austin. (f) AUTHORIZED EXPENDITURES. All expendi - tures of UIL funds shall be a uthorized consistent with the rules, regula tions a nd practices of The University of Texas a t Austin. Section 867: SOURCES OF INCOME The UIL’s sources of income a re as follows: (a) membership dues; Refer to https://www.uiltexas. org/policy/membership/dues (b) entry fees; Refer to https://www.uiltexas.org/poli - cy/fees (c) open records productions; (d) publica tion sales; (e) filing fees for review of wa iver appeals a nd retroac - tive wa ivers; (f) net revenue for sta te level cross-country, track a nd field, swimming a nd diving, tennis, tea m-tennis, wrestling, one-act play a nd ma rching ba nd con - tests; (g) a n a nnually determined percentage of revenue for sta te level baseball, basketball, soccer, softball, a nd volleyball; (h) a n a nnually determined percentage of football post- district play-off ga te receipts; (i) proceeds from radio a nd television broadcasting a nd telecasting contracts; (j) revenue from sponsorships a nd licensing the use of tradema rks a nd logos; (k) gra nts; a nd (l) a ny other revenue genera ted by UIL in complia nce with Sta te Law a nd University policy. Section 868: BROADCASTS OF UIL EVENTS: (a) CONTRACT SCOPE AND PROCESS. The UIL reta ins all broadcast rights to all UIL post-regula r sea - son events a nd activities. The UIL Executive Director may, subject to applica ble University of Texas a t Austin procedures, recommend a contract(s) for broadcast rights for all UIL post-regula r season events a nd activi - ties. The UIL Executive Director may, subject to neces - sa ry approval by The University of Texas a t Austin, enter into a contract on behalf of UIL for broadcast rights for all UIL post-regula r season events a nd activi - ties. (b) RIGHTS GRANTED. The broadcast rights gra nted in a contract under this section may include, in whole or in pa rt, every medium a nd/or visual content pres - ently existing or tha t may be developed in the future. The rights gra nted may also provide for live a nd/or delayed broadcasts as well as a ncilla ry progra ming, such as highlights shows. A delayed broadcast, for purposes of this rule, is a broadcast of a UIL activity or event tha t begins a t least one hour a fter the conclusion of the activity or event. A radio broadcast, for purposes of this rule, is a ny live or delayed a udio only broadcast of a UIL activ - ity or event rega rdless of the mea ns or medium of tra nsmission. Section 826: The Leaguer 64 A telecast, for purposes of this rule, is a ny live or delayed television or other broadcast of the visual content, images or pictures of a UIL activity or event rega rdless of the mea ns or medium of tra ns - mission. A webcast, for purposes of this rule, is a ny telecast strea med over the internet. (c) LIVE FOOTBALL TELECAST LIMITED. In accor - da nce with UIL broadcast guidelines, UIL member schools may permit the live webcast of a regula r season football ga me on a Friday night. Other live telecasts of a regula r season football ga me on a Friday night, including over-the-a ir television broadcasts, shall not be permitted. PILOT PROGRAM: UIL is allowed a n exception to Section 868 (c) to a uthorize the broadcast of a live Friday ga me or ga mes on one Friday night during a single football season. (d) BROADCASTS NOT COVERED BY UIL CON - TRACT. In cases where broadcast rights, either in whole or pa rt, for a UIL post-season activity or event a re not gra nted to a third pa rty in a contract under this section or when under the terms of such a contract the broadcast rights of a pa rticula r UIL post-regula r season event or activity will not be exercised, the broadcast rights a re reta ined by UIL. Any contract entered into by pa rticipa ting schools under this subsection must be approved by the UIL a nd be consistent with a nd subject to a contract under this section concerning broadcast rights for UIL post-regula r season activities a nd events. 65 Section 868: Broadcast of UIL Events Section 900: INTRODUCTION TO HIGH SCHOOL ACADEMIC CONTESTS (a) PURPOSE. The purposes of The University Interscholastic League Academic contests a re to motiva te students through comprehensive com - petitions, challenge students to think critically a nd provide students with the opportunity to demonstra te mastery of essential knowledge a nd skills. (b) HIGH SCHOOL ACADEMIC CONTESTS. (1) Accounting (2) Ba rba ra Jorda n Historical Essay Competition (3) Calcula tor Applica tions (4) Computer Science (5) Congress (6) Current Issues a nd Events (7) Young Filmmakers Festival (8) Litera ry Criticism (9) Ma thema tics (10) Number Sense (11) Ready Writing (12) Science (13) Social Studies (14) Spelling a nd Voca bula ry (15) Cross-Exa mina tion Tea m Deba te (16) Lincoln-Douglas Deba te (17) Extempora neous Informa tive Speaking (18) Extempora neous Persuasive Speaking (19) Poetry Interpreta tion (20) Prose Interpreta tion (21) Editorial Writing (22) Fea ture Writing (23) Headline Writing (24) News Writing (25) Copy Editing (26) One-Act Play (27) Thea trical Design (28) Robotics Section 901: ACADEMIC CONTEST ETHICS CODE. (a) The Academic Contest Ethics Code shall ca rry the force of rule. Member school districts, member schools a nd/or covered school district personnel who viola te a ny of the provisions of this code shall be subject to penalty. (1) Pa rticipa te in contests in the spirit of fa irness a nd sportsma nship, observing all rules – both in letter a nd in spirit. (2) Sponsor a nd advise individuals a nd tea ms without resorting to unethical tactics, trickery tha t a ttempts to skirt the rules or a ny other unfa ir tactic tha t detracts from sound educa - tional principles. (3) Accept decisions of officials a nd judges without protest a nd extend protection a nd courtesy to officials. (4) Rega rd opponents as guests or hosts while placing personal a nd/or tea m integrity a bove victory a t a ny cost. Ma inta in grace a nd poise in victory or defea t. Conduct tha t bera tes, intimida tes or threa tens competitors has no place in interscholastic activities. (5) Provide informa tion or evidence rega rding eligibility of a ny contesta nt or school to local school administra tors or to the appropria te judicial bodies upon request. (6) Understa nd a nd apprecia te the educa tional values of competition a nd a bsta in from modi - fying or soliciting a nother teacher to modify grades for eligibility purposes, knowing tha t such behavior defea ts the cha racter-building purposes of extracurricula r competition. (7) Absta in from a ny practice tha t makes a student feel pressured to pa rticipa te in non- school activities. (8) At all times, ensure tha t competition is rela tive to a more importa nt overall educa - tional effort, using competition as a tool in the prepa ra tion of students for citizenship a nd successful adulthood. (9) Ensure tha t UIL Academic district, regional a nd sta te meets receive precedence over non- qualifying contests or meets. (10) School districts shall notify the academic regional or sta te meet director no la ter tha n the end of the second school day following academic district or regional competition if a student or a tea m knows tha t it will not com - pete a t the next higher academic meet. (b) SALARY/STIPEND. Any sala ry or stipend a rra nge - ment which makes it to the fina ncial interest of a coach, director or sponsor to win a UIL contest will be in viola tion of the Academic Ethics Code, a nd the member school district, member school a nd the school district personnel shall be subject to the ra nge of penalties outlined in Sections 27 a nd 29. Section 900: Introduction to HS Academic Contests Chapter 2: Contest Rules Subchapter A. ACADEMIC CONTESTS 66 Section 901: Academic Contest Ethics Code Section 902: GENERAL REGULATIONS (a) GENERAL REGULATIONS. General regula tions apply to all academic contests beginning a t the district meet or qualifying competition a nd pro - gressing to the regional a nd/or sta te meets. Contest procedures a nd rules may be found in the official contest ha ndbooks for each event. (b) ELIGIBILITY. The academic contests identified in Section 900 a re open to students in grades 9-12 eligible under Subchapter M. See One-Act Play Handbook a nd Robotics Handbook for exceptions. (c) ANSWER KEY ERRORS. In the case of a n error on the a nswer key of a n objectively scored contest, the contest director (or designee) should notify the UIL office of the na ture of the error a nd/or contact the respective sta te contest director to seek cla rifica tion. Mistakes in the a nswer key should be corrected, a nd papers should be judged on correct - ness ra ther tha n on a n incorrect a nswer given in the key. (d) VERIFICATION PERIOD. Academic events shall have a verifica tion period conducted according to the contest ha ndbook for each event. The purpose of the verifica tion period is to check for errors in scoring, ta bula tion a nd da ta entry, not to chal - lenge a test or a nswer key. A student a nd/or coach not present for the verifica tion period forfeits the opportunity to verify results. (e) OFFICIAL RESULTS. At the end of the verifica - tion period, results shall be a nnounced as official. Official results a re final a nd ca nnot be cha nged. (f) SUBMITTING RESULTS. All academic contest results shall be submitted a nd certified as final in the UIL Academic Meet Online Entry System or other official procedures outlined in tha t event’s ha ndbook. Contesta nts whose results a re not sub - mitted as required shall not adva nce to the next higher meet. (g) RETURNING CONTEST MATERIALS. Testing ma terials may be returned no sooner tha n the end of the contest on the last day of the respective week of competitions, following the verifica tion period a nd a nnouncement of official results, or a da te a nnounced by the UIL office. (h) QUALIFYING FOR ADVANCEMENT. (1) Individual Qualification . Winners in each con - ference or division qualify to the next highest meet as specified for the contests listed below. Consult the contest ha ndbooks for Thea trical Design, Film, Congress, Robotics a nd Ba r - ba ra Jorda n Historical Essay Competitions rega rding qualifica tion. If a n individual quali - fier ca nnot compete a t the next higher meet, the alterna te shall be notified a nd allowed to compete. (A) Two Cross-Exa mina tion Deba te tea ms (qualify from district to sta te). (B) Three Lincoln-Douglas Deba te (C) Three Extempora neous Informa tive Speaking (D) Three Extempora neous Persuasive Speaking (E) Three Poetry Interpreta tion (F) Three Prose Interpreta tion (G) Three Editorial Writing (H) Three Fea ture Writing (I) Three Headline Writing ( J) Three News Writing (K) Three Copy Editing (L) Three One-Act Plays (two plays qualify from region to sta te) (M) Three Accounting (N) One Accounting Tea m* (O) Three Calcula tor Applica tions (P) One Calcula tor Applica tions Tea m* (Q) Three Computer Science (R) One Computer Science Tea m* (S) Three Current Issues a nd Events (T) One Current Issues a nd Events Tea m* (U) Three Litera ry Criticism (V) One Litera ry Criticism Tea m* (W) Three Ma thema tics (X) One Ma thema tics Tea m* (Y) Three Number Sense (Z) One Number Sense Tea m* (AA) Three Ready Writing (BB) Science: three overall winners a nd the top scorer in each of the three subject a reas (CC)One Science Tea m* (DD) Three Social Studies (EE) One Social Studies Tea m* (FF) Three Spelling a nd Voca bula ry (GG) One Spelling a nd Voca bula ry Tea m* *The highest-scoring second place tea m from each region may adva nce to the aca - demic regional meet as a wild ca rd. The highest-scoring second place tea m from each conference may adva nce to the Academic Sta te Meet as a wild ca rd. (2) Individual Ties . Ties shall be broken through sixth place for individuals in contests with tie - breaker procedures. Tiebreaking procedures may be found in the contest ha ndbook for each event. After applying tiebreakers, if there is a tie for first place, there is no second place. 67 If there is a tie for second place, there is no third. If there is a tie for third place, there is no fourth place a nd both third place winners adva nce to the next higher meet. (3) Team Competition . In events with a n adva ncing tea m component, other tha n Cross-Exa mi - na tion Deba te, One-Act Play, Robotics a nd Thea trical Design, the first place tea m a nd a wild ca rd tea m in each event will adva nce to the next level of competition. Tea m members a re eligible to compete for individual hon - ors a t each level, rega rdless of whether they adva nced as a member of the tea m or as a n individual. If the first place tea m ca nnot com - pete a t the next higher meet, the alterna te tea m shall be notified a nd allowed to compete. (A) Number Of Tea m Members . The four highest-ra nking members of the win - ning tea m will adva nce to the next higher level of competition. Tiebreaker procedures must be followed for all members on adva ncing tea ms a nd potential wild ca rd tea ms to determine the top four members adva ncing as a tea m per the rules in each event’s ha nd - book. A school shall have a minimum of three contesta nts compete in order to pa rticipa te in the tea m competition. A first place or wild ca rd academic tea m may adva nce only as ma ny members as pa rticipa ted in the qualifying meet. (B) Substituting Tea m Members. Only one substitution may be made for tea m members una ble to compete a t the next highest level of competition in all tea m events except One-Act Play. A substi - tute shall present the contest director a signed Substitute Eligibility Form or a letter certifying eligibility, signed by a school official. (C) Wild Ca rd Tea m. Each region’s or con - ference’s highest-scoring second place tea m in tea m competition events may adva nce to the next higher meet. Fa ilure to meet the deadline or to submit cor - rect scores disqualifies the adva ncing tea ms as wild ca rd representa tives. (D) Tea m Ties. A tie occuring between two or more tea ms shall be broken through third place in all events with a tea m com - ponent. If two or more tea ms tie for first, second or third place, or the wild ca rd berth, the highest overall net or objec - tive score of the fourth ra nking member of the tea m will be used to break the tie according to the event’s ha ndbook. Should two or more contesta nts who a re the fourth ra nking member of the tea m have the sa me objective score a fter all tiebreaking proceedures have been fol - lowed, then a tie will be decla red, a nd all involved in the tie shall adva nce. A tea m tha t does not conta in a fourth member forfeits the right to pa rticipa te in the tiebreaker. Refer to Section 928(d)(2) for tea m tiebreakers in Computer Science. Refer to the contest ha ndbook for each event for a ny other exceptions. (i) NO ADVANCEMENT, SUBSTITUTION OR POINTS IF DISQUALIFIED. A contesta nt who is disqualified for viola tion of a contest rule shall not adva nce in tha t contest as a n individual or a mem - ber of the tea m to the next higher meet. A tea m shall not substitute a replacement for the disquali - fied contesta nt. A disqualified contesta nt does not ea rn points. (j) CONFIDENTIALITY OF CONTEST MATERI - ALS. Coaches, contest directors a nd contesta nts a re responsible for ma inta ining confidentiality of contest ma terials. Tra nsfer of informa tion rela - tive to the tests shall be considered a viola tion of the Academic Ethics Code a nd subject to penalties as outlined in Sections 27 a nd 29. Contesta nts who remove their test entry from the contest a rea prior to judging will be a utoma tically disqualified. (k) POINTS. (1) Points Awarded . At the district, regional, a nd sta te meets, points shall be awa rded to schools according to the schedule below. The academic cha mpionship shall be awa rded to the high school tha t accumula tes the high - est number of points in events a t tha t meet. The sta te academic cha mpionships will be awa rded based on points from all academic sta te contests. (2) Division Of Points For Ties . The schools of contesta nts tied for first place in a n academic contest shall add first a nd second place points a nd divide equally. The school of the contes - ta nt ra nking next shall receive third place points. Points for ties for the rema ining places shall be decided in the sa me ma nner, except tha t contesta nts tied for the last place tha t receives points shall divide equally the points assigned to tha t place. (3) Schedule Of Points . Points shall be awa rded on Section 902: General Regulations 68 Section 902: General Regulations the following basis: ACADEMIC CONTEST POINTS 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th SPEECH Cross-Ex Deba te 20 16 12 10 8 6 Lincoln-Douglas Deba te 15 12 10 8 6 4 Informa tive Speaking 15 12 10 8 6 4 Persuasive Speaking 15 12 10 8 6 4 Poetry Interpreta tion 15 12 10 8 6 4 Prose Interpreta tion 15 12 10 8 6 4 Congress* 15 12 10 8 6 4 Top Presiding Officer* 10 Speech Sweepstakes Points 10 5 Note: Speech Tea m Points. in the combined speech events a t each meet, 10 points will be awa rded to the school tha t finishes with the most overall points. Five points will be awa rded to the school tha t finishes with the second highest number of points. Recognition but no points a re awa rded to the school tha t finishes with the third high - est number of points No Cross-Exa mina tion Deba te points a re awa rded a t regional meets. Congress points a re awa rded a t the sta te meet only. JOURNALISM Copy Editing 15 12 10 8 6 4 Editorial Writing 15 12 10 8 6 4 Fea ture Writing 15 12 10 8 6 4 Headline Writing 15 12 10 8 6 4 News Writing 15 12 10 8 6 4 Journalism Sweepstakes Points 10 5 Note: Journalism Tea m Points. In the five journalism contests a t each meet 10 points will be awa rded to the school tha t finishes with the most overall points. Five points will be awa rded to the school tha t finishes with the second highest number of points. Recognition but no points a re awa rded to the school tha t finishes with the third highest number of points. THEATRE One-Act Play Ra nked Plays from: District 20 20 20 15 0 0 Region 20 20 15 0 0 0 Sta te 20 16 12 10 8 6 Individual Awa rds 10 8 6 0 0 0 Note: One-Act Play Points. The three unra nked plays adva ncing from district (two from region) each receive 20 points. The alterna te play receives 15 points. At Sta te One-Act Play, points a re awa rded through sixth place. Points for individual acting awa rds a re: each best performer receives 10 points; each all-sta r cast receives eight points; a nd each honora ble mention all-sta r cast receives six points. An individual act - ing awa rd assigned to a chorus or other group of players counts as only one individual awa rd a nd shall be alloca ted the appropria te points. One-Act Play points shall not be awa rded for zone, bi-district or a rea contests. Thea trical Design* Individual 15 12 10 8 6 4 Group 20 16 12 10 8 6 Film* 20 16 12 10 8 6 Thea tre Sweepstakes Points* 10 5 Note: Thea tre Tea m Points. In the combined thea tre events only a t the sta te meet, 10 points will be awa rded to the school tha t finishes with the most overall points. Five points will be awa rded to the school tha t finishes with the second highest number of points. Recognition but no points a re awa rded to the school tha t finishes with the third highest number of points. Thea trical Design a nd Film points a re awa rded a t the sta te meet only. OTHER ACADEMIC CONTESTS Accounting 15 12 10 8 6 4 Tea m Accounting 10 5 0 0 0 0 Ba rba ra Jorda n Essay 10 8 6 4 2 1 Calcula tor Applica tions 15 12 10 8 6 4 Tea m Calcula tor Applica tions 10 5 0 0 0 0 Computer Science 15 12 10 8 6 4 Tea m Computer Science 20 16 12 0 0 0 Current Issues & Events 15 12 10 8 6 4 Tea m Current Issues & Events 10 5 0 0 0 Litera ry Criticism 15 12 10 8 6 4 Tea m Litera ry Criticism 10 5 0 0 0 0 Ma thema tics 15 12 10 8 6 4 Tea m Ma thema tics 10 5 0 0 0 0 Number Sense 15 12 10 8 6 4 Tea m Number Sense 10 5 0 0 0 0 Ready Writing 15 12 10 8 6 4 Tea m Robotics* 20 16 12 10 Science Overall 15 12 10 8 6 4 Team Science 10 5 0 0 0 0 Top Scorer Biology 3 0 0 0 0 0 Top Scorer Chemistry 3 0 0 0 0 0 Top Scorer Physics 3 0 0 0 0 0 Social Studies 15 12 10 8 6 4 Team Social Studies 10 5 0 0 0 0 Spelling & Vocabulary 15 12 10 8 6 4 Team Spelling & Vocabulary 10 5 0 0 0 0 Note: * Indica tes points awa rded a t the sta te meet only. (4) Elementary/Middle/Junior High Points . Refer to Section 1408 for elementa ry/middle/junior high point system. Points won by a n elemen - ta ry, middle or junior high school shall not be counted towa rd the district sweepstakes in a high school meet a nd vice versa. (l) SUNDAY PARTICIPATION. UIL member schools shall not sponsor students in a UIL contest or a n academic contest simila r to one offered by the UIL on Sunday. Exceptions: (1) UIL competitions may be held on Sunday, due to unavoida ble circumsta nces tha t ca use ha rdship to pa rticipa ting schools, provided they a re approved by the UIL office . (2) School district personnel may instruct high school students a nd accompa ny them to school-sa nctioned academic competitions held on Sunday tha t do not count on UIL sta nding under the provisions listed below. (A) A student shall not represent a UIL member school in more tha n four such competitions on Sunday during the school yea r. Example: if a student competes in a tourna ment scheduled for Friday, Sa turday a nd Sunday, the tourna ment counts as one of the four allowa ble Sunday competitions rega rdless of whether the student com - petes on Sunday. (B) The pa rticipa tion of the student, aca - demic coach, sponsor or director shall have prior approval of the superin - tendent or designa ted administra tor. Students a re considered to be rep - resenting their school if they a re wea ring a nd/or using school equip - ment or being directed, accompa nied, or tra nsported by a school employee or persons on behalf of school per - 69 sonnel. (C) Pa rticipa tion is limited to contests tha t a re sponsored by colleges or universi - ties. Exception : Robotics (D) Students a re not prohibited from pa r - ticipa ting in non-school-sponsored competitions a nd activities. Pa rents may take their children to meets pro - vided the school does not pay entry fees or other rela ted expenses a nd the coaches do not a ttend the com - petition. The fact tha t a tourna ment entry conta ins informa tion as to which high school a student a ttends or infor - ma tion a bout the high school itself (address, coach, telephone, FAX, etc.) does not in a nd of itself constitute a viola tion. (E) The following constitute sponsorship: (i) The school pays entry fees for contesta nts or uses activity funds to pay for a ny or all student expenses. (ii) Student uses school fundra iser dolla rs to pay for fees, tra nspor - ta tion a nd/or housing expenses. (iii) Student is accompa nied by school personnel. (iv) Student is accompa nied, directed or tra nsported by a person or persons on behalf of school per - sonnel. (v) Student wea rs or uses school equipment. (F) School district personnel includes a ny person hired or appointed by the school or its employees who is involved in pre - pa ring or assisting the contesta nt for a contest tha t is pa rt of the UIL academic progra m. (G) This rule applies only to contests tha t a re pa rt of the UIL Academic Meet Pla n. It is not a viola tion for school district personnel to assist a student in prepa ra tion for or pa rticipa tion in a contest tha t is not pa rt of the UIL Aca - demic Meet Pla n. (H) Students found to be in viola tion of the Sunday Pa rticipa tion Rule may be penalized for the current academic yea r in “germa ne” academic contests. For exa mple, a student found in viola - tion of the Sunday Pa rticipa tion Rule in Lincoln-Douglas Deba te would be penalized in deba te only (Lincoln- Douglas a nd Cross-Exa mina tion), not in all speech events, nor in a ny other UIL academic events. (I) The District Executive Committee shall rule on protests a nd reports of viola tions concerning the Sunday Pa rticipa tion Rule. Refer to Section 28 (a). (m) NON-TRADITIONAL SCHOOL YEARS. (Refer to Section 383). (n) AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR (AED) USE REPORTING. UIL member schools shall file a report a fter a n AED is used in conjunc - tion with a ny UIL event, practice a nd competition, utilizing the online reporting form ava ila ble on the UIL website. Section 903: DISTRICT MEET (a) ELIGIBLE SCHOOLS. Only schools tha t a re mem - bers of the UIL as prescribed in Subchapter D shall be eligible for the district meet. (b) MEETS. High school competition shall extend to a sta te cha mpionship in the contests a nd events listed in Section 902. (c) DISTRICT STRUCTURE, HIGH SCHOOL. Aca - demic district assignments shall correspond to those listed in the academic alignments on the UIL website. Junior high, middle a nd elementa ry school districts may have sepa ra te district orga niza tion from high school districts. See Subchapter D. (d) DUTIES OF THE ACADEMIC DISTRICT EXEC - UTIVE COMMITTEE. (1) General Responsibilities. Refer to Section 28 for general responsibilities . (2) District Representatives. The UIL office shall na me a n orga nizing cha ir for each academic district committee to call a meeting of all schools in the district to select a cha ir a nd the district academic meet director. The UIL office shall be notified of the selections no la ter tha n October 1. (3) List of Other Duties. Select the site a nd da tes for the meets in accorda nce with the Offi - cial Calenda r by November 1. Complete a rra ngements for conducting the district meet. Arra nge the contest a nd event sched - ule. Arra nge for fina ncing the meet. Solicit entries from each school. See tha t only those schools on the official list furnished by the UIL office a re permitted to enter. Coopera te with the schools in orga nizing a nd promoting a district. Adjudica te disputes a rising within the district subject to Subchapters E a nd F, Section 902: General Regulations 70 Section 903: District Meet a nd work towa rd making the contests worth - while. (4) Planning Schedule. The Academic District Executive Committee shall schedule all aca - demic competitions during designa ted da tes on the official UIL calenda r. One-Act Play shall be completed prior to the certifica tion deadline posted a nnually on the UIL website. The com - mittee is urged to follow the recommended Academic Conflict Pa ttern on the UIL website. (5) Expenses In Academic Activities . The Academic District Executive Committee has a uthority to fina nce its expenses. (e) DUTIES OF THE DISTRICT ACADEMIC MEET DIRECTOR. (1) List of Duties. It shall be the duty of the district Cross-Exa mina tion Deba te director to set up the meet by December 1 a nd the academic meet director to set up the district academic meet by Februa ry 1 in the Academic Meet Online Entry System; secure appropria te facilities; select or a rra nge for the selection of judges a nd directors of the contests with the approval of the District Executive Committee a nd in accorda nce with individual contest pla ns; requisition a nd distribute to contest directors all contest ma terials furnished by the UIL office; have immedia te responsibility for conducting the meet in a n orderly ma n - ner; certify results online by 5 p.m. of the day following the academic meet; a nd serve on the Regional Executive Committee. For responsi - bilities rela ting to Cross-Exa mina tion Tea m Deba te, Refer to Section 1001. (2) The district academic meet director is expect - ed to notify all member schools rega rding the scheduled da tes of the meet, but each school has the final responsibility for ascerta ining the da tes a nd schedule. (f) ENTERING DISTRICT ACADEMIC EVENTS. (1) Entries of Contestants. See each contest pla n for the number of students a school may enter a nd specific entry requirements. The designa ted administra tor of a school shall be responsible for submitting via the UIL Academic Meet Online Entry System entries of contesta nts in the academic meet no la ter tha n 10 calenda r days before the day of the meet. For each contest, all pa rticipa nts must compete a t the sa me time a nd contest site. (2) Substitutions. (A) Students Whose Na mes Do Not Appea r on Academic, Cross-Exa mina tion Deba te or One-Act Play Online Entry Forms. Eligible students may serve as substitutes for a n original entry by providing the contest director with a Substitute Eligibility Form found on the UIL website or a letter signed by the designa ted administra tor certifying the student’s eligibility. The substitu - tion form or letter shall be presented to the contest director before the student competes. The contest director shall upda te the online entry rosters prior to entering results.. (B) Students Whose Na mes Appea r on Aca - demic or One-Act Play Online Entry Forms. Students who have been certified as eligible but who a re to be substituted into a nother event shall provide the contest director with written notifica - tion signed by the event sponsor or a representa tive from the contesta nt’s school. Eligibility is already certified; therefore, written notifica tion is for the convenience of the contest director who may not have a copy of the academic or one-act play forms. (C) Refer to Section 1001 for Further Restrictions in Cross-Exa mina tion Deba te. (3) Late Entries. Entries submitted a fter the 10-day deadline require a uthoriza tion of the district academic meet director. Allowa nces for la te entries shall be consistent for every school within tha t district. La te entries include the following: (A) La te Online Entry. Submitting a n online district meet entry form a fter the dead - line constitutes a la te entry. (B) La te Entry of a n Event. Entry of a n event not entered by the school prior to the deadline constitutes a la te entry. (C) La te Entry of a n Individual. Entry of a n individual to fill a place left vaca nt on the district meet online entry form a fter the deadline constitutes a la te entry. If the approval for a la te entry is gra nted, the coach or contesta nt shall provide the contest director, prior to the beginning of the contest, a letter signed by the superintendent or des - igna ted administra tor certifying both the eligibility of the student a nd the fact tha t the District Executive Com - mittee or the district academic meet 71 director has approved the la te entry. At the conclusion of the meet, the contest director shall submit the letter to the district academic meet director to be filed with the school’s original online entry form. (g) CONTEST MATERIALS. The district academic meet director shall requisition contest ma terials necessa ry for conducting meets from the UIL office by setting up the meet in the Academic Meet Online Entry System a nd should be completed by Decem - ber 1 for Cross-Exa mina tion Deba te a nd Februa ry 1 for academics. Section 904: REGIONAL MEET (a) ORGANIZATION. Na mes of the regional sites a nd directors a re posted on the UIL website. The regional director is expected to exert every effort to notify all member schools in the region of the da tes a nd schedule of the regional meet; however, the designa ted administra tor of each school having qualified representa tives is ultima tely responsible for ascerta ining the da tes of the meet a nd sched - uled times for each contest or event. (b) ENTRIES, ALTERNATES AND SUBSTITU - TIONS. (1) Entries . The district academic meet direc - tor’s online results constitute a school’s official entry in the regional meet for contests adva ncing from the district meet. Individual school entry is unnecessa ry. For each contest, all pa rticipa nts must compete a t the sa me time a nd contest site. (2) Forms and Fees . Each regional site may have its own fee structure a nd instructions for paying fees. (3) Alternates . If a qualified contesta nt placing first, second or third is una ble to pa rtici - pa te in the regional meet, the qualifier’s designa ted administra tor shall notify the district academic meet director in writing. The district academic meet director shall contact the regional director as well as the next lower place finisher, who shall become qualified to represent the district. Once a n alterna te has been designa ted as a contes - ta nt, the original qualifier is not eligible to be reinsta ted unless the alterna te ca nnot compete. Alterna tes who a re not taking the place of a n a bsent qualifier shall not be allowed to pa rticipa te in the competition. (4) Substituting Team Members . If a qualified tea m member is una ble to pa rticipa te, refer to Sec - tion 902 (h)(3). (c) QUALIFICATION. District winners in each contest qualify to the regional meet from each conference according to Section 902. Tea m members, except journalism a nd speech, a re eligible to compete for individual honors a t each level, rega rdless whether they adva nced as a member of the tea m or as a n individual. (d) REGIONAL ACADEMIC CHAMPIONSHIP. The school in each region with the highest total points for all regional level academic events shall be na med the regional academic cha mpion a nd awa rded a trophy. Points shall be awa rded accord - ing to Section 902. No school shall be eligible for the regional academic cha mpionship tha t does not place in more tha n one event. (e) DUTIES OF THE REGIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND REGIONAL DIRECTOR. (1) Composition of Regional Executive Commit - tee . Each regional site shall be under the cha rge of a Regional Executive Commit - tee with a regional director na med by the UIL office. The Regional Executive Com - mittee shall consist of a regional director as cha ir, directors of the regional academic meet a nd One-Act Play appointed by the regional director a nd the academic meet dis - trict director from each district in the region. (2) Committee Quorum . The foregoing shall con - stitute the voting members of the Regional Executive Committee. Five members shall constitute a quorum. If a quorum ca nnot be assembled, members may be contacted by telephone. (3) List of Duties . (A) Regional Committee. A Regional Exec - utive Committee is subject to Section 28 (e)(j) a nd (n), as applica ble, a nd Section 30. The Regional Executive Committee shall hold regional contests in the events listed in Section 902; schedule contests within da tes speci - fied on the official UIL calenda r in complia nce with Subchapter L; follow the Academic Conflict Pa ttern pro - vided on the UIL website; a nd a rra nge the meet schedules in the interest of the schools a nd pa rticipa nts, using as little school time a nd necessita ting as little expense a nd travel as possible. (B) Regional Director. The duties of the Regional Director shall pa rallel those of the District Academic Meet Direc - tor found in Section 902 (d) a nd (e), Section 903: District Meet 72 Section 904: Regional Meet as applica ble. The Regional Director shall have cha rge of a rra ngements for the contests a nd appoint other contest directors as necessa ry. The Regional Director shall identify Academic Meet District Directors from the Regional Executive Committee a nd pa rticipa ting school representa tives who will work with the site contest directors in all aspects of the meet from the pla nning stages through certifica tion of results. Section 905: STATE MEET (a) ORGANIZATION. (1) State Meet . The Academic Sta te Meet is held a nnually. A tenta tive schedule of contests a nd events a nd informa tion is posted on the UIL website. (2) School Responsibility . The designa ted admin - istra tor of each school having qualified representa tives is ultima tely responsible for ascerta ining the da tes of the meet a nd sched - uled times for each contest or event. (b) ENTRIES, ALTERNATES AND SUBSTITU - TIONS. (1) Entries . The regional meet director’s online results constitute a school’s official entry in the sta te meet for contests adva ncing from the regional meet. Individual school entry is unnecessa ry. For each contest, all pa rticipa nts must compete a t the sa me time a nd contest site. All other sta te academic events shall follow the process found in the contest pla n. (2) Alternates . If a qualified contesta nt placing first, second or third is una ble to pa rticipa te in the sta te meet, the qualifier’s designa ted administra tor shall notify the sta te director in writing. The UIL office will contact the next lower place finisher, who shall become qualified to represent the region. Once a n alterna te has been designa ted as a contesta nt, the original qualifier is not eligible to be rein - sta ted unless the alterna te ca nnot compete. Alterna tes who a re not taking the place of a n a bsent qualifier shall not pa rticipa te in the competition. (3) Substituting Team Members . If a qualified tea m member is una ble to pa rticipa te, refer to Section 902 (h)(3). (c) QUALIFICATION. Regional winners in each con - test qualify to the sta te meet from each conference according to Section 902. Tea m members, except journalism a nd speech, a re eligible to compete for individual honors a t each level, rega rdless of whether they adva nced as a member of the tea m or as a n individual. Sta te events without a regional competition will follow the process found in the contest ha ndbook. (d) STATE ACADEMIC CHAMPIONSHIP. The school in each conference with the highest total points for all academic events listed in Section 900 with a sta te competition shall be na med the sta te academic cha mpion for tha t conference a nd awa rded a trophy. Points shall be awa rded accord - ing to Section 902. No school shall be eligible for the sta te academic cha mpionship tha t does not place in more tha n one event. Section 906: INVITATIONAL MEETS (a) INVITATIONAL MEETS. Invita tional meets a re those meets hosted by schools to which other schools a re invited, irrespective of UIL district a nd conference assignment, to pa rticipa te in a practice setting for academic contest activities. (1) Host School Responsibilities . The host school has complete a uthority over entry proce - dures, rules a nd administra tion of contests a nd activities for the invita tional meet. Host schools a re urged to include on the meet invita tion a nd entry forms the origin of con - test ma terials to be used (for exa mple, UIL Set A, UIL Set B, or original ma terials). Host schools should order Invita tional Meet ma te - rials through the UIL website by the required deadline. (2) Contest Administration . To provide maximum benefit for students, invita tional contests should be administered as closely as possible to UIL contests, but the final determina tion of how contests will actually be run rests with the host school. (b) IDENTICAL CONTEST MATERIALS. Pa rtici - pa ting a nd host schools should be awa re tha t invita tional contest ma terials provided by the UIL office will be used for a designa ted time period ra ther tha n for just one day. If students a ttend more tha n one invita tional meet during a ny of the designa ted time periods, they will be tested on identical ma terials, unless host schools secure or crea te original ma terials. Academic coaches a re urged to limit student pa rticipa tion to only one competition using the sa me set of UIL ma terials. (c) INVITATIONAL MEET MATERIALS . Only those schools hosting meets may purchase UIL invita - tional ma terials. 73 Section 920: HIGH SCHOOL ACCOUNTING CON - TEST (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Purpose . The Accounting Contest prepa res students in principles a nd practices of accounting for sole proprietorships, pa rtner - ships a nd corpora tions. (2) Format . The contest may include bookkeeping terminology, the worksheet with adjustments, income sta tement, bala nce sheet, trial bala nce, account classifica tion, journalizing, posting, ba nk reconcilia tion, payroll a nd other items rela ted to the basic accounting cycle. (3) Calculators. Refer to the contest ha ndbook for restrictions on calcula tors. (b) ENTRIES. (1) Individual Competition. Each member high school may enter as ma ny as six individuals in the district meet, which may be limited to a maximum of four individuals with district executive committee approval. (2) Team Competition. A school shall have a mini - mum of three contesta nts compete in order to pa rticipa te in the tea m competition. All four members of the winning tea m will adva nce to the next higher level of competition. (c) QUALIFICATION . Individuals, tea ms a nd wild - ca rds qualify for the next level of competition according to Section 902. (d) TIES. (1) Individual Competition . No ties a re to be bro - ken. (2) Team Competition . Refer to Section 902 (h)(3) (D). Section 924: HIGH SCHOOL CALCULATOR APPLICA - TIONS CONTEST (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Purpose. The Calcula tor Applica tions Contest tra ins students in efficient problem solving stra tegies involving calcula tions in the a reas of engineering, science a nd ma thema tics. (2) Format. The contest includes calcula tions involving addition, subtraction, multiplica - tion, division, roots, powers, exponentia tion, loga rithms, trigonometric functions, inverse trigonometric functions, itera tive solutions for tra nscendental equa tions, differential a nd integral calculus, elementa ry sta tistics a nd ma trix algebra. In addition to stra ightforwa rd calcula tion problems, the contest shall include geometric a nd sta ted problems simila r to those found in recently adopted high school algebra, geometry, trigonometry, pre-calculus a nd calculus textbooks, previous contests, a nd UIL ma terials rela ted to the contest. (3) Calculators. Refer to the contest ha ndbook for restrictions on calcula tors. (4) Late Arrivals. Qualified contesta nts not pres - ent when the tests a re distributed will be disqualified. (b) ENTRIES. (1) Individual Competition . Each member high school may enter as ma ny as six individuals in the district meet, which may be limited to a maximum of four individuals with district executive committee approval. (2) Team Competition . A school shall have a mini - mum of three contesta nts compete in order to pa rticipa te in the tea m competition. All four members of the winning tea m will adva nce to the next higher level of competition. (c) QUALIFICATION. Individuals, tea ms a nd wild - ca rds qualify for the next level of competition according to Section 902. (d) TIES. (1) Individual Competition . In the event of a tie, the higher place shall be given to the contes - ta nt ga ining the most points on sta ted a nd geometric problems. If the sa me number of points a re ga ined on sta ted a nd geometric problems, then a tie exists. (2) Team Competition . Refer to Section 902 (h)(3) (D). Section 928: HIGH SCHOOL COMPUTER SCIENCE CONTEST (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Purpose . The Computer Science Contest chal - lenges students to study a broad ra nge of a reas in computer science, to ga in a n under - sta nding of the significa nce of computa tion as well as the deta ils of progra mming, to be alert to new technology a nd informa tion in computer science, to ga in a n understa nding of the basic principles as well as knowledge of the history a nd philosophy of computer science a nd to foster a sense of enthusiasm a bout computer science. (2) Format . (A) Test Questions . The written exa m for individual a nd tea m contesta nts a nd a progra mming session for tea ms will focus on computer science progra m - ming knowledge a nd skills ra ther tha n on ma thema tical engineering or other Section 920: HS Accounting Contest 74 Section 928: HS Computer Science Contest subject applica tions. (B) Materials. For the progra mming ses - sions, tea ms shall bring their own media for submitting solutions to judges when applica ble. Tea ms shall be prepa red to bring a computer to use for competi - tion, including all necessa ry ha rdwa re, ca bles a nd softwa re. Each tea m may use only one computer during the contest. A printer may be used but is not required. Refer to the Computer Science Handbook a nd UIL website for additional guide - lines. (C) Calculators . Calcula tors a re not permit - ted. During the progra mming portion of the contest, a computer’s included calcula tion functions may be used. (b) ENTRIES. (1) Individual Competition . Each member high school may enter as ma ny as six individuals in the district meet, which may be limited to a maximum of four individuals with district executive committee approval. (2) Team Competition . A school shall have a minimum of three contesta nts compete in order to pa rticipa te in the tea m competition, which shall include a written exa m a nd a tea m progra mming session. All tea m mem - bers shall take the written exa m. For tea ms with four members, the tea m’s coach shall decide which three members will pa rtici - pa te in progra mming. Schools tha t do not pa rticipa te in the progra mming session shall not qualify for tea m placement, points or adva ncement, unless only one school entered enough contesta nts for tea m competition. If only one tea m is entered, conducting the progra mming session is encouraged but not required. (c) QUALIFICATION. Individuals, tea ms a nd wild - ca rds qualify for the next level of competition according to Section 902. (d) TIES (1) Individual Competition . In the event of a tie, the formula for percent accuracy shall be used to break the tie. The formula is: percent accuracy equals number of problems correct divided by number of problems a ttempted. The contesta nt with the highest percent accuracy shall be awa rded the higher place. If the percent accuracy scores a re the sa me, then a tie exists. (2) Team Competition . If two or more tea ms tie for first, second or third place, the scores in the progra mming session will be considered first. If a tie still exists, the scores on the written exa m will be considered, followed by a total written exa m score tiebreaker if necessa ry. For four-member tea ms, the total written exa m score tiebreaker mea ns adding in the fourth score. For three-member tea ms no additional score is added. The tea m with the highest total written exa m score wins the tiebreaker. If a tie still exists, it will not be broken. Section 932: HIGH SCHOOL CURRENT ISSUES AND EVENTS CONTEST (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Purpose . The Current Issues a nd Events Contest focuses on basic knowledge of cur - rent sta te, na tional a nd world events/issues through the study of na tional a nd interna - tional online news sites a nd/or ha rd copy, da ily newspapers, specialized periodicals, weekly news maga zines, journals of politi - cal or social na ture, a nd other periodicals tha t report, summa rize or expla in world events. (2) Format . The contest will consist of objective questions a nd a n essay assessing knowledge of importa nt domestic a nd interna tional issues, events a nd personalities. (3) Essay. Contesta nts who fa il to submit a n essay shall be disqualified. A judge or judges will evalua te the essays of the eight contesta nts with the highest scores in the objective por - tion of the test. If a tie occurs for the eighth slot, then essays of all contesta nts tied for eighth will be judged. The score will be added to the point total from the objective portion of the test, resulting in a n overall score. (b) ENTRIES. (1) Individual Competition . Each member high school may enter as ma ny as six individuals in the district meet, which may be limited to a maximum of four individuals with district executive committee approval. (2) Team Competition . A school shall have a mini - mum of three contesta nts compete in order to pa rticipa te in the tea m competition. All four members of the winning tea m will adva nce to the next higher level of competition. (c) QUALIFICATION. Individuals, tea ms a nd wild - ca rds qualify for the next level of competition 75 according to Section 902. (d) TIES. (1) Individual Competition . All ties shall be bro - ken through sixth place. If a tie exists a fter the grading of the essays, then those essays involved in the tie will be judged one aga inst the other(s) to break the tie. When a tie occurs, those contesta nts who a re tied shall be awa rded a place before a ny other places a re awa rded. (2) Team Competition . Refer to Section 902 (h)(3) (D). Section 940: HIGH SCHOOL LITERARY CRITICISM CONTEST (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Purpose . The Litera ry Criticism Contest challenges students to acquire a thorough knowledge of litera ry history a nd of critical terms, a nd encourages development of a bili - ties through critically thinking a bout litera ry texts. (2) Format . The contest will consist of objective questions a nd a n essay assessing knowledge of litera ry history a nd of critical terms, a nd a bility in litera ry criticism. Students a re tested over ma terial on the reading list a nnounced a nnually on the UIL website a nd shall also a nalyze litera ry passages from works not on the reading list. (3) Essay. Contesta nts who fa il to submit a n essay shall be disqualified. The essay will be evalua ted only for contesta nts with tied objective portion scores in order to break the ties for students ra nking through sixth place. Although the essay section is required of all contesta nts, no points will be awa rd - ed. (b) ENTRIES. (1) Individual Competition . Each member high school may enter as ma ny as six individuals in the district meet, which may be limited to a maximum of four individuals with district executive committee approval. (2) Team Competition . A school shall have a minimum of three contesta nts compete in order to pa rticipa te in the tea m competition. All four members of the winning tea m will adva nce to the next higher level of competi - tion. (c) QUALIFICATION. Individuals, tea ms a nd wild - ca rds qualify for the next level of competition according to Section 902. (d) TIES . (1) Individual Competition . All ties shall be broken through sixth place. If two or more con - testa nts a re tied, three judges who a re not coaches of the tied contesta nts will ra nk the essays a nd give the higher ra nk to the con - testa nt with the better essay based on judging criteria in the contest ha ndbook. (2) Team Competition . Refer to Section 902 (h)(3) (D). Section 942: HIGH SCHOOL MATHEMATICS CON - TEST (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Purpose . The Ma thema tics Contest is intended to encourage interest in ma th, to develop talent in problem solving skills a nd to inspire students to excel in all a reas of ma thema tics. (2) Format . The contest will consist of objec - tive questions designed to test knowledge a nd understa nding in the a reas of Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Pre-calculus, AP Cal - culus (BC), AP Sta tistics, a nd director’s choice topics. (3) Calculators. Refer to the contest ha ndbook for restrictions on calcula tors. (b) ENTRIES. (1) Individual Competition . Each member high school may enter as ma ny as six individuals in the district meet, which may be limited to a maximum of four individuals with district executive committee approval. (2) Team Competition . A school shall have a mini - mum of three contesta nts compete in order to pa rticipa te in the tea m competition. All four members of the winning tea m will adva nce to the next higher level of competition. (c) QUALIFICATION. Individuals, tea ms a nd wild - ca rds qualify for the next level of competition according to Section 902. (d) TIES . (1) Individual Competition . In the event of a tie, the formula for percent accuracy shall be used to break the tie. The formula is: percent accuracy equals number of problems correct divided by number of problems a ttempted. The contesta nt with the highest percent accu - racy shall be awa rded the higher place. If the percent accuracy scores a re the sa me, then a tie exists. (2) Team Competition . Refer to Section 902 (h)(3) (D). Section 940: HS Literary Criticism Contest 76 Section 944: HS Number Sense Contest Section 944: HIGH SCHOOL NUMBER SENSE CONTEST (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Purpose . The Number Sense Contest empha - sizes the mental processes used to achieve ma thema tical calcula tions with no help from calcula tors, computers, or pen a nd paper, a nd to develop the use of specific techniques a nd stra tegies to make ma thema tical judgments a nd develop useful stra tegies for ha ndling numbers a nd opera tions. (2) Format . The contest will consist of ques - tions testing mental calcula tions of concepts from basic ma thema tics, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, a nalysis, number theory a nd calculus. Types of problems a nd concepts ca n be found on the Problem Sequencing Cha rt for the UIL High School Number Sense Test. (3) Late Arrivals. Qualified contesta nts not pres - ent when the tests a re distributed will be disqualified. (b) ENTRIES. (1) Individual Competition . Each member high school may enter as ma ny as four individuals in the district meet, or a maximum of six individuals with district executive committee approval. (2) Team Competition . A school shall have a minimum of three contesta nts compete in order to pa rticipa te in the tea m competition. All four members of the winning tea m will adva nce to the next higher level of competition. (c) QUALIFICATION . Individuals, tea ms a nd wild - ca rds qualify for the next level of competition according to Section 902 . (D) TIES. (1) Individual Competition . No ties a re to be bro - ken. (2) Team Competition . Refer to Section 902 (h)(3) (D). Section 948: HIGH SCHOOL READY WRITING CONTEST (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Purpose . The Ready Writing Contest builds students’ skills a nd helps refine writing a bili - ties through writing expository compositions, which expla in, prove or explore a topic in a bala nced way, allowing the a rgument a nd the evidence given to be the deciding factor in the paper. (2) Format . This contest gives contesta nts a choice between two prompts, each a n excerpt from litera ture, publica tions (past a nd pres - ent), or speeches from which to write a n expository composition. (3) Use of Computers . If contesta nts choose to use their own laptop/computers, they shall bring a porta ble printer, associa ted ha rdwa re, softwa re a nd paper. Spell check, thesa urus a nd dictiona ry functions may be used if ava ila ble on the computers. Students who opt to compose their entries on computers accept the risk of computer malfunction. In case of computer malfunction, the contes - ta nt may use the rema ining allotted time to complete the composition in ha nd writing or compose on a nother computer (if ava ila ble). When printing the contest on a n electronic printer, the print comma nd shall be sta rted by the time contest time expires. Once time has expired, pa rticipa nts a nd coaches shall not disconnect or connect computer equip - ment or enter new comma nds in a n effort to print the entry. District or regional host sites may provide computers for contesta nts but a re not expected to make those provisions. Computers will not be provided a t sta te, but contesta nts by use their own laptops a nd porta ble printers. (4) Writing By Hand . Contesta nts who a re ha ndwriting their compositions shall use their own sta nda rd 8 1/2 x 11-inch ruled white notebook paper or typing paper or the paper provided by the host school. Contesta nts shall write or print the com - position in ink a nd on only one side of the paper. (5) Thesaurus and Dictionary . Contesta nts may use a printed thesa urus a nd dictiona ry or may use spell check, dictiona ry a nd thesa urus functions of a laptop during the contest. No other resource ma terials may be used during the contest. (b) ENTRIES . (1) Individual Competition . Each member high school may enter as ma ny as three individuals in the district meet. (2) Team Competition. There is no tea m competi - tion in this event. (c) QUALIFICATION . Individuals qualify for the next level of competition according to Section 902. (d) TIES . There ca n be no ties in this contest . Judg - es shall ra nk papers in order of their excellence through sixth place. 77 Section 952: HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE CONTEST (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Purpose . The Science Contest challenges stu - dents in the basic funda mental principles of science, promotes lea rning in biology, chemis - try, a nd physics, fosters a sense of enthusiasm a bout adva nced topics a nd courses in the sci - ences a nd prepa res students for the rigor of college level courses. (2) Format . The contest will consist of objective questions designed to test comprehension of funda mental principles in biology, chemistry a nd physics. Papers may be turned in 30 min - utes a fter the sta rt of the contest. (3) Calculators. Refer to the contest ha ndbook for restrictions on calcula tors. (b) ENTRIES. (1) Individual Competition . Each member high school may enter as ma ny as six individuals in the district meet. (2) Team Competition . A tea m shall have a mini - mum of three contesta nts compete in order to pa rticipa te in the tea m competition. The four highest scoring members of the winning tea m will adva nce to the next higher level of competition. (c) QUALIFICATION. Individuals, tea ms a nd wild - ca rds qualify for the next level of competition according to Section 902. Contesta nts with the top score in each a rea (biology, chemistry, physics) qualify for the next higher competition a nd a re eli - gible to compete equally with the overall winners. One alterna te is na med for each top scorer posi - tion. See ties below. (d) TIES (1) Individual Competition . In the event of a tie, the formula for percent accuracy shall be used to break the tie. The formula is: percent accuracy equals number of problems correct divided by the number of problems a ttempt - ed. The contesta nt with the highest percent accuracy shall be awa rded the higher place. If the percent accuracy scores a re the sa me, then a tie exists. (2) Top Scorers . In the event of a tie for the top score in biology, chemistry or physics, the formula for percent accuracy within the subject a rea shall be used to break the tie. The formula is: percent accuracy equals number of problems correct divided by the number of problems a ttempted. The contes - ta nt with the highest percent accuracy shall be awa rded the higher place. If the percent accuracy scores a re the sa me, then a tie exists. (3) Team Competition . Refer to Section 902 (h)(3) (D). Section 956: HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Purpose . The Social Studies Contest chal - lenges students to read widely a nd deeply in the a reas of social studies in order to: expa nd a nd apply their understa nding of the na ture of geography a nd the physical setting of the ea rth to physical a nd cultural environments; expa nd a nd apply their understa nding of the governmental systems; a nd expa nd a nd apply their understa nding of historical trends, movements a nd eras, the impact a nd signifi - ca nt of time a nd place, ca use a nd effect, a nd cha nge over time. (2) Format . The contest will consist of objective questions a nd a n essay assessing knowledge of history, geography, civics a nd economics. Students a re tested over ma terial based on a theme a nnounced a nnually on the UIL web - site. (3) Essay. Contesta nts who fa il to submit a n essay shall be disqualified. A judge or judges will evalua te the essays of the eight contesta nts with the highest scores in the objective por - tion of the test. If a tie occurs for the eighth slot, then essays of all contesta nts tied for eighth will be judged. The score will be added to the point total from the objective portion of the test, resulting in a n overall score. (b) ENTRIES. (1) Individual Competition . Each member high school may enter as ma ny as six individuals in the district meet, which may be limited to a maximum of four individuals with district executive committee approval. (2) Team Competition . A school shall have a mini - mum of three contesta nts compete in order to pa rticipa te in the tea m competition. All four members of the winning tea m will adva nce to the next higher meet. (c) QUALIFICATION: Individuals, tea ms a nd wild - ca rds qualify for the next level of competition according to Section 902. (d) TIES. (1) Individual Competition . All ties shall be bro - ken through sixth place. If a tie exists a fter the grading of the essays, then those essays involved in the tie will be judged one aga inst Section 952: HS Science Contest 78 Section 960: HS Spelling & Vocabulary Contest the other(s) to break the tie. (2) Team Competition . Refer to Section 902 (h)(3) (D). Section 960: HIGH SCHOOL SPELLING AND VOCAB - ULARY (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Purpose . The UIL Spelling a nd Voca bula ry Contest promotes voca bula ry development a nd precise a nd effective use of words. (2) Format. The contest consists of objective questions of proofreading a nd voca bula ry a nd words tha t a re written from dicta tion. (3) Word Sources. At least 80 percent of the test will come from UIL Word Power . Outside words may include: words of common usage (e.g., gosling, hemorrhage); words a nd proper na mes currently in the news; a nd words which by their forma tion or origins build voca bula ry a nd promote the study of English. These include words with a ffixes, roots a nd suffixes tha t appea r in words on the printed list by being different pa rts of speech, a nd other words of interest for the general lessons, which teach a bout la nguage. (b) ENTRIES. (1) I ndividual Competition . Each member high school may enter as ma ny as six individuals in the district meet, which may be limited to a maximum of four individuals with district executive committee approval. (2) Team Competition . A school shall have a mini - mum of three contesta nts compete in order to pa rticipa te in the tea m competition. All four members of the winning tea m will adva nce to the next higher level of competition. (c) QUALIFICATION. Individuals, tea ms a nd wild - ca rds qualify for the next level of competition according to Section 902. (d) TIES. (1) Individual Competition . If a tie exists for first through sixth place, the score on Pa rt III of the test shall be used to break the tie a nd determine the winner. If a tie still exists, then it will not be broken. (2) Team Competition . Refer to Section 902 (h)(3) (D). Section 965: BARBARA JORDAN HISTORICAL ESSAY COMPETITION (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Purpose . The purpose of the Ba rba ra Jorda n Historical Essay Competition is to provide students a n opportunity to explore the con - tributions of a n individual, orga niza tion or movement tha t has made significa nt a nd positive contributions to Texas history or cul - ture. Students should look first to their local communities for possible essay topics. (2) Format . Resea rch paper forma t required. Guidelines a nd minimum sta nda rds will be posted on the UIL website. Essays should dis - play original resea rch; use of prima ry sources a nd interviews strongly encouraged. (b) ENTRIES. (1) Representation . Any student in grades 9-12 who a ttends a UIL member high school is eligible to enter. (2) Deadline . Entries will be submitted electroni - cally on or before the deadline published on the UIL website. (3) Evaluation . All entries tha t meet basic require - ments will be included in essay judging. Judges will evalua te each entry a nd provide comments tha t will be returned to contesta nts. (c) QUALIFICATION. Judges will nomina te essays to be considered as sta te finalists. A selection com - mittee will determine sta te finalists from a mong the nominees. All sta te finalists will be presented sta te awa rds a nd become eligible to apply for Texas Interscholastic League Founda tion schola rships. Section 970: ROBOTICS (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Purpose . Robotics incorpora tes numerous STEM components tha t develop beneficial knowledge a nd skills for students, includ - ing mecha nical a nd softwa re engineering, computer progra mming a nd ma thema tics. Pa rticipa tion in robotics fosters crea tivity a nd innova tion, while teaching students to work colla bora tively a nd to think critically a nd a nalytically. (2) Format . The contest structure shall be as specified in the current UIL Robotics Handbook . (b) ENTRIES. Each member school shall be allowed to enter contesta nts as specified in the current UIL Robotics Handbook . (c) QUALIFICATION. Criteria for adva ncement shall be as specified in the current UIL Robotics Handbook . Adva ncing contesta nts shall qualify to pa rticipa te in the UIL Robotics Sta te Cha mpionships. 79 Section 1000: SPEECH (a) EVENTS AND ENTRIES. The UIL speech program shall consist of events divided into three basic skill ca tegories: deba te, oral interpreta tion a nd extem - pora neous speaking. Students a re permitted to enter two events in speech, a nd Cross-Exa mina tion Tea m Deba te (see [b] Scheduling). The eligibility section requirements of each contest shall be met a nd no more tha n one event shall be selected from each of the following ca tegories: (1) Debate . (A) Cross-Exa mina tion Tea m Deba te (B) Lincoln-Douglas (2) Interpretation . (A) Prose Interpreta tion (B) Poetry Interpreta tion (3) Extemporaneous Speaking . (A) Informa tive Speaking (B) Persuasive Speaking (4) Prohibited Double Entries . If You Enter: You May Not Enter These Contests: Tea m Deba te Lincoln-Douglas Deba te Lincoln-Douglas Deba te Tea m Deba te, Prose Interpreta tion, Poetry Interpreta tion Prose Interpreta tion Lincoln-Douglas Deba te, Poetry Interpreta tion Poetry Interpreta tion Lincoln-Douglas Deba te, Prose Interpreta tion Informa tive Speaking Persuasive Speaking Persuasive Speaking Informa tive Speaking Note. There is no restriction on entering Congress in addition to other speech or academic events. (b) SCHEDULING. In addition to restrictions of indi - vidual contest pla ns, it is impera tive tha t students a nd academic coaches become fa milia r with the Academic Conflict Pa ttern when selecting contests for competition. This pa ttern is provided on the UIL website. Students who wa nt to double enter may request tha t they be allowed to speak first or second in a section but may not request to be placed in the bottom one-half of the section. If the double entry is not prohibited a bove, contest directors may allow the double entry if the necessa ry accom - moda tions do not inconvenience other contesta nts. Contest directors a re to use their best judgment in the ma tter. There shall be no protest of their deci - sions. (c) RECORDING. Schools a nd/or individuals a re pro - hibited from recording (a udio a nd/or video) speech contests. The UIL reserves the right to record for educa tional purposes. Section 1001: CROSS-EXAMINATION TEAM DEBATE (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Purpose . The purpose of this contest is to tra in the student to a nalyze a problem, conduct thorough a nd releva nt resea rch, a nd utilize principles of a rgumenta tion a nd advocacy in orally presenting the most effec - tive case for or aga inst a given proposition. (2) Format . Round robin or multiple prelimina ry rounds leading to a n elimina tion bracket. Each round includes approxima tely 90 min - utes of oral a rguments in a structured forma t deba ting a policy resolution provided on the UIL website. Each two-member tea m shall a rgue the a ffirma tive side of the resolution as well as the nega tive side of the resolution. (b) ENTRIES. (1) Representation . The deba tes shall be conduct - ed in one division in each conference. In all conferences a school may enter in its district meet four, two-member tea ms. (2) Eligibility . Students who gradua te during the yea r a re eligible for UIL post-district competition if they have qualified for tha t competition on or before the da te they gradua te. Tea m deba ters shall not enter Lin - coln-Douglas deba te. (3) Substitutions . (A) A deba te tea m shall consist of two mem - bers. If a tea m member is substituted a t the Sta te Meet, the rema ining deba ter shall be a member of the original tea m tha t qualified a t the district meet to adva nce to the Sta te Meet. (B) Limit on Substitutions . After a given tourna ment has begun, no substitutions will be allowed. The contest director is empowered to disqualify a tea m for substituting a fter a tourna ment has begun. (4) Failure to Compete at District . Disqualifica - tion from the Cross-Exa mina tion Deba te Contest for the current academic yea r may result if a n academic coach fa ils to notify the district contest director, in a timely ma nner prior to the meet, tha t a tea m will not com - pete a nd such viola tions may be grounds for suspension from tea m deba te for the follow - ing yea r. (5) Alternates . In the event tha t neither member of the original qualifying tea m ca n compete, then the alterna te tea m shall be notified a nd permitted to adva nce. Alterna tes in districts with fewer tha n 8 tea ms competing or in Section 970: Robotics Competition 80 Section 1001: Cross-Examination Team Debate districts with only one school competing a re subject to the certifica tion requirements. An academic coach who fa ils to notify the sta te contest director tha t a tea m will not compete is in viola tion of the Academic Contest Ethics Code a nd the school shall be disqualified from tea m deba te for the current academic competition a nd such viola tions may be grounds for suspension from tea m deba te for the following yea r. (c) THE RESOLUTION. The resolution for deba te during the current school yea r shall be posted on the UIL website. (d) SCOUTING. (1) Debates Shall Be Public . Deba te, by its very na ture, is public. Therefore, all deba tes in UIL district a nd sta te competition shall be open to the public, with the exception of deba te tea ms competing in tha t tourna ment. Competing deba ters shall not observe rounds of district or sta te competition in which they a re not deba ting. (2) Notes . With the exception of the final deba te in district a nd sta te competition, only the judge a nd the four student pa rticipa nts shall take notes. For exa mple, a nyone may take notes in the deba tes tha t determine first a nd second place, a nd third a nd fourth place. Refer to Section 1000 (c) rega rding taping a nd filming. (3) Sharing of Notes . During a tourna ment, pa r - ticipa nts or judges may not give or accept notes taken during tha t tourna ment. For exa mple, a judge or a deba ter pa rticipa ting in the district contest is neither allowed to give nor accept notes rega rding a ny rounds in tha t tourna ment from a nyone else during tha t tourna ment. (4) Penalty for Debaters . Viola tion by deba ters of the scouting rule is grounds for disquali - fica tion of the deba te tea m from the current competition. The contest director shall be empowered with the final decision in ques - tions concerning scouting. Such viola tions may be grounds for suspension of the school from tea m deba te for the following yea r. (5) Penalty for Coaches . Viola tion by coaches of the scouting rule is grounds for disqualifica tion of their tea ms from the current competition. Coaches who viola te scouting rules will also be subject to the full ra nge of penalties as outlined in Sections 27 a nd 29, a nd such viola tions may be grounds for suspension of the school from tea m deba te for the following yea r. (e) COACHING FOR DEBATE. (1) Coaching Before the Meet . Aside from the bul - letins furnished by the UIL office a nd other reading ma tter, the assista nce furnished to contesta nts in prepa ring deba tes should not exceed the following: (A) a id in outlining the a rguments; (B) citing sources of informa tion; a nd (C) suggestions as to delivery. (2) Coaching During a Debate . In all contests, the deba ters shall be sepa ra ted from the a udience a nd shall receive no coaching while the deba te is in progress. Viva voce or other prompting either by the speaker’s colleague or by a ny other person while the deba ter has the floor is prohibited. Deba ters may, however, refer to their notes a nd ma terials a nd may consult with their tea mma tes while they do not have the floor. (3) Penalty for Prompting . If prompting occurs during a round, the tea m in viola tion of the prompting rule shall be assigned a loss in the round in which the prompting took place. Time signals a re not considered prompting. (f) QUESTIONS. (1) Questions shall be directed to the contest director before the decision of the judges is a nnounced. The decision of the meet officials in these ma tters is final. No a rguments with the judges will be permitted. (2) Excessive a buse by either contesta nts or their coaches shall be reason for disqualifica tion of tha t school a nd its contesta nts for the current competition a nd may be grounds for suspen - sion for the following yea r. Section 1002: LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATE (a) THE CONTEST. Lincoln-Douglas deba te provides excellent tra ining for development of skills in a rgumenta tion, persuasion, resea rch a nd a udience a nalysis. (1) Purpose. Lincoln-Douglas deba te is a n oral one-on-one a rgumenta tion in which deba t - ers a ttempt to convince the judge of the accepta bility of their side of a proposition with a communica tive style of delivery. One deba ter shall a rgue the a ffirma tive side of the resolution, a nd one deba ter shall a rgue the nega tive side of the resolution in a given round. (2) Format. Round robin or multiple prelimina ry rounds leading to a n elimina tion bracket. 81 Each round is approxima tely 40 minutes. One deba ter shall a rgue the a ffirma tive side of the value resolution, a nd one deba ter shall a rgue the nega tive side of the value resolution in a given round. Each deba ter will a rgue both sides of the resolution within the tourna ment forma t. (b) ENTRIES. (1) Representation . The deba tes shall be conduct - ed in one division in each conference. In all conferences, a school may enter four indi - viduals in its district meet. (2) Eligibility . The student may not enter more tha n two speech events; a nd when entered in Lincoln-Douglas, the second speech event may not be Cross-Exa mina tion tea m deba te, prose or poetry. Refer to Section 1000. (3) Substitutions . During the district meet, sub - stitutions shall not be allowed a fter a given tourna ment has begun. Substitutions shall not be allowed a fter the district meet. (4) Failure to Compete at District . Disqualifica tion from the Lincoln-Douglas Deba te Contest for the current academic yea r may result if a n academic coach fa ils to notify the district contest director, in a timely ma nner prior to the meet, tha t a deba ter will not compete a nd such may be grounds for suspension from Lincoln-Douglas deba te for the follow - ing yea r. (5) Alternates . When a deba ter who qualified for the next higher meet ca nnot pa rticipa te in the next higher meet, the alterna te should be notified. A coach or designee who fa ils to notify the regional a nd/or sta te contest directors tha t a student will not compete is in viola tion of the Academic Contest Ethics Code a nd the school shall be dis - qualified from Lincoln-Douglas deba te for the current academic competition, a nd such viola tions may be grounds for suspension from Lincoln-Douglas deba te for the fol - lowing yea r. (c) THE LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATE RESOLU - TION. Two topics for deba te, one for fall a nd one for spring, provided by the UIL office, shall be posted during the course of the school yea r on the UIL website. (d) SCOUTING. (1) Debates Shall Be Public . Deba te, by its very nature, is public. Therefore, all deba tes in UIL district, regional a nd sta te competi - tion shall be open to the public, with the exception of deba ters competing in tha t tourna ment. Competing deba ters shall not observe rounds of district, region, or sta te competition in which they a re not deba t - ing. (2) Notes . With the exception of the final deba te in district, regional a nd sta te competition, only the judge a nd the two student pa rtici - pa nts shall take notes. For exa mple, a nyone may take notes in the deba tes tha t determine first a nd second place, a nd third a nd fourth place. Refer to Section 1000 (c) rega rding tap - ing a nd filming. (3) Sharing of Notes . During a tourna ment, pa r - ticipa nts or judges may not give or accept notes taken during tha t tourna ment. For exa mple, a judge or a deba ter pa rticipa ting in the district contest is neither allowed to give nor accept notes rega rding a ny rounds in tha t tourna ment from a nyone else during tha t tourna ment. (4) Penalty for Debaters . Viola tion by deba ters of the scouting rule is grounds for disqualifica tion of the deba ter from the current competition. The contest director shall be empowered with the final decision in questions concerning scouting. Such viola tions may be grounds for suspension of the school from Lincoln-Douglas deba te for the following yea r. (5) Penalty for Coaches . Viola tion by coaches of the scouting rule is grounds for disqualifi - ca tion of their deba ters from the current competition. Coaches who viola te scouting rules will also be subject to the full ra nge of penalties as outlined in Sections 27 a nd 29, a nd such viola tions may be grounds for sus - pension of the school from Lincoln-Douglas deba te for the following yea r. (e) QUESTIONS. (1) Questions shall be directed to the contest director before the official decision of the judges is a nnounced. The decision of the meet officials in these ma tters is final. No a rguments with the judges will be permit - ted. (2) Excessive a buse by either the contesta nt or the coach shall be reason for disqualifica - tion of tha t school a nd its contesta nt for the current competition a nd may be grounds for suspension for the following yea r. Section 1003: INDIVIDUAL SPEECH CONTESTS Section 1002: Lincoln-Douglas Debate 82 Section 1002: Lincoln-Douglas Debate (a) PURPOSE. The purpose of each of the individual speech contests is to stimula te the student’s a bil - ity to communica te ideas a nd informa tion to a n a udience. In the extempora neous informa tive speaking a nd extempora neous persuasive speak - ing contests, these ideas a re essentially those of the speaker, derived from the speaker’s back - ground of resea rch on current events. In poetry interpreta tion a nd prose interpreta tion, the stu - dent is challenged to ascerta in a nd communica te the ideas of a n a uthor through a litera ry selec - tion, based on the student’s understa nding a nd resea rch. (b) GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS. (1) Sections . A section shall consist of no more tha n eight contesta nts. If nine or more stu - dents enter a single contest, prelimina ry a nd final rounds shall be held. Prelimina ry round sections shall be divided as equally as possible. The following cha rt shall be used to deter - mine the number of sections a nd finalists in each section: No. Entries Prelimina ries Pa rticipa nts Adva ncing to Final Round 1- 8 None* Final Round 9-16 2 Sections 1st, 2nd, 3rd from each section 15-24 3 Sections 1st, 2nd from each section 20-32 4 Sections 1st, 2nd from each section 32-39 8 Sections 1st from each section * If desired, a prelimina ry round may be held. Contesta nts should be entered on the district online entry form according to strength. Con - test directors should section by distributing first, second a nd third place district entries as equally as possible, avoiding when possible, placing contesta nts from the sa me school in the sa me section. At the regional level, first, second a nd third place district winners should be distributed as equally as possible through - out the sections. Section 1004: EXTEMPORANEOUS INFORMATIVE SPEAKING (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Purpose . The purpose of this contest is to stimu - la te a n active interest in current a ffa irs a t the sta te, na tional a nd interna tional levels, a nd to teach the student to present extempora neously in a clea r a nd impa rtial ma nner the facts a bout a subject as they appea r in the best ava ila ble sources of informa tion. This contest is a n exer - cise in clea r thinking a nd informing the public on the issues a nd concerns of the America n people. The objective is to present informa tion orally in a n interesting way, a nd a n a ttempt should not be made to cha nge the listener’s mind beyond presenting the informa tion. (2) Format . Contesta nts draw five topics, select one a nd have thirty minutes to prepa re a n informa tive speech on the topic. Topics shall be based on current news events a nd include topics from sta te, na tional a nd inter - na tional levels. They will be chosen from the general a reas of political, social, eco - nomic, educa tional a nd cultural interests. The speaker is obliga ted to elicit a n informa tive response. The limit for the oral speech is seven minutes maximum. (b) ENTRIES. (1) Representation . Each member school in all conferences may enter four students in the contest. (2) Eligibility . Only students in high school a re eligible for this contest. Contesta nts shall not compete in district in more tha n one extempo - ra neous event in the sa me yea r. See Subchapter M a nd Section 1000, Eligibility Rules. (c) RESOURCE. The contest rules a nd procedures a re discussed in deta il in the UIL Informative and Per - suasive Speaking Handbook a nd on the UIL website. Coaches a re responsible for reviewing this publica - tion in adva nce of the contest. (d) LENGTH OF SPEECHES. Informa tive speeches shall not be longer tha n seven minutes. There shall be no minimum time. The speaker may complete only the sentence tha t is in progress without dis - qualifica tion, a fter the allotted time has expired. The responsibility of keeping within the seven- minute time limit rests with the contesta nt . (e) RESTRICTION ON NOTES. A speaker is allowed to use one noteca rd, but not required to do so. If used, the noteca rd shall be no la rger tha n 3x5” when delivering the speech. No limit is placed on the qua ntity of informa tion on tha t one ca rd. Use of more tha n one noteca rd shall result in disquali - fica tion. All source cita tions orally delivered in the speech should be legitima te. (f) ELECTRONIC DEVICES IN THE PREP ROOM. The use of laptop a nd other electronic retrieval devices by competitors in UIL Extempora neous Speaking is allowed so long as wired or wireless connections a re disa bled a nd rema in disa bled throughout the contest. Cell phones, sma rtphones a nd sma rtwa tches a re prohibited in the prepa ra - tion room. (g) QUESTIONS. Questions shall be made to the contest director before the decision of the judges is rendered. The decisions of the meet officials in 83 these ma tters a re final. Section 1005: EXTEMPORANEOUS PERSUASIVE SPEAKING (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Purpose . The purpose of this contest is to stimula te a n active interest in current a ffa irs a t the sta te, na tional a nd interna tional levels a nd to tra in students to a nalyze a current issue, determine a point of view, a nd then orga nize a nd deliver extempora neously a speech tha t seeks to persuade listeners to agree with tha t viewpoint. The objective is to reinforce the views of listeners who already believe as the speaker does, but even more so, to bring those of neutral or opposing views a round to the speaker’s beliefs or proposed course of action. (2) Format . Contesta nts draw five topics, select one a nd have thirty minutes to prepa re a persuasive speech on the topic. Topics shall be based on current news events a nd include topics from sta te, na tional a nd interna tional levels. They will be chosen from the general a reas of politi - cal, social, economic, educa tional a nd cultural interests. The speaker is obliga ted to elicit a per - suasive response. The limit for the oral speech is seven minutes maximum. (b) ENTRIES. (1) Representation . Each member school in all conferences may enter four students in the contest. (2) Eligibility . Only students in high school a re eligible for this contest. Contesta nts shall not compete in district in more tha n one extem - pora neous speaking event in the sa me yea r. See Subchapter M a nd Section 1000, Speech Eligibility Rules. (c) RESOURCE. The contest rules a nd procedures a re discussed in deta il in the UIL Informative and Per - suasive Speaking Handbook a nd on the UIL website. Coaches a re responsible for reviewing these publi - ca tions in adva nce of the contest. (d) LENGTH OF SPEECHES. Persuasive speeches shall not be longer tha n seven minutes. There shall be no minimum time. The speaker may complete only the sentence in progress without disquali - fica tion, a fter the allotted time has expired. The responsibility of keeping within the seven-minute time limit rests with the contesta nt. (e) RESTRICTION ON NOTES. A speaker is allowed to use one noteca rd, but not required to do so. If used, the noteca rd shall be no la rger tha n 3x5” when delivering the speech. No limit is placed on the qua ntity of informa tion on tha t one ca rd. Use of more tha n one noteca rd shall result in disquali - fica tion. All source cita tions orally delivered in the speech should be legitima te. (f) ELECTRONIC DEVICES IN THE PREP ROOM. The use of laptop a nd other electronic retrieval devices by competitors in UIL Extempora neous Speaking is allowed so long as wired or wireless connections a re disa bled a nd rema in disa bled throughout the contest. Cell phones, sma rtphones a nd sma rtwa tches a re prohibited in the prepa ra - tion room. (g) QUESTIONS. Questions shall be made to the contest director before the decision of the judges is rendered. The decisions of the meet officials in these ma tters a re final. Section 1006: POETRY INTERPRETATION (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Purpose . The purpose of this contest is to encourage the student to understa nd, experi - ence a nd sha re poetry through the a rt of oral interpreta tion. (A) Oral interpreta tion, or the study of lit - era ture through its performa nce, ca n be defined as a demonstra tion of a nalysis, performa nce a nd communica tion skills offered publicly on behalf of litera ture. (B) Oral interpreta tion focuses on litera ture in performa nce through expressive oral reading. The goals of this contest a re to encourage the contesta nt’s explora tion of a va riety of litera ry selections, a nd to enha nce the performer’s a nd a udience’s apprecia tion of litera ture through the performer’s interpreta tion of the work. (2) Format . Contesta nts shall prepa re selections from both Ca tegories A a nd B. The litera ry ca tegories a re designed to encourage students to explore the wide va riety of feeling a nd form ava ila ble in poetry. In a ny one contest round, the contesta nts shall be bound by the one selected ca tegory. Contesta nts who fa il to read ma terial from within the selected ca t - egory shall be disqualified. Oral reading of the selection(s), including the introduction a nd tra nsitions, shall not exceed seven minutes. (b) ENTRIES. (1) Representation . Each member school in all conferences may enter four students in the contest. Section 1004: Extemporaneous Informative Speaking 84 Section 1006: Poetry Interpretation (2) Eligibility . Only students in high school a re eligible for this contest. Poetry contesta nts shall not compete a t district in prose inter - preta tion or in Lincoln-Douglas deba te. Refer to Section 1000 for specific speech eligibility requirements. (c) RESOURCES. The ca tegories a re discussed a nd defined in deta il in the UIL Prose and Poetry Handbook a nd on the UIL website. Coaches a re responsible for reviewing these publica tions in adva nce of the contest. (d) STANDARDS . In selecting ma terial to be read in the contest, the coach a nd student a re chal - lenged to explore litera ture of high quality a nd a re encouraged to prepa re selections of litera ry merit tha t the sa me student has not performed in a previous yea r. Students shall not use selections from the sa me litera ry work more tha n one yea r a t UIL Sta te Meet a nd strongly a re discouraged from repea ting the sa me selection a t district or regional contests tha t they performed in a previous yea r. Selections used by contesta nts should not offend the moral sta nda rds of the community nor be in bad taste. Academic coaches should revise in keep - ing with copyright laws or reject all selections tha t in a ny way fa il to meet these qualifica tions, as not all ma terial by a n a uthor is appropria te for contest ma terial. (e) INTRODUCTIONS. An introduction is required in both ca tegories. The introduction a nd/or tra n - sitions during the performa nce shall include the na me of the writer(s) a nd the selection(s) to be per - formed a nd should prepa re the a udience to listen to the selection. The introduction should reflect sponta neity, though it should be prepa red ahead of time. (f) MANUSCRIPTS OR COPIES. The contesta nt should perform the selections reading from ma nu - scripts or copies of the selections tha t a re in a binder. Students shall not read from books or mag - a zines or perform without a ma nuscript or copy of the selection. (g) TIME LIMIT. The time limit for each performa nce including introduction a nd a ny tra nsitional ma te - rial may not exceed seven minutes. There is no grace period. The responsibility for keeping within the restricted time limit rests with the contesta nt. The penalty for exceeding seven minutes is disqualifica - tion from the round by the contest director, with the exception of the final round of Sta te Meet when the contesta nt shall receive last in the round. Section 1007: PROSE INTERPRETATION (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Purpose . The purpose of this contest is to encourage the student to understa nd, experi - ence a nd sha re prose works through the a rt of oral interpreta tion. (A) Oral interpreta tion, or the study of lit - era ture through its performa nce, ca n be defined as a combina tion of a nalysis, performa nce a nd communica tion skills offered publicly on behalf of litera ture. (B) Oral interpreta tion focuses on litera - ture in performa nce through expressive oral reading. The goals of this con - test a re to encourage the contesta nt’s explora tion of a va riety of litera ry selections a nd to enha nce the per - former’s a nd a udience’s apprecia tion of litera ture through the performer’s interpreta tion of the work. (2) Format . Contesta nts shall prepa re selections from both Ca tegories A a nd B. The litera ry ca tegories a re designed to encourage students to explore the wide va riety of points of view a nd feeling ava ila ble in prose. In a ny one con - test round, the contesta nts shall be bound by the one selected ca tegory. Contesta nts who fa il to read ma terial from within the selected ca tegory shall be disqualified. Oral reading of the selection(s), including the introduction a nd tra nsitions, shall not exceed seven min - utes. (b) ENTRIES. (1) Representation . Each member school in all conferences may enter four students in the contest. (2) Eligibility . Prose contesta nts shall not com - pete a t district in poetry interpreta tion or in Lincoln-Douglas deba te. See Speech Pla n, Section 1000, for specific speech eligibility rules. (c) RESOURCES. The ca tegories a re discussed a nd defined in deta il in the UIL Prose and Poetry Handbook a nd on the UIL website. Coaches a re responsible for reviewing these publica tions in adva nce of the contest. (d) STANDARDS. In selecting ma terial to be read in the contest, the coach a nd student a re chal - lenged to explore litera ture of high quality a nd a re encouraged to prepa re selections of litera ry merit tha t the sa me student has not performed in a previous yea r. Students shall not use selections from the sa me litera ry work more tha n one yea r a t UIL Sta te Meet a nd a re strongly discouraged from 85 repea ting the sa me selection a t district or regional contests tha t they performed in a previous yea r. Selections used by contesta nts should not offend the moral sta nda rds of the community nor be in bad taste. Academic coaches should revise in keep - ing with copyright laws or reject all selections tha t in a ny way fa il to meet these qualifica tions, as not all ma terial by a n a uthor is appropria te for contest ma terial. (e) INTRODUCTIONS. An introduction is required in both ca tegories. The introduction a nd/or tra n - sitions during the performa nce shall include the na me of the writer(s) a nd the selection(s) to be per - formed a nd should prepa re the a udience to listen to the selection. The introduction should reflect sponta neity, though it should be prepa red ahead of time. (f) MANUSCRIPTS OR COPIES. The contesta nt should perform the selections reading from ma nu - scripts or copies of the selections tha t a re in a binder. Students shall not read from books or mag - a zines or perform without a ma nuscript or copy of the selection. (g) TIME LIMIT. The time limit for each performa nce including introduction a nd a ny tra nsitional ma te - rial may not exceed seven minutes. There is no grace period. The responsibility for keeping within the restricted time limit rests with the con - testa nt. The penalty for exceeding seven minutes is disqualifica tion from the round by the contest director, with the exception of the final round of Sta te Meet when the contesta nt shall receive last in the round. Section 1008: CONGRESS (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Purpose . The purpose of this contest is to encourage the student to understa nd real- world social a nd political policies deba ted within the fra mework of a legisla tive body modeled a fter the United Sta tes Congress, with formal discourse guided by pa rlia men - ta ry procedure. (2) Format. Contesta nts will formula te legisla tive bills a nd resolutions, deba te them, a nd adopt or reject them by casting votes. Speaking in legisla tive congress is conducted within a structured environment of specific proce - dural rules. (b) ENTRIES. (1) Representation . Each school desiring to pa r - ticipa te in UIL Congress should file a n intent to pa rticipa te form on the UIL website no la ter tha n da te posted on UIL Congress web - page for the current school yea r. Fa ilure to submit intent shall require regional commit - tee approval in order for school to pa rticipa te. Each school in all conferences may enter five competitors in the congressional region com - petition. Two alterna tes may be registered. Entries shall be submitted a t least ten calen - da r days prior to the congressional region competition via the UIL website. In the event ten or less total contesta nts per conference a re competing in a congressional region, both alterna tes from each school with a full entry in tha t conference may be sea ted. Only one alterna te may be sea ted if there a re 11-15 entries within the conference. (2) Eligibility. Speech pla n, Section 1000 of the UIL Constitution a nd Contest Rules, rega rd - ing specific speech eligibility shall not apply to this contest. Entering the congress compe - tition does not impact a student’s eligibility to enter a ny other UIL high school academic event (i.e., CX Deba te, LD Deba te, Number Sense, Journalism). (3) Entries Submitted After the 10-day Deadline , require majority consent of the regional con - gress committee. (c) RESOURCES. The contest is discussed a nd defined in deta il in the UIL Congress Ha ndbook a nd on the UIL website. Coaches a re responsible for reviewing these publica tions in adva nce of the contest. (d) STRUCTURE. Congress will be orga nized into regions according to the twenty Educa tional Service Centers (ESC) designa ted by the Texas Educa tion Agency. All schools, rega rdless of UIL conference, will compete with each other within their school’s region ESC unless conference entry numbers wa rra nt sepa ra te cha mbers. Rega rdless, each conference competing in the congressional region will be eligible to adva nce a minimum of three representa tives to the sta te congressional competition. (e) CONGRESSIONAL REGION CONTEST DIRECTORSHIP. A directorship of five for each congressional region contest within their Educa tion Service Center region will conduct the region contest. A congressional region clerk appointed by the UIL office will cha ir the directorship. The congressional region clerk shall be the final a uthority until the congressional region competition is completed. (f) ELECTRONIC DEVICES IN CHAMBER. The Section 1007: Prose Interpretation 86 Section 1008: Congress use of laptop a nd ta blet computers a nd other electronic retrieval devices by competitors in UIL Congress is allowed so long as wired or wireless connections a re disa bled a nd rema in disa bled throughout the contest. Cell phones, sma rtphones a nd sma rtwa tches a re prohibited in the cha mber. Traditional timing devices a re permitted. (g) CONGRESS SHALL BE PUBLIC. Congress is public discourse. Therefore, all congressional cha mbers shall be open to the public. No coaching or cheering shall be permitted during the contest. (h) RECORDING. Schools a nd/or individuals a re prohibited from recording (a udio a nd/or video) region or sta te congress sessions. The UIL reserves the right to record for educa tional purposes. Section 1021: JOURNALISM PROGRAM AND CONTESTS (a) PURPOSE. The purpose of the UIL journalism progra m is not so much to tra in students to become professional journalists but ra ther to stress writing a nd higher order thinking skills. (b) PRACTICAL TRAINING. Few pa rticipa nts in UIL journalism contests pursue ca reers in journalism. More a re tra ined towa rd critical evalua tion of media, a nd this tra ining eventually spawns a con - tinuous pressure upon these institutions to better serve our na tion. (c) PROGRAM. The journalism progra m consists of the volunta ry member sta te scholastic publica tions associa tion (ILPC) a nd the UIL’s journalism contests. Schools need not join the journalism associa tion in order to be eligible for UIL contests. (d) INTERSCHOLASTIC LEAGUE PRESS CONFER - ENCE (ILPC). For informa tion rega rding the ILPC, see Appendix III. Section 1023: HIGH SCHOOL JOURNALISM CONTESTS (a) ENTRIES. Each member high school may enter as ma ny as three persons in each of the five journal - ism contests for its conference a t the district level. A student may compete in all five contests. (b) ADMINISTRATION AND JUDGING OF JOUR - NALISM CONTESTS. The director of the district a nd regional meets shall appoint a journalism contest director to conduct a nd supervise the jour - nalism contests. It is the duty of the contest director to administer the contests in strict adherence to the guidelines set forth by the UIL office. Insta nces of va ria nces from the guidelines should be reported to the UIL Director of Journalism immedia tely. The contest director shall be responsible for preventing a ny communica tion between contesta nts or a ny reference on the pa rt of contesta nts to notes, books or printed ma terial other tha n a printed or elec - tronic thesa urus, dictiona ry a nd Associa ted Press Stylebook. The contest director or designee shall be timekeeper for the contest a nd should give peri - odic wa rnings of the time limit, even if the contest is held in a room where a clock is clea rly visible to the contesta nts. When the contest time elapses, the contest director or designee shall collect all papers. (1) Contest Roster . The contest director should assign a contest number to each contesta nt. (2) Identification . The assigned numbers will be the only identifica tion on the contest papers. Judges shall not have access to the master list of number assignments on the Contest Roster until all judging has been completed. Fa ilure to write the identifica tion number on a n entry may result in disqualifica tion. The penalty for writing a student’s na me or na me of school on entry is disqualifica tion. (3) Judges . Judges for each journalism contest shall be secured by the journalism contest director before the contest is administered, subject to approval by the meet director. It is recommended tha t the judging pa nel have three members a nd tha t a t least one member be a current or former journalism teacher. At the regional a nd sta te level, a t least one member of the judging pa nel shall be a former or current high school journalism teacher. A host site ca n request a wa iver through the UIL office if it is una ble to secure a current or former high school journalism teacher for the judging pa nel. The pa nel may be asked to judge more tha n one of the journalism contests. Journalism coaches accompa nying their contesta nts to regional meets may serve on judging committees, provided no coach is assigned to judge entries from the sa me event in which his or her contesta nt is competing. It is best to select judges who have no vested interest in the contest a nd whose integrity is a bove reproach. It is appropria te a nd rec - ommended to pay judges a stipend for each contest judged. (4) Judging Criteria . Judges should have on ha nd a list of contest judging criteria, which will be provided to the meet director with the contest packets. (5) Ranking the Papers . Judges shall read a nd critique all papers a nd ra nk the top six places. 87 There ca n be no ties in these contests. (6) Contest Materials . Contesta nts may use a n electronic or printed thesa urus, diction - a ry a nd Associa ted Press Stylebook during the News, Fea ture a nd Editorial contests. Contesta nts may use a printed thesa urus, dictiona ry a nd Associa ted Press Stylebook in the Headline a nd Copy Editing contests. No other ma terials shall be used. (7) Use of Computers . Contesta nts may choose to use their own laptop computers in the News, Fea ture a nd Editorial contests. No electronic device shall be permitted during the Headline or Copy Editing contests. If contesta nts choose to use their own com - puters, they shall bring a porta ble printer, associa ted ha rdwa re, softwa re a nd paper. Spell check, thesa urus a nd Associa ted Press Stylebook functions may be used if ava il - a ble on the computers. Students who opt to compose their entries on computers accept the risk of computer malfunction. In case of computer malfunction, the contesta nt may use the rema ining allotted time to complete the composition in ha ndwriting or compose on a nother computer (if ava ila ble). When printing the contest on a n electronic printer, the print comma nd shall be sta rted by the time contest time expires. Once time has expired, pa rticipa nts a nd coaches shall not disconnect or connect computer equipment or enter new comma nds in a n effort to print the entry. District or regional host sites may provide computers for contesta nts but a re not expected to make those provisions. Computers will not be provided a t sta te, but contesta nts may use their own laptops a nd porta ble printers. (c) STATE MEET. The first place entries in conference A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A a nd 6A will be subjected to a sec - ond judging. The contesta nt with the top entry will receive a cha mpionship plaque, commonly referred to as “Tops in Texas.” Section 1024: FEATURE WRITING CONTEST (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Purpose . Fea ture writing teaches student to read critically, to digest a nd prioritize informa tion quickly, a nd to write clea rly, accura tely a nd succinctly. Emphasis is placed on the sa me writing skills as other UIL Jour - nalism Contests, as well as the a bility to write descriptively. (2) Format. The contest consists of a fact sheet from which pa rticipa nts develop a n a rticle. Section 1025: NEWS WRITING CONTEST (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Purpose . News writing teaches students to read critically, to digest a nd prioritize informa tion quickly a nd to write clea rly, accura tely a nd succinctly. Emphasis is placed on mecha nical a nd stylistic precision, lead writing, use of direct a nd indirect quotes a nd news judgment. (2) Format . The contest consists of a fact sheet from which pa rticipa nts develop a n a rticle. Section 1026: EDITORIAL WRITING CONTEST (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Purpose . Editorial writing teaches students to read critically, to digest a nd prioritize informa tion quickly a nd to write clea rly, accura tely a nd succinctly. Emphasis is placed on mecha nical a nd stylistic precision, the a bility to think deeply a nd a rgue or defend a point of view persuasively. (2) Format. The contest consists of a fact sheet from which pa rticipa nts develop a n editorial. Section 1027: HEADLINE WRITING CONTEST (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Purpose . Headline writing teaches students to read critically, to digest a nd prioritize informa - tion quickly a nd to write clea rly, accura tely a nd succinctly. Emphasis is placed on the a bility to discern key facts a nd to write with fla ir a nd style in order to tell a nd sell a story. (2) Format. The contest consists of a fact sheet from which pa rticipa nts will read six short a rticles a nd write prescribed headlines for each. Section 1028: COPY EDITING CONTEST (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Purpose . Copy editing teaches student the vital skills of proofreading a nd editing to crea te accura te, clea r a nd succinct writing. Emphasis is placed on the a bility to find a nd correct gra mma tical, spelling, punctua tion, AP style a nd factual errors. (2) Format. The contest consists of objective questions, proofreading sentences a nd editing a news brief. Section 1033: ONE-ACT PLAY CONTEST Section 1023: HS Journalism Contest 88 Section 1033: One Act Play Contest (a) THE CONTEST . (1) Purpose . The purposes of the One-Act Play contest a re to foster apprecia tion of good thea tre, sa tisfy the competitive, a rtistic spirit with friendly rivalry a mong schools, lea rn to lose or win graciously, promote inter - est in thea tre during adult life a nd increase the number of schools which have adopted thea tre a rts as a n academic subject in school curricula. (2) Contest Format. Each school performs a short play. The plays a re adjudica ted a nd adva nc - ing schools a re a nnounced a nd individual awa rds given. Schools receive a n evalua tion form a nd a n oral critique. (b) ENTRIES. (1) Representation . Each member high school of the UIL is entitled to enter a play compa ny in the district contest of its appropria te conference. (2) Participation . Pa rticipa tion shall be defined as a performa nce of a n approved script with a running time of not less tha n eighteen min - utes. A school tha t fa ils to pa rticipa te in the One-Act Play contest a fter enrolling shall be subject to the full ra nge of penalties, including suspension from the One-Act Play Contest for the following yea r. (3) Faculty Director . (A) Directors in the high school One-Act Play Contest shall be full-time employ - ees of the school districts the plays represent. Full-time mea ns tha t the person is under contract to the school boa rd for the whole scholastic or cal - enda r yea r a nd the person has enough contractual duties to be considered a full-time employee by the Teacher Retirement System a nd sta te law. (B) Exceptions. A retired teacher or admin - istra tor who has 20 or more yea rs of experience may be hired a nd pa id for directing the one-act play or serve as a n assista nt director. Student teachers, while they a re assigned to a member school district to fulfill their student teaching requirements, may volunteer, pro bono, to assist in directing their contest play a nd may serve as one of the directors allowed. A full-time substitute who has directed one-act play during the school yea r may be permitted to continue through the sta te One-Act Play Contest. (C) Aid in Directing. Directors shall not accept nor solicit a id in the directing of the contest play, including the coaching of the performers, staging, choreography or in designing props, makeup, costumes, scenery, lighting or sound. Viola tions of this rule may result in the play being deemed ineligible for competition. (c) CONTEST ADMINISTRATION AND PROCE - DURES . (1) Contest Manager . The one-act play contest ma nager, appointed by the district director, should not be the director of a play entered in the sa me contest. (A) Responsibilities. It is the respon - sibility of the one-act play contest ma nager to orga nize a nd conduct the contest in accorda nce with UIL rules a nd the “guide for contest ma nagers,” in the current Handbook for One-Act Play . (B) Viola tions. The contest ma nager is required to decla re ineligible a play tha t viola tes a ny of the following: uses a n ineligible student, exceeds the number allowed in the performing compa ny, uses additional unit set, or viola tes Sections 1033 (c)(4), (c)(6) or (c) (7). Viola tions of a ny other rules shall be reported to the appropria te executive committee. (2) Enrollment . Schools shall enroll, register their title a nd enter contesta nts by following the procedures found in the current Handbook for One-Act Play. The deadlines ca n be found in the current official calenda r. (3) Play Selection. All plays on the approved lists of long or short plays may be used in UIL contests. (A) Plays Not on the Approved List a nd Scenic Additions. All requests for permission to produce plays not on the approved lists, together with a ny requests to use scenic elements not permissible under contest rules, shall follow the procedures outlined in the current Handbook for One-Act Play . (B) Sta nda rds. Directors shall elimina te or reject profa ne references to a deity a nd obscene la nguage, actions or scenes from the approved production, including plays on the UIL approved list. The admin - istra tion of the producing school shall assure tha t the director complies with 89 these requirements a nd tha t the play does not offend the moral sta nda rds of the community. When a script a nd the staged production a re exa mined a nd approved by the administra tion of the producing school, the production is eli - gible for presenta tion a t a ny contest site. The Sta nda rds Complia nce Form serves to certify tha t the play a nd pro - duction have been ca refully exa mined a nd approved for presenta tion. The UIL’s Play Appra isal Committee may elimina te la nguage, actions or scenes as a condition for approval of plays not on the approved lists. (4) Time Limits . No play shall exceed 40 minutes performa nce time. No play shall use more tha n seven minutes to set a nd seven minutes to strike. No more tha n 60 seconds shall elapse between the set time a nd the beginning of performa nce. (5) Scenery . Scenic items may be used as specified in the current Handbook for One-Act Play . (6) Firearms or Explosives. No sta rter pistol, real gun, rifle, pellet gun, a ir gun or pistol shall be used in a ny way, rega rdless of whether or not the firing pin is removed. Toy, wooden or model firea rms may be used. Discha rge of a firea rm, cap pistol, sta rter pistol or a ny type of explosive or the use of combustible ma teri - als in connection with a contest play shall not be permitted. (7) The Director During the Contest Performance . Directors shall not be permitted in the light booth, backstage or offstage a reas during the contest performa nce of their play, but direc - tors a re permitted in these a reas during the set a nd strike periods. Directors shall not make contact or communica te with crew a nd cast members working in sa id a reas during performa nce. (8) Awards. Three unra nked adva ncing plays a nd a n alterna te shall be selected a t zone, district, bi-district a nd a rea levels. Two unra nked adva ncing plays a nd a n alterna te shall be selected a t the regional level. (A) Plays a t sta te shall be ra nked through sixth place. A+ contests shall be ra nked through third place. (B) Individual awa rds shall include the two best performers, all-sta r cast a nd honor - a ble mention all-sta r cast. An honora ble mention all-sta r cast, not to exceed the size of the all-sta r cast, may be selected a t the discretion of the judge or judges. (C) Medals a nd points given to individual students for competition in the One-Act Play Contest stay with the students even if the school is disqualified. However, if the disqualifica tion of the school is the result of a n ineligible student, the student shall return awa rds a nd points for tha t student is deducted. (9) Judges. (A) Selection of Judges. Only judges selected from the current UIL’s list of accredited critic judges, unless the UIL approves a n exception for valid reasons, shall adjudi - ca te all One-Act Play Contests. (B) Judges a nd critiques. Judging shall be by a n odd number of judges or by a single critic judge. A critique of each play shall be presented orally to all entries a nd interested a udience mem - bers before or a fter the contest ma nager has a nnounced results of the contest. At the a rea, regional a nd sta te levels, cri - tiques will be presented as determined by the UIL sta te thea tre director. (C) Responsibility For Selection Of Judges. Judges for zone, district a nd bi-district contests shall be approved by the Dis - trict Executive Committee(s). Judges for the a rea, regional a nd sta te contest shall be selected a nd assigned by the Sta te Thea tre Director. A judge should not be selected tha t would result in a ny entry being evalua ted by the sa me judge twice in the sa me yea r. (D) Decision Of The Critic Judge Or Judges. The decision of the critic judge or judges is final. Section 1034: ONE-ACT PLAY CONTEST ETHICS CODE One mission of the UIL One-Act Play Contest is to pro - mote a spirit of coopera tion a mong all involved directors, students, administra tors, pa rents a nd a udience members to promote growth in the realm of educa tional thea tre. The One-Act Play Contest Ethics Code shall ca rry the force of rule. Member school districts, member schools a nd/or covered school district personnel who viola te a ny of the provisions of this code shall be subject to penalty. (a) ONE-ACT PLAY CONTEST CODE. Section 901, the Academic Meet Code requires pa rticipa nts to: (1) Pa rticipa te in the OAP contest with the spirit Section 1033: One-Act Play Contest 90 Section 1033: One-Act Play Contest of fa irness a nd sportsma nship, observing all rules both in letter a nd intent. (2) Direct a nd sponsor compa nies a nd individu - als without resorting to tactics which a ttempt to skirt the rules or distract from sound edu - ca tional principles. (3) Accept decisions of the adjudica tor(s) a nd contest ma nager(s) graciously without questioning their honesty or integrity unless concrete evidence of impropriety ca n be brought forwa rd. Extend courtesy to contest officials a nd site crews from the compa ny members, school officials a nd a udience. Conduct tha t bera tes, intimida tes or threa tens competitors, based on gender or ethnic origin, has no place in interscholastic activities. (4) Receive the adjudica tor’s point of view with a n open mind. Nega tive reaction during the critique shall be deemed inappropria te. (5) Provide informa tion or evidence rega rding eli - gibility of a ny contesta nt or school to the local school administra tion, then to the proper District Executive Committee. To withhold informa tion is considered dishonora ble a nd contra ry to good sportsma nship. Schools guilty of viola ting this section a re subject to penalty. (b) CODE FOR ONE-ACT PLAY CONTEST DIREC - TORS AND SCHOOL OFFICIALS. The Code for one-act play directors a nd school officials includes the principles described a bove a nd the purposes list - ed in Section 1033 (a-c) a nd the “Guide For One-Act Play Contest Directors” in the Handbook for One-Act Play . The Code requires: (1) Awa reness, understa nding a nd observa nce of all rules governing the competition for which the director is responsible. (2) Trea tment of compa ny members based on sound educa tional precepts a nd the general welfa re a nd health of the student. (3) Professional courtesy to other directors, contest ma nager(s), adjudica tor(s) a nd pa rticipa nts. (A) Directors shall communica te the a ims a nd rules of the One-Act Play Contest to all compa ny members in the ea rly stages of the rehea rsal process. (B) Directors shall model professional behavior during the pla nning, the pro - duction rehea rsal a nd throughout the dura tion of the contest. (C) Directors shall be responsible for making compa ny members, school officials, pa rents a nd pa trons awa re of the objective criteria described in the Handbook for One-Act Play a nd the subjectivity involved in the process of adjudica tion; i.e. evalua ting, selecting a nd critiquing a ny work of a rt, includ - ing a one-act play. (D) Directors a nd compa ny members shall model professional decorum during all phases of the contest. For exa mple, directors a nd compa ny members, as representa tives of their schools a nd communities, shall refra in from disruptive behavior, sla nderous or overt actions of disrespect, or a ny other displays of nega tive behavior. (4) Adherence to the One-Act Play Contest calen - da r a nd pre-contest pla nning procedures. (5) Avoida nce of a ny practice tha t would enda nger the welfa re or sa fety of a ny compa ny member, including actual contact strikes to the performer. Only choreographed stage comba t, crea ting the illusion of physical contact shall be used in the contest. (6) Emphasis on the academic progress of all pa r - ticipa nts through a check of their academic sta nding. (7) Protests a nd reports of viola tions forwa rded to the appropria te District Executive Com - mittee a t the zone a nd district levels a nd the Sta te Executive Committee a t the a rea, regional a nd sta te levels. (c) PROFESSIONAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. Directors a re encouraged to take adva ntage of the opportunity for professional growth through a ffilia tions with professional associa tions a nd publica tions. Section 1035: THEATRICAL DESIGN CONTEST (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Purpose. The purposes of the Thea trical Design Contest a re to foster apprecia tion of good the - a trical design, to increase the number of schools which have adapted technical thea tre as a n aca - demic subject in school curricula, to lea rn to lose or win graciously, accepting with good sportsma nship the decision a nd critique with a view to improve future projects a nd to sa tisfy the competitive, a rtistic spirit with friendly rivalry a mong schools. (2) Contest Format. Each school submits designs to the UIL office as directed in the current Theatrical Design Guide . The designs a re adju - dica ted a nd ra ted a nd adva ncing schools a re a nnounced. Schools receive a critique. Qualifiers 91 a t sta te a re ra nked first through sixth. (b) ENTRIES (1) Representation. Each member school shall be allowed to enter two individual entries in each of the design a reas a nd one group entry as defined in the current Theatrical Design Guide . (2) Deadlines. Entry deadlines ca n be found in the current Official Calenda r a nd the current Theatrical Design Guide . See the UIL website for official cha nges. (3) Faculty Sponsors. (A) Sponsors in the Thea trical Design Con - test shall be full-time employees of the school districts of the schools tha t the entries represent. (B) Full-time mea ns tha t the person is under contract to the school boa rd of the school tha t the designs represent for the whole scholastic or calenda r yea r a nd the person has enough contrac - tual duties to be considered a full-time employee by the Teacher Retirement System a nd sta te law. (C) A retired teacher/administra tor who has 20 or more yea rs of experience may be hired a nd pa id for sponsoring the Thea trical Design Contest. Student teachers, during the semester they a re assigned to a member school to fulfill their student teaching requirements, may volunteer to assist for tha t school. Schools shall not pay student teachers for assisting. (D) Sponsors may only provide guida nce to the group or individuals. They shall not produce a ny of the ma terials conta ined in the submission. (E) Sponsors shall not accept nor solicit a id in the prepa ra tion of the entries or in coaching the students. This provision is not intended to prevent sponsors from taking their students to the several thea tre conferences a nd workshops conducted by the UIL a nd by numerous high schools, colleges a nd universities. (c) CONTEST ADMINISTRATION AND PROCE - DURES. (1) Selection of Title . The title used for the Thea t - rical Design Contest may be the sa me as tha t used by the UIL Litera ry Criticism Contest, unless it is deemed inappropria te for the a ims a nd purpose of this contest a nd a nother title, genre or playwright shall be a nnounced. All designs submitted shall be for tha t title, genre or playwright. (2) Prompt . A “directorial prompt” shall be provid - ed each yea r. In it, students will be given cer - ta in conceptual pa ra meters from which they will develop a design concept. The prompt ca n be found on the UIL website a nd in the current Theatrical Design Guide . (3) Submission. Schools shall submit all items required for groups a nd individuals by fol - lowing the requirements as published in the current Theatrical Design Guide . (4) Evaluation. Each entry shall be submitted to the UIL a nd evalua ted by qualified thea tre a nd ma rketing professionals. (5) Advancement. Those entries designa ted as Exempla ry shall adva nce to the sta te contest. Sta te entries will be ra nked through sixth place. A plaque a nd individual medals shall be presented to the top six groups. Medals shall be presented to the first through sixth place individual winners. Section 1036: FILM (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Purpose. The purpose of the Young Filmmak - ers Festival is to provide students with the opportunity to explore the a rt of cinema tic storytelling. (2) Contest Format. The films shall focus on story - telling using the techniques a nd tools found in the cinema tic a rts. (b) ENTRIES. (1) Representation. Each member school shall be allowed to submit three entries in each ca t - egory as defined in the current Young Film - makers Guide. (2) Deadlines. Entry deadlines ca n be found in the current Official Calenda r a nd the current Young Filmmakers Guide. See the UIL web - site for official cha nges. (3) Faculty Sponsors (A) Sponsors in the UIL Young Filmmakers Festival shall be full-time employees of the school districts the entries repre - sent. (B) Adult involvement in the project is lim - ited to on-screen talent a nd/or behind the scenes in a faculty advisor capacity. (c) CONTEST ADMINISTRATION AND PROCE - DURES. (1) Eligible Material. Only those films produced Section 1035: Theatrical Design Contest 92 Section 1036: Film during the current school yea r or spring a nd summer months immedia tely preceding the competition will be considered for submis - sion into the festival. (A) Submitted films must be original works a nd a re required to have clea r - a nces for music or other copyrighted ma terial used in the project. Films conta ining copyrighted ma terial used without permission will not be eligible for screening. (B) The administra tion of the producing school shall assure tha t the production does not offend the moral sta nda rds of the community. When the final edit - ed product is exa mined a nd approved by the administra tion of the produc - ing school, the production is eligible for presenta tion a t a ny contest site. A “community sta nda rds a nd copyright complia nce form” included in the entry form serves to certify tha t the produc - tion has been ca refully exa mined a nd approved for presenta tion. (2) Entry Procedures. The entry procedures, dead - lines a nd ca tegories shall be posted on the UIL website. (3) Evaluation. Films submitted to the festival shall be previewed a nd scored by adjudica - tors. The top entries in each ca tegory will be screened a nd awa rded a t the sta te festival. 93 Section 1100: INTRODUCTION TO MUSIC CONTEST S AND EVENTS (a) PURPOSES. The purposes of the University Inter - scholastic League music contests a nd events a re to provide sta tewide music competitions a nd evalu - a tions tha t foster high performa nce sta nda rds, nurture aesthetic development a nd assess the mas - tery of the Texas Essential Knowledge a nd Skills for Music. (b) TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE. Refer to Section 25. Section 1101: POLICY AND ETHICS ; OBSERVANCE OF THE CODE The policies a nd code of ethics as outlined in the follow - ing sections shall be observed by all music pa rticipa nts. (a) SCHOOL OFFICIALS: (1) provide support for students a nd directors for implementing music contests a nd events; (2) crea te a clima te of professional concern to assure tha t music contests a nd events a re ca rried on with sound educa tional qualities as the uppermost priority; a nd (3) strive to assure tha t directors a re awa re of a nd observe the letter a nd intent of all UIL rules a nd regula tions. (b) CONTEST OFFICIALS : (1) administer music contests a nd events with a spirit of courtesy a nd coopera tion a mong all pa rticipa nts; a nd (2) see tha t music contests a nd events a re conducted with discipline a nd decorum, ma inta ining both the spirit a nd the intent of the rules a nd regula tions. (c) ADJUDICATORS : Adjudica tors shall observe the policy a nd ethics code of the Texas Music Adjudi - ca tors Associa tion. (d) DIRECTORS : (1) know a nd uphold all rules for the UIL music progra m as sta ted in the Constitution and Con - test Rules ; (2) foster a spirit of a rtistic involvement a nd aesthetic achievement for all students pa rtici - pa ting in music contests a nd events; (3) instill, by word a nd exa mple, the respect for all regula tions a nd the graceful accepta nce of adjudica tion; (4) recognize the importa nce of the total edu - ca tional process a nd rema in sensitive to each student’s needs in terms of academic pursuits, personal life a nd extracurricula r activities; (5) ma inta in a reasona ble a nd proper bala nce of pre-school a nd out-of-school rehea rsal schedules; (6) a bsta in from a ny practice tha t solicits teach - ers to modify a pa rticipa nt student’s grade for eligibility purposes; a nd (7) a bsta in from a ny practice tha t makes a student feel pressured to pa rticipa te in non- school activities. (e) STUDENTS: (1) know a nd respect the rules a nd regula tions perta ining to pa rticipa tion in a ny UIL music competition or event; (2) ma inta in a sense of the educa tional purpose of pa rticipa ting in music contests a nd events, keeping uppermost in mind the two-fold ben - efit of self-gra tifica tion in a n a rtistic activity as well as the representa tion of one’s school community; a nd (3) remember tha t conduct tha t bera tes, intimi - da tes or threa tens other pa rticipa nts, in a ny way, has no place in interscholastic activities. Section 1102: GENERAL REGULATIONS (a) SCHOOL ELIGIBILITY. S chools shall pa rticipa te in UIL music competition a nd events based on assignment to conferences in even numbered yea rs. Refer to Section 1102(h). (1) New Schools . New UIL-member schools a nd/ or UIL-member schools not having competed during the preceding yea r a nd intending to enter music contests may become eligible by notifying their Region Executive Secreta ry in writing prior to September 1 . (2) New Middle Schools and Junior High Schools. New middle schools a nd junior high schools (whose corresponding high schools a re mem - bers of the UIL) not having competed during the preceding yea r a nd intending to enter music contests a nd events may become eli - gible by notifying their Region Executive Secreta ry in writing prior to October 1. (3) Schools that ‘Opt Up”. Schools tha t ‘opt up’ a conference (pa rticipa te in a higher conference tha n their enrollment qualifies) for reclassifica tion a nd realignment purposes have the option to pa rticipa te in music competitions a nd events in the conference in which their actual enrollment would place them. (b) STUDENT ELIGIBILITY. Eligibility regula tions as outlined in Constitution Subchapter M a nd Con - Section 1100: Music Contest Introduction Subchapter B. MU SIC 94 Page 95 95 Section 1102: Music General Regulations test Rules Subchapter D shall apply to UIL music competitions a nd events. The superintendent or a designee shall certify the eligibility of pa rticipa nts a t the time of their entry into the event. Refer to Section 1103(b). (1) Limited Competition . No student may perform with more tha n one ensemble in each orga - niza tion event code. Refer to Section 1110. Exception: An instrumental student may pa r - ticipa te with more tha n one ensemble in each orga niza tion event code, provided the student is performing on a different instrument in each ensemble. Refer to the UIL website for accept - a ble definitions of different instruments. (2) Grade Limits . No student in grades 6 a nd below may pa rticipa te in UIL music com - petitions or events. Exception : Sixth grade students a re eligible to pa rticipa te in UIL concert a nd sight-reading evalua tion under the following provisions. (A) Orchestra . The student shall be enrolled in the corresponding music class of the ensemble tha t is pa rticipa ting in concert a nd sight-reading or is a non-enrolled (home schooled) student seeking pa r - ticipa tion a nd is in complia nce with all provisions included in section 33.0832 of the Texas Educa tion Code. (B) Band and Choir . The student shall be enrolled in the corresponding music class of the ensemble tha t is pa rticipa ting in concert a nd sight-reading a nd the ba nd or choir shall be comprised of a major - ity of 7th grade students or a bove or is a non-enrolled (home schooled) student seeking pa rticipa tion a nd is in com - plia nce with all provisions included in section 33.0832 of the Texas Educa tion Code. (3) Member of Organization . For the purpose of a UIL music competition or evalua tion, a student need not be enrolled in the cor - responding music course, provided tha t all other student eligibility requirements a re met. Exception : Section 1102(b)(2)(A&B). (4) Forfeiture . In the event a n ineligible student pa rticipa tes in a ny music competition or event, knowingly or unknowingly, the mini - mum penalty shall be forfeiture of the ra tings a nd awa rds. (c) REGION ORGANIZATION. Texas shall be divid - ed into regions for music competition a nd events. Orga niza tions a nd individuals shall pa rticipa te in regions to which they a re assigned. A region may be zoned according to conferences for music purposes, provided there is a minimum of five schools of tha t conference in each zone. Exception : At the option of the Region Executive Committees regions may com - bine to host a UIL music contest or event . (d) SCHOOL TRANSFER RULE. Schools will be approved for tra nsfer from one music region to a nother only under the following conditions: (1) Transfers . Tra nsfers will be considered by the Sta te Director of Music in even-numbered yea rs when schools a re being reassigned to conferences. Deadline for submissions is August 1. (2) Review Process . The superintendent of the school desiring the tra nsfer shall, in the request, provide ra tionale proving travel ha rdship. Tra nsfers will be denied, if in the opinion of the Sta te Director of Music, such tra nsfers crea te a n imbala nce of competition. Tra nsfers denied may be appealed to the Sta te Executive Committee. (e) REGION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. The State Director of Music shall appoint in each region a n executive committee comprised of seven school administra tors from school districts in the assigned region, with no more tha n one representa tive from a school district. In the event the region consists of less tha n seven school districts the committee shall be comprised of one representa tive from each school dis - trict. Those administra tors eligible for appointment to the Region Executive Committee a re superinten - dents, associa te or assista nt superintendents, high school principals, music administra tors, a nd other administra tors designa ted by the superintendent. It is recommended tha t there be no more tha n two music administra tors on the committee. The com - mittee member may appoint a n alterna te to serve in the event the member is una ble to a ttend a meeting. These members shall serve three-yea r overlapping terms. Each committee shall elect its own cha ir who shall serve a one-yea r term. The cha ir may be re- elected. (f) DUTIES AND CONDUCT OF BUSINESS OF THE REGION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. (1) The Region Executive Committee shall be responsible for the region music competition a nd events as outlined in Subchapter B: Music. (2) Accounts. A music Region Executive Committee may either have a UIL member school tha t is pa rt of the region act as a fiscal agent for the committee or may deposit its funds with a federally insured ba nk. The 96 school acting as the fiscal agent or the ba nk chosen by the committee shall hold funds for the committee’s use a nd benefit a nd provide monthly a nd a nnual sta tements showing all fina ncial activity. (3) Executive Secretaries. A Region Executive Committee may only contract for services with a qualified individual to serve as a n Executive Secreta ry using a UIL-approved memora ndum of understa nding tha t sets forth the terms a nd conditions of the rela tionship between the individual, the Region Executive Committee a nd the UIL. An incumbent Executive Secreta ry must be re-appointed on a n a nnual basis by the Region Executive Committee he or she serves. In no event shall a ny person who contracts to perform services for a Region Executive Committee be considered a n employee or trea ted as a n employee of the Region Executive Committee, the UIL or The University of Texas. (4) Signature Authority. Any ba nk or other fina ncial account shall require dual signa tures on checks over a n a mount to be determined by the Legisla tive Council. In the case of dual signa tures one signa ture must be a designa ted UIL member school employee who serves as a representa tive of his or her school on a music Region Executive Committee. The second signa ture may be either a designa ted UIL member school employee who serves as a representa tive of his or her school on a music Region Executive Committee or the Region Executive Secreta ry. Checks in a n a mount tha t a re under the dual signa ture threshold a mount only require a single signa ture from a designa ted member of the committee a nd/or, if a ffirma tively a uthorized by the committee, the Executive Secreta ry. (5) Training. All members of a music Region Executive Committee must take the online tra ining provided by the UIL, including the a ttorney general’s open meeting tra ining. Informa tion on required courses will be posted on the UIL website. (6) Management of Funds. By June 30th each even numbered yea r, the committee’s account shall be settled as follows: A committee may not reta in more tha n 50% of the prior two yea rs average a nnual opera ting budget expenditures in a n account holding Region Executive Committee funds. However, in no event may the reta ined a mount exceed a cap a mount determined in even numbered yea rs by the Legisla tive Council. After all of the region’s debts have been pa id, a ny rema ining funds grea ter tha n the allowed retention a mount shall be equita bly divided a nd distributed a mongst the schools tha t have pa id funds to the Region Executive Committee during the preceding two-yea r period. By June 30th prior to the sta rt of a new UIL music alignment a nd a fter all of the region’s debts have been pa id, a ny school tha t will not rema in in a region a nd tha t pa id funds to the Region Executive Committee during the alignment period shall receive a n equita ble refund from the region’s rema ining funds. After a UIL music realignment process is complete a nd the makeup of a region has been determined, funds to fina nce a region’s activities may be assessed to schools tha t make up a region in the regula r course of the Region Executive Committee’s business meetings. (7) Audit. An a udit of a Region Executive Committee fina ncial account a nd rela ted documenta tion shall be conducted a nnually, by the UIL member school acting as the committee’s fiscal agent or, if the committee’s funds a re in a ba nk account, by a n independent a uditor hired by the committee. The results of the a udit shall be provided to the UIL as pa rt of the fina ncial reporting set forth in pa rt (10), below. (8) Record Keeping. Each Region Executive Committee shall make accura te minutes of all meetings a nd reta in all non-fina ncial records for no less tha n three (3) yea rs a nd all fina ncial records for no less tha n five (5) yea rs. Circumsta nces, such as legal action, may require records of the Region Executive Committee be reta ined longer tha n the minimum periods set forth a bove. Each Region Executive Committee shall meet a t least three times a yea r a nd present the committee’s check registry a nd current ba nk sta tements a t each meeting. (9) Ethics. All school representa tives serving on a music Region Executive Committee a nd persons who otherwise perform work on the committee’s behalf shall be subject to the code of ethics for UIL committees found in Section 33, UIL Constitution and Contest Rules . (10) Financial Report. Each Region Executive Committee shall by July 31st of each yea r submit a fina ncial report to the UIL office on Section 1102: Music General Regulations Page 97 97 Section 1102: Music General Regulations a form approved by the Executive Director a nd the cha ir of the Legisla tive Council. The report shall conta in informa tion showing receipts a nd disbursements for each region contest or event tha t was held over the course of the school yea r along with a ny account bala nces a nd other pertinent fina ncial informa tion. The UIL sta ff shall review all submitted reports, conducting a ny a nalysis the Executive Director deems appropria te a nd report a ny releva nt informa tion or findings to the Legisla tive Council a t its a nnual fall meeting. (g) DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY AND/OR EVENT CHAIR. It shall be the duty of the Region Executive Secreta ry a nd/or event cha ir to make all a rra ngements for region music competitions a nd events as directed by the Region Executive Committee a nd in complia nce with the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules . The Region Exec - utive Committee ca nnot hire or trea t a ny person, such as a n Executive Secreta ry or event cha ir, as a n employee a nd may only hire persons to perform tasks for the committee as independent contractors. (h) CONFERENCES. Assignment to conferences as outlined in this section is ma nda tory a nd a school shall pa rticipa te in the conference to which it is assigned. (1) Conferences . The UIL will assign pa rticipa ting schools to a conference based on school enrollment. (2) Middle Schools . Middle schools will pa rticipa te under the provisions listed in Section 1400 a nd a re assigned to conferences according to the following: (A) Conference C Middle School . Enrollment of 0-249 in grades 7 a nd 8. (B) Conference 2C Middle School . Enrollment of 250-649 in grades 7 a nd 8. (C) Conference 3C Middle School . Enrollment of 650 or more in grades 7 a nd 8. (3) Junior High Schools . Junior high schools will pa rticipa te under the provisions listed in Section 1400 a nd a re assigned to conferences according to the following: (A) Conference B Junior High School . Enroll - ment of 0-249 in grades 7, 8 a nd 9. (B) Conference 2B Junior High School . Enroll - ment of 250-649 in grades 7, 8 a nd 9. (C) Conference 3B Junior High School . Enroll - ment of 650 or more in grades 7, 8 a nd 9. (4) Ninth-Grade-Only High Schools . Ninth-grade only high schools a re not permitted to pa rtici - pa te in UIL junior high school or middle school music competition a nd events. (5) Corrections To Middle School and Junior High School Conference Assignments. Corrections to middle school a nd junior high school confer - ence assignments will be accepted up to 30 days prior to the first day of the first region music contest or event of the school yea r for tha t conference. Corrections should be submitted in writing to the Region Executive Secreta ry by the school principal (or desig - nee). (i) VARSITY, NON-VARSITY, SUB NON-VARSI - TY, COMPOSITE, AND COMBINED GROUPS. When entering concert a nd sight-reading evalua - tion a nd ma rching ba nd contest a school’s ba nd, choir, a nd orchestra progra m shall each designa te a t least one group as va rsity (first group) unless gra nted a n exception under Section 1102 (i)(3). Va rsity groups may be entered in each of the fol - lowing event codes: 100 (Concert Ba nd), 921 (Full Orchestra), 926 (String Orchestra), 931 (Mixed Choir), 933 (Tenor-Bass Choir), 935 (Treble Choir), a nd 941 (Ma rching Ba nd), provided a ny of the applica ble conditions in Section 1102 (i)(1 a nd 2) a re met. Other orga niza tion entry possibilities a nd conditions a re listed in Section 1102 (i)(4, 5, 6, a nd 7). (1) 5A/6A Choirs . 5A/6A choir progra ms shall enter a va rsity mixed choir (event code 931). Exception: At the option of the choir director a nd local school administra tion a nd with the approval of the UIL Sta te Director of Music, new 5A/6A choir progra ms or 5A/6A choir progra ms committed to the process of esta b - lishing a via ble choir progra m may enter a treble choir as the va rsity group representing tha t school. This option shall rema in in effect until the va rsity treble choir ea rns a Division I ra ting in concert performa nce. Pending request from local school administra tion a nd with the approval of the UIL Sta te Director of Music the requirement to return to entry of a va rsity mixed choir may be wa ived until such time tha t local school administra tion requests va rsity sta tus for the mixed choir. (2) Middle School, Junior High School, and Confer - ence A-2A-3A-4A Choirs . Middle schools, junior high schools a nd conference A-2A-3A-4A high schools shall designa te either a mixed choir or treble choir as the va rsity group representing tha t school. If a treble choir is designa ted as the va rsity group, other choirs from tha t school may be entered as non-va rsity provided there 98 is no duplica tion of personnel within the sa me event code. (3) Varsity Waiver. At the option of the music director a nd local school administra tion a nd with the approval of the UIL Sta te Director of Music, music orga niza tions representing new music progra ms or music orga niza tions com - mitted to the process of esta blishing a via ble music progra m may enter as non-va rsity in the conference to which they a re assigned until such time tha t the orga niza tion ea rns a Division I ra ting in concert performa nce. Pending request from local school adminis - tra tion a nd with the approval of the UIL Sta te Director of Music the requirement to return to va rsity sta tus may be wa ived until such time tha t local school administra tion requests va rsity sta tus. (4) Non-varsity Groups (Second Groups and Below). Non-va rsity (second groups a nd below) ba nds, orchestras a nd choirs may pa rticipa te in UIL music orga niza tion events under the following provisions : (A) A va rsity group (first group) of the sa me kind has been entered. (B) String orchestras may be entered as non-va rsity (second group) provided tha t a va rsity full orchestra or va rsity string orchestra from tha t school is also entered. In the event tha t a va rsity full orchestra a nd a non-va rsity string orchestra a re entered, no duplica tion of personnel is permitted. (C) In the event a full orchestra, va rsity string orchestra a nd non-va rsity string orchestra a re entered, string students shall pa rticipa te in either the va rsi - ty string orchestra or the non-va rsity string orchestra. (D) Treble or tenor bass choirs may be entered as non-va rsity provided tha t a va rsity mixed choir from the school is entered a nd members of the va rsity mixed choir do not pa rticipa te in a ny non-va rsity choir. Exception: Middle School, Junior High, a nd 1A-2A-3A- 4A choirs designa ting a treble choir as the va rsity group or 5A-6A choirs on a treble as va rsity wa iver. (E) Members of a non-va rsity mixed choir may pa rticipa te in either a va rsity or non-va rsity treble or tenor bass choir. (F) Performing orga niza tions in 9th grade a nd/or 10th grade high schools may enter as non-va rsity. (G) Non-va rsity (second groups) shall be scheduled as a sepa ra te conference. (5) Sub Non-Varsity Groups (Third Groups and Below) . Schools with one non-va rsity group in a n event code shall designa te tha t group as non-va rsity (second group). At the option of the music teacher a nd local school officials, other groups in a n event code with a non- va rsity (second group) entered may then be entered as sub non-va rsity. Sub non-va rsity groups shall be scheduled as a sepa ra te confer - ence. (6) Composite Group . When a high school adds students from grades 7 a nd/or 8 to students in grades 9-12 to form a pa rticipa ting high school unit, the resulting group is known as a composite group. Composite ba nds a nd choirs a re permitted in conferences 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A a nd A. Composite orchestras a re per - mitted in all conferences. (7) Combined Groups . Combined groups may exist under one of the following conditions. (A) When students from a middle school, junior high school, or high school a re added to students from a nother middle school, junior high school, or high school to form a pa rticipa ting unit, the resulting group is known as a combined group. High school combined groups may not adva nce past region competition. (B) Students on ninth grade ca mpuses who receive their music instruction as pa rt of the total high school progra m may be combined with students in grades 10-12 for the purpose of a UIL music orga ni - za tion event. (j) SUNDAY PARTICIPATION. No UIL-member school shall sponsor individuals or orga niza tions in a UIL contest on a Sunday. Exception: Under extenua ting circumsta nces such as wea ther delays, site conflicts or excessive loss of school time, a UIL music contest or event may be scheduled on Sunday with the approval of the UIL Office. (k) NON-TRADITIONAL SCHOOL YEARS. (Refer to Section 383). (l) AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR (AED) USE REPORTING. UIL member schools shall file a report a fter a n AED is used in conjunc - tion with a ny UIL event, practice a nd competition, utilizing the online reporting form ava ila ble on the UIL web site. Section 1102: Music General Regulations Page 99 99 Section 1103: Entry Procedure Section 1103: ENTRY PROCEDURE (a) PROCEDURE. All entries, including deadline poli - cies, shall be prepa red a nd submitted in complia nce with the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules a nd procedures esta blished by the Region Executive Committee. (b) ORGANIZATION ROSTER FORM NO. 1. A copy of the Orga niza tion Roster Form No. 1 certified by the school district administra tion listing in alpha - betical order all students eligible a t the time of the event shall be on file with the Region Executive Secreta ry (or designee) prior to the commencement of each orga niza tion’s performa nce. (c) ENTRY FEE: Each orga niza tion entering a music region event is required to pay a n entry fee as esta blished by the Region Executive Committee. In addition, each orga niza tion in concert a nd sight- reading a nd ma rching ba nd shall pay a sta te fee as determined by the Legisla tive Council. Sta te fees will be forwa rded to the UIL Office by the Region Executive Committee. Section 1104: COPYRIGHT COMPLIANCE (a) COMPLIANCE: Complia nce with current copy - right law is required of all pa rticipa nts in UIL music events. Viola tions a re subject to the penal - ties outlined in Sections 27 a nd 29. (b) REPRODUCED COPIES OF MUSIC. Reproduced copies of published, copyrighted music scores will be accepted for UIL music events provided the fol - lowing conditions a re met: (1) the reproduction of scores is a n emergency a nd is made without purpose to avoid pur - chase of music; (2) the reproduction shows the notice of copy - right; (3) proof is provided tha t a purchase order for the procurement of copyrighted scores has been initia ted or a sta tement by the copyright holder gra nting permission to use photo - copied scores is submitted to the Executive Secreta ry or event cha ir prior to the perfor - ma nce; (4) certifica tion tha t reproduced scores will be destroyed immedia tely following use; a nd (5) individuals or schools whose groups perform copyrighted a nd/ or music requiring royalty a re responsible for conforming to all rules a nd regula tions perta ining to the perfor - ma nce of copyrighted music. Section 1105: REGION MARCHING BAND CONTEST (a) MARCHING BAND CONTEST (Event Code 941). Ma rching ba nd contests will be held in each region. Schools tha t enter the region ma rching ba nd con - test a re bound by all rules a nd regula tions in Subchapter B: Music. (b) ENTRY PROCEDURES. Refer to Section 1103. (c) ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM. It shall be the responsibility of each school to keep on file a UIL Ma rching Ba nd Acknowledgement Form (on the UIL website) signed by the student a nd the stu - dent’s pa rent or gua rdia n. (d) DIRECTOR’S COMPLIANCE STATEMENT. Each entry in the UIL region marching band contest shall be accompanied by the following statement signed by the director and school principal: (1) “The members of this ma rching ba nd or a ny of its components did not begin prepa ra tion of the visual curriculum for this UIL contest presenta tion prior to August 1. In addition, no more tha n 15 hours of supervised instruction - al time was devoted to visual funda mentals between the end of the previous school term a nd August 1.” Exception: Auxilia ry ca mps, leadership tra ining a nd prepa ra tion for spe - cial summer events such as civic pa rades, professional football ga me appea ra nces a nd other non-competitive performa nces a re not considered a viola tion of this limita tion. (2) A signed pa rent/student UIL Ma rching Ba nd Acknowledgement Form has been filed with the school principal or designee for each pa r - ticipa nt in the competing orga niza tion. (3) The director(s) of this orga niza tion recognize(s) the importa nce of the total edu - ca tional process a nd have rema ined sensitive to each student’s needs in terms of academic pursuits, fa mily life a nd extracurricula r activ - ities; a nd (4) The director(s) of this orga niza tion have/has ma inta ined a reasona ble a nd proper bala nce of pre-school a nd out-of-school rehea rsal schedules. (e) MARCHING BAND REHEARSALS DURING SEASON . Effective the fourth Monday in August a ma rching ba nd a nd its a uxilia ry components a re limited to a maximum of eight hours of rehea rsal outside the academic school day per calenda r week. Exceptions: For schools tha t begin instruction prior to the fourth Monday in August the limit of eight hours of rehea rsal outside of the academic school day per calenda r week shall begin on the Tuesday immedia tely following La bor Day. Schools under this exception shall be limited to eight hours of rehea rsal outside of 100 the academic day per school week until the Tuesday immedia tely following La bor Day. For a ny calenda r week consisting of less tha n five school days a ma rch - ing ba nd may rehea rse one additional hour beyond eight hours for each non school day, provided the school week limita tion of eight hours is not exceeded. (f) MARCHING BAND PRE-PARTICIPATION PHYSICAL EXAMINATION. Upon entering the first a nd third yea rs of high school a nd upon a ny 7th or 8th grade student pa rticipa ting in ma rching ba nd, a physical exa mina tion signed by a physicia n, a physicia n assista nt licensed by a Sta te Boa rd of Physicia n Assista nt Exa miners, a registered nurse recognized as a n adva nced practice nurse by the Boa rd of Nurse Exa miners or a Doctor of Chiro - practic is required. Sta nda rdized pre-pa rticipa tion physical exa mina tion forms, ava ila ble from the UIL office a nd a uthorized by the UIL Medical Advisory Committee, a re required. (g) MARCHING BAND MEDICAL HISTORY FORM. Each yea r prior to a ny practice or pa rticipa tion a UIL Medical History form signed by both student a nd a pa rent or gua rdia n is required. A Medical History form shall accompa ny each physical exa mi - na tion a nd shall be signed by both student a nd a pa rent or gua rdia n. (h) PERFORMANCE REGULATIONS. (1) Performance Time . Each competing ba nd shall occupy the football field for not less tha n five nor more tha n eight minutes. Any ba nd tha t leaves the field in less tha n five minutes or fa ils to complete its performa nce in eight minutes shall be penalized one ra ting. (2) Movement to Field Position . The contest cha ir will determine the ready position each ba nd will assume prior to entering the field of com - petition. The position shall provide efficient a nd prompt access to the football field without interfering with other ba nds as they perform. This loca tion will be clea rly described in the ma rching contest packet. (3) Official Time . The official time for each ba nd will be kept according to the following: (A) The contest cha ir will designa te a n offi - cial timekeeper. (B) In order to allow a mple time for the judges to complete their critiques, ba nds will be scheduled with five minutes between performa nces a nd a maximum of fifteen minutes per ba nd. (C) Ba nds may use the five minutes prior to their performa nce in a ny way they deem appropria te in order to assume their sta rting position a nd prepa re for the beginning of their show. Activities may include wa rm-up a nd/or cadence. (D) Each ba nd will be a nnounced with 45 seconds rema ining on the 5-minute clock. The beginning of their a nnounce - ment will indica te tha t the performa nce time will begin in 45 seconds. (E) The actual timing a nd adjudica tion for the show will begin a t the end of the five minutes. (F) At the conclusion of each ba nd’s perfor - ma nce the post script will be read while the ba nd will have two minutes to exit the field a nd clea r the ma rching sur - face of all equipment, instruments a nd props. The use of either instrumental or verbal cadence is optional. A ba nd tha t fa ils to be clea r of the field (outside the sidelines or endlines) or continues to use instrumental or verbal cadence a t the end of the two minutes will be disqualified. (G) A ba nd leaving equipment or instru - ments on the sideline in such a ma nner tha t these items impede the movement of the next ba nd into its sta rting position will be subject to penalty in accorda nc e with Subchapter E. (4) Electronic Equipment . Electronic equipment may be used under the following provisions: (A) All electronically produced music including na rra tion a nd sound effects shall be performed live a nd in real time by eligible students. (B) Pre-recorded music, instrumental or vocal, or na rra tion may not be used. (5) Amplification : Amplifica tion of instruments or voice may be used with the following restric - tions: (A) All equipment must be opera ted by eligible students. Exception: A non- student may intervene solely for the purpose of addressing a n equipment fa ilure a nd must submit a written justi - fica tion for doing so to the contest cha ir a fter the performa nce. (B) All ca bles must be sa fely placed on the field a nd/or sidelines. Students may not cross over on-field ca bles, covered or not, during a performa nce. (C) A power genera tor or DC power source may be placed on the field, provided there is a protective ba rrier between the power unit a nd the turf a nd all Section 1105: Region Marching Band Contest Page 101 101 Section 1105: Region Marching Band Contest cords a re conta ined sa fely within close proximity to the equipment tha t is being supplied with power. (D) Wind instruments may be a mplified only for solo a nd/or small ensemble fea tures of up to ten performers a t one time. (6) Violations. Viola tions will be subject to pen - alties in accorda nce with Section 27 a nd Section 29. (7) Local Ground Rules . Fa ilure to comply with local ground rules a nd regula tions out - lined by a nd/or approved by the Region Executive Committee may be ca use for disqualifica tion or other penalties as listed in Subchapter E. Such rules should be sent to all pa rticipa ting schools a t least 14 days prior to the contest. (i) ADJUDICATION. Refer to Section 1112. (j) REGION CERTIFICATION TO AREA. (1) Certification for Advancement . Any 2A/3A/4A/5A/6A va rsity ba nd tha t has followed the procedures esta blished by the Regional Executive Committee to indica te to the Region Executive Secreta ry the intent to adva nce to a rea a nd tha t receives a Division I ra ting a t the region contest shall be certified for adva ncement to the a rea contest. (2) Notification to Area . The Region Executive Secreta ry shall notify the a rea contest cha ir of the region representa tives within 24 hours of the last day of the region contest. A contest held on a weekend may be certified the fol - lowing Monday. (k) REGION CERTIFICATION TO STATE . (1) Zoning. Any music region with four or more conference 1A ba nds may not zone the 1A region contest. (2) Certification for Advancement. Ba nds shall be certified to adva nce to the sta te contest under the following provisions: (A) Should three or fewer 1A va rsity ba nds in a region receive a division 1 ra ting, a ny conference 1A va rsity ba nd tha t has followed the procedures esta blished by the Region Executive Committee to indica te to the Region Executive Sec - reta ry the intent to adva nce to sta te a nd tha t receives a Division 1 ra ting a t the region contest shall be certified for adva ncement to the sta te contest. (B) Should four or more 1A va rsity ba nds in a region receive a division 1 ra ting, all 1A va rsity ba nds in the region receiving a division 1 ra ting shall be ra nked using the procedures outlined on the UIL website a nd the three 1A va rsity ba nds receiving the highest ra nking shall be certified for adva ncement to the sta te contest. In Addition, one ba nd for each two ba nds receiving a division 1 ra t - ing ra nked below third place shall be certified for adva ncement to the sta te contest. (C) Any ba nd decla ring the milita ry track tha t has followed the procedures esta b - lished by the region executive committee to indica te to the region executive sec - reta ry the intent to adva nce to sta te a nd tha t receives a division 1 ra ting a t the region contest shall be certified for adva ncement to the sta te milita ry con - test. (l) BALLOONS PROHIBITED . The use of balloons by pa rticipa nts or specta tors a t the region ma rching ba nd contest is prohibited. Section 1106: AREA MARCHING BAND CONTEST (a) CONTEST SCHEDULE. The area marching band contest will be held for Conferences 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, a nd 2A. (b) AREAS. Regions will be assigned to a reas by the UIL. (c) AREA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. Each music a rea shall have a n executive committee comprised of two representa tives from each Region Execu - tive Committee tha t has schools in the conference assigned to tha t a rea. In the event there a re more tha n four regions tha t have schools in the con - ference assigned to a n a rea, the committee shall be comprised of one representa tive from each region executive committee tha t has schools in the conference assigned to tha t a rea. The committee member may appoint a n alterna te to serve in the event the member is una ble to a ttend a meeting. (d) DUTIES OF THE AREA EXECUTIVE COMMIT - TEE. The a rea contest cha ir in consulta tion with the Area Executive Committee shall be responsible for the a rea ma rching ba nd competition as outlined in this section a nd shall make all a rra ngements as defined by the UIL Sta te Director of Music. (e) CONTEST RULES. All rules governing the region ma rching ba nd contest, except herein noted, shall apply to the a rea ma rching ba nd contest. (f) ENTRY PROCEDURES. Entry procedures a nd 102 rela ted fees shall be esta blished by the a rea con - test cha ir in consulta tion with the Area Executive Committee. (g) PERFORMANCE REGULATIONS. Performa nce regula tions as listed under Section 1105 shall apply to the a rea ma rching ba nd contest with the follow - ing exception: a ny ba nd tha t leaves the field in less tha n five minutes or fa ils to complete its perfor - ma nce in eight minutes shall be disqualified. (h) PRELIMINARY ROUND AND FINAL ROUND. (1) 9 Or Fewer Bands. If there a re 9 or fewer ba nds, the prelimina ry round will sta nd as the final round. The top 50% of the competing ba nds will be recognized as finalists a nd will receive a finalist awa rd, while the rema ining ba nds will receive a pa rticipa nt awa rd. There will be a drum major retrea t held a t the end of the competition to a nnounce the results. The na mes of those ba nds adva ncing to the sta te ma rching ba nd contest will be a nnounced. (2) 10 to 19 Bands. If there a re 10 to 19 ba nds, the top 7 ba nds will adva nce from the prelimina ry round to the final round. In addition, a ny ba nd below seventh place tha t receives a ra nking of three or higher from a t least two of the music judges a nd one of the visual judges will also adva nce to the final round. There will be a drum major retrea t a t the end of prelimina ry round to a nnounce the results. Ba nds not adva ncing to the final round will receive a pa rticipa nt awa rd. At the end of the final round there will be a drum major retrea t where each ba nd will receive a finalist awa rd a nd the na mes of those ba nds adva ncing to the sta te ma rching ba nd contest will be a nnounced. Under extenua t - ing circumsta nces such as severe wea ther or limited pa rticipa tion, the contest officials in consulta tion with the Sta te Director of Music may decla re the prelimina ry round to be the final contest. (3) 20 to 29 Bands . If there a re 20 to 29 ba nds, the top 10 ba nds will adva nce from the pre - limina ry round to the final round. In addition, a ny ba nd below tenth place tha t receives a ra nking of three or higher from a t least two of the music judges a nd one of the visual judges will also adva nce to the final round. There will be a drum major retrea t a t the end of the prelimina ry round to a nnounce the results. Ba nds not adva ncing to final round will receive a pa rticipa nt awa rd. At the end of the final round there will be a drum major retrea t where each ba nd will receive a finalist awa rd a nd the na mes of those ba nds adva nc - ing to the sta te ma rching ba nd contest will be a nnounced. Under extenua ting circum - sta nces such as severe wea ther or limited pa rticipa tion, the contest officials in consul - ta tion with the Sta te Director of Music may decla re the prelimina ry round to be the final contest. (4) 30 Or More Bands. If there a re 30 or more ba nds, the top 12 ba nds will adva nce from the prelimina ry round to the final round. In addition, a ny ba nd below twelfth place tha t receives a ra nking of three or higher from a t least two of the music judges a nd one of the visual judges will also adva nce to the final round. There will be a drum major retrea t a t the end of the prelimina ry round to a nnounce the results. Ba nds not adva ncing to the final round will receive a pa rticipa nt awa rd. At the end of the final round there will be a drum major retrea t where each ba nd will receive a finalist awa rd a nd the na mes of those ba nds adva ncing to the sta te ma rching ba nd contest will be a nnounced. Under extenua ting cir - cumsta nces such as severe wea ther or limited pa rticipa tion, the contest officials in consul - ta tion with the sta te director of music may decla re the prelimina ry round to be the final contest. (i) ADJUDICATION. The Sta te Director of Music in consulta tion with the Area Executive Committee shall assign five judges to each a rea ma rching ba nd contest. The judging pa nel will consist of three music judges a nd two visual judges. (j) RANKING. The final ra nking in each round will be determined by adding the ra nkings of all five judges for each ba nd. (k) AREA CERTIFICATION TO STATE. (1) 2A/3A/4A Certification. In conferences 2A,/3A/4A the music a rea shall certify the three ba nds receiving the highest ra nking in each conference to the sta te ma rching ba nd contest. Should twenty or more ba nds qualify for the adva ncement in a single conference for the a rea contest, one ba nd for each five ba nds tha t qualified for adva ncement to the contest shall be certified for adva ncement to the sta te contest. (2) 5A/6A Certification . In conferences 5A/6A the music a rea shall certify the two ba nds receiv - ing the highest ra nking in each conference to the sta te ma rching ba nd contest. Should fif - teen or more ba nds qualify for adva ncement in a single conference for the a rea contest, Section 1106: Area Marching Band Contest Page 103 103 Section 1106: Area Marching Band Contest one ba nd for each five ba nds tha t qualified for adva ncement to the contest shall be certified for adva ncement to the sta te contest. (3) Zoning Area Contests . (A) By action of the Area Executive Com - mittee a nd by approval of the Sta te Director of Music, the a rea ma rching ba nd contest may be zoned to reduce travel for pa rticipa ting schools. (B) Zoned a rea contests should have a minimum of five ba nds a t each contest site. One ba nd for each five ba nds com - peting in the contest shall be certified for adva ncement to the sta te contest, superseding the use of the certifica tion formulas in Section 1106(k)(1&2). (4) Additional Bands. In contests adva ncing two ba nds, a ny ba nd tha t receives a ra nking of two or higher from two music judges a nd one ma rching judge shall also adva nce to the sta te contest. In addition, in contests adva ncing three or more ba nds, a ny ba nd tha t receives a ra nking of three or higher from two music judges a nd one ma rching judge shall also adva nce to sta te. (5) Alternates . The a rea may na me two alterna tes from each conference in the event tha t the ba nds certified ca nnot compete a t the sta te contest. (6) Notification to State . Areas shall notify the UIL Office of the a rea representa tives a nd alter - na tes within 24 hours of the last day of the contest. A contest held on a weekend may be certified the following Monday. (7) Intent to Participate . Ba nds certified to the sta te ma rching ba nd contest shall inform the UIL Office of their intent to pa rticipa te within 24 hours of being certified (or the Monday fol - lowing a weekend contest) by completing the online entry process. (l) BALLOONS PROHIBITED . The use of balloons by pa rticipa nts or specta tors a t the a rea ma rching ba nd contest is prohibited. Section 1107: STATE MARCHING BAND CONTEST (a) CONTEST SCHEDULE. The sta te contest will be held a nnually in two tracks: open class a nd milita ry class. Certified ba nds will compete in the track decla red when registering for the region contest. (b) AREA CERTIFICATION TO STATE. (1) Required Certification . Each ba nd pa rticipa ting in the sta te ma rching ba nd contest shall be certified by the Area Executive Committee. (2) Rejection . The UIL Office may reject a ny ba nd tha t has not complied with the rules a nd regula tions governing region a nd a rea pa r - ticipa tion. (c) CONTEST RULES. All rules governing the region a nd a rea ma rching ba nd contests, except herein noted, shall apply to the Sta te Ma rching Ba nd Con - test. (d) ENTRY PROCEDURES. Entry procedures a nd rela ted fees shall be esta blished by the UIL. Ba nds certified to the Sta te Ma rching Ba nd Contest shall inform the UIL of their intent to pa rticipa te within 24 hours of receiving certifica tion (or the Monday following a weekend contest) by completing the online entry process. (e) PERFORMANCE REGULATIONS. Performa nce regula tions as listed under section 1105 shall apply to the sta te ma rching ba nd contest with the fol - lowing exceptions: Any ba nd tha t leaves the field in less tha n five minutes or fa ils to complete its per - forma nce in eight minutes shall be disqualified. The sta te milita ry ma rching ba nd contest will adhere to all performa nce regula tions as defined in the sta te milita ry ma rching ba nd contest ma nual.. (f) PRELIMINARY ROUND AND FINAL ROUND. Judging will be in two rounds: prelimina ry a nd final. Under extenua ting circumsta nces such as severe wea ther or limited pa rticipa tion, the contest officials in consulta tion with the Sta te Director of Music may decla re the prelimina ry round to be the final contest. (g) ADJUDICATION. For conferences A, 2A a nd 3A open class contest a nd all conferences a t the mili - ta ry class contest the UIL office shall assign five judges, consisting of three music judges a nd two visual judges. For conferences 4A, 5A a nd 6A the UIL office shall assign seven judges, consisting of four music judges, two visual judges, a nd one con - tent/design judge. (h) RANKING. The final ra nking in each round will be determined by adding the ra nkings of all five judges for each ba nd. (i) AWARDS. Awa rds for the sta te ma rching ba nd contest shall conform to those designa ted by the Policy Committee of the UIL Legisla tive Council. (j) BALLOONS PROHIBITED . The use of balloons by pa rticipa nts or specta tors a t the sta te ma rching ba nd contest is prohibited. Section 1108: SOLO AND SMALL ENSEMBLE CON - TEST (a) APPROVED SOLO AND ENSEMBLE EVENTS. 104 Approved solo a nd ensemble events (event code number in pa rentheses) a re listed in the ta ble of contents of the Prescribed Music List ( on the UIL website). (b) TWIRLING EVENTS. Twirling events (event code number in pa rentheses) a re as follows: (1) Twirling Solo (700) (2) Twirling Ensemble (773). Twirling ensembles may consist of a minimum three members a nd a maximum of ten members. (c) ELIGIBILITY. (1) Eligibility . All pa rticipa nts in the UIL Solo a nd Ensemble Contest must meet the eligibility requirements as listed under Section 1102 a nd be certified to represent his or her school in UIL competition by the school’s principal (or designee). (2) Grade Limits . Solos a nd small ensembles in region contests shall be open to students in grades 9, 10, 11, 12. (3) Seventh and Eighth Grade Students . In composite orga niza tions 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, A, 3B, 2B a nd B), a seventh or eighth grade student may per - form in small ensemble events provided tha t the majority of the ensemble members a re in grades 9-12. (4) Maximum Number of Members . No small ensemble may have more tha n 10 members with the following exceptions. (A) Madrigals may have a maximum of 16 members. (B) Ensembles shall conform to the pa rts a nd voicings specified in the printed score. (5) Perform For Ratings . All solos a nd small ensem - bles shall perform for ra tings. (d) LIMITATION. (1) Maximum Number of Solo and Ensemble Events . No student may exceed the maximum number of solo a nd ensemble entries listed below. (2) Maximum Instrumental Events . Each student may enter a maximum of two instrumental events which may be either: (A) Two solos provided they a re performed on different instruments a nd different music is performed, or two percussion solos, provided they a re performed on two different instruments, or (B) Two small ensembles, provided they a re different event codes or different instru - menta tion under the sa me event code a nd different music is performed, or (C) A small ensemble a nd a solo. (D) Percussion members may pa rticipa te in two percussion ensembles, provided instrumenta tion is different a nd differ - ent music is performed. (E) Saxophone players may pa rticipa te in two saxophone qua rtets, provided different music is performed. (F) A wind or percussion player may also enter a string solo a nd/or a string small ensemble (or vice versa) in addition to the events listed a bove. (3) Vocal Events . In addition to the instrumental events listed a bove, each student may enter two vocal events which may consist of: (A) A vocal solo a nd a vocal small ensemble, or (B) Two vocal small ensembles provided they a re different voicings, different music is performed a nd the majority of ensemble members a re different. (4) Twirling and Piano Events . In addition to the instrumental a nd vocal entries listed a bove, each student may enter a pia no solo a nd a maximum of two twirling events tha t may be: (A) A twirling solo a nd a twirling ensemble, or (B) Two twirling ensembles provided they a re different events (for exa mple, a qua rtet a nd a quintet; or a qua rtet a nd a sextet) a nd the majority of the mem - bers a re different. (5) Medium Ensemble Events . In addition, students may enter medium ensemble events as sta ted in Section 1109. (e) CLASSIFICATION. Solo-small ensemble competi - tion shall have three classifica tions: Class 1, Class 2, Class 3. (1) Class 1. (most difficult). May be entered by a ny student. (2) Class 2. (medium difficult). May be entered by a ny student who has not previously ea rned a Division I ra ting in Class 1 competition. (3) Class 3. (least difficult). May be entered by a ny student who has not previously ea rned a Division I ra ting in Class 1 or 2 competition. (4) Twirling . Twirling solo-small ensemble com - petition is limited to Class 1 a nd Class 3 competition only. (f) ENTRY PROCEDURES. Refer to Section 1103 . (g) ADDITIONAL ENTRIES AFTER DEADLINE. Entries inadvertently omitted may be submitted a fter the deadline under the following provisions: Section 1108: Solo and Small Ensemble Contest Page 105 105 Section 1108: Solo and Small Ensemble Contest (1) An initial entry shall be on file by the deadline. (2) Pending approval by the Region Executive Secreta ry additional entries may be submitted up until a da te to be determined by the Region Executive Committee. (3) The Region Executive Committee may refuse entry if it disrupts the contest schedule. (4) A la te fee as determined by the Region Execu - tive Committee shall be assessed. (h) PERFORMANCE REGULATIONS. (1) Required Selections . The required selections to be performed by all classes of soloists a nd ensembles will be published in the Prescribed Music List ( on the UIL website ) . Soloists or ensembles tha t do not perform selections appea ring on the prescribed lists will be disqualified. If only one movement of a multi-movement selection is performed, tha t movement shall be designa ted on the entry form. (2) Changes to Music Selection . Music selections listed on the entry form become progra m requirements for the solo a nd/or ensemble per - forma nce unless the contest cha ir is officially notified of selection cha nges no la ter tha n seven days prior to the first day of the contest. (3) Emergency Substitution . In emergency situa - tions, the director may substitute a nother eligible student for a n ensemble member a fter the entry has been submitted, provided the substitute has not already entered the maximum number of events listed a bove. All substitutions shall be certified by the contest cha ir prior to the performa nce. (4) Scores . The judge shall be provided with a copy - right complia nt score with measures numbered. Judges a re prohibited from adjudica ting a per - forma nce if a copyright complia nt score is not provided. Exception: A judge may adjudica te a n ensemble without a copyright complia nt score under both of the following provisions: (A) A sta tement from a music reta iler or music publisher tha t no published score exists or is out of print is provided to the judge. (B) A set of copyright complia nt pa rts is supplied in lieu of the score. (5) Memorization . Ensembles a re not required to be performed from memory. A judge may not adjudica te a solo unless the performer conforms to the following memory requirements: (A) Vocal Solos . All vocal solos shall be per - formed from memory. (B) Instrumental Solos . All instrumental solos, rega rdless of class, may be performed with music. Exception: Students wishing to be certified to TSSEC must perform a Class 1 solo from memory a t the region contest or perform a Class 1 solo specified as being exempt from the memory requirement as listed in the Prescribed Music List ( on the UIL website ) . (6) Repetition . (A) A soloist may not repea t a selection (or movement) performed by him or her in a previous UIL contest. (B) An ensemble may not perform a selec - tion tha t has been played as a UIL contest selection by a simila r ensemble from the sa me school in the previous yea r, unless a t least half the members of the group did not pa rticipa te in the ensemble the previous yea r. (7) Accompaniment . All solos a nd ensembles must be accompa nied by pia no, recorded accom - pa niment, electronic accompa niment, or other musically appropria te instrument(s). Exception: Solos a nd ensembles designa ted as such in the score may be unaccompa nied. (8) Instrumental Cadenza Required. Instrumental soloists a re expected to perform a cadenza if it is called for in the score. A copy of the cadenza to be performed must be presented to the judge. (9) Conducted Ensembles . Small ensembles may not be conducted. Exception: Madrigal s, instrumental ensembles of 11 or more, a nd all percussion ensembles may be conducted. Section 1109: MEDIUM ENSEMBLE CONTEST (a) WIND AND PERCUSSION EVENTS. Wind a nd percussion medium ensembles shall consist of a minimum of 11 a nd a maximum of 24 perform - ers with no more tha n 2 players per pa rt a nd shall perform in the following ca tegories (event code in pa rentheses): (1) Brass Ensemble (380); (2) Woodwind Ensemble (282); (3) Percussion Ensemble (581); (4) Wind-Percussion Ensemble (881); (5) Ja zz Ensemble (981); a nd (6) Experimental Ensemble (890). (b) STRING EVENTS. String medium ensembles shall consist of a minimum of 11 a nd a maximum of 24 performers with no more tha n 4 players per pa rt a nd shall perform in the following ca tegories (event 106 code in pa rentheses): (1) String Ensemble (480); (2) String Ensemble with Winds a nd Percussion (481); a nd (3) Experimental Ensemble (490) (c) VOCAL EVENTS. Vocal medium ensembles shall consist of a minimum of 11 a nd a maximum of 24 vocalists with no more tha n 8 to a pa rt a nd shall perform in the following ca tegories (event code in pa rentheses): (1) Mixed Vocal Ensemble (180); (2) Treble Medium Ensemble (181); (3) Tenor-Bass Medium Ensemble (182); (4) Pop/Swing Ensemble (980); a nd (5) Experimental Ensemble (880) (d) ELIGIBILITY. (1) Grades . Medium ensembles in region contests shall be open to students in grades 9, 10, 11, 12. (2) Eligibility . All pa rticipa nts in the UIL Medium Ensemble competition shall meet the eligibil - ity requirements as listed under Section 1102 a nd be certified to represent his or her school in UIL competition by the school’s principal (or designee). (3) Seventh and Eighth Grade Students . In composite orga niza tions (5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, A), a seventh or eighth grade student may perform in the medium ensemble contest provided tha t the majority of the ensemble members a re in grades 9-12. (4) Limitation . A student may enter two medium ensemble events provided they a re different events as listed in Section 1109 (a), (b), (c) a nd (d), in addition to the limita tions sta ted in Section 1108 (d). (e) ENTRY PROCEDURES. Refer to Section 1103. (f) PERFORMANCE REGULATIONS. (1) Open Class . Medium ensembles shall perform in open class. (2) Music Selection . (A) A medium ensemble may select music from a ny source provided tha t no selec - tion is (was) performed by the ba nd, orchestra or choirs in a UIL orga niza tion event during the current school yea r. (B) Medium ensembles a re encouraged to perform more tha n one selection as long as the time limita tion of 15 min - utes is not exceeded. (C) Repertoire should be compa ra ble to Class 1 ensemble repertoire. (D) A medium ensemble may not perform a selection tha t was performed by a simi - la r medium ensemble from the sa me school in the previous yea r, unless a t least half the members of the group did not pa rticipa te in the medium ensemble the previous yea r. (E) A medium ensemble may not perform a selection tha t is also being performed by a ny or all of the ensemble members as a small ensemble. (3) Conducting . Any medium ensemble may be conducted. (4) Performance Time. Performa nce time for a medium ensemble shall be limited to not more tha n 15 minutes, including performa nce, entering a nd clea ring the performa nce a rea. (5) Score . The judge shall be provided with a copyright complia nt full score with mea - sures numbered. Judges a re prohibited from adjudica ting a performa nce if a copyright complia nt full score is not provided. (6) Judges . It is recommended tha t all medium ensemble judges be selected from the Texas Music Adjudica tors Associa tion (TMAA) active list or provisional list of judges. Section 1110: CONCERT ORGANIZATION EVALUA - TION (a) EVENTS. Evalua tion will be provided in each region for the following orga niza tion events (event code): (1) Concert Ba nd (100); (2) Full Orchestra (921); (3) String Orchestra (926); (4) Mixed Choir (931); (5) Tenor-Bass Choir (933); a nd (6) Treble Choir (935) (b) SCHEDULING. (1) Conferences . Orga niza tions shall be scheduled according to conference assignments. Non- va rsity a nd sub non-va rsity shall each be scheduled as sepa ra te conferences. (2) Junior High/Middle School. In junior high/middle schools, a t the option of the Region Exec - utive Committee, it is recommended tha t evalua tions be scheduled so tha t junior high/ middle schools tha t feed A, 2A, 3A, a nd 4A high schools perform prior to orga niza tions tha t feed 5A a nd 6A high schools. (3) Zoning Junior High/Middle School Events. Junior high/middle school events may be zoned with no restrictions as to the number of orga niza - Section 1109: Medium Ensemble Contest Page 107 107 Section 1110: Concert Organization Evaluation tions in each conference. (c) ENTRY PROCEDURES. Refer to Section 1103. (d) PERFORMANCE REGULATIONS. (1) Perform for Ratings . Each orga niza tion shall perform for ra tings. (2) Adjudication Criteria. Each orga niza tion shall be evalua ted in accorda nce with the Texas Music Adjudica tors Associa tion (TMAA) adjudica tion rubric. (3) Required Music . A committee of seven in each division (ba nd, choir, orchestra) is appointed by the Sta te Director of Music to three-yea r overlapping terms to select music tha t is placed on the Prescribed Music List (on the UIL website). (A) Only entries conforming to the PML per - forma nce requirements will be certified. (B) Those selections so listed on the entry form become progra m requirements for performa nce unless the event cha ir is notified, in writing, of cha nges of selec - tions no la ter tha n seven days prior to the first day of the event. (C) An orga niza tion fa iling to comply with performa nce requirements as submitted shall be penalized in accorda nce with Sections 27 a nd 29. (4) Performers . The director of a ba nd, orchestra or choir may not perform with the orga niza - tion. The accompa nist of a n orchestra must be a member of a performing orga niza tion. The accompa nist of a choir may not sing with the performing orga niza tion unless the accompa nist is eligible under Subchapter M of the Constitution . (5) Repetition . The following will govern the repetition of a composition for performa nce purposes, excluding 7th a nd/or 8th grade pa rticipa tion, in a composite group. Refer to Section 1102 (i)(6). Va rsity a nd non-va rsity groups a re considered sepa ra te orga niza - tions. (A) An orga niza tion in a one or two-yea r school (excluding 6th grade) may repea t a selection in the second yea r a fter the most recent performa nce. (B) An orga niza tion in a three-yea r school (excluding 6th grade) may repea t a selection in the third yea r a fter the most recent performa nce. (C) An orga niza tion in a four-yea r school (excluding 6th grade) may repea t a selection in the fourth yea r a fter the most recent performa nce. (6) Multiple Performance of String Orchestra Selection Prohibited. A full orchestra a nd string orchestra from the sa me school shall not perform the sa me string orchestra selection on both progra ms. (7) Performing Time . (A) Ba nds a nd orchestras shall be limited to not more tha n 45 minutes, including performa nce, entering a nd clea ring the stage. (B) Choirs shall be limited to not more tha n 20 minutes, including performa nce, entering a nd clea ring the stage. (C) With the approval of the Region Execu - tive Committee, individual regions may impose more restrictive performa nce time limits. (8) Scores . Each judge shall be provided with a copyright complia nt full score with mea - sures numbered. Judges a re prohibited from adjudica ting a performa nce if a copyright complia nt full score is not provided. (9) Instrumentation . While judges shall be instruct - ed to critique instrumenta tion only insofa r as it a ffects the performa nce, schools a re encouraged to conform as closely as possible with accepted sta nda rds of instrumenta tion. (10) Electronics . (A) The use of electronic sound, to reinforce or to substitute for acoustical instru - ments tha t a re a traditional pa rt of the ba nd or orchestra instrumenta tion, is prohibited. (B) Electronics may be used for other instruments specified in the score under the following provisions: (i) The substitute shall be performed live as a pa rt of the performa nce. (ii) It shall be the responsibility of the performing group director to provide all equipment. (C) The use of electronics may be consid - ered by each judge in determining the overall ra ting for the performa nce. Section 1111: SIGHT-READING EVALUATION (a) PERFORMANCE REGULATIONS. (1) Requirement . Each orga niza tion tha t per - forms in concert evalua tion is required to perform in the sight-reading evalua tion for ra tings. (2) Members . All members of the orga niza tion 108 who pa rticipa ted in the concert evalua tion a re required to pa rticipa te in the sight read - ing evalua tion for tha t orga niza tion. (3) Music . A committee of five in each divi - sion (ba nd, choir, orchestra) is appointed by the Sta te Director of Music to three-yea r overlapping terms to select a nd/or edit sight- reading music tha t conforms to the criteria as sta ted on the UIL website. (4) Adjudication Criteria . Each orga niza tion shall be evalua ted in accorda nce with the Texas Music Adjudica tors Associa tion adjudica tion rubric. (5) Non-varsity (Second Groups) . All music for non- va rsity (second groups) will be the sa me or meet the sa me criteria as the selection for corresponding orga niza tions two confer - ences lower tha n their va rsity orga niza tion. Non-va rsity groups shall be scheduled as a sepa ra te conference. (6) Sub Non-varsity (Third Groups and Below). Schools with more tha n one non-va rsity group shall designa te a t least one of those groups as non-va rsity (second group). At the option of the music director a nd local school officials, other groups of the sa me kind (ba nd, choir, orchestra) may then be entered as sub non-va rsity. All music for sub non-va rsity (third groups a nd below) will be the sa me or meet the sa me criteria as the selection for cor - responding orga niza tions two conferences lower tha n their va rsity orga niza tion. Sub non-va rsity groups shall be scheduled as a sepa ra te conference. (7) Use of Recording Devices. The use of recording devices in the sight-reading room is prohib - ited. (b) AFFIRMATION OF CONFERENCE. Prior to the evalua tion the following question will be asked of the director of each orga niza tion. “This orga niza - tion will be reading ( title of selection ) which has been chosen for conference ( varsity or non-varsity groups ). Is this the correct conference for your orga niza - tion?” (c) PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF THE MUSIC. (1) Question . A judge is required to ask the director of each orga niza tion the following question: “Has this orga niza tion or a ny of its student members hea rd, read, rehea rsed or performed this selection (indica ting the music) a t a ny time prior to this evalua tion?” If the a nswer is “yes” the director will have two options: (A) The director may have his/her ba nd, choir or orchestra read a n alterna te selection of equal difficulty which shall be ava ila ble from the contest cha ir; or (B) The director may excuse the student(s) who has/have prior knowledge of the music a nd proceed with the rest of the group in the prepa ra tion a nd perfor - ma nce of the designa ted selection. (2) Penalty . A false response to the question concerning prior knowledge of the music shall result in the orga niza tion a nd/or its director being penalized in accorda nce with Subchapter E. The minimum penalty shall be disqualifica tion of tha t orga niza tion from the music reading evalua tion. (d) PROCEDURES FOR ORCHESTRA SIGHTREAD - ING EVALUATION. (1) Score Study . Prior to the instruction period the director will be given a period of three minutes to study the sight-reading music full score. (2) Instruction Period . The director will be given the following time limits to study the score a nd instruct the orga niza tion: (A) Conference 6A-5A Va rsity: 10 minutes; (B) Conference 3C-3B-4A Va rsity a nd 6A non-va rsity (second groups): eight min - utes; a nd (C) All other conferences seven minutes. (D) Sub-non va rsity orchestras may extend the expla na tion period for their confer - ence by one minute. (3) Use of Instruction Period . Only one director may instruct a nd direct a n orga niza tion a t the evalua tion. The director may instruct the group as he or she sees fit, including singing phrases or demonstra ting rhythmic figures, but the director may not perform the music on a ny instrument. The director may not allow students to tap rhythms or perform a ny pa rt of the music in a ny ma nner. (4) Marking Music . Neither the director nor the students may ma rk on the music unless instructed to do so by a judge. (5) Warm-up and Tuning. Immedia tely follow - ing the instruction period a nd prior to the performa nce, if the conductor chooses to do a wa rm-up the sight-reading music will be turned face down. Each performing group may then play or sing a brief wa rm-up con - sisting of one of the following: (A) long tones; (B) a whole note scale; or (C) eight measures of a wa rm-up chorale. Section 1111: Sight-Reading Evaluation Page 109 109 Section 1111: Sight Reading Evaluation In addition, string players may check tuning. No further wa rm-up or musical instruction of a ny kind is permitted by the director, includ - ing the use of verbal counting to initia te the reading. (6) Performance . The orga niza tion shall then per - form the music. In the event the director elects to halt the performa nce, it should be for the sole purpose of designa ting a sta rting point. No further instructions may be given. (7) Disqualification . An orchestra whose director makes a n obvious contribution to the performa nce by either singing with or speaking to the students while they a re performing shall be disqualified. An obvious a nd delibera te a ttempt by a director to be disqualified may result in the assignment of a ra ting by the adjudica tion pa nel. A judge’s decision of wha t is obvious a nd delibera te is final. (e) PROCEDURES FOR BAND SIGHT- READING EVALUATION. (1) Score Study . Prior to the instruction period the director will be given a period of three minutes to study the sight-reading music full score. (2) Instruction Period . The director will be given the following time limits to study the score a nd instruct the orga niza tion: (A) Conference 6A-5A Va rsity: 7:00 General Expla na tion 3:00 Summa ry Expla na tion (B) Conference 3C-3B-4A Va rsity a nd 6A non-va rsity: 5:00 General Expla na tion 3:00 Summa ry Expla na tion (C) All other conferences: 4:00 General Expla na tion 3:00 Summa ry Expla na tion (D) Sub-non va rsity ba nds a nd Conference C non-va rsity ba nds may extend the summa ry expla na tion period for their conference by one minute. (3) Use of Instruction Period. Only one director may instruct a nd direct a n orga niza tion a t the evalua tion. The director may use the instruc - tion period in the following ma nner. (A) General Explanation . The director may structure this initial segment of time (7 minutes/5 minutes/4 minutes) as he or she wishes by incorpora ting a ny combina tion of silent study a nd/ or director’s expla na tion. During this time period the director may point out specific performa nce problems, dem - onstra te how rita rda ndos, ferma tas, etc. will be conducted, call a ttention to accidentals, identify unique cha rac - teristics of the music (i.e., who has the melody, importa nt passages for cer - ta in sections, the presence of repea ts, etc.) a nd a nswer student questions. At the director’s discretion, students may finger passages a t a ny time during the general expla na tion period. Note: The director a nd students may not count, sing or a udibly reproduce the music in a ny other ma nner. (B) Verbal Notification . At the conclusion of the general expla na tion period timing will stop a nd the cha ir of the sight- reading pa nel or a designee will read aloud the following sta tement: “Your general expla na tion period is over. You may now begin your summa ry expla na - tion.” Time will then begin for the three minute summa ry expla na tion. (C) Summary Explanation . During the sum - ma ry expla ina tion the director may instruct the group as he or she sees fit, including singing phrases, demon - stra ting rhythmic figures or reviewing rita rda ndos a nd ferma tas with singing a nd/or counting. However, the direc - tor may not perform the music on a ny instrument or allow students to tap rhythms or perform a ny pa rt of the music in a ny ma nner. (4) Marking Music . Neither the director nor the students may ma rk on the music unless instructed to do so by a judge. (5) Warm-up and Tuning. Immedia tely following the instruction period a nd prior to the per - forma nce, if the conductor chooses to do a wa rm-up the sight-reading music will be turned face down. Each performing group may then play or sing a brief wa rm-up con - sisting of one of the following: (A) long tones; (B) a whole note scale; or (C) eight measures of a wa rm-up chorale. No further wa rm-up or musical instruction of a ny kind is permitted by the director, includ - ing the use of verbal counting to initia te the reading. (6) Performance . The orga niza tion shall then per - form the music. In the event the director 110 elects to halt the performa nce, it should be for the sole purpose of designa ting a sta rting point. No further instructions may be given. (7) Disqualification . A ba nd whose director makes a n obvious contribution to the performa nce by either singing with or speaking to the students while they a re performing shall be disqualified. An obvious a nd delibera te a ttempt by a director to be disqualified may result in the assignment of a ra ting by the adjudica tion pa nel. A judge’s decision of wha t is obvious a nd delibera te is final. (f) PROCEDURES FOR CHOIR SIGHT-READING EVALUATION. (1) Time . The director of a choir will be given six minutes to study the score a nd instruct the orga niza tion. Exception: Sub-non va rsity choirs may extend the study a nd instruction period by one minute. (2) Use of Instruction Period . Only one director may instruct a nd direct a n orga niza tion a t the evalua tion. At a ny time during the instruc - tion period the tonic chord may be played once, in broken chord style, a nd may not be reproduced by the students. The director may instruct the group by tapping out rhythms a nd talking a bout a ny passage of music but may not hum, sing a ny pa rt, or allow it to be played on the pia no. Students may cha nt rhythms a nd/or text a nd tap or clap the rhythms; however, they may not reproduce the music tonally. Students may ask questions a nd make comments, according to the direc - tor’s wishes. (3) Marking Music . Neither the director nor the students may ma rk on the sight-reading music unless instructed to do so by a judge. (4) First Reading . At the completion of the instruc - tion period the choir will be given the tonic chord, in broken chord style. At tha t time, the students may reproduce the tonic chord, uti - lizing their preferred method of sight-reading (numbers, sylla bles, etc.). The accompa nist will then give the sta rting pitches, which each sec - tion may sing, aga in utilizing their preferred method. The director may sing the sta rting pitch with each section. After the choir has sung its sta rting pitches no further wa rm-up or musical instruction of a ny kind is permit - ted by the director, including the use of verbal counting to initia te the reading. The music will then be sung without pia no accompa ni - ment a nd using the group’s preferred method of sight-reading . The director may choose to read the piece in the printed key or a ny other key suita ble for the group. In the event the director elects to halt the performa nce, it should be for the sole purpose of designa ting a sta rting point. No further instructions may be given. (5) Second Instruction Period . Following the first reading, the director will have two minutes for instruction. The procedures described in (2) will apply. (6) Second Reading . The procedures in (4) will apply. The selection will then be sung a cap - pella. All groups may continue to use their preferred method of sight-reading or may sing the words printed in the score. The direc - tor’s decision to use text or not will have no bea ring on the final ra ting. Both readings will be judged. (7) Disqualification . A choir whose director makes a n obvious contribution to the performa nce by either singing with or speaking to the stu - dents or making other a udible contributions while they a re performing shall be disquali - fied. An obvious a nd delibera te a ttempt by a director to be disqualified may result in the assignment of a ra ting by the adjudica tion pa nel. A judge’s decision of wha t is obvious a nd delibera te is final. (8) SAB Music Selection . Choirs performing a majority of SATB music in their concert performa nce will be required to sight-read SATB music designa ted for tha t conference. However, choirs in all conferences may sight- read SAB music provided tha t their progra m includes a majority of SAB music. (9) SA and TB Music Selection . Choirs performing a majority of SA or TB music in their concert performa nce may elect to sight -read SA or TB music selected for tha t conference. Section 1112: ADJUDICATION (a) SELECTION OF JUDGES. The membership ros - ter of the Texas Music Adjudica tors Associa tion (TMAA) will be the recommended list of approved judges. The music Region Executive Committee will select three judges from this list subject to the following guidelines. (1) List of Judges . In all orga niza tion event contests a nd evalua tions (concert, sight-reading, a nd ma rching), one judge shall be selected from the recommended list of approved judges, a second Section 1111: Sight-Reading Evaluation Page 111 Section 1112: Adjudication judge shall be selected from the recommended or provisional list of approved judges a nd a third judge may be selected from the recom - mended or provisional list of approved judges or from other sources approved by the Sta te Director of Music. (2) Sight-reading Judges Panel Chair . In all sight-reading events, a judge selected from the Recommended List of Approved Judges shall be designa ted cha ir of the adjudica tion pa nel. (3) Orchestra Judge . At least one judge with orches - tra teaching experience shall be employed in regions having one or more orchestra entries. (4) Residence . A high school choir, ba nd or orches - tra, judge shall reside outside the region or a rea in which he or she is being employed to judge. Exception: A judge who is otherwise qualified according to section 1112 may judge in the region or a rea where they reside if they have no involvement with public school music progra ms in the region of residence a nd there is no other real or perceived conflict of inter - est. Zoned junior high contests as well as high school solo a nd ensemble contest judges may be selected from other zones within the sa me region. (5) Current Involvement . A judge should be cur - rently teaching, conducting or performing in or retired from the field in which he or she is employed to judge. (6) Education . A judge shall have a college or con - serva tory background in music. (7) Limitation . (A) A judge may not evalua te a n orga niza - tion event in music if tha t judge has served as a clinicia n-conductor for a ny school orga niza tion in tha t region or a rea a nd conference during the current school yea r. The rule does not apply to clinicia ns for All-Region, All-Area a nd All-Sta te orga niza tions. (B) In ma rching competition, the following limita tions apply: (i) A director may not judge region ma rching competition in a ny region assigned to the sa me a rea in which he or she competes. This limita tion applies only in yea rs tha t the sta te competition is held in tha t judge’s conference. (ii) A judge a t the a rea level ma rch - ing competition may not evalua te other ba nds in the sa me confer - ence as tha t judge’s ba nd, if tha t judge’s ba nd has been selected to adva nce to the next level of competition. This limita tion also applies to other music personnel such as music supervisors who reside within the school district of the adva ncing ba nd. (8) Prior Employment . A judge may not accept a judging invita tion from a region, a rea or zone in which tha t judge formerly ta ught, unless two yea rs have elapsed since the time of last employment in tha t region, a rea or zone. (9) Return Engagement . A judge may not be invited for a return engagement to adjudica te a n orga niza tion event (ba nd, orchestra, or choir) in the sa me conference unless two yea rs have elapsed since he or she last judged tha t spe - cific event. (10) Conflict of Interest . A region may not employ a judge, nor a judge accept a n adjudica tion assignment if there is a known conflict of interest. (11) Honorarium . The honora rium for each judge will be as follows: (A) for orga niza tion events, $300.00 per day, plus $60.00 for each hour over a scheduled eight-hour day; a nd (B) for solo a nd ensemble events, $250.00 per day plus $50.00 for each hour over a scheduled eight-hour day. (C) Travel a nd per diem shall be pa id on a schedule as prescribed by the Region Executive Committee. (b) ADJUDICATION STANDARDS. Each judge shall assign one of the following ra tings in accorda nce with esta blished Texas Music Adjudica tors Asso - cia tion adjudica tion rubrics: Division I (Superior), Division II (Excellent), Division III (Average), Divi - sion IV (Below Average), Division V (Poor). The performa nce of the soloist, ensemble, or orga ni - za tion shall be the only factor considered when determining ra tings. (1) Final Rating . If judges’ ra tings do not agree, the following cha rt will determine the ra ting to be awa rded: Cha rts for Computing Ra tings- Three Judges-Five Ra tings Rating I Rating II Rating III Rating IV Rating V 1-1-1 1-2-2 1-3-3 1-4-4 1-5-5 1-1-2 1-2-3 1-3-4 1-4-5 2-5-5 1-1-3 1-2-4 1-3-5 2-4-4 3-5-5 1-1-4 1-2-5 2-3-3 2-4-5 4-5-5 111 112 1-1-5 2-2-2 2-3-4 3-4-4 5-5-5 2-2-3 2-3-5 3-4-5 2-2-4 3-3-3 4-4-4 2-2-5 3-3-4 4-4-5 3-3-5 Judges shall not add plus (+) or minus (-) to division ra tings. (2) Irregularities . The judge shall call to the a ttention of the contest cha ir/event cha ir a nd the Region Executive Secreta ry a ny irregula rities of performa nce or proce - dure on the pa rt of the pa rticipa nt(s). The Region Executive Secreta ry in consulta tion with the Region Executive Committee shall determine wha t penalties in Section 29 may be assessed. (3) Discourteous Conduct . Judges shall report a ny act of discourtesy by a pa rticipa nt or music director to the contest cha ir/event cha ir, who shall then forwa rd the report to the Region Executive Secreta ry for considera tion of appropria te action. (4) Judge Conferences . Judges shall be instructed not to confer before ra tings a re placed on comment sheets. Section 1113: TEXAS STATE SOLO-ENSEMBLE CONTEST (a) PERFORMANCE REGULATIONS. Unless oth - erwise specified performa nce regula tions listed in Section 1108 shall apply to the Texas Sta te Solo-Ensemble Contest. (b) ELIGIBILITY. Each solo a nd ensemble receiving a Division I ra ting on a Class 1 selection a t a UIL region solo or small ensemble contest during the current school yea r is eligible to pa rticipa te in TSSEC provided tha t all solos (both instrumen - tal a nd vocal) were certified as being performed by memory a t the region contest. Exception: A Class 1 solo specified as being exempt from the memory requirement as listed in the Prescribed Music List (on the UIL website). (c) MUSIC REQUIREMENTS. Music performed at the Texas State Solo-Ensemble Contest may be different from the selection performed at the region contest, provided the selection performed is chosen from the Class 1 Prescribed Music List (on the UIL website) for the same event. (d) MEMORY REQUIREMENT. All solos (instru - mental a nd vocal) shall be performed by memory. Exception: Music may be used for Class 1 solos specified as being exempt from the memory requirement in the Prescribed Music List (on the UIL website). (e) RESPONSIBILITY FOR INSTRUMENTS AND EQUIPMENT. Pa rticipa nts in the Texas Sta te Solo-Ensemble Contest will be responsible for providing all instruments a nd equipment (including music sta nds). (f) MUSIC THEORY CONTEST. The Music The - ory Contest is open to a ny student in grades 9 through 12, provided the student has been certi - fied by the school principal (or designee) a nd the music director. (g) ENTRY PROCEDURES. (1) Entry . All entries shall be submitted elec - tronically by UIL member schools using the links ava ila ble on the UIL website. (2) Deadline . Entries for TSSEC shall be sub - mitted by the deadline set forth on the UIL calenda r. (3) Entry Fees . Entry fees a re non-refunda ble. (4) Late Entries . Entries submitted a fter the deadline set forth on the UIL calenda r will be placed on a wa iting list in the order they a re received a nd will be scheduled only if performa nce times a re ava ila ble. A la te entry fee will apply. (5) Additional Entries After Deadline. Entries inadvertently omitted may be submitted a fter the deadline under the following provisions: (A) An initial entry shall be on file by the deadline. (B) Pending approval by the Sta te Direc - tor of Music additional entries may be submitted up until a da te to be determined by the UIL Office. (h) SCHEDULING. (1) Same Day . All entries from a school will be scheduled to perform on the sa me day. (2) Scheduling Request . Request for performa nce times on a specific day may be submitted. Requests for a specific pa rt of the day ca nnot be made. After a n entry is submitted, cha nges ca nnot be made in the day selected for entries unless performa nce times a re ava ila ble. (3) Contest Schedule . Contest schedules will be ava ila ble on the UIL website on or a bout May 1. Each director will be responsible for notifying students of their scheduled day, time a nd loca tion. (i) AWARDS. (1) Solo and Ensemble . Division I Solo - Gold medal; Division II Solo - Silver medal; Division I Ensemble - Bronze medal. (2) Outstanding Performer. The Outsta nding Per - former Awa rd represents the a tta inment Section 1113: Texas State Solo-Ensemble Contest 112 Page 113 by a n individual of superior musicia nship as demonstra ted in the exacting competi - tion of the Texas Sta te Solo-Ensemble Contest. These awa rds will be ma iled a fter the contest. Section 1114: STATE WIND ENSEMBLE FESTIVAL (a) ELIGIBILITY. Any school’s va rsity ba nd may enter the sta te wind ensemble festival provided a n overall Division I ra ting was received a t the current yea r’s region concert evalua tion. (b) ENTRY REQUIREMENTS. (1) Letter of Intent. A letter of intent to perform a t the event may be submitted a t a ny time during the school term following the pro - cedures on the UIL website. All entries will be filed according to the da te received. (2) Entry Procedures. Entries will be certified by the UIL Office upon notice tha t the ensemble received a Division 1 ra ting a t the region concert evalua tion. Notifica tion should be sent to the UIL Office within 72 hours following tha t event. (3) Ensembles will then be assigned perfor - ma nce times based on the da te tha t the “intent to enter” the festival was received. A maximum of 18 ensembles will be sched - uled. (c) MUSIC REQUIREMENTS. Each group will per - form a minimum of two or a maximum of three selections chosen from a ny source suita ble for wind ensemble. A copyright complia nt full score of each selection with measures numbered shall be provided for each of the three evalua tors. (d) EVALUATION AND CLINIC. Each ba nd will receive a n evalua tion from a pa nel of three na tionally recognized music educa tors. Imme - dia tely following their performa nce each ensemble will receive a clinic from one of these evalua tors. (e) AWARDS. In recognition of their musical achievement each ba nd will receive a pa rticipa nt awa rd a t the conclusion of their performa nce. (f) RECOGNITION OF EXEMPLARY MUSICAL ACHIEVEMENT. Individual performers a nd/or sections from each ensemble may be honored for exempla ry musical achievement. (g) PERFORMANCE ATTENDANCE. Each pa r - ticipa ting school shall a ttend the perfor ma nce of a t least two other ensembles a t the festival. Section 1115: MARIACHI (a) CONTEST SCHEDULE. Region a nd sta te Ma riachi events will be held a nnually, following all rules a nd procedures as defined in the Ma ria - chi Ma nual. Section 1116: STATE CHAMBER MUSIC CON - TEST (a) CONTEST SCHEDULE. The sta te cha mber music contest will be held a nnually, following all rules a nd procedures as defined in the sta te cha mber music contest ma nual. (Sections 1117-1199, reserved for expa nsion.) Section 1114: State Wind Ensemble Festival 113 NOTE: Rules tha t list the sport or sports to which they apply shall apply only to the sport(s) listed. Section 1200: PURPOSES OF HIGH SCHOOL ATH - LETICS The purposes of the a thletic progra m for the member schools a re: (a) to assist, advise a nd a id the member schools in orga nizing a nd conducting interschool a thletics; (b) to devise a nd prepa re eligibility rules tha t will equal - ize a nd stimula te wholesome competition between schools of simila r size, a nd reinforce the curriculum; (c) to regula te competition so tha t students, schools a nd communities ca n secure the grea test educa - tional, social, recrea tional a nd aesthetic benefits from the contests; (d) to reinforce the concept to all member schools tha t a thletics is a n integral pa rt of the educa tional pro - gra m; (e) to preserve the ga me for the overall benefit of the contesta nt a nd not sacrifice the contesta nt to the ga me; (f) to promote the spirit of good sportsma nship a nd fa ir play in all contests; (g) to promote a mong the players, schools a nd com - munities a spirit of friendly rivalry a nd a respect for the rules; (h) to forwa rd the concept of accepting decisions of sports officials without protest a nd trea ting offi - cials as co-pa rtners in the educa tional process of competition; a nd (i) to provide rules a nd regula tions designed to promote a nd ensure the health a nd sa fety of all pa rticipa nts. Section 1201: ATHLETIC CODES The Athletic Code a nd the Athletic Code for Coaches ca rry the force of rule. Member school districts, member schools a nd/or covered school district personnel who vio - la te a ny of the provisions of these codes will be subject to penalty. (a) THE ATHLETIC CODE. The general Athletic Code mea ns to: (1) Play the ga me in the spirit of fa irness a nd sportsma nship, observing all rules, both in letter a nd intent. (2) Coach a nd sponsor the tea ms a nd individuals without resorting to unethical tactics, trick - ery which a ttempts to skirt the rules, or a ny unfa ir tactic which detracts from sound edu - ca tional principles. (3) Accept decisions of sports a nd school officials without protest a nd without questioning their honesty or integrity, a nd extend protection a nd courtesy to sports officials from pa r - ticipa nts, school personnel a nd specta tors remembering tha t officials a re guests. (4) Rega rd opponents as guests, putting clea n play a nd good sportsma nship a bove victory a t a ny cost. Win without boasting a nd lose without bitterness. Victory is importa nt, but the most importa nt thing in sports is striving to excel a nd the positive feelings it fosters between those who play fa ir a nd have no excuse when they lose. The development of positive huma n rela tions should be stressed in all competition. (5) Remember tha t conduct tha t bera tes, intimi - da tes, or threa tens competitors has no place in interscholastic activities. (6) Provide informa tion or evidence as soon as possible rega rding eligibility of a ny contes - ta nt or school to the local administra tion, then to the proper District Executive Com - mittee. To withhold informa tion is consid - ered dishonora ble a nd contra ry to good sportsma nship. Schools guilty of viola ting this section may be subject to penalty as described in Sections 27 a nd 29, including disqualifica tion from district honors in the germa ne activity. Covered school district personnel guilty of viola ting this section may be subject to the ra nge of penalties as described in Sections 27 a nd 29. (7) Not recruit or entice a ny student to a ttend a nd pa rticipa te a t your school. Any inquiries from students outside your school district or from a nother high school in a multiple-high school district should be directed to the school super - intendent or high school principal. (b) THE ATHLETIC CODE FOR COACHES. The code for a thletic sponsors includes the principles described in Subsection (a) a nd the purposes listed in Section 1200. Further, the coach’s code includes: (1) Being awa re of, understa nding a nd following all rules governing the competition for which the coach is responsible. (2) Informing one’s immedia te supervisor in writing the next school day a fter a contest if ejected from tha t contest for unsportsma nlike actions, or, in football, if given two 15-ya rd unsportsma nlike penalties during one con - Subchapter C. HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC PLAN Section 1200: Purposes of High School Athletics 114 Section 1201: Athletic Codes test, knowing tha t such conduct requires a utoma tic penalty. (3) Trea ting a thletes based on wha t is best for the educa tion, general welfa re a nd health of the student. (4) Professional loyalty to other coaches. (5) Not removing a tea m from a contest as a pro - test. (6) Adhering to in season a nd out of season prac - tice regula tions. (7) Adhering to policies which do not force a th - letes to specialize or restrict them from pa r - ticipa tion in other sports. (8) Allowing students to pa rticipa te in one school sport without requiring, as a prerequisite, pa rticipa tion in a nother school sport. (9) Absta ining from a ny practice which would bring fina ncial ga in to the coach by using a student’s pa rticipa tion in a ca mp, clinic, league or other non-school a thletic event, such as a reba te for each player sent to a pa rticula r ca mp or from each player using a pa rticula r product. Coaches shall not cha rge a fee for priva te instruction to student-a thletes during the school yea r. The restriction on cha rging fees for priva te instruction applies only to those students who a re: (A) in grades 9-12; (B) from the coach’s a ttenda nce zone; a nd (C) pa rticipa ting in the sport for which the coach is responsible. (10) Absta ining from a ny practice tha t makes a student feel pressured to pa rticipa te in non- school activities. (11) Avoiding a ny coaching practice which would enda nger the welfa re or sa fety of a ny player. (12) Emphasizing the academic progress of all pa rticipa nts by a regula r, documented check of their academic sta nding, both in season a nd out of season. (13) Scheduling ga mes a nd practices to avoid unnecessa ry loss of study or class time. (14) Utilizing the best a nd most current teach - ing, coaching a nd tra ining methods through a ffilia tion with professional associa tions a nd publica tions. (15) Absta ining from a ny practice tha t solicits teachers to modify a pa rticipa nt student’s grade for eligibility purposes. (16) Avoiding a ny actions tha t encourage, condone or tolera te the use of performa nce enha ncing drugs by a ny student-a thlete. (17) Emphasizing a chemical awa reness progra m tha t informs a nd educa tes students of the da maging effects of a na bolic steroids a nd other illegal drugs. (18) Disclosing to opposing schools a ny known conflict of interest with a n assigned sports official prior to a contest. Section 1202: EMPLOYMENT OF COACHES (a) HIGH SCHOOL COACHES. (1) Full-Time Employees . A school is not eligible for UIL competition in a n a thletic activity unless the head coach a nd assista nt high school coaches a re full-time employees of the school boa rd of the school which the tea m repre - sents. (2) Full-Time Defined . Full-time mea ns tha t the person is under contract to the school boa rd of the school which the a thletic tea m rep - resents for the whole scholastic or calenda r yea r, a nd the person has enough contractual duties to be considered a full-time employee by the Teacher Retirement System a nd sta te law . Refer to Official Interpreta tion 05-08-03, Appendix I. (3) Exceptions . A retired teacher/administra tor who has 20 or more yea rs of experience may serve as a n assista nt coach in all a th - letics a nd as a head coach for golf, tennis, tea m tennis, cross-country, track a nd field, swimming a nd wrestling. (This rule shall not a ffect the sta tus of a coach on a leave of a bsence a ttending college.) Also, student teachers, while they a re assigned to a mem - ber school district to fulfill their student teaching requirements, may volunteer to serve as a n assista nt coach in all a thletics. Schools shall not pay student teachers for assisting a thletic coaches. A full-time sub - stitute who has coached during the school yea r may be permitted to continue coaching until the UIL competitive yea r has ended. Exa mple: sta te baseball playoffs. (A) For the 2026-2027 a nd 2027-2028 school yea rs, a pilot progra m allow - ing student coaches enrolled in a UIL approved, university based coaching progra m, may volunteer to serve as a n assista nt coach in all a thletics. Schools shall not pay these student coaches for assisting a thletic coaches. Criteria for those eligible for this exception is to be provided by the UIL. (b) SOURCE OF PAY. Schools shall not pay coaches 115 out of ga te receipts, or draw the contracts with coaches in such a way as to make it to the fina ncial adva ntage of a coach to win ga mes. Schools shall not pay to coaches, a nd coaches shall not accept, funds ga thered by a high school booster club or other sources within the school district. Refer to Official Interpreta tion 09-03-04, Appendix I. (c) SCHOOL AUTHORITY RESPONSIBLE. Respon - sibility for the proper administra tion, contracts, a rra ngements, control a nd scheduling of a thletic contests in all school systems shall be under the supervision of the superintendent or a designa ted administra tor. (d) SALARY: NO BONUS. A coach’s sala ry shall be fixed a t the beginning of the yea r, a nd shall include no provisions for bonus. It shall be a viola tion for a contract to be based upon a percentage of the ga te receipts. (e) REGULAR DISBURSEMENT. The sala ry of a coach shall be pa id from funds under the complete control of the school boa rd a nd disbursed to the coach in the regula r way in which the other sala - ries a re disbursed. A district may comply with the Fa ir La bor Sta nda rds Act by paying a non-exempt employee overtime, provided the ra te of pay is set prior to the school yea r a nd rema ins a t tha t sa me ra te throughout the school yea r. (f) NO FINANCIAL INTEREST IN GAME. Any con - tract which makes it to the fina ncial interest of a coach to win a ga me will be in viola tion of the spirit of the rule. (g) GIFTS . If a coach accepts money, products or ser - vices in recognition of his/her coaching, other tha n the items stipula ted within his/her employment contract, those items come under Section 481, gift awa rds rule. (h) PREVIOUS SUSPENSION. The State Executive Committee shall forfeit a ny contest won by a n individual or school if it finds a school district employee previously suspended under Section 27 pa rticipa ted on behalf of the individual or school in the contest pla n while prohibited from doing so under order of the Sta te Executive Committee. (i) COACH OR ADULT SUPERVISOR. No student shall represent his or her school a t a ny time in con - nection with interscholastic competition unless accompa nied by a coach or a nother appointed member of the school faculty. Exception : A non- school employee may serve as the adult supervisor of students when appointed by the administra tor in a reas where no coaching/directing takes place. These individuals may provide the tra nsporta tion to a nd from the activity a nd be responsible for the supervision of pa rticipa nts. (j) PROFESSIONAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT FORM. All personnel coaching in grades 7-12 shall sign a Professional Acknowledgment Form prior to the beginning of their tenure a t a member school. These forms shall be on file in the superintendent’s office. (k) UIL COACHES CERTIFICATION PROGRAM (1) All coaches shall a nnually complete the UIL Coaches Certifica tion Progra m prescribed by the UIL prior to their sport season or prior to the first day of school if their sport is not in season. A coach who is hired less tha n one week prior to the sta rt of the sport season or a fter the first day of school (whichever is ea r - lier) must complete the CCP within thirty (30) days of being hired. (2) The na mes of coaches who complete the UIL Coaches Certifica tion Progra m will be kept on file by the school. (l) COACHES EDUCATION: All first-yea r coaches a nd a ny coach who is not a full-time employee of the school district Exception : Coaches who qualify for the exception under Section 1202 (a) (3) must complete a UIL approved funda mentals of coach - ing course prior to their pa rticipa tion as a coach for a ny UIL member school. Section 1203: DUTIES OF ATHLETIC DISTRICT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (a) DISTRICT ORGANIZATION. Refer to Section 28 for general responsibilities. (b) PRINCIPLES. The District Executive Committee shall uphold the principle tha t high school a thlet - ics, when properly controlled, a re worthwhile a nd educa tional. (c) RECRUITING. The District Executive Committee shall investiga te efforts on the pa rt of a ny school official or local fa n to recruit players. Recruiting is a viola tion a nd may subject the school a t fa ult to disqualifica tion. Disqualifica tion may be made by the committee a fter the school has been given a n opportunity to be hea rd. A school in viola tion shall rema in disqualified for the period of time specified. (d) SCHEDULING. The District Executive Commit - tee shall a rra nge a schedule to determine district representa tives prior to the deadline specified in the official calenda r. Unless una nimously agreed otherwise, all schools assigned to tha t district, other tha n a school(s) subject to penalty from the Sta te Executive Committee under section 27 (c) (5), shall be included in the district schedule. Non-district ga mes shall not count on a tea m’s district win/loss percentage. 116 Section 1202: Employment of Coaches Section 1203: Duties of Athletic District Executive Committee (e) CERTIFICATION OF DISTRICT REPRESENTA - TIVES. The District Executive Committee shall certify in writing, eligible district representa tives in all a thletic activities. The committee shall cer - tify eligible representa tives without a ny conditions a ttached to this certifica tion. In case of dispute, cer - tifica tion to the UIL office shall be in the form of a written notice na ming the eligible schools a nd shall be signed by the majority of the District Executive Committee members present. (f) DISTRICT DISQUALIFICATION. All tea ms in a UIL district shall be disqualified in the playoffs if the District Executive Committee knowingly certi - fies a tea m which has used a n ineligible player in a ny district ga me unless appropria te action has been taken. Disqualifica tion shall be by the Sta te Executive Committee only upon presenta tion of sufficient evidence. (g) ZONES. Districts which subdivide into zones for tea m sports shall determine in writing prior to the season the procedure by which they will determine district representa tives. (h) TIES. The District Executive Committee shall determine in writing prior to the season the method to determine the district representa tives in the event two or more schools a re tied in win/ loss percentages. If the District Executive Com - mittee has not provided a procedure prior to the season, the following tie-breaker procedures shall apply: (1) For Team Sports Playing A Single Round-Robin Format. (A) Two Tea ms Tied In Percentage. The tea m tha t defea ted the other in head- to-head competition will be the highest ava ila ble seed. The other tea m will be the lower ava ila ble seed. (B) Three Tea ms Tied In Percentage. Step 1: If one of the tea ms defea ted the other two, tha t tea m is the highest ava ila ble seed. The other tea ms flip to determine the other ava ila ble seeds. Step 2: If none of the three defea ted the other two, flip (odd coin is the highest ava ila ble seed, the other two flip aga in to determine the other ava ila ble seeds). (C) Four Tea ms Tied In Percentage. Step 1: If one of the tea ms has defea ted the other three, tha t tea m is the highest ava ila ble seed. The other three tea ms then flip (odd coin wins the highest ava ila ble seed; second flip determines the other ava ila ble seeds). Step 2: If none of the four has defea ted the other three, the four tea ms have a blind draw for the ava ila ble seeds. (D) For football, if the tie involves tea ms tha t will adva nce into different playoff brackets (i.e., Division I, Division II), the tea ms shall be sepa ra ted by division prior to implementing tie-breaking pro - cedures. (2) For Team Sports Playing A Double Round-Robin Format. (A) Two Tea ms Tied In Percentage. If one tea m defea ted the other tea m both times in head to head district competi - tion, tha t tea m will be the highest ava il - a ble seed. If the two tea ms split their head to head district ga mes, the two tea ms shall play one ga me or ma tch (if rules permit). (B) Three Tea ms Tied In Percentage. Tea ms play a district tourna ment. A draws bye; B plays C a nd C wins; C plays A. If A wins, A is the highest ava ila ble seed, C is the next ava ila ble seed a nd B is the lowest ava ila ble seed. If C wins, C is the highest ava ila ble seed, A plays B to determine the other ava ila ble seeds. (C) Four Tea ms Tied In Percentage. Tea ms play a district tourna ment. Draw for spots. A plays C; B plays D. Winners of the first ga mes play for the highest ava ila ble seed; losers of the first ga mes play for the other ava ila ble seeds. (D) More Tha n Four Tea ms Tied In Percent - age. Tea ms play a district tourna ment. (3) Tourna ments consisting of more tha n one day shall be on consecutive days a t one site. The District Executive Committee may a uthorize prelimina ry round ga mes to be played a t additional sites, either within the indepen - dent school district where the cha mpionship ga me is to be held or a t sites loca ted in a n independent school district which adjoins the cha mpionship site. (4) Any situa tion not covered in the a bove tie- breaker criteria shall be determined by lot. Unless the District Executive Committee specifies otherwise prior to the season, tie ga mes shall count as one-half ga me won a nd one-half ga me lost. (i) EXPENSES OF DISTRICT EXECUTIVE COM - MITTEES IN ALL ATHLETIC ACTIVITIES. The 117 District Executive Committee has a uthority to fina nce its expenses. It is recommended tha t the district activity assessment for a sport for a school shall not exceed one-half of its regula r UIL mem - bership fee. (1) Delinquent Assessments . The fa ilure of a school to pay its assessment promptly a fter having been notified is a viola tion. (2) Disqualification . If a school refuses or fa ils to pay its assessment, it may be disqualified from pa rticipa tion the current a nd following yea r until the a mount is pa id. (3) Statement . At the close of the season, the District Executive Committee shall furnish each pa rticipa ting school in the district a fina ncial sta tement showing all receipts a nd disbursements for the season. Refer to Sec - tion 28 (n). (j) EDUCATION REQUIREMENT. Annually each UIL District Executive Committee member, as assigned for basketball alignment, shall complete tra ining designed by the UIL on the policies a nd procedures outlined in the District Executive Com - mittee Handbook . Section 1204: SPORTS OFFICIALS (a) AGREEMENT. All officials must be deemed sa tis - factory to both pa rties a nd agreed upon in adva nce by both pa rties. However, beginning a ga me with a n official constitutes agreement. (b) SPORTS OFFICIALS FOR UIL CONTESTS . UIL member schools shall only use UIL registered sports officials for va rsity contests, including playoffs, with the following exceptions: (1) The use of officials who a re not currently registered with the UIL for a va rsity con - test may only occur if the involved member schools obta in prior written approval from the UIL Director of Athletics, or his or her designee. (2) Member schools may select a nd use non-UIL registered sports officials for contests in the following sports: cross-country, golf, tea m tennis, tennis a nd track a nd field. (3) Unless mutually decided otherwise, UIL member schools shall use UIL registered offi - cials for non-va rsity contests. (c) REGISTRATION AND ELIGIBILITY OF SPORTS OFFICIALS. In order to officia te a UIL va rsity contest a sports official must: (1) be registered with the UIL in the sports being officia ted, a nd a nnually provide the UIL with directory informa tion a nd, as required by law, submit to a criminal background check; (2) be a member in good sta nding of, a nd assigned to the contest in a sport for which the official is registered by the local chapter or associa tion of sports officials registered with a nd recognized by the UIL for tha t purpose; (3) complete either a n initial or a continuing educa tion progra m rega rding UIL rules as prescribed a nd made ava ila ble by UIL. Refer to (p)(1) below; a nd (4) agree to a bide by UIL rules, including fee schedules a nd travel reimbursement guide - lines for payment by UIL member schools to a sports official. (d) ADMINISTRATION OF REGISTRATION; FEES. UIL shall, consistent with this section, determine a nd post on its website the process through which a n official may a nnually register with UIL. UIL may cha rge a nd collect a fee from sports offi - cials who initia te UIL’s registra tion process in a n a mount tha t has been reasona bly determined by UIL to be necessa ry to cover the cost of administering registra tion a nd/or the continuing educa tion progra m as set forth in subsection (p), below. This a mount shall be determined a nnually by UIL a nd shall be posted on UIL’s website a nd otherwise made ava ila ble a t other places as UIL determines appropria te. (e) NEUTRAL OFFICIALS. In all contests, schools should always a ttempt to secure neutral sports offi - cials. (f) HOST RESPONSIBILITY. The responsibility to obta in sa tisfactory sports officials is upon the host school. The host school shall ensure the visiting school has access or received the na mes of officials assigned. (g) NOTIFICATION. When na mes of officials a re received by the visiting school, the visiting school shall notify the host school if officials a re not sa t - isfactory within 24 hours. Fa ilure of the visiting school to solicit na mes of officials from the home school within four days of the contest constitutes agreement. Officials shall be deemed to be accept - a ble if the chapter is not notified within four days prior to the contest. (h) FAILURE TO SHOW; CHAPTER RULES. (1) If agreed upon officials fa il to show, the visit - ing school shall not be in viola tion by refus - ing to play. However, ea rnest effort should be expended to find officials so tha t the ga me may be played without additional travel expenses for 118 Section 1203: Duties of Athletic District Executive Committee 119 Section 1204: Sports Officials tea m a nd fa ns. A host school does not have to forfeit the contest unless the District Executive Committee rules tha t they have been negligent in contracting a nd securing officials. (2) A sports official’s fa ilure to show a fter being assigned a contest in a ma nner consistent with the rules a nd/or policies of a recognized local chapter or associa tion of sports officials constitutes a viola tion of UIL rules. Schools shall contact the UIL office a nd identify the officials who did not show for a contest. (3) A recognized local chapter or associa tion of sports officials shall provide UIL with a copy of their most current governing documents, such as its constitutions, rules a nd by-laws. Such governing documents shall include, but a re not limited to, rules a nd/or procedures governing assignment of contests a nd disci - plina ry procedures applica ble to sports offi - cials who fa il to honor a chapter assignment or otherwise viola te UIL rules. (i) SCRATCHES. (1) All scra tches must be completed using the UIL online scra tch form. (2) After a school has accepted a n official, as outlined in (g) a bove, in order to scra tch the official prior to a contest, the scra tch must be submitted with written approval by the superintendent, principal or a thletic director. If the head coach is also the a thletic director, then the written approval must come from the principal, superintendent, or the superintendent’s designee. The scra tch notifica tion must sta te one of the following reasons: (A) Conflict of interest (must clea rly sta te conflict). (B) Lack of proper rules knowledge (docu - mented exa mples including video pre - ferred). (C) Lack of proper judgement (documented exa mples including video preferred). (D) Fa ilure to exemplify professional behav - ior or a ttitude (documented exa mples including video preferred). Note: Officials shall not be scra tched the day of the ga me, except by mutual consent of both schools. A copy of the letter must be submitted to the other school a nd the officia ting chapter. (3) When officials who have been previously agreed upon by both tea ms a re scra tched, the school scra tching the officials shall pay them the fee they would have received had they worked the ga me minus a ny travel expenses a nd shall also pay the additional travel costs in obta ining new officials. If scra tched officials obta in a nother ga me, they do not have to be pa id. (4) UIL strongly discourages indiscrimina te scra tching of entire chapters except in cases when potential problems could result with fa ns a nd/or school employees. Simila rly, officia ting chapters a re strongly discouraged from indiscrimina tely refusing their services to a member school or school district. (5) Officia ting chapters should be fa ir in their ga me assignments, offering smaller schools the opportunity to use higher level officials when possible. (6) If a chapter makes assignments based on crews, scra tching one official may result in the entire crew being scra tched. (7) Middle schools a nd tourna ments: scra tches a re only allowed in middle school ga mes a nd middle school tourna ments if approved in writing by the district director of a thletics. (j) CANCELLATIONS. (1) Wea ther rela ted ca ncella tions: (A) If the chapter/assigned officials a re not notified of a wea ther-rela ted ca ncel - la tion within 2 hours of the scheduled ga me, the officials will be pa id mileage. (B) If the official a rrives a t the ga me site prior to the ga me being ca ncelled, the official will be pa id the ga me fee a nd mileage. (C) If there a re multiple ga mes scheduled a nd the officials a re dismissed prior to or during the first contest, the officials shall be pa id the ga me fee plus mileage for the first contest tha t was scheduled. (D) If there a re multiple ga mes scheduled a nd the officials a re held a t the ga me site up until the scheduled sta rt of the second or subsequent ga mes, the offi - cials should be pa id the ga me fee for all ga mes for which the officials were pres - ent a t the scheduled sta rt. (2) Non-wea ther-rela ted ca ncella tions: (A) If the ga me/ma tch is ca ncelled within 24 hours from the scheduled sta rt for non-wea ther-rela ted reasons, the offi - cials shall be pa id a ga me fee unless it is determined tha t a n emergency a rose beyond the control of the school dis - trict. (B) If there a re multiple ga mes scheduled, the officials shall be pa id the ga me fee for the first contest tha t was scheduled. (C) If the assigned officials obta in a nother ga me, they do not have to be pa id. (3) When officials do not show, or when the previ - ously agreed upon officials do not show a nd the ga me must be rescheduled, the chapter shall be responsible for the rescheduled ga me fee a nd travel, unless it is determined by the school tha t a n emergency a rose beyond the control of the officials. (k) PENALTY. The penalty for fa ilure to provide offi - cials is forfeiture of the ga me or ma tch. The District Executive Committee shall determine whether or not forfeiture is applica ble. (l) FEE VIOLATIONS. The fee listed shall be pa id to officials working va rsity a nd sub-va rsity con - tests. If a member school exceeds or pays less tha n the fee schedule for a contest, the District Executive Committee shall meet as soon as pos - sible to decide if a n emergency wa rra nted the fee viola tion. If the school in question proves a n emergency ca used the fee viola tion, the District Executive Committee does not have to assess a penalty. (m) FEE APPROVAL/PAYMENT. Fees a re to be pa id by the host school or by the ga me ma nagement as approved by the school. Fees should be pa id promptly. Schools tha t do not pay within 30 days of the contest a re subject to the ra nge of penalties listed in Section 29. For contests played prior to or during a school holiday or break, the 30 day period would sta rt the first day school is back in session. (n) FLAT FEE SCHEDULE AND TRAVEL REIM - BURSEMENT. (1) The fla t fee schedule a nd mileage reimburse - ment, as approved by the Legisla tive Council, shall be posted on the UIL website. (o) OTHER ALLOWABLE EXPENSES. (1) Lodging . By agreement of the officials a nd schools, schools may pay lodging. (2) Ground Transportation . If prior agreement exists, schools may pay taxi fa re, etc., for offi - cials. (p) LIMITATION. No other item shall be included in payment of officials. (q) OFFICIALS RULES COMPLIANCE PROGRAMP(OCP). (1) Officials Required To Complete Online Rules Compliance Program . All officials in baseball, basketball, football, soccer, softball, volleyball a nd wrestling shall a nnually complete a n online Rules Complia nce Progra m approved by UIL. The Officials Rules Complia nce Pro - gra m (OCP) is a condition of registra tion as prescribed by this section. (2) Registration List . UIL shall ma inta in, verify, a nd make ava ila ble to member schools a list of all sports officials registered with UIL. (r) REVOCATION OR SUSPENSION OF REGIS - TRATION. (1) UIL may revoke or suspend UIL registra tion of a sports official determined by UIL to have viola ted the provisions of UIL Constitution and Contest rules governing sports officials or other UIL policy applica ble to sports officials. Except in cases a rising from criminal back - ground checks, before UIL may take action to revoke or suspend a sports official’s registra - tion, UIL shall: (A) notify a nd consult with the local chap - ter or associa tion of sports officials of which the sports official is a member; (B) allow the local chapter or associa tion 15 days a fter the da te notice is received from the UIL to take action to adjudi - ca te the alleged viola tion; a nd (C) if a fter the 15th day following the da te notice is received from UIL the local chapter or associa tion has fa iled to take action aga inst the sports official or takes action UIL finds to be insuf - ficient, UIL may refer the ma tter to the UIL Sports Officials Committee to consider action aga inst the sports offi - cial through a process adopted by the committee. The process adopted shall include provisions for providing notice to the sports official in question of the allega tions made a nd a ny releva nt evi - dence as well as a n opportunity for the sports official, either in writing or in person, to present his or her case to the committee. (D) UIL shall advise both the sports offi - cial a nd the local chapter or associa - tion of sports officials in writing of a ny decisions a nd a ny actions taken aga inst the sports official by the UIL Sports Officials Committee, along with a ny supporting evidence relied upon in reaching a decision. UIL shall ma inta in copies of the decisions of the UIL Sports Officials Committee for purposes of 120 Section 1204: Sports Officials Section 1204: Sports Officials esta blishing precedent a nd guida nce to local chapters or associa tions in rega rd to actions a nd sa nctions. (2) Revocation or Suspension of Registration (A) Criminal Background Checks. Criminal background checks as described below, a sports official may be disqualified from officia ting or otherwise work - ing a t a UIL ga me or event based on the informa tion revealed by a crimi - nal background check or for fa ilure to report convictions as required under this section. A sports official who is dis - qualified under this process may, a fter one yea r, resubmit to the UIL registra - tion, Official Rules Complia nce Pro - gra m a nd criminal background check process. For purposes of criminal back - ground checks, the term “Sports Offi - cial” is defined under Section 33.085 (2), Texas Educa tion Code. (B) Initial Processing; Errors In Results. As pa rt of the a nnual registra tion of sports officials, the UIL shall itself, or through a n appropria te third pa rty, conduct a criminal background check on every tea m sports official who engages in the registra tion process under this section a nd provide, or ca use a n appropria te third pa rty to provide, the results of the criminal background check to the recognized sports officials’ associa tion of which the sports official is a mem - ber. All criminal background checks must be conducted in a ma nner tha t is consistent with UT Austin a nd UT Sys - tem rules a nd regula tions. The Execu - tive Director may enter into agreements with recognized sports officials associa - tions a nd other appropria te third pa r - ties to implement this section. (i) In cases where the criminal back - ground check reveals informa - tion tha t, if true, would require, based on the criteria below, the further review of the sports offi - cial, the Sports Officials Associa - tion of which the sports official is a member, shall give the sports official notice of the informa - tion revealed by the background check a nd provide the sports official a reasona ble opportunity to correct a ny factual errors in the criminal background check results, such as mistaken identity or da tes. (ii) Informa tion conta ined in gov - ernment records or documents will be presumed to be factu - ally correct a bsent clea r a nd convincing evidence to the con - tra ry. The mere assertion tha t the informa tion revealed by the background check is in error or mistaken is, by itself, insufficient to rebut this presumption. (iii) A sports official who cla ims a factual error in the informa tion produced by the criminal back - ground check bea rs the burden of proof to show the error by clea r a nd convincing evidence. The factual error ra ised by a sports official must be ma terial to the determina tion of the sports officials’ disqualifica tion from officia ting or otherwise working UIL ga mes or events. (iv) All UIL recognized sports offi - cials’ chapters a nd associa tions shall adopt a fa ir a nd reasona ble process for receiving, consider - ing a nd deciding a challenge or compla int by a member sports official who has registered with the UIL tha t the informa - tion produced by the criminal background check of the sports official conta ins one or more ma terial factual errors or mis - takes. (v) Considera tion of a cla im by a sports official tha t the criminal background check produced factually incorrect or mistaken results does not require a hea ring a nd may be done by written sub - mission. However, each sports officials’ associa tion shall pro - vide written notice to its mem - bership of the process by which such cla ims will be received, con - sidered a nd decided. (vi) When, a fter receiving notice from the sports officials’ chap - 121 ter or associa tion rega rding the criminal background check results a nd pending review, a sports official does not respond in writing within five days a fter receipt of the notice with a cla im or challenge to the factual accu - racy of the background check’s results, it is presumed tha t the results of the background check a re factually correct. (C) Review Criteria a nd Process. (i) Review Criteria. A sports official shall be subject to review when the results of a criminal back - ground check show tha t: (aa) The sports official has been convicted or placed on deferred adju - dica tion for a n offense tha t would require the individual to register as a sex offender under Chapter 62, Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, which includes but is not limited to, such offenses as continuous sexual a buse of a young child, sexual assa ult, aggrava ted sexual assa ult; or a n offense under the laws of a nother sta te or federal law tha t is equivalent to a n offense requiring registra tion. In such cases, the sports official shall be reviewed by the sports officials chapter or associa tion of which the official is a member a nd shall be disquali - fied from officia ting or otherwise working UIL ga mes or events unless a compelling justifica - tion to wa ive this sta n - da rd is a rticula ted in writing by the sports officials’ chapter or associa tion. The written request for a n exception to this sta nda rd must be approved by the UIL Sports Officials Com - mittee a nd in accor - da nce with the rules a nd policies of The Uni - versity of Texas a t Aus - tin, including UTS 124, Criminal Background Checks. http://policies.utexas. edu/policies/criminal- background-checks (bb) The sports official has been convicted of a felony involving theft, bodily injury or threa ts of bodily injury, weap - ons a nd destruction of property during the prior seven-yea r peri - od. (cc) The sports official has been convicted of drug or alcohol-rela ted felony offenses in the prior seven-yea r peri - od. In such cases, the sports official shall be reviewed by the sports officials’ chapter or associa tion in which the sports official is a member a nd may be disqualified from offi - cia ting or otherwise working a t UIL ga mes or events. (ii) Process . Upon resolution of a ny issues or compla ints concerning the factual accuracy of the results of the criminal background check, if the review criteria is met, the sports officials’ chapter or associa tion in which the offi - cial in question is a member shall review the informa tion produced by the background check, along with a ny other releva nt informa - tion, a nd make a determina tion as to whether the official should be disqualified from officia ting 122 Section 1204: Sports Officials Section 1204: Sports Officials or otherwise working UIL ga mes or events. The sports officials chapter or associa tion shall make this determina tion in a ma nner tha t is consistent with its esta b - lished disciplina ry process or policy rega rding criminal back - ground history a nd shall provide a clea r process in its by-laws or other governa nce documents; making sure to provide notice of the process to all its members. Any sports official, whose back - ground check reveals informa - tion tha t ca uses tha t official to be subject to review a nd possible disqualifica tion, must be given a ny notice required by law a nd a t a minimum given the results of the background check along with a ny other releva nt evidence a nd be provided a n opportunity to respond to the decision maker(s), either in person or in writing, in a timely fashion prior to a deci - sion being made. All such reviews must be done on a case-by-case basis. Except in cases involving review for convictions or deferred adjudica tion tha t would require registra tion as a sex offender under chapter 62, Texas Code of Criminal Procedure a nd simi - la r offenses as set out a bove, a sports official who is the subject of review bea rs the burden of showing tha t the official does not pose a n unreasona ble risk of ha rm to the health, sa fety or welfa re of a ny pa rticipa nts, specta tors or other persons involved with or a ttending a UIL ga me or event or to a ny property or equipment tha t would be reasona bly associa ted with the ga me or event. A deter - mina tion tha t a sports official is disqualified from officia ting or otherwise working a UIL ga me or event must be based on the ava ila ble, credible, evidence, including but not limited to, the results of a criminal background check. (D) Self-Reporting Requirement. A sports official who is registered with the UIL must promptly report to the sports offi - cials chapter or associa tion in which the official is a member a ny conviction tha t would make the official subject to review under this section. Any such conviction will ca use the sports official to be reviewed as set forth in this sec - tion. Fa ilure to promptly report such convictions may ca use the sports offi - cial to be subject to discipline as set forth in this section. Refer to Official Interpreta tions 17-09-11, Appen - dix I (E) Appeal To The UIL. Any sports official who has been determined by a sports officials chapter or associa tion to be dis - qualified from officia ting or otherwise working UIL ga mes or events based on the informa tion revealed by the crimi - nal background check may appeal to the UIL Sports Officials Committee. The committee’s decision on a n appeal is final a nd is not subject to further UIL review. The committee shall adopt a n appeals process for receiving, considering a nd deciding appeals made by sports offi - cials who have been disqualified from officia ting or otherwise working UIL ga mes or events. The appeals process adopted by the committee must include provisions tha t give the appealing sports official reasona ble notice of the da te a nd time of a ny hea rings or other rel - eva nt deadlines as well as provisions for providing copies of a ny evidence relied on or submitted to a sports offi - cials chapter or associa tion as pa rt of its review process. (F) Memberships In Sports Officials Chap - ter Or Associa tion. Any la nguage in this section notwithsta nding, sports offi - cials chapters a nd associa tions control their terms of membership. All deci - sions rega rding membership in a sports officials chapter or associa tion a re to be determined by the chapter or associa - tion. (s) CONDUCT AND REPORT OF ALL MAJOR 123 INCIDENTS. Officials shall report all ejections of coaches, players, or fa ns, or severe verbal a nd physical a buse, a nd a ny major disruptions tha t occur during a ga me. Officials shall: (1) hold themselves to the highest sta nda rd of conduct before, during, a nd a fter a ny contest a nd shall not instiga te a ny verbal or physical confronta tion; (2) a ttempt to inform the ga me administra tor immedia tely following the contest of a ny major incident, a nd continue to make reason - a ble a ttempts to contact the administra tor until successful; a nd (3) submit a written report from each official involved to the UIL office within 48 hours of the incident for football contests a nd within 24 hours for all other sport contests. (t) LIAISON TO CHAPTERS. It is recommended tha t officials’ chapters secure a lia ison school coach, a thletic director or administra tor to serve as a non- voting member of the boa rd of directors of each chapter. (u) NO PROTESTS. A protest based on a ga me or con - test official’s decision will not be considered. (v) DISPUTES RELATED TO ASSIGNMENT, SCRATCHES, AND/OR PAY OF SPORTS OFFI - CIALS. In situa tions where there is a dispute rega rding the assignment, scra tching, a nd/or pay of a sports official, a recognized chapter or associa - tion, a nd time is of the essence in resolving the dis - pute, as determined by the UIL Executive Director (or designee), the Executive Director, a fter consult - ing with the cha ir of the UIL Sports Officials Com - mittee, may take a ny reasona ble, necessa ry action not in contravention of the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules to address the situa tion in the short term a nd refer a ny such ma tter to the UIL Sports Officials Committee for a ny final resolution tha t may be necessa ry. In situa tions where time is not of the essence but the situa tion involving the assignment, scra tch - ing, a nd/or pay of a sports official, a recognized chapter or associa tion is not addressed in the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules , the Executive Direc - tor may refer the ma tter to the UIL Sports Officials Committee for resolution through the committee’s hea ring process. Section 1205: ATHLETIC ELIGIBILITY (a) INDIVIDUAL REPORT FORMS. It shall be the responsibility of each school to keep on file the fol - lowing required a nnual forms for each student who pa rticipa tes in a ny practice, scrimmage or ga me. (1) Pre-participation Physical Examination . Upon entering the first a nd third yea rs of high school, a physical exa mina tion signed by a physicia n, a physicia n assista nt licensed by a Sta te Boa rd of Physicia n Assista nt Exa m - iners, a registered nurse recognized as a n adva nced practice nurse by the Boa rd of Nurse Exa miners or a Doctor of Chiropractic is required. Sta nda rdized Pre - Pa rticipa tion Physical Exa mina tion Forms, ava ila ble from the UIL office a nd a uthorized by the UIL Medical Advisory Committee, a re required. (2) Medical History Form . Each yea r prior to a ny practice or pa rticipa tion, a UIL medical his - tory form signed by both student a nd a pa r - ent or gua rdia n is required. A medical history form shall accompa ny each physical exa mina - tion a nd shall be signed by both student a nd a pa rent or gua rdia n. (3) Parent or Guardian Permit . Annual pa rticipa - tion permit signed by the student’s pa rent or gua rdia n. (4) Rules Acknowledgment Form . Annual UIL Rules Acknowledgment Form signed by the stu - dent a nd the student’s pa rent or gua rdia n. (5) Parent/Student Illegal Steroid Use Form . The pa rent/gua rdia n of each high school a thlete, along with each high school a thlete, shall a nnually sign the UIL Illegal Steroid Use a nd Ra ndom Steroid Testing Pa rent a nd Student Notifica tion/Agreement Form. (6) Concussion Acknowledgement Form . According to Section 38.155 of the Texas Educa tion Code, “a student may not pa rticipa te in a n interscholastic a thletic activity for a school yea r until both the student a nd the student ’s pa rent or gua rdia n or a nother person with legal a uthority to make medical decisions for the student have signed a form for tha t school yea r tha t acknowledges receiving a nd reading written informa tion tha t expla ins concussion prevention, symptoms, trea tment, a nd over - sight a nd tha t includes guidelines for sa fely resuming pa rticipa tion in a n a thletic activity following a concussion .....” * This section also applies to students pa rticipa ting in the cheerleading progra m a t the school. (7) Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Form . Each yea r prior to a ny practice or pa rticipa tion in a thletics, a UIL Sudden Ca rdiac Arrest Awa reness form signed by both student a nd a pa rent or gua rdia n is required. (8) Completion of Forms: Completion of forms 124 Section 1205: Athletic Eligibility Section 1206: School Practice and Game Restricitons as outlined in 1, 2 a nd 7 a bove sa tisfies the requirements conta ined in Section 33.096 of the Texas Educa tion Code (TEC). (A) The UIL Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) has reviewed a nd upda ted the required forms listed to ensure compli - a nce with TEC 33.096. (B) If there is a reason why a school ca nnot comply with the a bove requirements, tha t school’s administra tion should sub - mit a request for exemption from TEC 33.096 to the UIL Executive Director or their designee. (C) An electroca rdiogra m (ECG) is not required. Should a pa rent/gua rdia n choose the option of a n ECG for his or her child, the pa rent/gua rdia n is responsible for having the ECG admin - istered a nd read in complia nce with the law. A school district may provide a n opportunity for this through a n ECG progra m a nd may fund the progra m. A school is not required to provide such a progra m. (b) VARSITY ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS. (1) Subchapter M . Only students sa tisfying all the requirements in Subchapter M of the Constitu - tion a re eligible for va rsity competition. (2) Non-District Games . In non-district interschool ga mes or contests, only eligible students may pa rticipa te. Each school shall complete a va r - sity eligibility list for each sport. (3) Eligibility Forms . Schools shall submit compre - hensive eligibility forms for football, basket - ball, volleyball, softball, baseball, soccer a nd wa ter polo. For all other a thletic activities general alpha betical listing of eligible a thletes is required. One copy shall be sent to the District Executive Committee Cha ir a nd one copy shall be filed in the school’s office. (4) Certification . Completed eligibility forms a re to be signed by the superintendent or a des - igna ted administra tor a nd the coach. These forms a re to be submitted before a contesta nt is allowed to pa rticipa te in a va rsity contest. (5) Suspension . Fa ilure to furnish correct a nd complete informa tion may, upon request by the proper committee, constitute grounds for suspension. (c) PREVIOUS ATHLETIC PARTICIPATION FORM. See section 443. (d) MINIMUM PENALTY. If a n eligibility form or a Previous Athletic Pa rticipa tion Form was not filed prior to competition, a nd it was a n inadvertent error a nd the student is actually eligible under Subchapter M of the Constitution , the District Executive Committee is not required to dema nd forfeiture or to rule the student ineligible. They may assess the minimum penalty of reprima nd to the school. (e) SUB-VARSITY ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS. An individual is eligible to pa rticipa te in UIL contests if tha t individual is a full-time student of the member school the student represents, has been in a ttenda nce a nd has passed the number of courses required by sta te law a nd by rules of the Sta te Boa rd of Educa tion, a nd is passing the number of courses required by sta te law a nd by rules of the Sta te Boa rd of Educa tion; or is a non-enrolled (home schooled) student seeking pa r - ticipa tion a nd is in complia nce with all provisions included in section 33.0832 of the Texas Educa tion Code. (1) A student who has been found to have cha nged schools for a thletic purposes a nd is eligible only for sub va rsity a thletics a t a school is not eligible to pa rticipa te in a contest aga inst a va rsity tea m from a nother school. Any exception to this rule would need to receive approval from the UIL director of a thletics, or their designee. Section 1206: SCHOOL PRACTICE AND GAME RESTRICTIONS (a) NON-TRADITIONAL SCHOOL YEARS. (Refer to Section 383). (b) SUNDAY PROHIBITION. A UIL member school shall not pa rticipa te in a ny a thletic contest or con - duct a ny practice or teach a ny plays, forma tions or skills on Sunday. (1) Violation . Any showing of films to or meetings of a thletes for the purpose of instruction or reviewing of plays, forma tions or skills in a ny sport will be construed as a viola tion. (2) Coaches Sunday Meetings . This does not pre - vent coaches from meeting on Sunday or from seeing films or pla nning a n instructional progra m, provided no a thletes a re involved in this meeting. (3) Exceptions . (A) Golf. If the regional a nd/or sta te golf tourna ments a re scheduled on a Mon - day, the one 18-hole practice round allowed a t the regional a nd/or sta te tourna ment site may be played on the Sunday a fternoon preceding the meet 125 (no ea rlier tha n 12:00 noon) if permit - ted by the regional or sta te meet direc - tor. (B) Tennis. If the regional a nd/or sta te tennis tourna ments a re scheduled on a Monday, a nd if pa rticipa nts a rrive a t the site on the preceding Sunday beca use of travel dista nce, it will not be a viola tion of this rule if school dis - trict personnel accompa ny or tra nsport pa rticipa nts to a tennis court for the purpose of practicing on their own, if permitted by the regional or sta te meet director. (C) Cross-country. If the regional a nd/or sta te cross-country meets a re scheduled on a Monday, a nd if pa rticipa nts a rrive a t the site on the preceding Sunday beca use of travel dista nce, it will not be a viola tion of this rule if school dis - trict personnel accompa ny or tra nsport pa rticipa nts to the course site for the purpose of practicing on their own, if permitted by the regional or sta te direc - tor. (c) REGIONAL AND STATE COMPETITION AND PRACTICES ON SUNDAY. The UIL Executive Director, or designee, may gra nt exceptions to Sec - tion 1206 (b) on a case-by-case basis for tea m sports competitions a nd practices rela ted to regional or sta te events when conditions exist tha t wa rra nt such a n exception. Regional or sta te tourna ment directors may reschedule postponed or wea ther delayed tourna ments on Sunday a fternoon or eve - ning with prior approval of the tourna ment direc - tor a nd the pa rticipa ting schools a nd with prior permission from the UIL Executive Director . (d) SCHOOL OFF-SEASON WORKOUTS, IN- SCHOOL DAY PERIOD. (1) Accelera ted physical educa tion activities, cal - isthenics, skills, strength tra ining or condi - tioning exercises may be conducted during the school yea r within the school day provid - ed such activities do not exceed one regula r classroom period, not to exceed 60 minutes when classes meet every day (300 minutes per week for block schedules). This provision applies to a non-enrolled (home schooled) student pa rticipa ting in accorda nce with sec - tion 33.0832 of the Texas Educa tion Code. (2) The 7th, 8th or zero period for a thletics is considered pa rt of the school day, provided all students enrolled in the class a re receiving sta te or local credit towa rd gradua tion a nd a re not enrolled in a ny other physical educa - tion class. The 7th, 8th or zero period may not be longer tha n other class periods. This period may not exceed one 60-minute period. (3) Schools may use non-traditional systems for length of classes provided: (A) the classes meet within the regula r school day; (B) classes a re alterna ted throughout the semester a nd meet on Monday- Wednesday-Friday one week a nd Tues - day-Thursday the next week; a nd (C) the schedule is ma nda ted a t the begin - ning of the semester a nd is not cha nged to allow for more time during a n a bbre - via ted school week. (4) This period includes dressing, the actual off-season conditioning, redressing in street clothes, etc. Passing a nd punting machines, chalk talks a nd films a re permitted. Full tea m drills a re permitted in tea m sport practices. (e) ATHLETIC/PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES . Student-a thletes shall not be enrolled in more tha n one physical educa tion a nd/or a thletic class whether or not they a re receiving credit. Exceptions: (with local school approval) PE Class: lifetime recrea tion a nd outdoor pursuits; PE sub - stitutes: Pa rtners PE, JROTC, cheerleading, drill tea m, ma rching ba nd; innova tive course: tea m sports officia ting. (f) OFF-SEASON SCHOOL TEAM PRACTIC - ES AND STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING. School tea ms shall not practice outside the specific allowa ble practice da tes except during the one in- school day practice period. (1) Off-season skill activities before or a fter the school day or during the lunch periods a re specifically prohibited. (2) Off-season strength a nd conditioning ses - sions a re allowed. A strength a nd condi - tioning session shall be no more tha n one hour per day outside the school day, Monday through Friday, a nd a student shall a ttend no more tha n one session of supervised instruc - tion per day. Students may use school issued shoes a nd/or clothing before or a fter school. (g) SCHOOL SUMMER PRACTICE PROHIBITED. Any specific grouping of high school baseball, soft - ball, basketball, football, soccer volleyball or wa ter polo pa rticipa nts during the summer months for the purpose of conditioning a nd/or orga nized a thletic tea m instruction is prohibited except as specifically provided for within the pla ns for these 126 Section 1206: School Practice and Game Restricitons Section 1206: School Practice and Game Restrictions activities a nd in (h) below. (h) SUMMER STRENGTH/CONDITIONING PRO - GRAMS & SPORT SPECIFIC SKILL INSTRUC - TION. Summer strength a nd conditioning progra ms a nd sport specific skill instruction may be conducted by school coaches for students in grades 7-12 from tha t coach’s a ttenda nce zone only under the following conditions. (1) Sessions may be conducted by school coaches sta rting on Monday of the first week school is not in session a nd ending on a da te set forth by the UIL calenda r. Sessions may be conducted only on Monday through Friday. (A) A student may a ttend no more tha n one two-hour strength a nd condition - ing session, conducted by a school coach or coaches, per day. Schools shall take administra tive ca re to prohibit a n a thlete from working with one school coach for two hours a nd a sepa ra te school coach for a nother two hours. (B) A student may a ttend no more tha n 90 minutes per day of sport specific skill instruction with no more tha n 60 minutes a day in a given sport, Monday through Friday. (2) Sessions conducted by school coaches shall include only students who a re incoming sev - enth graders or a bove. (3) Sessions shall include only strength a nd con - ditioning instruction, exercises, a nd sport specific skill instruction. Football contact/ restricted equipment is prohibited. (4) School shirts, shorts a nd shoes may be provided by the school. (5) Attenda nce shall be volunta ry. Coaches shall not require a thletes to a ttend in order to try out for or pa rticipa te in a ny UIL sport. Attenda nce records shall be kept, however students shall not be required or allowed to make up missed days. Students may work out on their own, without direction of the school coach. (6) Fees, if a ny, shall be esta blished a nd approved by the superintendent a nd collected by the school. The Texas Educa tion Code requires school districts to adopt procedures for wa iv - ing fees cha rged for pa rticipa tion if a student is una ble to pay the fee, a nd the procedures should be made known to the public. Fees for all other students shall be pa id by the students a nd/or their pa rents. (7) Any payment for conducting strength a nd conditioning sessions to school coaches who instruct students from their a ttenda nce zone shall be from the school a nd no other source. (i) OFF-SEASON SCHOOL FACILITY USE. Athletes may a ttend open gyms, facilities a nd weight rooms. School personnel shall make every effort to see tha t students understa nd tha t pa rticipa tion is strictly volunta ry a nd never required. Pa rticipa tion shall not be a prerequisite for trying out for a school tea m. Attenda nce records may not be kept. Coaches may be present to supervise the facilities a nd school equipment, if permitted. Coaches shall not provide specific instruction in sport skills. Weight lifting instruction is permitted a nd progress cha rts may be kept. Facilities may be made ava ila ble to a thletes under the following conditions: (1) Recrea tional opportunities receive adva nce approval by the local school boa rd a nd administra tion. (2) The da tes a nd times of opera tion shall be a nnounced, posted or publicized so tha t every student a ttending tha t school is awa re of the opportunity. (3) Each activity is based on a first come, first served basis. (4) School coaches a re responsible for notifying student a thletes in their sport tha t their pa rticipa tion is strictly volunta ry, never required, a nd is in no way a prerequisite for making the tea m or getting more playing time. (5) No instruction may be given on a Sunday or during the off-season of a tea m sport. (6) Someone other tha n a coach should be appointed to supervise facilities. (7) Coaches should not pa rticipa te with their a thletes in the a thletes’ sport. Such actions place the responsibility on the coach a nd school to prove they a re not viola ting Sunday a nd off-season regula tions. (8) Use of facilities may be restricted to tha t school’s student body. Note: If only members of a n a thletic tea m a re pa rticipa ting in their sport in a n open recrea tional facility, it could be deemed a viola tion of off-season regula tions. Refer to sport specific ma nuals for further deta ils . (j) DAY OF GAME RESTRICTION. Pa rticipa tion in a n off-season progra m shall not be required for va rsity a thletes on the day of a n in-season va rsity competition, or for non-va rsity a thletes on the day of a n in-season non-va rsity competition. (k) ROOM AND BOARD RESTRICTIONS. Workout sessions which involve meals a nd/or overnight 127 lodgings a re prohibited. (l) HOLIDAY RESTRICTION. A school shall not con - duct contests or practices, use school facilities, per - sonnel or equipment during five consecutive days of December. Any orga nized or required practice will be a viola tion of this regula tion. Schools may choose a ny five consecutive days which include December 24, 25 a nd 26, with the following exceptions. (1) When December 26 falls on a Thursday, schools may pa rticipa te in a tourna ment ga me on December 26. (2) When December 26 falls on a Thursday, schools shall still follow a five-consecutive day restriction, including December 24 a nd 25. (3) No practice shall be permitted on a ny of the five consecutive days. (4) Travel is not permitted on December 25. (5) Travel is permitted on the 26th if a tourna - ment ga me is scheduled on December 27; however, no practice shall be permitted on the 26th. (6) A tea m tha t has a ga me on December 23 could travel home on December 24 a nd still be in complia nce with this section. (7) A school may request a n exception to these travel restrictions when sa fety concerns exist rela tive to travel. The UIL Executive Director, or his or her designee, may gra nt the excep - tion only when the school has clea rly pro - vided evidence of the travel sa fety concerns a nd determines the school ca nnot reasona bly be expected to comply with these restrictions. (m) POWER LIFTING TEAM RESTRICTIONS. (1) Power lifting tea ms shall be a uthorized by the superintendent or local boa rd of trustees prior to their inception. (2) If there is a n in-school day a thletic period, it is a viola tion for off-season a thletes to pa r - ticipa te in power lifting outside the school day unless weight tra ining is also provided during the in-school day off-season period. (3) Power lifting tea ms may not, in a ny way, be construed as pa rt of a student’s off-season conditioning responsibilities. (4) Power lifting tea ms shall not be limited to a thletes from a pa rticula r sport or to a thletes specifically. (n) PRE-SEASON PRACTICE REGULATIONS FOR SPORTS WHICH BEGIN PRACTICE PRIOR TO THE SCHOOL YEAR. (1) Student-a thletes shall not engage in more tha n three hours of practice activities on those days during which one practice is conducted. (2) Student-a thletes shall not engage in more tha n five hours of practice activities on those days during which more tha n one practice is conducted. (3) The maximum length of a ny single practice session shall be three hours. (4) On days when more tha n one practice is conducted, there shall be, a t a minimum, two hours of rest/recovery time between the end of one practice a nd the beginning of the next practice. (5) Schools shall not schedule more tha n one practice on consecutive days a nd student- a thletes shall not pa rticipa te in multiple practices on consecutive days. Exception : Volleyball a nd wa ter polo. Section 1207: RULES, VIOLATIONS AND PENALTIES (a) RULE VIOLATIONS. Students who viola te the rules in the specific a thletic pla ns shall be subject to the penalty in the specific a thletic pla n, or sub - ject to the ra nge of penalties applica ble to student representa tives in Sections 27 a nd 29. The regula - tions in the a thletic pla ns govern all va rsity a nd sub-va rsity tea ms a nd contesta nts. Ninth grade (whether in junior high, on a sepa ra te ca mpus or with other high school grades) a nd other sub- va rsity tea ms a nd contesta nts a re restricted to the sa me ga me limita tions, season, etc. as the va rsity tea m. (1) An individual who commits a n offense under section 22.01 C 2 of the Texas Penal Code (assa ult of a sports pa rticipa nt) while pa rtici - pa ting in UIL contests will subject themselves a nd a ny school with which they a re a ffilia ted to the full ra nge of penalties in sections 27 a nd 29 of the constitution, up to a nd includ - ing disqualifica tion a nd suspension. (2) Schools shall develop policies for preventing a ny specta tor who commits a n offense under section 22.01 C 2 of the Texas Penal Code (assa ult of a sports pa rticipa nt) from a ttending future events in activities sa nctioned by the league. The policy shall provide for the school to consider all circumsta nces of each incident when determining the length of suspension from future events in activities sa nctioned by the league. (b) ELIGIBILITY RULES. In addition to rules in indi - vidual sports pla ns, each va rsity tea m a nd a thlete shall observe all rules conta ined in Subchapter M of the Constitution . (c) MINIMUM PENALTY FOR USING INELIGIBLE PLAYER. In the event a n ineligible contesta nt is used in a ny UIL ga me or contest, knowingly or unknowingly, the minimum penalty shall be forfei - 128 Section 1207: Rules, Violations and Penalties Section 1208: Athletic Regulations ture of the ga me, contest or event. Refer to Section 27 (c)(3). (d) UNATTACHED PARTICIPATION. In a ny UIL member school sponsored a thletic contest, meet or tourna ment, UIL member high school students shall not be permitted to enter una ttached. The penalty for viola tion of this rule shall be assessed aga inst the member school(s) in viola tion. This provision applies to a non-enrolled (home schooled) student pa rticipa ting in accorda nce with section 33.0832 of the Texas Educa tion Code. (e) POSITIVE ANABOLIC STEROID TEST. (1) First Positive Anabolic Steroid Test . Upon a report of confirma tion of a first positive specimen ‘B’ a na bolic steroid test result dur - ing his/her high school pa rticipa tion, or upon a refusal to submit to testing a fter ra ndom selection, a student-a thlete shall be suspended for thirty (30) school days of competition in all UIL a thletic activities. Prior to eligibility restora tion, a student-a thlete shall undergo a n exit a na bolic steroid test a nd receive a nega tive result. (2) Second Positive Anabolic Steroid Test . Upon a report of confirma tion of a second positive specimen ‘B’ a na bolic steroid test result during his/her high school pa rticipa tion, or upon a refusal to submit to testing a fter ra ndom selec - tion of a student-a thlete who has previously been subjected to the first positive test penalty, a student-a thlete shall be suspended from all UIL a thletic contests for one (1) calenda r yea r. Prior to eligibility restora tion, a student-a thlete shall undergo a n exit a na bolic steroid test a nd receive a nega tive result. (3) Third Positive Anabolic Steroid Test . Upon a report of confirma tion of a third positive specimen ‘B’ a na bolic steroid test result dur - ing his/her high school pa rticipa tion, or upon a refusal to submit to testing a fter ra ndom selection of a student-a thlete who has previously been subjected to the first a nd second positive test penalties, a student-a th - lete shall be suspended from all UIL a thletic contests for the rema inder of his/her high school ca reer a t a ny UIL member school. (4) Responsibility for Cost of Tests. The UIL will cover the cost for the first exit test for purpos - es of eligibility restora tion for the penalties outlined in (1) a nd (2) a bove. Any subsequent exit test(s) for purposes of eligibility resto - ra tion a re conducted a t the expense of the school, student-a thlete or the fa mily of the student-a thlete. Only a na bolic steroid tests conducted by the UIL approved contractor will be considered for the purposes of this testing progra m. Section 1208: ATHLETIC REGULATIONS Schools shall a bide by rules in the Constitution , by rules in the Contest Rules , by rules in the “Official Notices” column of the Leaguer , by regula tions issued from the UIL office in the sports specific ma nuals, a nd other official notices from the UIL office. Where a ny term or section of the Contest Rules or the sports specific ma nuals is found to be inconsistent with the Constitution , the Constitution shall preva il a nd apply, a nd the rema ining terms a nd sections of the Contest Rules a nd/or the sports specific ma nuals shall continue in effect. (a) ELIGIBLE SCHOOLS. A school shall not pa rticipa te in a sports activity unless its va rsity accepta nce for tha t sport, signed by the superintendent or designa ted administra tor, is on file in the UIL office by Ja nua ry 15 of the preceding school yea r (September 1 for football). If a school wa nts to register for a sport a fter the filing deadline, it may do so if approved by a majority of the District Executive Committee. (1) A school which does not pa rticipa te in foot - ball the first yea r of a new alignment may not pa rticipa te the second yea r except by una nimous consent of the District Executive Committee. (2) Only schools in Conferences 4A, 5A a nd 6A a re eligible to pa rticipa te in UIL soccer. Exception: 2A a nd 3A schools who sign up as noted a bove for pa rticipa tion in soccer will be placed in a 4A district for competition. (3) Only schools in Conferences 4A, 5A a nd 6A a re eligible to pa rticipa te in UIL tea m tennis. Exception : 3A schools who sign up as noted a bove for pa rticipa tion in tea m tennis will be placed in a 4A district for competition. (b) DISTRICTS AND CONFERENCES. (1) Conferences . Schools a re placed in conferences according to enrollment figures. (2) District Assignments . Schools will be assigned to districts by the UIL office. District assign - ments a nd a list of tenta tive cha irs will be provided to member schools prior to the sea - son. The district shall select a perma nent cha ir a nd notify the UIL office. However, the superintendent, principal or coach in each school competing under this pla n, is ultima te - ly responsible for ascerta ining the na me of the district cha ir, time of meeting, etc. If the cha ir moves from the district each school in the district has a responsibility to see tha t a new cha ir is elected a nd to notify the UIL office. 129 (c) FAILURE TO COMPLETE SEASON. (1) Regular Season . A school tha t does not pa r - ticipa te in a sport a fter signing the accepta nce form should notify the UIL office prior to the season. A school may be suspended by the Sta te Executive Committee in tha t activity for a period of one yea r, unless sufficient justifi - ca tion is shown for not pa rticipa ting. (2) Playoffs . Any school tha t qualifies for the playoffs in a sport a nd fa ils to pa rticipa te or complete the official schedule of ga mes/ ma tches unless excused for valid reasons by the Sta te Executive Committee (a nd/or by the UIL office in baseball) may be suspended from tha t activity for a period not to exceed one calenda r yea r. (d) BREAKING CONTRACTS; CANCELING DIS - TRICT GAMES PROHIBITED. (1) Schools shall not forfeit a ny district ga mes in order to play non-district ga mes. Schools in viola tion of this provision will be subject to the ra nge of penalties. (2) A ga me or ma tch ca nceled a fter the contract has been signed, unless both pa rties agree to the ca ncella tion, shall be forfeited by the tea m ca nceling the ga me or ma tch. (3) In football, when two schools agree to play on a two-yea r basis, a nd agree tha t the home tea m shall keep 100% of the ga te receipts, a nd the ga me is ca nceled the second yea r by the tea m tha t received 100% of the ga te receipts the first yea r, the tea m tha t received no ga te the first yea r is entitled to 50% of the net ga te receipts from the first ga me unless mutually agreed otherwise. (e) PRACTICE SCRIMMAGE. A scrimmage is a meet - ing of not more tha n four tea ms for practice pur - poses which does not count as a ga me for a ny of the tea ms. Admission may be cha rged. Officials may be pa id in accorda nce with the schedule in Section 1204 a nd may, by prior agreement with the school, be reimbursed for mileage a nd meals. Refer to Sec - tion 1204 (n) a nd (o). A school shall not play in a scrimmage a fter its first interschool ga me or ma tch in tha t sport. Refer to individual sports sections for other limita tions. (f) PLAYING RULES. The Na tional Federa tion play - ing rules govern UIL sports. Exceptions: NCAA rules shall govern football; USTA rules shall govern tennis; USGA rules shall govern golf. Any modi - fica tion of or exception to a playing rule shall be noted in the ma nual for tha t sport. (g) GAME ADMINISTRATOR. I n all UIL va rsity a th - letic tea m contests, a ga me administra tor shall be appointed by the home school. Tha t person shall be a coach (other tha n the ga me coach), teacher or admin - istra tor. It is recommended tha t a ga me administra tor be designa ted by the home school for all non-va rsity a thletic tea m contests. The responsibilities of the ga me administra tor a re as follows: (1) see tha t officials a re directed to their dressing room; (2) meet with the officials prior to ga me time (prefera bly on the playing field or court); (3) inform the officials where the ga me adminis - tra tor will be sea ted; (4) assist the officials if they need to discourage unsportsma nlike conduct of a fa n, player or coach (such as removal from the gym); (5) check with the officials a fter the ga me to see if there is a ny misconduct tha t needs to be reported; (6) offer to provide a n escort for the officials to their ca rs; (7) report incidents to the appropria te school administra tor; a nd (8) report severe verbal a buse or physical contact of the official a nd a ny ejections of coaches a nd fa ns to the UIL office in writing within the next two working days. (h) UIL COACHES CERTIFICATION PROGRAM. (1) All coaches shall a nnually complete the UIL Coaches Certifica tion Progra m prescribed by the UIL prior to their sport season or prior to the first day of school if their sport is not in season. A coach who is hired less tha n one week prior to the sta rt of the sport season or a fter the first day of school (whichever is ea r - lier) must complete the CCP within thirty (30) days of being hired. (2) The na mes of coaches who complete the UIL Coaches Certifica tion Progra m will be kept on file by the school. (i) MINIMUM PENALTY FOR MISCONDUCT. (1) Automatic Minimum Penalty . Any coach who is ejected from a contest for unsportsma nlike conduct, or a ny football coach who is given two or more 15-ya rd unsportsma nlike pen - alties during a contest may accept a n a uto - ma tic penalty for their ejection or appeal the ejection. A coach who appeals their ejection is required to appea r before the Sta te Execu - tive Committee. If the coach accepts their a utoma tic penalty or their ejection is not overturned on appeal, the coach will be sub - ject to: (A) a n a utoma tic penalty of public repri - 130 Section 1208: Athletic Regulations Section 1208: Athletic Regulations ma nd (na me will be published once in the Leaguer ) a nd one yea r’s proba tion in the applica ble sport; (B) completing the Na tional Federa tion of Sta te High School Associa tions Funda - mentals of Coaching Course; a nd (C) completing the Na tional Federa tion of Sta te High School Associa tions Teach - ing a nd Modeling Behavior Course. (2) Automatic Greater Penalty . If a coach so penal - ized has no proof of having completed the UIL Coaches Certifica tion Progra m prior to the sports season, tha t coach shall also be a utoma tically suspended from the next ga me/ contest. (3) Subsequent Violations . Any further ejection or accumula tion of two 15-ya rd unsportsma n - like penalties during a football ga me, while on proba tion, will require the coach to appea r before the Sta te Executive Committee for considera tion of penalty. (4) Notification . Schools shall notify the UIL with - in three school days if a coach has been ejected from a ga me or received two 15-ya rd unsportsma nlike penalties. (5) Player Ejection . Any player ejected from a con - test is subject to a n a utoma tic penalty. The a utoma tic penalty for such a n ejection is as follows: (A) Football. Ejected player misses the rest of the ga me in which they were ejected plus the first half of the following ga me. (B) Other Tea m Sports. Ejected player misses the rest of the ga me in which they were ejected plus all of the fol - lowing ga me. Soccer Exception . This Section does not alter the cur - rent point penalty structure for soc - cer player ejections, as required by Na tional Federa tion of Sta te High School Associa tions soccer playing rules, tha t is outlined in the soccer coaches’ ma nual. (C) Appeals. The UIL Executive Director may develop a process for appealing student ejections. (j) GATE GUARANTEES . (1) Football . In district a nd non-district football ga mes, the visiting tea m shall be entitled to 50% of the ga te receipts a fter payment of ga me officials unless otherwise mutually agreed upon by both schools. (2) Other Team Sports . In district a nd non-district ga mes/ma tches unless there is mutual agree - ment or District Executive Committee ruling, the home tea m is entitled to 100% of the ga te receipts. (3) Playoff. In playoff ga mes, the visiting tea m shall have a sufficient gua ra ntee to cover expenses a nd also 50% of the net ga te receipts unless otherwise mutually agreed upon by both schools. Unless mutually agreed upon prior to the playoff ga me, the expenses as out - lined in this section shall not exceed the home school’s net sha re of the ga te. (4) Excessive Demand. A dema nd of a fla t gua r - a ntee which is clea rly in excess of expenses shall, upon action of the District Executive Committee or Sta te Executive Committee, disqualify the offending tea m from further pa rticipa tion. A fla t gua ra ntee for a visiting tea m shall be in lieu of expenses a nd shall be calcula ted as expenses of the ga me, prior to division of the net ga te receipts. (5) Expenses. Expenses of visiting tea m, officials, advertising, la bor, services a nd printing in connection with the contest shall be con - sidered as expenses of the ga me. Number of persons allowed upon expense account shall be agreed upon by school administra tors of tea ms involved. Unless mutually agreea ble otherwise, the home tea m shall furnish a play - ing field or court without cost to the visiting school. (k) BROADCASTS OF UIL EVENTS. Refer to Section 868. (l) VIDEOTAPING AND FILMING. (1) All Athletic Contests . (A) Videotaping/Filming/Recording by Schools. (i) A non-competing school shall not film, videotape or otherwise make a visual recording of a n a thletic contest without the prior written consent of the schools competing in the contest. (ii) A school does not have to obta in permission to film or tape, or otherwise make a visual record - ing of a n a thletic contest in which it is competing. However, the film or videotape or other visual recording may only be reviewed or otherwise utilized during the contest in accorda nce 131 with applica ble contest rules. (iii) Films, videotapes a nd all other kinds of visual recording of all a thletic contests in complia nce with UIL rules a re the property of the school tha t made them unless their ownership, use or distri - bution is governed by district rule or if there is no agreement between the schools competing in the contest. (B) Videotaping/Filming/Recording by Individuals a nd Orga niza tions. Except for persons or orga niza tions act - ing under subsections (1)(A)(i) a nd (ii) a bove, no person or orga niza tion shall film, videotape or otherwise make a visual recording of a ny a thletic event or activity without prior written consent of the schools tha t a re competing in the event. Any filming, videotaping or other recording of a n a thletic contest may not obstruct the view of other specta tors of the contest. (C) Commercial Use of films, videotapes or other visual recordings of regula r season a thletic contests for commercial purposes shall be approved in writing by all schools competing in the contest. Any agreements between the compet - ing schools rega rding the filming, vid - eotaping or other visual recording of regula r season a thletic contests, includ - ing without limita tion a ny commercial uses, shall be consistent with the UIL’s Constitution and Contest Rules a nd a ny contracts made thereunder. (m) MASCOTS, FIREARMS, PYROTECHNIC DEVICES, BALLOONS . Live a nimal mascots, ca nnons, firea rms, fireworks, etc. a re prohibited a t UIL a thletic contests. Except in their normal course of business, emergency vehicles shall not flash lights or sound sirens during the course of a ga me. Noisemakers a re prohibited a t UIL a thletic events held in field houses or gymnasiums. Releasing balloons is prohibited a t UIL a thletic events held outdoors. (n) TOURNAMENT DEFINITION AND LIMITA - TIONS FOR BASEBALL, BASKETBALL, SOC - CER, SOFTBALL, VOLLEYBALL AND WATER POLO. (1) Number of Teams and Type of Play . A tourna - ment is defined as a t least three tea ms assem - bled a t one site for competition. (2) Scheduling. Schools shall not schedule tourna - ments on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, unless school is not in session. (Refer to each sport pla n for exception to resolve ties for district representa tives.) Schools may schedule tourna ments on Thursday, Friday a nd Sa turday. A two-day tourna ment shall not be scheduled on Thursday a nd Friday. A one-day tourna ment shall be scheduled on Sa turday. (3) Site . A tourna ment should be held a t the ISD of the host school or a t a n adjoining ISD. The host school may a uthorize additional sites for prelimina ry round ga mes. (4) Refer to individual contest pla ns for limita - tions on ga mes/ma tches per day. (o) SITES DEFINED FOR ALL TEAM SPORTS. (1) Home Sites . When two schools flip for two sepa ra te sites other tha n their home field or court, the sites a re considered home sites unless both sites a re nea r mid-point. (2) Neutral Sites . A site mid-point or nea r mid- point, or a site agreed on by both schools as neutral, is a neutral site. Unless mutually agree - a ble, a site ca nnot be neutral if its dista nce from either school is more tha n two-thirds the total dista nce between the two schools. (p) MID-POINT SITES. Unless mutually agreed oth - erwise, post district contests in the tea m sports of baseball, basketball, soccer, softball, tea m tennis, volleyball a nd wa ter polo shall be a t a mid-point site for schools loca ted more tha n 100 miles apa rt. (q) STATE PLAYOFF INSTRUCTIONS. Playoff instructions for all applica ble sports will be pro - vided to pa rticipa ting schools by the UIL office in the sports specific ma nual. (r) STATE TOURNAMENT PAIRINGS. The pa irings for the sta te tourna ment in tea m tennis a nd wa ter polo will be made by the UIL a thletic sta ff, in front of witnesses, as soon as regional cha mpions have been determined a nd reported to the UIL office. Brackets for other tea m sport post-season playoffs will be issued from the UIL office. (s) REBATE FROM STATE EVENTS. (1) In baseball, soccer, softball, volleyball a nd wa ter polo, sixteen percent of the sta te tour - na ment ga te receipts will be reta ined by the UIL Office. If there a re surplus funds rema in - ing a fter deducting the UIL percentage a nd paying all expenses of the event, to the extent possible, pa rticipa ting schools will be reim - bursed for travel based on a uniform ra te per 132 Section 1208: Athletic Regulations Section 1208: Athletic Regulations mile. (2) In basketball, sixteen percent of the sta te tourna ment ga te receipts will be reta ined by the UIL Office. If there a re surplus funds rema ining a fter deducting the UIL percent - age a nd paying all expenses of the event, to the extent possible, pa rticipa ting schools will be reimbursed for travel based on a uniform ra te per mile. A) Bala nce To Schools. If a fter expenses (including travel reimbursement), there is a bala nce in the fund received from ga te receipts, this bala nce shall be equal - ly divided a mong the schools pa rticipa t - ing in the tourna ment. The Legisla tive Council may stipula te a maximum to be divided a mong schools. (3) In football, twenty percent of the cha mpion - ship event ga te receipts will be reta ined by the UIL Office. If there a re surplus funds rema in - ing a fter deducting the UIL percentage a nd paying all expenses of the event, to the extent possible, pa rticipa ting schools will be reim - bursed for travel based on a uniform ra te per mile. A) Bala nce To Schools. If after expenses (including travel reimbursement), there is a bala nce in the fund received from ga te receipts, this bala nce shall be equally divided a mong the schools pa rticipa ting in the cha mpionship event. The Legisla - tive Council may stipula te a maximum to be divided a mong schools. (4) In all other sta te events, all funds collected from admissions a t the sta te cha mpionship event shall be reta ined by the UIL Office. (t) ALL-STAR GAMES. (1) School Equipment. Students who have complet - ed eligibility in the involved sport, with school superintendent approval, may use school indi - vidual player protective equipment in a ny all- sta r ga me. (2) School Personnel. No a thletic director, coach, teacher, school administra tor or school district shall a t a ny time assist directly or indirectly with the coaching, ma nagement, direction, selection of players, promotion or officia ting in a ny all-sta r ga me in which one or more of the competing tea ms is composed of one or more players who have eligibility rema ining in tha t sport. (3) School Facilities. School facilities may be used for all-sta r ga mes only by prior written con - sent of the superintendent. (4) Penalties . Any member high school viola ting the provisions of this all-sta r contest rule shall be subject to penalty. (u) NON-UIL CONTESTS. (1) Contests With Non-participating Schools. A defea t by a non-pa rticipa ting Texas public high school shall elimina te a school so defea t - ed from the district race. (2) Contests With Non-school Teams. A school tea m tha t competes aga inst or pa rticipa tes in a tour - na ment with a non-school tea m, composed of one or more UIL pa rticipa nt high school stu - dents with rema ining eligibility in tha t sport, (whether or not academically eligible), shall not represent the district in tha t sport. (3) Participating With Other Leagues. A UIL mem - ber school tha t pa rticipa tes in a n a thletic activity offered by the UIL in a non-UIL league under the a uspices of a ny other sa nc - tioning orga niza tion is subject to the ra nge of penalties, up to a nd including suspension from UIL a thletic activities. This provision applies to a non-enrolled (home schooled) student pa rticipa ting in accorda nce with sec - tion 33.0832 of the Texas Educa tion Code. (v) JUNIOR HIGH ATHLETICS. All a thletic rules for seventh a nd eighth grades a re listed in Sections 1400, 1401 a nd 1478 of the Contest Rules . (w) JURISDICTION OF INTERDISTRICT DIS - PUTES. The Sta te Executive Committee shall have jurisdiction in all disputes a rising between district winners tha t have been duly certified. (x) CHEERLEADERS; SPIRIT GROUPS . All cheer a nd spirit performa nces a t a ny UIL activity shall be in accorda nce with sa fety sta nda rds as prescribed by the Na tional Federa tion High School Spirit Ha ndbook. Cheerleading sponsors a re required to complete a course rega rding Sa fety/Risk Mini - miza tion for Cheerleading a nd present proof of course completion to the school district. (y) CONCUSSION MANAGEMENT PROTOCOL. At all UIL a thletic activities (including practices a nd contests), including cheerleading, schools shall implement a nd follow a concussion ma nagement protocol as prescribed by Texas Educa tion Code Section 38 Subchapter D. (z) CONCUSSION INCIDENT REPORTING. UIL member schools in Conference 6A a re required to report concussion incidents for all sports in the reporting system designa ted by the UIL. (aa) AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR (AED). Each high school ca mpus shall have a t least 133 one Automa ted External Defibrilla tor (AED) ava il - a ble on the premises. Additionally, each high school ca mpus shall develop a pla n for implementa tion, coordina tion a nd ma intena nce of its AED pro - gra m. (bb) AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR (AED) USE REPORTING. UIL member schools shall file a report a fter a n AED is used in conjunction with a ny UIL event, practice a nd competition, utilizing the online reporting form ava ila ble on the UIL web site. (cc) CATASTROPHIC INJURY REPORTING. UIL member schools shall file reports of ca tastrophic injuries, as defined by the Na tional Center for Ca tastrophic Sports Injury Resea rch (NCCSIR), tha t occur during UIL practices a nd/or competi - tions utilizing the online reporting form ava ila ble on the UIL web site. (dd) EMERGENCY ACTION PLANS. UIL member schools a re required to develop a nd implement a venue specific emergency action pla n (EAP) for each venue utilized for UIL a thletic practices a nd/ or competitions. Section 1209: NON-SCHOOL PARTICIPATION (a) REQUIRED PARTICIPATION PROHIBITED. Students shall not be required to play on a non- school tea m in a ny sport as a prerequisite to play - ing on a school tea m. (b) OFF-SEASON SCHOOL FACILITY USE. Refer to Section 1206 (i). (c) CAMPS. (1) Camps After The Last Day Of The School Year: baseball, basketball, football, soccer, softball, vol - leyball and water polo where school personnel work with their own students. After the last day of the school yea r in May, June, July a nd prior to the second Monday in August, on non-school days, all students other tha n students who will be in their second, third or fourth yea r of high school may a ttend two ca mps in each tea m sport, held within the bounda ries of their school district, in which instruction is given in tha t tea m sport, a nd in which a 7th-12th grade coach from their school district a tten - da nce zone works with them: (i) Students who will be in their sec - ond, third or fourth yea r of high school may volunteer to work up to two ca mps in each tea m sport. Time volunteering a t these ca mps would not count towa rds summer sport specific skill instruction. (2) Camps During The School Year. A member school district is allowed to sponsor ca mps during the school yea r, outside the school day, for students in grades six a nd below. No student is allowed to pa rticipa te in more tha n two school sponsored ca mps per sport/activ - ity during the school yea r. (3) Camps Described Above Shall Be Conducted Under The Following Conditions: (A) Number of Days. Attenda nce a t each type of sports ca mp is limited to no more tha n six consecutive days. (B) Prohibited Activities. Students shall not a ttend football ca mps where contact activities a re permitted. (C) Fees. The superintendent or a desig - nee shall approve the schedule of fees prior to the a nnouncement or release of a ny informa tion a bout the ca mp. The Texas Educa tion Code requires school districts to adopt procedures for wa iv - ing fees cha rged for pa rticipa tion if a student is una ble to pay the fee, a nd the procedures should be made known to the public. Fees for all other students shall be pa id by the students a nd/or their pa rents. (D) School Equipment. Schools may furnish, in accorda nce with local school district policies, school-owned equipment, with the following restrictions. (i) Schools may not furnish a ny indi - vidual baseball, basketball, foot - ball, soccer, softball, volleyball or wa ter polo player equipment, including uniforms, shoes, caps, gloves, etc., but may furnish balls a nd court equipment including nets, sta nda rds, goals, etc., for volleyball, basketball, soccer a nd wa ter polo ca mps. (ii) For football ca mps, schools may furnish ha nd dummies, sta nd- up dummies, passing a nd kick - ing machines a nd footballs. Use of a ny other football equipment, including contact equipment, is prohibited. (iii) For baseball a nd softball ca mps, schools may furnish balls, ba ts, bases, pitching a nd ba tting machines, ba tting helmets a nd 134 Section 1209: Non-school Participation Section 1220: Baseball Plan ca tcher protective equipment. Use of a ny other baseball a nd/ or softball equipment is prohib - ited. (d) BONA FIDE SUMMER CAMPS. The provisions of the summer ca mp rules do not apply to bona fide summer ca mps giving a n overall activity progra m to the pa rticipa nts. (e) CHANGE OF RESIDENCE FROM OUT OF STATE. The provisions of the summer ca mp rules do not apply in the case of a person who a ttends a n a thletic tra ining ca mp which is allowed under the rules of the sta te in which the student then lives, a nd then makes a bona fide cha nge of residence to Texas, provided tha t there has been no delibera te a ttempt to circumvent the rule. (f) OFF-SEASON PARTICIPATION IN NON- SCHOOL TEAM SPORTS. (1) School coaches shall not coach 7-12 grade students from their own a ttenda nce zone on a non-school tea m or in a non-school ca mp or clinic, with the exception of their own adopted or birth children. (2) School equipment shall not be used for non- school tea ms/leagues. (g) COACHING RESTRICTIONS. For non-school competition school coaches shall not schedule ma tched ga mes for students in grades 7-12 from their a ttenda nce zone. School coaches may assist in orga nizing, selecting players a nd coaches, a nd may supervise school facilities for non-school league play. School coaches shall not coach or instruct students in grades 7-12 from their school district a ttenda nce zone in the tea m sports of baseball, basketball, football, soccer, softball or volleyball or wa ter polo unless specifically noted below . School coaches shall not supervise facilities for non-school activities on school time. Refer to Section 1201. (1) TABC Summer Showcase . Basketball coaches a re allowed to coach their high school tea m during the TABC June Summer Showcase event only. (A) Students pa rticipa ting in the TABC June Summer Showcase may only represent the school or feeder pa ttern in which they were enrolled a nd a ttending the previous school yea r, or if a ttending a new school, they have a PAPF tha t has been submitted to the UIL for pa rticipa tion a t the new school. (B) School resources would be allowed to be utilized for the TABC Summer Showcase. (2) Coaches ca n coach two players in grades 7-12 in a UIL approved sta te associa tion all- sta r ga me. Section 1210: ANABOLIC STEROID TESTING (a) As a result of the passage of Sena te Bill 8 by the 80th Texas Sta te Legisla ture, the UIL implemented a n a na bolic steroid testing progra m a nd adopted rules for its administra tion. In 2015, the legisla - ture voted to termina te funding for the progra m. While the rules a nd laws perta ining to the progra m rema in in effect, the UIL no longer conducts ra n - dom a na bolic steroid tests due to the a bsence of funding, which initia tes the testing protocol. The testing protocol includes: (1) test student-athletes in grades 9-12 for the presence of anabolic steroids in their bodies at multiple times throughout the school year; (2) be administered, by random selection, at approximately 30 percent of UIL member high schools; (3) randomly select a statistically significant number of student-athletes in grades 9-12 who participate in athletic competitions spon - sored or sanctioned by the UIL; (4) require that testing be performed only by an anabolic steroid testing laboratory with a current certification from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Admin - istration of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the World Anti-Doping Agency, or another appropriate national or international certifying organiza - tion; (5) provide a process for confirming any initial positive test result through a subsequent test conducted as soon as practicable after the initial test, using a sample that was obtained at the same time as the sample used for the initial test; and (6) be conducted in accordance with the UIL Anabolic Steroid Testing Program Protocol. Section 1220: BASEBALL PLAN (a) ATHLETIC PURPOSE, CODE, PLAN APPLICA - BLE. Rules in Sections 1200-1209 also apply to the Baseball Pla n. (b) NUMBER OF GAMES, TOURNAMENTS AND SITES. (1) Violations/Penalties . The District Executive Committee shall determine the penalty for viola tions of the regula tions below. 135 (2) Total Number of Games . No tea m or student shall compete in more tha n three invita - tional tourna ments plus 17 baseball ga mes in a season, including all ga mes prior to the first playoff ga me. This shall include non- district a nd district ga mes. If the district cha mpions have a bye for the first round of the play-offs, those schools may schedule a wa rm-up ga me in addition to the ga me lim - its. This additional ga me shall be played on a non-school night with no loss of school time. Three ga mes may be substituted in place of a tourna ment. (3) Exception To Resolve District Ties . (A) Two Schools Tied. To resolve a two-way tie, the District Executive Committee may a uthorize a single elimina tion ga me. The tie-breaking ga me may be in addition to the allowed number of ga mes delinea ted a bove but may not be played as a n exception to the school week limita tion. (B) Three or More Schools Tied. If three or more schools a re tied, the District Executive Committee may a uthorize a single elimina tion tourna ment in addition to the total number of ga mes a nd tourna ments allowed for the sea - son. (4) Invitational Tournament Restriction . (A) No tea m shall pa rticipa te in a n invi - ta tional baseball tourna ment held on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, except on school holidays. However, ga mes in tourna ments may be played a fter school on the last day of the school week prior to holidays. (B) Tourna ment Restriction. Baseball tea ms shall play no more tha n six total ga mes in a tourna ment a nd no more tha n three ga mes in a ny one day. (5) Site of Game . The District Executive Commit - tee in a rra nging a schedule within the district shall determine the place of ga mes in case of disagreement between the two tea ms. (6) Exception for Rescheduled Games . District va rsity baseball ga mes postponed by wea ther or public disaster (not including illness) shall be rescheduled on the next da te, other tha n Sunday, on which a nother district ga me is not scheduled. In the event wea ther or public disaster forces the makeup ga me to be rescheduled it shall be rescheduled on the next da te as described ea rlier. These makeup ga mes may be played as a n exception to the school week limita tion. District va rsity ga mes tha t a re postponed by wea ther or public disaster, a nd not played on the next ava ila ble da te, shall be rescheduled a nd played on a da te determined by the District Executive Committee, but may not be made up as a n exception to the school week limita tion. (c) PLAYING DATES. (1) Practice Dates . There shall be no orga nized or formal school baseball practice for a contes - ta nt or a tea m, before or a fter school, prior to the da te set forth by the UIL calenda r, a nd a fter the da te for certifying district cha m - pions, except for tea ms tha t have not been elimina ted from the playoffs. (2) Scrimmages . Schools shall not scrimmage prior to the da te set forth by the UIL calenda r, not to exceed two scrimmages per calenda r week, Monday through Sa turday. (3) Games . Schools shall not play their first ga me until the 16th Monday prior to the Sta te Base - ball Tourna ment. (4) School Equipment . It will be considered a school ga me if a tea m is wea ring school uniforms a nd/or using school equipment following the close of the regula r UIL season. (5) Non-School Participation . Refer to Section 1209. (d) TIES IN DISTRICT AND NON-DISTRICT GAMES. Unless otherwise specified by district minutes prior to the beginning of season, a regula - tion district or non-district ga me called with a tie score a fter five innings have been played (a nd a winner ca nnot be determined) shall be counted as one-half ga me won a nd one-half ga me lost for each tea m. The ga me shall not be replayed provided five innings have been completed. If five innings have not been completed, the ga me shall be replayed from the sta rt. (e) GAME CALLED BEFORE COMPLETION. If a district or non-district ga me is called before com - pletion of the number of innings a nd conditions as specified in Na tional Federa tion Baseball Rules, the umpire shall decla re the contest “no ga me”. Unless otherwise specified by district minutes prior to the season, the ga me will be replayed from the sta rt. In ga mes beyond the district level, a ga me begun, then suspended, shall continue a t a la ter time from the point of suspension. (f) Post-season PLAYOFFS. (1) Day of Playoff Game . Playoffs ga mes shall not be played before Thursday of tha t week unless 136 Section 1220: Baseball Plan Section 1230:Basketball Plan by mutual consent . (2) Playoffs . Playoffs may be single elimina tion or two-out-of-three from bi-district to sta te. If neither method is mutually agreea ble, a coin flip shall determine play-off forma t . Excep - tion : Sta rting in the 2023-2024 baseball sea - son, as a pilot in conference 3A, 4A, 5A a nd 6A, playoffs will be two-outof-three unless mutually agreed to play a single ga me. (3) Two-out-of-Three Series . If schools play a two- out-of-three elimina tion series, the first a nd second ga mes may be played prior to Friday. Ga me three shall not be played until Friday. If one ga me is played a nd a second ga me ca nnot be played beca use of wea ther, then the winner of the one ga me adva nces to the next round. If two ga mes a re played (a nd split) a nd the third ga me ca nnot be played on Sa turday beca use of wea ther conditions, the third a nd deciding ga me should be played on Monday of the next week. (4) State Championship . All conferences will be single elimina tion a t the sta te cha mpionship. (5) Disputes . In case there is a dispute rega rding a neutral or home site or time of a ga me it shall be settled by the flip of a coin. Refer to Section 1208 (o). (6) Playoff Games . In playoff ga mes, a suspended ga me shall be continued from the point of suspension a t a la ter time. (7) Gate Receipts From State Tournament . The UIL office reta ins a n a nnually determined per - centage of ga te receipts from the sta te base - ball tourna ment. Section 1230: BASKETBALL PLAN (a) ATHLETIC PURPOSE, CODES, PLAN APPLI - CABLE. Rules in Sections 1200-1209 also apply to the Basketball Pla n. (b) DATES FOR PRACTICES, GAMES AND CERTI - FICATIONS FOR GIRLS AND BOYS, ALL CON - FERENCES. (1) Practice Dates . (A) Girls. There shall be no school basketball practice for a student or a tea m in girls basketball, before or a fter school until the 20th Wednesday prior to the Girls Sta te Basketball Cha mpionship or during the five-day holiday restriction, or a fter the last da te for certifying district cha mpions, except for tea ms who have not been elimina ted in playoffs. (B) Boys. There shall be no school basket - ball practice for a student or a tea m in boys basketball, before or a fter school until the 20th Wednesday prior to the Boys Sta te Basketball Championship or during the five day holiday restric - tion, or a fter the last da te for certi - fying district cha mpions, except for tea ms who have not been elimina ted in playoffs. (2) Scrimmages . Tea ms in girls basketball a re allowed to scrimmage beginning with the 18th Sa turday prior to the Girls Sta te Basket - ball Cha mpionship. Tea ms in boys basketball a re allowed to scrimmage beginning with the 18th Sa turday prior to the Boys Sta te Bas - ketball Cha mpionship. Only one scrimmage is permitted between Monday a nd the end of the school day on Friday of a ny one school week. Tea ms a re limited to a maximum of two total scrimmages a nd may use them a ny time before playing their first ga me. (3) Interschool Games . No interschool ga mes in girls basketball shall be played until the 17th Friday prior to the Girls Sta te Basketball Cha mpion - ship. No interschool ga mes in boys basketball shall be played until the 17th Friday prior to the Boys Sta te Basketball Cha mpionship. Schools may not play ga mes during the five- day holiday restriction. Except for tea ms in the playoffs, schools may not play ga mes a fter the last da te for certifying district cha mpions. (4) District Games . District ga mes may not be played prior to December 15, except by una n - imous consent of all district members. (5) Basketball Season, Dates . Refer to Official Cal - enda r a nd Basketball Ma nual. (6) Off-Season Workouts . Refer to Section 1206. (c) NUMBER OF GAMES, TOURNAMENTS AND SITES. (1) Violations/Penalties . The District Executive Committee shall determine the penalty for viola tions of the following regula tions. (2) Number of Games Per Day . No high school tea m or contesta nt shall pa rticipa te in more tha n two interschool basketball ga mes per day, includ - ing tourna ment ga mes. Exception: Contesta nts a nd tea ms may play three ga mes in a one-day tourna ment scheduled on a Sa turday. (3) Total Number of Games . No tea m or student shall compete in more tha n three invita tional tourna ments plus 21 basketball ga mes in a 137 season, including all ga mes prior to the first playoff ga me. This shall include non-district a nd district ga mes a nd ga mes played in pre- scheduled district tourna ments. I f the district cha mpions have a bye for the first round of the play-offs, those schools may schedule a wa rm-up ga me in addition to the ga me limits. This additional ga me shall be played on a non-school night with no loss of school time. Two ga mes may be substituted in place of a tourna ment. (4) Exception To Resolve District Ties . (A) Two Schools Tied. To resolve a two- way tie, the District Executive Commit - tee may a uthorize a single elimina tion ga me provided only one other ma tched ga me is played tha t calenda r week. The tie-breaking ga me may be in addition to the 21 allowed ga mes, but not as a n exception to the school week limita tion. (B) Three or More Schools Tied. If three or more schools a re tied, the District Executive Committee may a uthorize a tourna ment provided only two ma tched ga mes have been played tha t week, using the procedure in Section 1203. These tourna ment ga mes may be played in addition to the total number of ga mes a nd tourna ments allowed for the sea - son. (5) Invitational Tournament Restriction . No tea m shall pa rticipa te in a n invita tional bas - ketball tourna ment held on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, except on school holidays. (Note: This provision does not apply to (c)(4)(B) a bove.) However, ga mes in tourna ments may be played a fter school on the last day of the school week prior to holidays. (6) Number of Games Per Week . (A) Ma tched Ga mes Only. No high school tea m or contesta nt shall pa rticipa te in more tha n two ma tched ga mes (as dis - tinguished from tourna ments) per cal - enda r week. Refer to Section 5. (B) Week of a n Invita tional Tourna ment. No tea m or contesta nt shall pa rticipa te in more tha n one ma tched ga me during the calenda r week of a n invita tional tourna ment. (C) Week of a District Tourna ment. No tea m or contesta nt shall pa rticipa te in more tha n two ma tched ga mes during the calenda r week of a district tourna - ment, including a district tourna ment a uthorized by the District Executive Committee to resolve a tie for dis - trict cha mpionship. To be considered a district tourna ment, a t least three tea ms shall be assembled a t one site for a n elimina tion contest on consecutive days. Refer to Section 1203. (7) Exception When Games Are Substituted For Tour - naments . Students a nd tea ms may play in three ma tched ga mes per calenda r week under the following conditions: (A) Two of the three ga mes a re being played instead of a tourna ment; a nd (B) Two of the three ga mes a re on a Friday a nd a Sa turday, or on a night prior to a school holiday a nd a non-school day. (8) Exceptions During November, December/January Holidays . During a November holiday break of three or more days a nd following the five- day December holiday restriction until school resumes in Ja nua ry, schools may pa rticipa te in no more tha n: (A) two ma tched ga mes during the calenda r week of a n invita tional tourna ment; (B) two ma tched ga mes plus two ma tched ga mes played in lieu of a n invita tional tourna ment during a calenda r week; or (C) three ma tched ga mes during a calen - da r week if they a re not pa rticipa ting in a n invita tional tourna ment or play - ing ga mes in lieu of a tourna ment. (9) Exception for Rescheduled Games . District va rsity basketball ga mes postponed by wea ther or public disaster (not including illness) shall be rescheduled on the next da te, other tha n Sunday, on which a nother district ga me is not scheduled. In the event wea ther or public disaster forces the makeup ga me to be rescheduled, it shall be rescheduled on the next da te as described ea rlier. These makeup ga mes may be played as exceptions to the school week a nd calenda r week limita tions. District va rsity ga mes tha t a re postponed by wea ther or public disaster, a nd not played on the next ava ila ble da te, shall be rescheduled a nd played on a da te determined by the District Executive Committee. 138 Section 1230: Basketball Plan Section 1240: Cross Country Plan (10) Site of Game . The District Executive Commit - tee in a rra nging a schedule within the district shall determine the place of ga mes in case the two tea ms disagree. (11) Boys’, Girls’ Team Restrictions . No girls’ tea m shall play in a ga me aga inst a boys’ tea m a nd vice versa. (d) POST-DISTRICT RECEIPTS. The UIL office reta ins a n a nnually determined percentage of ga te receipts from the sta te basketball tourna ment. (e) OFF-SEASON PARTICIPATION. Refer to Section 1209. Section 1240: CROSS-COUNTRY PLAN (a) ATHLETIC PURPOSES, CODES, PLAN APPLI - CABLE. Rules in Sections 1200-1209 also apply to Cross-country. (b) DIVISIONS. There shall be one division for boys a nd one for girls in the respective conferences. Boys’ tea ms may not compete on or aga inst girls’ tea ms. (c) DISTANCE. (1) Girls, Boys. The dista nce for the cross-country event will be approxima tely two miles for 1A, 2A, 3A a nd 4A girls (3200 meters) a nd three miles for 1A-6A boys a nd 5A a nd 6A girls (5000 meters). (2) Limitation. A race of six miles or longer shall not be considered a cross-country meet. (d) ENTRIES. (1) Number . A minimum of five pa rticipa nts a nd a maximum of seven pa rticipa nts shall con - stitute a tea m. If a school enters fewer tha n 5 students, it ca nnot compete for the tea m title. (2) Team Score . The place of the first five finishers on each tea m will count for the total tea m score. (3) Team Limit . A school may enter only one tea m of boys a nd one tea m of girls in the district, regional a nd sta te meets. (4) Fee . There is no entry fee for the sta te cross- country meet. (e) MEET LIMITATIONS . (1) Number of Meets . No student representing a member school shall pa rticipa te in more tha n eight meets during the school yea r, excluding one district meet, the regional meet a nd the sta te meet. Each meet a school tea m enters counts as one meet for each pa rtici - pa ting individual. Students a re considered to be representing their school if they a re wea ring a nd/or using school equipment or being directed or tra nsported by a school employee. Meets which a re limited to three or fewer schools, do not count as a meet for pa rticipa nts, provided there is no loss of school time. (2) School Week Limitation . No student represent - ing a member school shall pa rticipa te in more tha n one tourna ment/meet per school week (the first instructional day of the week through the last school day). Exceptions: the regional a nd sta te tourna ments, a nd district va rsity tourna ments postponed by wea ther or public disaster, may also be scheduled during the school week. (f) CHAMPIONSHIP STRUCTURE. (1) District Meets . District meets shall be held in districts with more tha n three tea ms a nd/or 10 individuals entered. District cross-country cha irs shall be responsible for orga nizing the district cross-country meets. (2) Qualifiers to Regional Meet . The top three tea ms a nd the top 10 individuals shall qualify from district to the regional meet. An individual qualifier may also be a tea m member of one of the qualifying tea ms. (3) Qualifiers to State . The top four tea ms a nd the top 10 individuals (who a re not already on the adva ncing tea ms) shall qualify from regional to the sta te meet. (g) PRACTICE REGULATIONS OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL YEAR. Any cross-country practice conducted by a school outside the school year shall be in accordance with the following regula - tions: (1) Student-a thletes shall not engage in more tha n three hours of practice activities on those days during which one practice is conducted. (2) Student-a thletes shall not engage in more tha n five hours of practice activities on those days during which more tha n one practice is conducted. (3) The maximum length of a ny single practice session shall be three hours. (4) On days when more tha n one practice is conducted, there shall be, a t a minimum, two hours of rest/recovery time between the end of one practice a nd the beginning of the next practice. (5) Schools shall not schedule more tha n one practice on consecutive days a nd student-a th - letes shall not pa rticipa te in multiple practices on consecutive days. Section 1250: FOOTBALL PLAN 139 (a) ATHLETIC PURPOSES, CODES, PLAN APPLI - CABLE. Rules in Sections 1200-1209 also apply to the Football Pla n. (b) DATES AND OFF-SEASON REGULATIONS. (1) Spring Training . There shall be no school football practice or tra ining for a contes - ta nt or tea m, a nd no football equipment issued a fter the close of the regula r season schedule, except as incidental to the football cha mpionship playoffs, a nd in Conferences 5A a nd 6A only, 18 spring tra ining practice days which may be conducted in a period of 34 consecutive calenda r days. Exception: Conference 5A a nd 6A schools may choose not to conduct the 18 days of spring tra in - ing, replacing sa id tra ining the next school yea r by following the workout days as spec - ified for Conferences 4A, 3A, 2A a nd 1A. (A) The first two days of spring tra ining shall be conducted without a ny contact equipment except helmets. (B) During spring tra ining, a maximum of 12 practices may conta in full contact. Refer to the football ma nual for expla - na tions of full contact. (C) During spring tra ining, football players a re not allowed to pa rticipa te in more tha n 90 minutes of full contact practice per week. Refer to the football ma nual for expla na tions of full contact. (D) During spring tra ining, a maximum of three practices per calenda r week may include full contact. (2) Off-Season Workouts . Accelera ted physical edu - ca tion activities, calisthenics, individual foot - ball skills, strength tra ining or conditioning exercises may be conducted during the school term within the school day provided such activities do not exceed one regula r classroom period, not to exceed 60 minutes per day (or 300 minutes per week on a block sched - ule). Practice may include eleven-on-eleven drills without contact activities or equipment. Activities before or a fter school or during the lunch period a re specifically prohibited. Refer to Section 1206 (d) a nd the Restricted a nd Non-Restricted Football Equipment informa - tion on the football page of the UIL website. (3) Summer Practice . Refer to Section 1206 (h). (4) Summer Camps . For rules a nd applica ble pen - alties refer to Section 1209. (5) Fall Practice, Beginning Dates. (A) Practice Regula tions Outside the School Yea r. Any football practice conducted by a school outside the school yea r shall be in accorda nce with the following regula tions: (i) Student-a thletes shall not engage in more tha n three hours of practice activities, with up to a one hour break, on those days during which one practice is conducted. The one hour break is not included as a pa rt of the practice time limit. Total time shall not exceed four hours. (ii) A one-hour walkthrough is allowed on days during which one practice is conducted. There shall be, a t a minimum, two hours of rest/recovery time between the end of one practice a nd the beginning of the walkthrough. (iii) Student-a thletes shall not engage in more tha n five hours of prac - tice activities on those days dur - ing which more tha n one practice is conducted. (iv) The maximum length of a ny sin - gle practice session shall be three hours. (v) On days when more tha n one practice is conducted, there shall be, a t a minimum, two hours of rest/recovery time between the end of one practice a nd the beginning of the next practice. (vi) Schools shall not schedule more tha n one practice on consecutive days a nd student-a thletes shall not pa rticipa te in multiple prac - tices on consecutive days. (B) In Conferences 1A, 2A, 3A a nd 4A a nd all 9th graders in 5A a nd 6A, practice shall begin no ea rlier tha n the da te set forth by the UIL calenda r. In Confer - ences 5A a nd 6A, practice shall begin no ea rlier tha n the da te set forth by the UIL calenda r. Exception: If Conference 5A or 6A schools forego the 18 days of spring tra ining, they may begin work - out days on the da te set forth by the UIL calenda r as delinea ted for Conferences 4A, 3A, 2A a nd 1A a nd all 5A a nd 6A 9th graders. Interschool scrimmages shall be allowed on the da te set forth by the UIL calenda r. (C) Acclima tiza tion Period. The first two days of practice shall be conducted 140 Section 1250: Football Plan Section 1250: Football Plan without a ny contact equipment except helmets. Other contact equipment may be fitted a nd placed in lockers. During the first two days, however, only shoes, socks, T-shirts, shorts a nd helmets may be worn. On the third a nd fourth days of practice, helmets, shoulder pads a nd padded girdles (shells) may be worn, but no player to player contact is allowed. On day five of the acclima tiza tion peri - od, helmets, shoulder pads a nd pad - ded girdles (shells) may be worn, a nd player to player contact is permitted. During the five-day acclima tiza tion period, no full contact activities shall be permitted. All student-a thletes who a rrive a fter the first day of practice a re required to undergo a five-day accli - ma tiza tion period. During the five-day acclima tiza tion period a nd subject to the rules as noted in (A) (i-vi) a bove, if more tha n one practice is conducted on the sa me day, the second practice shall be a teaching period/walkthrough practice only with no conditioning or contact activities/equipment permit - ted. At a minimum, there must be two hours of rest/recovery time between the end of one practice a nd the begin - ning of the walkthrough. (D) Football equipment is interpreted to mea n football shoulder pads, hip pads, thigh pads, shoes, helmets, football pa nts or a ny other equipment used prima rily in football. Football practice or tra ining is interpreted to mea n a ny orga nized instruction in football plays, forma tions or tea m skills. (E) Ninth grade football practice shall correspond with the high school da tes whether the ninth grade is in high school, junior high or on a sepa ra te ca mpus. Exception: 5A a nd 6A ninth graders may sta rt on the da te set forth by the UIL calenda r as delinea ted for Conferences 4A, 3A, 2A a nd 1A. (F) Interschool Games . With the exception of certa in sub-va rsity ga mes as out - lined in the Football Manual , no high school (9-12) interschool ga mes shall be allowed until the da te set forth by the UIL calenda r. However, schools tha t play prior to the first Thursday in Sep - tember shall omit a scrimmage a nd have a n open da te during the season. Refer to Section 1478 for 7th a nd 8th grade regula tions. (G) During the pre-season, regula r season a nd post-season, football players a re not allowed to pa rticipa te in more tha n 90 minutes of full contact practice per week. Refer to the Football Ma nual for expla na tions of full contact. (6) Preseason or Summer Practice for Seventh and Eighth Grade or Elementary School Students Pro - hibited . Schools may not: (A) hold a ny preseason football practice in junior high school (eighth grade a nd below) or elementa ry school, individual or tea m, prior to the opening day of school; or (B) conduct a ny spring tra ining either in elementa ry school or seventh a nd eighth grade the preceding spring. This section does not prevent students from pa r - ticipa ting in summer ca mps, as allowed in Section 1209. Penalty for viola tions shall be assessed by the appropria te executive committee. (7) Spring Training For Ninth Graders Restricted . Students in the ninth grade may pa rticipa te in spring tra ining in Conference 5A a nd 6A schools provided: (A) tha t such pa rticipa tion is a t the sa me time as the high school squad practices; a nd (B) tha t sa id high school is the one which the ninth-grade students will a ttend the following fall. Penalty for viola tions shall be assessed by the appropria te executive committee. (c) 1A FOOTBALL. Schools may choose to pa rtici - pa te in 1A football with a n enrollment of 104.9 or below. If enrollment in grades 9-12 is grea ter tha n 104.9, a nd the school is currently playing 1A football, it may continue to pa rticipa te if a ny one of these three conditions exist: Enrollment of 104.9 or below in grades 7, 8, 9 a nd 10, or grades 8, 9, 10 a nd 11, or grades 9 a nd 10 doubled. The pertinent figures tha t total 104.9 or below shall be submitted with reclassifica tion a nd realign - ment figures. (d) PLAYOFF ELIMINATIONS ALL CONFER - ENCES. District representa tives a re bracketed for elimina tion play to the sta te cha mpionships on a weekly schedule beginning the first weekend a fter 141 the specified da te for determining district repre - senta tives. Sta te elimina tion ga mes may not be scheduled ea rlier tha n the first Thursday a fter the certifica tion da te for district representa tives. (e) NUMBER OF GAMES; TIME BETWEEN GAMES. (1) Maximum Number of Regular Season Games . No tea m or student shall pa rticipa te in more tha n 10 ga mes during the 11-week regula r season, prior to bi-district play. Exception: See below for ten-tea m districts tha t zone. Some dis - tricts do not play bi-district ga mes a nd have 12 weeks to play 10 regula r season ga mes. (2) Exception For Ten-Team Districts That Zone . A football district tha t conta ins 10 schools, by majority vote of the District Executive Com - mittee, may subdivide into zones for contest purposes. Districts tha t choose this option a re allowed to schedule a nd play one additional regula r season ga me to determine a n overall district cha mpion. This additional ga me is only allowed for the first a nd second place tea m in each zone. Districts choosing this option a re required to play their first ga me during the first week ga mes a re allowed. Refer to Section 28 (k) for informa tion on zones. (3) Minimum Time Between Regular Season Games . Up to a nd including the final district ga me, no tea m or student in a ny conference shall be permitted to take pa rt in more tha n one ga me within five calenda r days. Exa mple: A tea m playing Sa turday night ca nnot play aga in until the following Thursday night. A tea m playing Monday night could play a ny time on Sa turday. (4) Minimum Time Between Playoff Games . No tea m or student in a ny conference shall be permit - ted to take pa rt in more tha n one playoff ga me within six calenda r days, unless mutu - ally agreea ble to play within five calenda r days. This rule also applies to the first playoff ga me. (f) PRACTICE SCRIMMAGE. A practice scrimmage is a meeting of up to four tea ms for practice pur - poses which does not count as a ga me for a ny of the tea ms. Admission may be cha rged. Officials may be pa id in accorda nce with the schedule in Section 1204 a nd may, by prior agreement with the school, be reimbursed for mileage a nd meals. Refer to Section 1204 (n) a nd (o). There shall be no kickoff. (1) Scrimmages . No tea m or student shall pa rticipa te in more tha n one interschool football scrimmage during a ny given period of five calenda r days, prior to the playing of the first football ga me. (A) Exa mple: A tea m scrimmaging on Sa t - urday ca nnot scrimmage aga in until the following Thursday. (B) A tea m scrimmaging on Sa turday may play a ga me or scrimmage the next Thursday. (Five calenda r day rule applies.) (C) No tea m or student may pa rticipa te in more tha n three scrimmages. (2) Scrimmage Limits . No interschool scrimmages shall be allowed a fter a school has played its first interschool ga me in football. (g) EXPENSES. Expenses of visiting tea ms, officials, advertising, la bor, services a nd printing incident to the contest shall be considered as expenses of the ga me. These expenses shall be itemized with supporting bills, properly receipted. Number of pa rticipa nts allowed upon expense account shall be agreed upon by the school administra tion of the tea ms involved. Unless mutually agreea ble other - wise, the home tea m will furnish a playing field without cost to the visiting school. (1) Seating . The visiting tea m has the right to dema nd one-half of the stadium sea ts in rela tion to the 50-ya rd line in all UIL football contests, whether district ga mes, non-dis - trict ga mes or playoff ga mes, unless mutu - ally agreed otherwise by the two schools involved. A visiting tea m ca n dema nd one half of the reserved sea ts. A visiting tea m has a right to split the stadium in rela tion to the 50-ya rd line, subject to the end zone situa - tion being equal, unless mutually agreea ble otherwise. (2) Season Tickets . Proceeds from the sale of season tickets a re considered a pa rt of the receipts of the ga me. (3) Radio, Television Proceeds . Proceeds from radio a nd television a re considered a pa rt of the receipts of the ga me. (4) Gate Receipts . Refer to Section 1208 (j). (h) TIE D GAMES. (1) Non-district Varsity, District Varsity and Post- District Games . The NCAA overtime system shall be used in all non-district va rsity ga mes, district va rsity ga mes a nd post-district ga mes tied a t the end of regula tion play. (Refer to Football Manual. ) (2) Other Games . The NCAA overtime system 142 Section 1250: Football Plan Section 1260: Golf Plan shall not be used in a ny sub-va rsity ga mes or junior high ga mes. (i) SITE AND DAY OF GAME. (1) Non-District Games . Mutual agreement deter - mines site a nd day of ga me. (2) District Games . District schedules, unless una nimously agreea ble otherwise, shall be made by a draw for a two-yea r period. Home tea m may designa te the day of the ga me. Exception: When a school district has more tha n one home ga me per week a nd only one stadium, the day of the ga me shall be deter - mined by a draw unless mutually agreea ble otherwise. Sta rting time shall be set by the District Executive Committee, unless mutu - ally agreea ble otherwise. (3) Playoff Games . Excluding sta te cha mpionship ga mes, unless mutually agreea ble otherwise, the place for playing a playoff ga me shall be determined on a “home a nd home” basis for the past two football seasons. The tea m tha t was the visiting tea m the last time the two tea ms met on a home field in a post-district playoff ga me may require the ga me be played a t its home field. In case of disagreement between two tea ms who have not played a post-district playoff ga me during the past two football seasons, the ga me site shall be decided by a coin toss. A school ca nnot be required to flip for a playoff site tha t is not la rge enough to accommoda te the fa ns from both schools. Exception: In 5A a nd 6A, for the first round of the playoffs only, the opponent with the higher district finish will determine whether the ga me is played on its home field or mutu - ally agree to play the ga me a t a neutral site. If the opponents have the sa me district finish, the two tea ms will flip a coin or agree on a neutral site. (4) Home Sites . When two schools flip for two sepa ra te sites other tha n their home field, the sites a re considered home sites unless both sites a re nea r mid-point. (5) Neutral Sites . A site mid-point or nea r mid- point or a site agreed on by both schools as neutral, is a neutral site. Unless mutually agreea ble, a site ca nnot be neutral if it is more tha n two-thirds the total dista nce between the two schools. (6) Playoff Contract . Post-season contracts should show either home site, neutral site or mutually agreed-on site. (7) Day of Game . The home tea m may designa te the day of the ga me for non-district ga mes during the regula r season only. Exception: If the visit - ing school has to miss class time to travel to the ga me, the ga me shall be played on a non-school day unless mutually agreed otherwise. (j) SIXTEEN PERCENT POST- DISTRICT RECEIPTS. Sixteen percent of the gross receipts of post-district ga mes shall be pa id to the UIL. The radio broadcast receipts a nd the telecast receipts a re considered a pa rt of the ga me receipts in all post-district ga mes. (k) NO INTERSCHOOL SPRING SCRIMMAGE OR POST-SEASON FOOTBALL GAMES. No mem - ber school shall play a ny football ga me, practice or scrimmage with a nother high school a fter the close of its season. The penalty for viola tion of this rule shall be assessed by the Sta te Executive Committee. (l) POST-SEASON GAMES. No school may engage in a ny postseason ga me, other tha n in regula r interdistrict playoffs scheduled by the UIL. A post - season football ga me in all conferences is one played between two schools a fter the deadline for certifying district representa tives. The penalty for viola tion of this rule shall be assessed by the Sta te Executive Committee. (m) TRAINING RESTRICTED TO LOCAL ISD. The pre-season conditioning a nd fall tra ining period shall be conducted on the ca mpus of the local school or on a site controlled by the school boa rd a nd lying within the bounda ries of the school district. On-ca mpus workout sessions which involve meals a nd/or overnight lodging a re pro - hibited. (n) Refer to football ma nual for NCAA rules excep - tions. (o) GAME VIDEOS. Playoff tea ms a re required to excha nge all videos leading up to the playoff ga me to include regula r season a nd post-season ga mes. Upon mutual agreement, tea ms may agree on trad - ing a specific number of ga mes. (1) All videos must be traded by noon on the day following the last ga me played by the two tea ms involved. Example: Tea m (A) plays on Friday a nd Tea m (B) plays on Sa turday, all videos must be traded by noon on Sunday. By mutual agreement ga mes may be traded ea rlier. Section 1260: GOLF PLAN (a) ATHLETIC PURPOSES, CODES, PLAN APPLI - CABLE. Rules in Sections 1200-1209 apply to the Golf Pla n. 143 (b) DIVISIONS. There shall be the following divisions in girls’ a nd boys’ districts: (1) singles a nd (2) tea ms consisting of five (or a minimum of four) entries from the sa me high school. The singles representa tives may also be a member of the tea m. The medalist for each respective meet is singles cha mpion, rega rdless of whether he/she is a member of a tea m or a single entry. (c) REPRESENTATION. (1) Team Limit . At the district meet, each high school may enter three singles a nd two tea ms in each division. (2) Qualifiers to Regional Meet. Each district may qualify the first a nd second place tea ms a nd the first a nd second place individuals to regional competition. If one of the first two individual finishers is on a n adva ncing tea m, the next highest ra nked individual who is not on a n adva ncing tea m shall adva nce. If both of the first two individual finishers a re on adva ncing tea ms, the next two highest ra nked individuals who a re not on adva nc - ing tea ms shall adva nce. Meet director shall a uthorize play-offs to break ties. (Refer to golf ma nual). (3) Qualifiers to State Meet . Each region may qual - ify the first, second and third place teams and the first, second and third place individual fin - ishers, to state competition. If one of the first three individual finishers is on an advancing team, the next highest ranked individual who is not on an advancing team shall advance. If all three individual finishers are on advancing teams, the next three highest ranked indi - viduals who are not on advancing teams shall advance. (4) Certification . Winners will be certified to the next higher meet by the meet director. (5) Team Member Changes . Tea ms qualifying to the next meet qualify as a school tea m, a nd members ca n be cha nged before the next qualifying meet begins. (6) Boys’, Girls’ Team Restrictions . No girls’ tea ms shall compete aga inst boys’ tea ms a nd vice versa. (7) Closing of Entries . Entries shall not be allowed for district meets unless submitted to the director on or before the fifth day before the first day of the tourna ment. Districts may a uthorize a la ter meeting a fter the entries a re due, to allow for substitutions. (8) Disqualifications . A player disqualified (for other tha n a n unsportsma nlike conduct viola tion) shall have the disqualifica tion apply only to the 18-hole round in which the infraction occurred. (d) SUBSTITUTION. (1) No Singles Substitution. There shall be no sub - stitution allowed in the singles. (2) Team Substitution . Once a meet has sta rted no substitution shall be allowed to the school tea m composed of five players. Exception : Injury or illness certified by a physicia n prior to a ny 18-hole competition. (3) District Tournament . In districts playing more tha n 36 holes, District Executive Committees shall a uthorize substitution sta nda rds prior to the beginning of competition. (e) INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENTS. (1) Number of Meets . No student representing a member school shall pa rticipa te in more tha n eight tourna ments during the school yea r, excluding one 36-hole maximum dis - trict tourna ment, the regional tourna ment a nd the sta te tourna ment. Each tourna ment a school tea m enters counts as one tour - na ment for each pa rticipa ting individual. Students a re considered to be represent - ing their school if they a re wea ring a nd/or using school equipment or being directed or tra nsported by a school employee. Tourna - ments which a re limited to three or fewer schools do not count as a tourna ment for pa rticipa nts, provided there is no loss of school time. (2) School Week Limitation . No student represent - ing a member school shall pa rticipa te in more tha n two tourna ments per school week (the first instructional day of the week through the last school day of the week). Exceptions: The regional a nd sta te tourna ment, a nd district va rsity tourna ments postponed by wea ther or public disaster, may also be scheduled during the school week. Schools shall not enter invi - ta tional golf tourna ments scheduled on more tha n one school day per a ny one tourna ment. (3) End of Season . Students a nd tea ms shall not represent a member school in a ny golf tour - na ment a fter the da te of the sta te golf tourna - ment. (4) Scoring . In invita tional tourna ments consist - ing of 36 holes or less (e.g., a 27-hole tourna - ment), tea m honors shall be determined by totaling the best four scores for all holes actu - ally played. (5) Cancellation or Continuation . A tourna ment is 144 Section 1260: Golf Plan Section 1270: Soccer Plan considered a tourna ment when all contes - ta nts have played one half of the predeter - mined length. It is recommended tha t in order to prevent additional loss of school time, the tourna ment be called a nd a cha mpion deter - mined on less tha n the scheduled number of holes. However: (A) If the second half of the tourna ment has not begun a nd the tourna ment ca nnot be continued, the rema ining holes may be played a t a la ter da te without count - ing as a nother tourna ment provided there is no additional loss of school time. (B) If less tha n half of the tourna ment has been played a nd the tourna ment ca n - not be continued, the tourna ment may be ca nceled a nd does not have to count as one of the allowa ble 8 tourna ments. If there was a loss of school time, the tourna ment shall be counted. (6) Time and Order of Starting . The players shall sta rt a t the time a nd in the order a rra nged by the committee or director. The penalty for breach of this rule is disqualifica tion. (f) TIES. (1) Individual Ties . Individual (singles) ties shall be determined by playing additional hole or holes until the tie is broken. (2) Team Ties . Tea m ties shall be broken by the five players with the best scores on the final 18 holes being involved in the playoff of addi - tional hole or holes until the tie is broken. (g) PLAYOFF STRUCTURE. (1) Individual Medalist . The individual with the lowest score will be the medalist. The medal - ist may be the representa tive in the singles a nd/or may be a member of the tea m. The individual, rega rdless if tea m member or singles qualifier, who has the lowest score will win the medalist honors a nd be the singles winner. (2) Team Honors . Tea m honors shall be deter - mined by adding the best four scores for each 18-hole round of the five players who enter as a tea m. (3) Team Winners . The tea m with the lowest score will be the tea m winner. (4) Ties . In case of a tie, the five players with the best scores on the final 18 holes will be involved in the playoff. (5) Monitors . In district, regional a nd sta te competition, golf coaches or qualified volunteers should be assigned to foursomes for monitoring play. (6) Regional, State Meets . All entries in the region - al a nd sta te golf meets will play a total of 36 holes unless the tourna ment director determines it is necessa ry to play fewer tha n 36 holes (a minimum of 9 holes shall be played). (7) Practice Round . Individuals a nd/or tea ms qualifying for regional a nd/or sta te golf may be permitted one practice round of 18 holes a t the site of the regional a nd/or sta te golf tourna ment if permitted by the regional a nd/or sta te director. Schools shall not use more tha n one hour during the school day for practice rounds. There shall be no more tha n one day loss of school time involved in practice or travel in rela tion to practice preceding the tourna ment. Once a practice round has been completed, neither tea ms nor individuals a re allowed to return to the site on a nother day to chip a nd/or putt. Refer to Section 1206. Section 1270: SOCCER PLAN (a) ATHLETIC PURPOSES, CODES, PLAN APPLI - CABLE. Rules in Sections 1200-1209 also apply to the Soccer Pla n. (b) DIVISIONS. There shall be three divisions for high school boys a nd three divisions for high school girls, in Conferences 4A, 5A a nd 6A only. (c) DATES FOR PRACTICE AND GAMES. There shall be no school soccer practices for a contesta nt or tea m before or a fter school from the first day of school until the first Monday a fter Tha nksgiving, a nd a fter the da te for certifying district represen - ta tives, except for tea ms tha t have not been elimi - na ted in the playoffs. Refer to Official Calenda r for practice a nd playing da tes, a nd certifica tion deadlines. (d) NUMBER OF GAMES, SCRIMMAGES AND TOURNAMENTS. (1) Scrimmages . For UIL boys a nd girls soccer, no interschool scrimmage shall be permitted a fter the ‘first day for ga mes’ on the official UIL calenda r. Any interschool contest played a fter this da te shall be considered a n official ga me a nd count towa rds a tea m’s total allowa ble ga me limits. Furthermore, all official UIL rules, including those perta ining to player eligibility a nd ca rd accumula tion (yellow a nd red ca rds), shall apply to a ny contest played a fter the official ‘first day for 145 ga mes,’ a nd such contests shall be officia ted a nd compensa ted as a n official ga me. (2) Number of Games Per Day . No high school tea m or contesta nt shall pa rticipa te in more tha n two interschool soccer ga mes per day, includ - ing tourna ment ga mes. Exception: Contes - ta nts a nd tea ms may play three ga mes in a one-day tourna ment scheduled on a Sa tur - day. (3) Total Number of Games . No tea m or student shall compete in more tha n three invita - tional tourna ments plus 15 soccer ga mes in a season, including all ga mes prior to the first playoff ga me. This shall include non-district a nd district ga mes a nd ga mes played in pre- scheduled district tourna ments. If the district cha mpion has a bye for the first round of the play-offs, tha t school may schedule a wa rm-up ga me in addition to the ga me lim - its. This additional ga me shall be played on a non-school night with no loss of school time. Two ga mes may be substituted in place of a tourna ment. (4) Exception To Resolve District Ties . (A) Two Schools Tied. To resolve a two- way tie, the District Executive Commit - tee may a uthorize a single elimina tion ga me. The tie-breaking ga me may be in addition to the 15 allowed ga mes provided only one other ma tched ga me is played tha t calenda r week. It may not be played as a n exception to the school week limita tion. (B) Three or More Schools Tied. If three or more schools a re tied, the District Executive Committee may a uthorize a tourna ment provided only two ma tched ga mes have been played tha t week, using the procedure in Section 1203. These tourna ment ga mes may be played in addition to the total number of ga mes a nd tourna ments allowed for the sea - son. (5) Number of Games Per Week; Tournament Restric - tions . (A) Ma tched Ga mes Only. No high school tea m or contesta nt shall pa rticipa te in more tha n two ma tched ga mes (as dis - tinguished from tourna ments) per cal - enda r week. (B) Week of a n Invita tional Tourna ment. No tea m or contesta nt shall pa rticipa te in more tha n one ma tched ga me during the calenda r week of a n invita tional tourna ment. (C) Week of a District Tourna ment. No tea m or contesta nt shall pa rticipa te in more tha n two ma tched ga mes during the calenda r week of a district tourna - ment, including a district tourna ment a uthorized by the District Executive Committee to resolve a tie for dis - trict cha mpionship. To be considered a district tourna ment, a t least three tea ms shall be assembled a t one site for a n elimina tion contest on consecutive days. Refer to Section 1203. (D) Invita tional Tourna ment Restriction. No tea m shall pa rticipa te in a n invi - ta tional soccer tourna ment held on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, except on school holidays. However, ga mes in tourna ments may be played a fter school on the last day of the school week prior to holidays. (E) Exception for Rescheduled Ga mes. Dis - trict va rsity soccer ga mes postponed by wea ther or public disaster (not includ - ing illness) shall be rescheduled on the next da te, other tha n Sunday, on which a nother district ga me is not scheduled. In the event wea ther or public disaster forces the makeup ga me to be resched - uled, it shall be rescheduled on the next da te as described ea rlier. These makeup ga mes may be played as exceptions to the school week a nd calenda r week limita tions. District va rsity ga mes tha t a re postponed by wea ther or public disaster, a nd not played on the next ava ila ble da te, shall be rescheduled a nd played on a da te determined by the Dis - trict Executive Committee. (e) BOYS’, GIRLS’ TEAM RESTRICTIONS. No girls’ tea m shall play in a ga me aga inst a boys’ tea m a nd vice versa. (f) SITE OF GAME. The District Executive Commit - tee, in a rra nging a schedule within the district, shall determine the site of ga mes in case of disagreement between the two tea ms. (g) GATE RECEIPTS FROM STATE TOURNA - MENT . The UIL office reta ins a n a nnually deter - mined percentage of ga te receipts from the sta te soccer tourna ment. Section 1280: GIRLS’ SOFTBALL PLAN (a) ATHLETIC PURPOSES, CODES, PLAN APPLI - 146 Section1280: Girls’ Softball Plan Section1280: Girls’ Softball Plan CABLE. Rules in Sections 1200-1209 also apply to the Girls’ Softball Pla n. (b) ELIGIBILITY. Only girls eligible under Subchapter M of the Constitution may try out for a nd pa rtici - pa te under the high school Girls’ Softball Pla n. (c) NUMBER OF GAMES, TOURNAMENTS AND SITES. (1) Violations/Penalties . The District Executive Committee shall determine the penalty for viola tions of the following regula tions. (2) Total Number of Games . No tea m or student shall compete in more tha n three invita - tional tourna ments plus 17 softball ga mes in a season, including all ga mes prior to the first playoff ga me. This shall include non-district a nd district ga mes. If the district cha mpions have a bye for the first round of the play-offs, those schools may schedule a wa rm-up ga me in addition to the ga me limits. This additional ga me shall be played on a non-school night with no loss of school time, but may not be played as a n exception to the school week limita tion. Three ga mes may be substituted in place of a tourna ment. (3) Exception to Resolve District Ties . (A) Two Schools Tied. To resolve a two- way tie, the District Executive Commit - tee may a uthorize a single elimina tion ga me. The tie-breaking ga me may be in addition to the allowed number of ga mes delinea ted a bove, but may not be played as a n exception to the school week limita tion. (B) Three or More Schools Tied. If three or more schools a re tied, the District Executive Committee may a uthorize a single elimina tion tourna ment in addi - tion to the total number of ga mes a nd tourna ments allowed for the season. Refer to Section 1203. (4) Invitational Tournament Restrictions . (A) No tea m shall pa rticipa te in a n invi - ta tional softball tourna ment held on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, except on school holidays. However, ga mes in tourna ments may be played a fter school on the last day of the school week prior to holidays. (B) Tourna ment Restriction. Softball tea ms shall play no more tha n six total ga mes in a tourna ment a nd no more tha n three ga mes in a ny one day. (5) Site of Game . The District Executive Committee in a rra nging a schedule within the district shall determine the place of ga mes in case of disagreement between the two tea ms. (6) Exception for Rescheduled Games . District va r - sity softball ga mes postponed by wea ther or public disaster (not including illness) shall be rescheduled on the next da te, other tha n Sunday, on which a nother district ga me is not scheduled. In the event wea ther or pub - lic disaster forces the makeup ga me to be rescheduled, it shall be rescheduled on the next da te as described ea rlier. These makeup ga mes may be played as a n exception to the school week limita tion. District va rsity ga mes tha t a re postponed by wea ther or public disaster, a nd not played on the next ava il - a ble da te, shall be rescheduled a nd played on a da te determined by the District Executive Committee. (d) PLAYING DATES. (1) Practice Dates . There shall be no orga nized or formal school softball practice for a contes - ta nt or a tea m, before or a fter school, prior to the da te set forth by the UIL calenda r, a nd a fter the da te for certifying district cha mpions, except for tea ms tha t have not been elimina ted in the playoffs. (2) Scrimmages . Schools shall not scrimmage prior to the da te set forth by the UIL calenda r, not to exceed two scrimmages per week, Monday through Sa turday. Scrimmages a re subject to the one contest per school week limita tion. (3) Games . Schools shall not play their first ga me until the 16th Monday prior to the Sta te Soft - ball Tourna ment. (4) School Equipment . It will be considered a school ga me if a tea m is wea ring school uniforms a nd/or using school equipment following the close of the regula r UIL season. (5) Non-School Participation . Refer to Section 1209. (e) TIES: DISTRICT AND NON-DISTRICT GAMES. Unless otherwise specified by District Executive Committee minutes prior to the beginning of the season, a regula tion district or non-district ga me called with a tie score a fter five innings have been played (a nd a winner ca nnot be determined) shall be counted as one-half ga me won a nd one-half ga me lost for each tea m. The ga me shall not be replayed provided five innings have been com - pleted. If five innings have not been completed, the ga me shall be replayed from the sta rt. (f) GAME CALLED BEFORE COMPLETION. If a dis - trict or non-district ga me is called before comple - 147 tion of the number of innings a nd conditions as specified in Na tional Federa tion Softball Rules, the umpire shall decla re the contest “no ga me”. Unless otherwise specified by district minutes prior to the season, the ga me will be replayed from the sta rt. In ga mes beyond the district level, a ga me begun, then suspended, shall continue a t a la ter time from the point of suspension. (g) POST-SEASON PLAYOFFS. (1) Day of Playoff Game . Playoffs ga mes shall not be played before Thursday of tha t week unless by mutual consent. (2) Playoff. Playoffs may be single elimina tion or two-out-of-three from bi-district to sta te. If neither method is mutually agreea ble, a coin flip shall determine play-off forma t. Exception: In the first round of the playoffs only, the district cha mpion will have the choice of a single ga me or two-out-of-three series. (3) Two-out-of-Three Series . If schools play a two- out-of-three elimina tion series, the first a nd second ga mes may be played prior to Friday. Ga me (3) three shall not be played until Fri - day. If one ga me is played a nd a second ga me ca nnot be played beca use of wea ther, then the winner of the one ga me adva nces to the next round. If two ga mes a re played (a nd split) a nd the third ga me ca nnot be played on Sa turday beca use of wea ther conditions, the third a nd deciding ga me should be played on Monday of the next week. (4) State Tournament . All conferences will be single elimina tion a t the sta te tourna ment. (5) Disputes . In case there is a dispute rega rding a neutral or home site or time of a ga me, it shall be settled by the flip of a coin. Refer to Section 1208 (o). (6) Gate Receipts From State Tournament . The UIL office reta ins a n a nnually determined per - centage of ga te receipts from the sta te softball tourna ment. (7) Playoff Games . In playoff ga mes beyond dis - trict, a suspended ga me shall be continued from the point of suspension a t a la ter time. Section 1290: SWIMMING PLAN (a) ATHLETIC PURPOSES, CODES, PLAN APPLI - CABLE. Rules in Sections 1200-1209 also apply to the Swimming Pla n. (b) DIVISIONS. There shall be three divisions for high school boys a nd three divisions for high school girls, Conferences 6A, 5A a nd 4A a nd below. (c) ENTRIES. (1) Girls’, Boys’ Team Restrictions . No girls’ tea m shall compete aga inst a boys’ tea m a nd vice versa. (2) District Entry . Each school shall submit the official entry files with qualifying times to the meet director on or before the fifth day prior to the district meet unless other a rra ngements have been a uthorized by the District Execu - tive Committee. (3) Regional Entry . It shall be the responsibility of the district director to submit the district report to the regional director by midnight of the final day of the district meet (4) State Entry . It shall be the responsibility of the regional director to submit the regional report to the UIL office by midnight of the final day of the regional meet. (5) Relay Events . In relay events, qualifica tion is by school. Schools may cha nge personnel on relay tea ms prior to the next UIL qualifying meet according to Na tional Federa tion regu - la tions. (d) SUBSTITUTION IN INDIVIDUAL EVENTS. After the entry deadline, there shall be no substi - tution allowed in the individual events according to Na tional Federa tion Rules. If the individual place winner ca nnot compete in the next higher meet, the next place winner may be certified if time allows. (e) QUALIFICATIONS. (1) Regional Meet Qualifications . It shall be the responsibility of the district director to submit the district report to the regional meet director by midnight of the day of the district meet. The regional director may contact alterna te qualifiers to replace individual school entries who a re scra tched, if time permits. (2) State Meet Qualifications . It shall be the responsibility of the regional meet director to submit the regional report to the sta te meet director by midnight of the day of the regional meet. The UIL office shall contact additional qualifiers to the sta te meet a fter individual school entries a re received. (f) NUMBER OF MEETS. (1) Number of Meets . No student representing a member school shall pa rticipa te in more tha n eight meets during the school yea r, excluding one district meet, the regional meet a nd the sta te meet. Each meet a school tea m enters counts as one meet for each pa rticipa ting individual. Students a re con - 148 Section 1290: Swimming Plan Section 1300: Tennis Plan (Individual and Doubles) sidered to be representing their school if they a re wea ring a nd/or using school equipment or being directed or tra nsported by a school employee. Meets, which a re limited to three or fewer schools, do not count as a meet for pa rticipa nts, provided there is no loss of school time. (2) School Week Limitation . No student represent - ing a member school shall pa rticipa te in more tha n one meet per school week (the first instructional day of the week through the last school day). Exceptions: The region - al a nd sta te meet a nd district va rsity meets postponed by wea ther or public disaster, may also be scheduled during the school week. (g) CONSOLATION FINALS. There shall be no con - sola tion finals in district meets. Refer to Swimming Ma nual for scoring. (h) CHAMPIONSHIP STRUCTURE. (1) District Meets. District meets shall be held in districts with more tha n six individuals or relays in a ny event. (2) Qualifiers to Regional . (A) In the 6A a nd 5A conferences, the top six individuals a nd relays shall qualify from district to regional. (B) In the 4A a nd below conference, the top four individuals a nd relays shall qualify from district to regional. (3) Qualifiers to State . (A) In the 6A a nd 5A conferences, the first place a nd second place in each of eight regional swimming meets a nd the next eight swimmers with the best regional final times overall will adva nce to the sta te meet. (B) In the 4A a nd below conference, the first place a nd second place in each of four regional swimming meets a nd the next eight swimmers with the best regional final times overall will adva nce to the sta te meet. (4) Diving . (A) In the 6A a nd 5A conferences, in diving, three divers will qualify a t each of eight regional meets. (B) In the 4A a nd below conference, in div - ing, four divers will qualify a t each of four regional meets. (5) Timing . Swimmers shall have been electroni - cally timed unless the UIL office gra nts a n exception. (6) Ties . If ties occur for positions to the sta te competition, the times of the competitors from the regional prelimina ry competition will be considered first with the competitor with the fastest prelimina ry time adva ncing to the sta te meet. If a tie should still exist, then decision as to which qualifier will adva nce will be made by a coin toss. Section 1300: TENNIS PLAN (INDIVIDUALS AND DOUBLES) (a) ATHLETIC PURPOSES, CODES, PLAN APPLI - CABLE. Rules in Sections 1200-1209 also apply to the Tennis Pla n. (b) DIVISIONS. (1) Boys’, Girls’ Divisions . There shall be the follow - ing divisions in the respective conferences: (A) high school boys, singles a nd doubles; (B) high school girls, singles a nd doubles; a nd (C) mixed doubles. (2) Entries . At the district meet, each school may enter two boys’ singles a nd two girls’ singles, two boys’ doubles a nd two girls’ doubles, a nd two mixed doubles tea ms. (3) Girls’, Boys’ Team Restrictions . No girls’ tea m shall compete aga inst boys’ tea ms a nd vice versa. (c) PARTICIPATION LIMITATIONS. In contests which count on UIL sta nding, a n individual shall not be allowed to compete in both singles a nd doubles or mixed doubles, or in both doubles a nd mixed doubles. (d) CHAMPIONSHIP STRUCTURE. (1) Closing District Entries . No entries shall be allowed for district meets which a re not sub - mitted to the director on or before the fifth day before the first day of the meet unless other a rra ngements have been previously a uthorized by the District Executive Commit - tee. Districts may a uthorize a meeting a fter the entry deadline to allow for substitutions. (2) Regional Contests . The winners of first a nd second places in district contests, singles a nd doubles, boys a nd girls, a nd mixed doubles a re eligible to enter the regional contests. The UIL sta ff will provide tourna ment seeding recommenda tions. (3) State Contests . The first, second a nd third place contesta nts in the regional tourna ments in all conferences qualify to enter the sta te tourna - ment. (4) Number of Matches and Sets . (A) Determining the Winners. In all ma tch - 149 es, the best two-out-of-three sets shall determine the winners. (B) Limit on Ma tches. No contesta nt or tea m shall play more tha n three ma tch - es per day. Note: Under the tea m tennis pla n, different restrictions exist. There shall be a minimum of one hour’s rest for a tea m or player between the close of one ma tch a nd the beginning of a nother. This rule shall apply only to district, regional a nd sta te competition. (5) Substitutions . (A) District. In district meets, the District Executive Committee shall set entry deadlines. The District Executive Committee may set guidelines on sub - stitutions prior to the sta rt of the tour - na ment. (B) Regional a nd Sta te. In regional a nd sta te meets, no substitutions in sin - gles will be allowed. A substitution for tennis doubles a nd mixed doubles will be permitted prior to the sta rt of the tourna ment if a player is injured, ill or academically ineligible. (C) Limit on Substitution. After a tourna - ment has begun, no substitution will be allowed. (e) INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENTS. (1) Number of Tournaments . No student representing a member school shall pa rticipa te in more tha n eight tourna ments (total for tennis a nd tea m tennis combined) during the school yea r, excluding one district tennis tourna ment, the regional tourna ments a nd the sta te tourna ment. (Note: The tea m tennis district tourna ment counts as one of the eight allowa ble tourna ments if school time is lost.) Each tourna ment a school tea m enters counts as one tourna ment for each pa rticipa ting individual. Students a re considered to be representing their school if they a re wea ring a nd/or using school equipment or being directed or tra nsported by a school employee. (2) Exceptions : (A) Tria ngula r ma tches, which a re limited to three or fewer schools, do not count as a tourna ment for pa rticipa nts, pro - vided there is no loss of school time. (B) If no more tha n four tea ms meet to play predetermined opponent(s), it shall not be counted as one of the eight tourna ments allowed the individual if no school time is lost a nd if no tourna - ment draw is set to determine a cha m - pion. (3) School Week Limitation . No student represent - ing a member school shall pa rticipa te in more tha n one contest (tourna ment, dual or tria ngula r ma tch) per school week (the first instructional day of the week through the last school day). Schools shall not enter invita tional tennis tourna ments scheduled on more tha n one school day per a ny one tourna ment. Exceptions: The regional a nd sta te tourna ments, a nd district va rsity tour - na ments postponed by wea ther or public disaster, may also be scheduled during the school week. (4) End of Season . Students a nd tea ms shall not represent a member school in a ny tennis tourna ment a fter the da te of the sta te tennis tourna ment. (f) WEATHER CANCELLATION OR CONTINU - ATION. A tourna ment postponed or ca nceled by wea ther is considered a tourna ment when all semi- final ma tches have been completed. The rema ining ma tches may be played a t a la ter da te (prefera bly Monday or Tuesday of the next week) without its counting as a nother tourna ment, provided there is no loss of school time. When all semi-final ma tches have not been completed, the tourna ment director has three options: (1) The tourna ment may be ca nceled a nd not count as a tourna ment for the individuals or the school. (2) The tourna ment may be continued, provided there is no additional loss of school time. (3) The tourna ment may be continued with loss of school time a nd shall count as two tourna ments. (g) PRACTICE REGULATIONS OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL YEAR. Any tennis practice conducted by a school outside the school yea r shall be in accor - da nce with the following regula tions: (1) Student-a thletes shall not engage in more tha n three hours of practice activities on those days during which one practice is conducted. (2) Student-a thletes shall not engage in more tha n five hours of practice activities on those days during which more tha n one practice is conducted. (3) The maximum length of a ny single practice session shall be three hours. (4) On days when more tha n one practice is con - ducted, there shall be, a t a minimum, two hours 150 Section 1300: Tennis Plan of rest/recovery time between the end of one practice a nd the beginning of the next practice. (5) Schools shall not schedule more tha n one practice on consecutive days, a nd student- a thletes shall not pa rticipa te in multiple prac - tices on consecutive days. Section 1310: TEAM TENNIS PLAN (a) ATHLETIC PURPOSES, CODES, PLAN APPLI - CABLE. Rules in Sections 1200-1209 also apply to the Tea m Tennis Pla n. (b) DIVISIONS. There shall be the following divisions: Conference 6A, 5A a nd 4A. Conference 3A may compete for full honors in Conference 4A. (c) REPRESENTATION AND TEAM COMPOSI - TION. (1) Composition . At the district level each school may enter one tea m consisting of a minimum of six boys a nd six girls. (2) Boys’, Girls’ Team Restrictions . Girls may not qualify for boys’ positions on the tea m a nd vice versa. (3) Matches . Each tea m ma tch will consist of 19 ma tches: (A) six boys’ singles; (B) six girls’ singles; (C) three boys’ doubles; (D) three girls’ doubles; a nd (E) mixed doubles. (4) Singles, Doubles . Players may, but a re not required to, play both singles a nd doubles or mixed doubles. (5) Singles Ladder Positions . In singles, each player is to play according to ladder position, mea n - ing the best player a t #1, the next best a t #2, a nd so on down the lineup to #6. (6) Doubles Ladder Positions . In doubles, players shall be placed on doubles tea ms according to a ladder position, mea ning the best two doubles players a t #1 doubles, the next two doubles players a t #2 doubles a nd so on for #3 doubles. (7) Mixed Doubles . Mixed doubles ca n consist of a ny boy or girl who is not pa rticipa ting in the doubles competition. (d) TEAM SCORING AND TIES. (1) Scoring . The scoring system will be No Adva n - tage-Scoring, best 2-out-of-3 set ma tches with a 7-point tie breaker a t six ga mes all in the first two sets. If a third set is necessa ry, it will be played as a ten-point ma tch tiebreak. (2) Point Count . Each ma tch won will count one point for the tea m. (e) FORFEITS AND DEFAULTS. (1) Forfeiture . If a fter a n individual ma tch begins, a forfeit occurs due to illness, injury or penalty for misconduct, the ga mes a nd set won by the forfeiting tea m shall sta nd a nd count. (2) Default . In all other ma tches, if a defa ult occurs before the individual ma tch begins, then the tourna ment director shall record the score as 6-0, 6-0. (f) NUMBER OF MATCHES AND TOURNA - MENTS. (1) Number of Tournaments . No student or tea m representing a member school shall pa rtici - pa te in more tha n eight tourna ments (total for tennis a nd tea m tennis combined) dur - ing the school yea r, excluding one district tennis tourna ment, the regional tourna - ments a nd the sta te tourna ment. (Note: The tea m tennis district tourna ment counts as one of the eight allowa ble tourna ments if school time is lost.) Each tourna ment a school tea m enters counts as one tourna - ment for the tea m a nd one tourna ment for each pa rticipa ting individual. Students a re considered to be representing their school if they a re wea ring a nd/or using school equipment or being directed or tra nsported by a school employee. (2) Exceptions . (A) Tourna ments, which a re limited to three or fewer schools, do not count as a tourna ment for tea ms or pa rticipa nts, provided there is no loss of school time. (B) If no more tha n four tea ms meet to play predetermined opponent(s), it shall not be counted as one of the eight tourna ments allowed the tea m or the individual if no school time is lost a nd if no tourna ment draw is set to determine a cha mpion. (3) Exception for Rescheduled Matches. District va rsity tea m tennis ma tches postponed by wea ther or public disaster (not including ill - ness) shall be rescheduled on the next da te, other tha n Sunday, on which a nother district ma tch is not scheduled. In the event wea ther or public disaster forces the makeup ma tch to be rescheduled, it shall be rescheduled on the next da te as described ea rlier. These makeup ma tches may be played as excep - tions to the school week a nd calenda r week limita tions. District va rsity ma tches tha t a re postponed by wea ther or public disaster, a nd not played on the next ava ila ble da te, shall be rescheduled a nd played on a da te Section 1310: Team Tennis Plan 151 152 determined by the District Executive Com - mittee. (4) School Week Limitation . No student or tea m representing a member school shall pa rtici - pa te in more tha n one invita tional meet/ tourna ment, dual or tria ngula r meet per school week (the first instructional day of the week through the last school day). Excep - tions: The regional a nd sta te tourna ments, a nd district va rsity tourna ments postponed by wea ther or public disaster, may also be scheduled during the school week. (5) Match Limitation . Each player shall play in no more tha n three dual ma tches per day. (g) CHAMPIONSHIP STRUCTURE. (1) District Tournaments . (A) Forma t. The District Executive Com - mittee will make a rra ngements a nd set forma t to determine the district repre - senta tives. (B) Entries. Each school shall enter the district meet by certifying entries to the district director by the entry deadline set by the District Executive Commit - tee. If a round-robin forma t is utilized in lieu of a district tourna ment, the Dis - trict Executive Committee shall specify entry a nd tea m roster regula tions prior to the entry deadline. (2) Regional Tournaments . (A) Regional qualifiers. Regional qua rter - final winners will adva nce to a region - al tourna ment. Regional tourna ment entries shall be certified by regional qua rterfinal winners to the regional director. (B) Sta te tourna ment entries shall be certi - fied by the regional meet director. (3) State Tournament . (A) The first-place tea m from each region will adva nce to the sta te tourna ment. (B) Pa irings will be made based on season records. (h) SUBSTITUTIONS IN REGIONAL AND STATE TOURNAMENTS. (1) Lineup Changes . Between district a nd regional, or regional a nd sta te, the coach may cha nge the lineup to reflect proper ladder position prior to the sta rt of the tourna ment, follow - ing the guidelines below. (2) Singles Movement on Ladder . After the previous qualifying tourna ment, the coach may move each player no more tha n one position up or down in the singles lineup. (3) Doubles Movement on Ladder . After the previ - ous qualifying tourna ment, the coach may move each player no more tha n one position up or down in the doubles lineup. (4) Doubles Moves . After the previous qualifying tourna ment, the coach may cha nge a player from one doubles pa rtner to a nother pa rtner, but no player may move more tha n one posi - tion in the doubles lineup. (i) TAUNTING PENALTY. Refer to ta unting penalty, exception to USTA rules in the Team Tennis Manual. (j) PRACTICE REGULATIONS OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL YEAR. Any tea m tennis practice con - ducted by a school outside the school yea r shall be in accorda nce with the following regula tions: (1) Student-a thletes shall not engage in more tha n three hours of practice activities on those days during which one practice is con - ducted. (2) Student-a thletes shall not engage in more tha n five hours of practice activities on those days during which more tha n one practice is conducted. (3) The maximum length of a ny single practice session shall be three hours. (4) On days when more tha n one practice is conducted, there shall be, a t a minimum, two hours of rest/recovery time between the end of one practice a nd the beginning of the next practice. (5) Schools shall not schedule more tha n one practice on consecutive days a nd student- a thletes shall not pa rticipa te in multiple prac - tices on consecutive days. Section 1320: TRACK AND FIELD PLAN. (a) ATHLETIC PURPOSES, CODES, PLAN APPLI - CABLE. Rules in Sections 1200-1209 also apply to the Track a nd Field Pla n. (b) DIVISIONS. There shall be a boys’ division a nd a girls’ division in the respective conferences. Girls’ tea ms shall not compete aga inst boys’ tea ms, a nd vice versa. (c) REPRESENTATION. Each member school may enter one boys’ tea m a nd one girls’ tea m in the dis - trict meet, adva ncing to regional a nd sta te meets as provided in the Track and Field Manua l. (1) Number in Each Event . Each school shall be allowed a maximum of three contesta nts in each individual event. Only one relay tea m per school may be entered. (2) Individual Events . In individual events a school may enter in the next higher meet 152 Section 1320: Track & Field Plan only the sa me individuals a nd in the sa me events as they qualified for in the preceding meet. (3) Alternates . If a qualified contesta nt ca nnot enter the next higher meet, then the next place winner in tha t event a t the lower meet shall be qualified to pa rticipa te. (4) Relays . In the relay event, qualifica tion is by school a nd not individual. Individuals qualify - ing only as a member on the relay tea m may not enter a ny individual event in the next higher meet. (d) POINTS. The point system in scoring high school track meets shall be the sa me in all meets which count on UIL sta nding. (1) Points for Individual Events and Relays . Points shall be given in individual events as fol - lows: First place 10 points, second place 8 points, third place 6 points, fourth place 4 points, fifth place 2 points, sixth place 1 point. Points for relays shall be as follows: first place 20 points, second place 16 points, third place 12 points, fourth place 8 points, fifth place 4 points, sixth place 2 points. (2) Points to All Finishers . Points shall be awa rded to all finishers (first through sixth). (3) Individual Honors . In computing individual honors, a contesta nt’s points on the relay tea m shall also be counted; i.e., each contesta nt on the winning relay tea m shall receive five points for individual honors. (e) EVENTS. (1) Order of Events . The events a nd order in which they shall be held, a re: (A) Running Events . (i) 3200-meter run: girls; boys (ii) 400-meter relay: girls; boys (iii) 800-meter run: girls; boys (iv) Girls’ 100-meter hurdles (33”) (v) Boys’ 110-meter hurdles (39”) (vi) 100-meter dash: girls, boys (vii) 800-meter relay: girls; boys (viii) 400-meter dash: girls; boys (ix) Girls’ 300-meter hurdles (30”) (x) Boys’ 300-meter hurdles (36”) (xi) 200-meter dash: girls; boys (xii) 1600-meter run: girls; boys (xiii) 1600-meter relay: girls; boys (B) Girls’ Field Events . (i) 4-kilo shot put (ii) Discus (iii) High jump (iv) Long jump (v) Triple jump Section 1320: Track and Field Plan (vi) Pole va ult (C) Boys’ Field Events . (i) Pole va ult (ii) High jump (iii) 12-pound shot put (iv) Long jump (v) Discus (vi) Triple jump (2) Metric Distance Only . The 3200-meter run, the 100-meter dash a nd the 1600-meter run for both boys a nd girls shall be run a t the metric dista nces only. (3) Feet/Yard Equivalents . In the 400, 800 a nd 1600 meter relays a nd the 200, 400 a nd 800 meter dashes a nd runs, the equivalent ya rd dista nces may be run. (f) EVENT LIMITATIONS. (1) Event Limitations . A contesta nt shall not be allowed to compete in more tha n three run - ning events, including the relays, a nd in not over five events total. (2) Field Events . Contesta nts may enter five field events provided they a re not entered in a ny running events. (g) ENTRIES FOR THE DISTRICT MEET. (1) No entries shall be allowed for district meets which a re not submitted to the director on or before the fifth day before the first day of the meet. (2) Districts may a uthorize a scra tch meeting a fter the entries a re submitted to allow for substitutions. (3) Schools should be permitted to scra tch a nd add according to approved District Executive Committee regula tions. Those events tha t have been entered by the school on the fifth- day-prior entry form may be subject to some cha nges under the following suggested guide - lines: (A) Students who a re not eligible 5 days prior to the meet, but may become eli - gible a t the time of the scheduled district meet, may be listed on the entry form a nd assigned to events. They shall be eli - gible a t the time they actually compete. (B) Students entered, but who have lost their eligibility beca use of the academic regula tions, should be permitted to be dropped or scra tched. (C) Other eligible pa rticipa nts should be permitted to be added to the vaca ted places. These substitutes should be on a n eligibility form turned into the dis - trict cha ir prior to the contest. 153 154 (D) If a school which has not entered a n event 5 days prior wishes to enter a n event a t the time of the scra tch meeting, it would be up to the District Execu - tive Committee’s policy or a uthorized meet director to determine if tha t school could enter. (h) QUALIFICATION. The district director shall, sub - ject to exceptions provided in (h)(1) below, certify the first four winners to a rea competition, a nd the first four winners a t a rea will be certified to region - al competition. The regional director shall certify first a nd second place winners for the sta te meet in accorda nce with the schedule provided in the Track and Field Manual . (1) All Conferences Except in cases where the options provided for in the Track and Field Manual concerning district a nd a rea meets a re adopted, four contesta nts qualify from each district to a rea ; four contesta nts qualify from each a rea to region, a nd two contesta nts qualify from each region to sta te meet. Refer to #5 below. (2) Qualifica tions a re to be made in accorda nce with the Na tional Federa tion Track a nd Field Rules. (3) If a tie still exists a fter the applica tion of these rules, then it will be decided by a coin toss a nd points split. (4) Individual school entry forms a nd entry fees a re not required for the sta te meet. (5) After the regional meet directors have certi - fied sta te qualifiers, the UIL sta ff will select one additional qualifier for each event to compete in the sta te meet. This qualifier will be the individual a nd/or relay tea m with the best overall time, ma rk, or height from all regional meets per classifica tion tha t did not finish first or second. Ties will be broken as noted a bove. (i) AREA, REGIONAL AND STATE MEET ALTER - NATES. (1) Alternates . In the event a qualified contesta nt is una ble to compete, a rea, regional a nd sta te meet directors may permit the next highest place finisher to compete. Relays qualify by schools. Relay tea m members may be cha nged according to rule. (2) Restriction . An alterna te on a relay ca nnot pa rticipa te in a ny other event except the relay unless the alterna te qualified in a nother event. This rule is applica ble in all a rea, regional meets a nd in the sta te meet. (3) Preliminaries . A contesta nt in a n individual event shall compete in the prelimina ries in order to compete in the finals. (j) AREA, REGIONAL AND/OR STATE QUALIFI - ERS MEETS. All a rea, regional a nd/or sta te quali - fiers, including alterna tes in individual events a nd relays, shall be eligible to pa rticipa te in a ny event a t the applica ble a rea, regional a nd/or sta te qualifiers meet(s). (k) REPORTING TO EVENT. The director of the meet shall see tha t the prelimina ries a nd the finals sta rt a t the scheduled times. (1) No Excuse . No excuse shall be accepted for fa ilure of a tea m or contesta nt to appea r a t the time a nnounced for the event to sta rt. (2) Forfeiture . Any contesta nt who fa ils for a ny reason to be on ha nd a t the time of the pre - limina ries shall forfeit the right to compete in the prelimina ries a nd the finals, in tha t event. (l) NO EXTRA TRIALS FOR RECORD. Winners in the field events a t the sta te meet will not be allowed extra trials for a sta te record. Those who qualify for the finals will be allowed three additional trials, a nd the contesta nts will be credited with their best per - forma nce whether it was made in the prelimina ries or in the finals. (m) INVITATIONAL TRACK AND FIELD MEETS. (1) Number of Meets . No student representing a member school shall pa rticipa te in more tha n eight meets during the school yea r, excluding one district meet, the a rea meet, the regional meet, a regional qualifiers meet a nd the sta te meet. Meets which a re limited to three or fewer schools, do not count as a meet for pa r - ticipa nts, provided there is no loss of school time. Each meet a school enters counts as one meet for each pa rticipa ting individual. Students a re considered to be representing their school if they a re wea ring a nd/or using school equipment or being directed or tra ns - ported by a school employee. (2) Cancelation . A track a nd field meet is con - sidered a meet when one-half or more of the field events a nd one-half or more of the track events a re completed. If less tha n one- half of the field events a nd less tha n one-half of the track events a re completed, a nd the meet ca nnot be continued, the meet may be ca nceled a nd does not have to count as one of the allowa ble eight meets, unless there was loss of school time. A ca nceled meet shall be counted if there was loss of school Section 1320: Track and Field Plan 154 time. (3) School Week Limitation . No student represent - ing a member school shall pa rticipa te in more tha n one meet per school week (the first instructional day of the week through the last school day). Exceptions: The a rea meet, regional a nd sta te meets, a nd district va rsity meets postponed by wea ther or public disas - ter, may also be scheduled during the school week. (4) Day of Week and Starting Time . Students or tea ms representing a member school a re per - mitted to pa rticipa te in a n invita tional track a nd field meet only as listed below: (A) After 2:30 on Friday or the last day of the school week, or as ea rly as the end of the academic school day for all pa r - ticipa ting schools on a day preceding a holiday or break. Exception: A student representing a member school may pa r - ticipa te in a maximum of three meets Thursday or Friday, or the last day of the school week with no restriction on sta rt time. (B) Or on Sa turday or school holidays; (C) Or on a ny school day other tha n the last day of the school week with the follow - ing conditions: (i) Events shall not begin until a fter the end of the academic school day for all schools involved. (ii) Schools utilizing this option a re limited to a one-day meet. (iii) A school or student pa rticipa ting in this type of meet shall not enter a nother track a nd field meet dur - ing the sa me school week, Mon - day through Friday. (iv) No event shall sta rt a fter 10:00 p.m. (5) End of District . A member school shall not enter a student or students in an invitational track and field meet after the final date for district certification of track and field rep - resentatives except those students qualifying for further competition as a qualifier, relay alternate (maximum of two alternates on any one relay team) or alternate (fourth place fin - isher at district) in the UIL regional or state meets. One regional qualifiers meet would not count in the allowable total of eight meets per student per year. A state qualifiers meet would count in the allowable total of eight meets per student per year. (6) End of Season . Students a nd tea ms shall not represent a member school in a ny track a nd field meet a fter the da te of the Sta te Track a nd Field Meet. Section 1330: GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL PLAN. (a) ATHLETIC PURPOSES, CODES, PLAN APPLI - CABLE. Rules in Sections 1200-1209 also apply to the Girls’ Volleyball Pla n. (b) DATES FOR PRACTICES, MATCHES AND CER - TIFICATIONS. (1) Practice Dates. (A) There shall be no high school volleyball practice for a contesta nt or a tea m until the first week in August as deter - mined by the UIL calenda r. Refer to Section 1478 for seventh a nd eighth grade restrictions. (2) School Practice Regulations Outside the School Year. (A) Student-a thletes shall not engage in more tha n three hours of practice activi - ties on those days during which one practice is conducted. (B) Student-a thletes shall not engage in more tha n five hours of practice activities on those days during which more tha n one practice is conducted. (C) The maximum length of a ny single prac - tice session shall be three hours. (D) On days when more tha n one practice is conducted, there shall be, a t a mini - mum, two hours of rest/recovery time between the end of one practice a nd the beginning of the next practice. (3) Scrimmage Dates . Schools shall not scrimmage until the first da te allowed on the UIL calen - da r. Tea ms a nd schools may pa rticipa te in a n unlimited number of scrimmages prior to the first day of school. After the first ma tch, scrimmages a re not permitted. (4) Matches. Schools shall not pa rticipa te in a ma tch until the first da te allowed on the UIL calenda r or a fter the last da te for certifying district representa tives, except for tea ms who have not been elimina ted in playoffs. (5) First Two Weeks of Season. During each of the first two calenda r weeks allowed for ma tches on the UIL Official Calenda r, tea ms or stu - dents shall pa rticipa te in no more tha n three ma tches (or dual ma tches) plus one tourna - ment. The third ma tch of the calenda r week shall be a fter the last instructional day of the Section 1330: Girls’ Volleyball Plan 155 school week if school is in session. (6) Remainder of Season. After the first two cal - enda r weeks allowed for ma tches, tea ms or students a re limited to no more tha n two ma tches (or dual ma tches) during each calen - da r week, plus one tourna ment. (7) Beginning First Day of School . On a nd a fter the first day of school, tea ms a re limited to no more tha n two scrimmages, ma tches or dual ma tches during the calenda r week. School week mea ns the week beginning a t 12:01 a.m. on the first instructional day of a calenda r week a nd ending a t the close of instruction on the last instruction - al day of the calenda r week, excluding holidays. (c) NUMBER OF SCRIMMAGES, MATCHES, TOURNAMENTS. (1) Violations/Penalties . The District Executive Committee shall determine the penalty for viola tions of the following regula tions. (2) Game-Matches Defined . A ga me shall be defined as when a tea m has scored 25 points a nd is a t least two points ahead. A ma tch shall be defined as when a tea m has won three ga mes out of five. (3) Total Number of Games, Matches, Tournaments . No tea m or student shall compete in more tha n three invita tional tourna ments plus 23 ma tches in a season, including all ma tches prior to the first playoff ma tch. This shall include non-district a nd district ma tches. If the district cha mpions have a bye for the first round of the play-offs, those schools may schedule a wa rm-up ma tch in addition to the ma tch limits. This additional ma tch shall be played on a non-school night with no loss of school time. Two ma tches may be substituted in place of a tourna ment. (4) Substituting Dual Matches for Regular Matches . Dual ma tches consisting of two or more tea ms may be played. A tea m may play two other tea ms or play the sa me tea m twice a t the sa me site. The second ma tch shall be played as soon following the first ma tch as possibly ca n be scheduled. A dual ma tch will count as one of the two contests allowed per calenda r week (in addition to a tourna ment), a nd will count as two of the 23 total ma tches allowed per season. (5) Exception To Resolve District Ties . (A) Two Schools Tied. To resolve a two- way tie, the District Executive Commit - tee may a uthorize a single elimina tion ma tch, provided only one other ma tch is played tha t calenda r week. The tie- breaking ma tch may be in addition to the 23 allowed ma tches. It may not be played as a n exception to the school week limita tion. (B) Three or More Schools Tied. If three or more schools a re tied, the District Execu - tive Committee may a uthorize a tourna - ment provided only two ma tches have been played tha t week, using the proce - dure in Section 1203. These tourna ment ma tches may be played in addition to the total number of ma tches a nd tourna ments allowed for the season. (6) Exception for Rescheduled Matches . District va rsity volleyball ma tches postponed by wea ther or public disaster (not including illness) shall be rescheduled on the next da te, other tha n Sunday, on which a noth - er district ma tch is not scheduled. In the event wea ther or public disaster forces the makeup ma tch to be rescheduled, it shall be rescheduled on the next da te as described ea rlier. These makeup ma tches may be played as exceptions to the school week a nd calenda r week limita tions. District va rsity ga mes tha t a re postponed by wea ther or public disaster, a nd not played on the next ava ila ble da te, shall be rescheduled a nd played on a da te determined by the District Executive Committee. (7) Invitational Tournament Restriction . No tea m shall pa rticipa te in a n invita tional volleyball tourna ment held on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, except on school holidays. How - ever, ma tches or ga mes in tourna ments may be played a fter school on the last day of the school week prior to holidays. (8) Invitational Tournament Exception . Volleyball tourna ments may be scheduled on non-con - secutive days. A two-day tourna ment shall not be scheduled on Thursday a nd Friday. A one-day tourna ment shall be scheduled on Sa turday. (9) Number of Matches Per Day in Tournaments . No tea m or student shall compete in more tha n three ma tches per day in tourna ment play. Exception: Contesta nts or tea ms may play in four ma tches per calenda r day in a one-day tourna ment scheduled on a Sa turday, a nd contesta nts or tea ms may play in four ma tches per day during a two-day tourna ment. Section 1340: Water Polo Plan 156 (d) SITE OF MATCH. The District Executive Commit - tee in a rra nging a schedule within the district shall determine the site of ma tches in case of disagree - ment between two tea ms. (e) BOYS PROHIBITED . Boys shall not compete on girls’ tea ms. (f) OFF SEASON PARTICIPATION. Refer to Section 1209. (g) GATE RECEIPTS FROM STATE TOURNA - MENT . The UIL office reta ins a n a nnually deter - mined percentage of ga te receipts from the sta te volleyball tourna ment. Section 1340: WATER POLO PLAN (a) ATHLETIC PURPOSES, CODES, PLAN APPLI - CABLE. Rules in sections 1200-1209 also apply to the Wa ter Polo Pla n. (b) DATES FOR PRACTICES, GAMES AND CERTI - FICATIONS. (1) Practice Dates. (A) There shall be no high school wa ter polo practice for a contesta nt or a tea m until the first week in August as determined by the UIL calenda r. see section 1478 for seventh a nd eighth grade restric - tions. (2) School Practice Regulations Outside the School Year. Any wa ter polo practice conducted by a school outside the school yea r shall be in accorda nce with the following regula tions: (A) Student-a thletes shall not engage in more tha n three hours of practice activi - ties on those days during which one practice is conducted. (B) Student-a thletes shall not engage in more tha n five hours of practice activi - ties on those days during which more tha n one practice is conducted. (C) The maximum length of a ny single prac - tice session shall be three hours. (D) On days when more tha n one practice is conducted, there shall be, a t a mini - mum, two hours of rest/recovery time between the end of one practice a nd the beginning of the next practice. (3) Scrimmage Dates. Schools shall not scrimmage until the first da te allowed on the UIL calen - da r. Tea ms a nd schools may pa rticipa te in a n unlimited number of scrimmages prior to the first day of school. a fter the first ga me, scrim - mages a re no longer permitted. (4) Games. Schools shall not pa rticipa te in a ga me until the first da te allowed on the UIL calen - da r or a fter the last da te for certifying district representa tives, except for tea ms who have not been elimina ted in playoffs. (5) Spring Training. There shall be no school wa ter polo practice or tra ining for a contesta nt or tea m, a nd no wa ter polo equipment issued a fter the close of the regula r season sched - ule, except as incidental to the wa ter polo cha mpionship playoffs. A two-yea r pilot pro - gra m will be esta blished for the 2026-2027 a nd 2027-2028 school yea rs allowing for a n optional spring tra ining period consisting of 15 practice days which may be conducted in a period of 30 consecutive calenda r days during the spring semester a fter the conclusion of the sta te swim meet: (A) The first three practices shall be con - ducted as non-contact instruction. (B) Each practice session shall be limited to a maximum of 90 minutes in dura tion, a nd total practice time shall not exceed 360 minutes per calenda r week. (c) NUMBER OF SCRIMMAGES, GAMES, TOUR - NAMENTS. (1) Violations/Penalties . The district executive committee shall determine the penalty for viola tions of the following regula tions. (2) Total Number of Games and Tournaments . No tea m or student shall compete in more tha n three invita tional tourna ments plus 17 ga mes in a season, including all ga mes prior to the first playoff ga me. This shall include non- district a nd district ga mes. if the district cha mpions have a bye for the first round of the play-offs, those schools may schedule a wa rm-up ga me in addition to the ga me lim - its. This additional ga me shall be played on a non-school night with no loss of school time. Three ga mes may be substituted in place of a tourna ment. (3) Exception to Resolve District Ties . (A) Two schools tied . To resolve a two-way tie, the district executive committee may a uthorize a single elimina tion ga me, provided only one other ga me is played tha t calenda r week. The tie-breaking ga me may be in addition to the 17 allowed ga mes. It may not be played as a n exception to the school week limita - tion. (B) Three or more schools tied . If three or more schools a re tied, the district executive committee may a uthorize a Section 1350: Wrestling Plan 157 tourna ment provided only two ga mes have been played tha t week, using the procedure in section 1203. These tour - na ment ga mes may be played in addi - tion to the total number of ga mes a nd tourna ments allowed for the season. (4) Exception for Rescheduled Games . District va rsity wa ter polo ga mes postponed by wea ther or public disaster (not including illness) shall be rescheduled on the next da te, other tha n sunday, on which a nother district ga me is not scheduled. In the event wea ther or public disaster forces the makeup ga mes to be rescheduled, it shall be rescheduled on the next da te as described ea rlier. These makeup ga mes may be played as exceptions to the school week a nd calenda r week limita tions. District va rsity ga mes tha t a re postponed by wea ther or public disaster, a nd not played on the next ava ila ble da te, shall be rescheduled a nd played on a da te determined by the district executive committee. (5) Invitational Tournament Restriction . No tea m shall pa rticipa te in a n invita tional wa ter polo tourna ment held on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, except on school holidays. how - ever, ga mes in tourna ments may be played a fter school on the last day of the school week prior to holidays. (6) Invitational Tournament Exception . Wa ter polo tourna ments may be scheduled on non-consecutive days. A two-day tourna - ment shall not be scheduled on Thursday a nd Friday. A one-day tourna ment shall be scheduled on Sa turday. (7) Number of Games Per Day in Tournaments . No tea m or student shall compete in more tha n three ga mes per day in tourna ment play. Exception: Contesta nts or tea ms may play in four ga mes per calenda r day in a one- day tourna ment scheduled on a Sa turday, a nd contesta nts or tea ms may play in four ga mes per day during a two-day tourna - ment. (d) CHAMPIONSHIP STRUCTURE . (1) District Tournaments . (A) Format. The district executive com - mittee will make a rra ngements a nd set forma t to determine the district repre - senta tives. (B) Entries. Each school shall enter the district meet by certifying entries to the district director by the entry deadline set by the district executive committee. If a round-robin forma t is utilized in lieu of a district tourna ment, the district executive committee shall specify entry a nd tea m roster regula tions prior to the entry deadline. (2) Regional Tournaments . (A) Regional Qualifiers . Regional qua rter - final winners will adva nce to a region - al tourna ment. Regional tourna ment entries shall be certified by regional qua rterfinal winners to the regional director. (B) State tournament Section 1350: WRESTLING PLAN. (a) ATHLETIC PURPOSES, CODES, PLAN APPLI - CABLE. Rules in Sections 1200-1209 also apply to the Wrestling Pla n. (b) DIVISIONS. (1) There shall be two divisions for high school boys a nd two divisions for high school girls, in conferences 5A a nd 6A only. Conference 4A, 3A, 2A, a nd 1A schools may compete for full honors in conference 5A. (2) Boys’, Girls’ Restriction. No high school boy shall wrestle aga inst a high school girl a nd vice versa. This prohibition is only applica ble when the contest is held in Texas or in a ny other sta te tha t sponsors wrestling progra ms for both boys a nd girls. Refer to Official Inter - preta tion #05-09-01, Appendix I. (c) DATES FOR COMPETITION. (1) Refer to Official Calenda r. (2) No school or student-a thlete representing a school shall pa rticipa te in a tourna ment or dual meet until the first Monday following the football district certifica tion deadline a nd a fter the da te for certifying district represen - ta tives. (d) MEETS AND TOURNAMENTS. (1) Number of Tournaments. No student representing a member school shall pa rticipa te in more tha n eight tourna ments during the school season excluding one district tourna ment a nd the regional a nd sta te tourna ments. Each tourna ment the school tea m enters counts as one meet for each pa rticipa ting individual. Students a re considered to be representing their school if they a re wea ring a nd/or using school equipment or being directed or tra nsported by a school employee. (2) Exceptions . Dual, tria ngula r a nd quadra ngula r meets do not count as a tourna ment for pa r - ticipa nts provided there is no loss of school Section 1350: Wrestling Plan 158 Section 1350: Wrestling Plan 159 time. (3) School Week Limitation . No student represent - ing a member school shall pa rticipa te in more tha n two contests (tourna ment, dual, tria ngula r or quadra ngula r) per school week (the first instructional day of the calenda r week through the last school day). Exception: Regional a nd sta te competition. (e) END OF SEASON. Students a nd tea ms shall not represent a member school in a ny wrestling meet or tourna ment a fter the da te of the Sta te Individual Cha mpionships. (f) RULES . All UIL tourna ments will be conducted in accorda nce with Na tional Federa tion Rules. (g) CHAMPIONSHIP STRUCTURE. Refer to the Wrestling Coaches Ma nual for the cha mpionship structure. 160 Section 1400: JUNIOR HIGH (SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADES) (a) ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE PARTICIPANTS. (1) Student’s Eligibility . An individual may pa r - ticipa te in UIL competition or contests as a representa tive of the pa rticipa nt school he/ she a ttends if tha t student has been in a tten - da nce a nd has passed the number of courses required by sta te law a nd by rules of the Sta te Boa rd of Educa tion, a nd is passing the num - ber of courses required by sta te law a nd by rules of the Sta te Boa rd of Educa tion; or is a non-enrolled (home schooled) student seek - ing pa rticipa tion a nd is in complia nce with all provisions included in section 33.0832 of the Texas Educa tion Code. (2) Junior high students a re not prohibited from competing a t a grade level higher tha n the one in which they a re enrolled. Refer to Subchapter M for high school eligibility sta nda rds. (3) To pa rticipa te in a thletic competition, a stu - dent who initially entered the seventh or eighth grade during the current school yea r a nd has a special needs condition which delayed his or her educa tion by a t least one yea r, a nd stu - dents who a re overage due to limited English proficiency, a nd who have substa ntia tion from a la nguage proficiency assessment committee, may petition the UIL to pa rticipa te a t grade level. The following must be submitted to the UIL for eligibility determina tion (not required for non-a thletic competition). (A) A special educa tion student must pro - vide documenta tion of a special educa - tion sta tus a nd documenta tion tha t a disa bility delayed his or her educa tion by a t least one yea r. (B) A student with a history of a disa bility must provide documenta tion from a 504 committee or a n ARD committee proving the existence a nd length of time of the disa bility tha t ca used the delay of a t least one yea r in his or her educa tion. (C) A student with limited English profi - ciency must provide documenta tion of the recommenda tion of the LPAC. (D) Students must provide documenta tion of da te of birth a nd a copy of a current physical, including height a nd weight. (E) The district executive committee may appeal the decision of the UIL to the Sta te Executive Committee. (b) ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR ELEMEN - TARY SCHOOL PARTICIPANTS. An individual may pa rticipa te in UIL competition or contests as a representa tive of the pa rticipa nt school he/she a ttends if tha t student: (1) Has been in a ttenda nce a nd has passed the number of courses required by sta te law a nd by rules of the Sta te Boa rd of Educa tion a nd is passing the courses required by sta te law a nd by rules of the Sta te Boa rd of Educa tion; or is a non-enrolled (home schooled) stu - dent seeking pa rticipa tion a nd is in compli - a nce with all provisions included in section 33.0832 of the Texas Educa tion Code. (2) Is a sixth-grade student who will be too old to pa rticipa te the following yea r as a seventh grader a nd who has a special needs condition which delayed his or her educa tion by a t least one yea r. (Applies to a thletic competition only – Refer to Section 446). (3) No Interscholastic Athletic Competition Below Sev - enth Grade. No interscholastic a thletic compe - tition is allowed in a ny conference for tea ms in the sixth grade a nd below. This does not apply to a nnual inter-school elementa ry field days. This rule would not prohibit a school district from being involved in the facili - ta tion of a n enrichment/intervention pro - gra m which may or may not include a thletic activities involving students from their own schools. Exception : Certa in a thletic excep - tions allow sixth grade students to pa rticipa te. Refer to (2) a bove a nd Section 1478. (c) RULES JURISDICTION. All public schools tha t pa rticipa te in seventh a nd eighth grade UIL activi - ties must a bide by public school laws, TEA regula - tions a nd UIL regula tions. Refer to Section 11. (d) SCHEDULING. (1) District Academic Contests. Schools may use no more tha n one school day or two half-school days per school yea r to hold the district aca - demic contests. (2) District Music Contests . Schools may use no more tha n one school day per school yea r to hold the concert a nd sight-reading contests. Section 1400: Junior High Subchapter D: ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND JUNIOR HIGH 160 161 161 Section 1400: Junior High Students in seventh a nd eighth grade may pa r - ticipa te in composite groups prior to the end of the academic school day. Refer to Section 1102 for definition of composite groups. (3) Other Competitions . No other ga me, contest or tourna ment shall begin prior to the end of the academic school day. (e) SUNDAY PARTICIPATION . No UIL pa rticipa nt school shall sponsor individuals or tea ms in a ny contest or school competition on a Sunday in a UIL contest or a contest simila r to one offered by the UIL. Schools shall not conduct practices or teach a ny plays, forma tions or skills on Sunday. (f) NON-TRADITIONAL SCHOOL YEAR. (Refer to Section 383). (g) LIMITATION OF AWARDS. (1) Awards To Individuals . A pa rticipa nt school may not give a nd a student may not accept awa rds for pa rticipa tion in interschool competition in excess of $10 per yea r (total for all UIL school activities). Certifica tes awa rded by the school, school district or district executive committee to recognize pa rticipa ting students do not count aga inst the $10 limit. A student may accept a symbolic awa rd in recognition of his/her achievement in a n interschool contest if it is given by the orga niza tion conducting the contest (e.g., all- tourna ment awa rds, ribbons, plaques a nd medals). (2) Awards To Schools . A district cha mpionship trophy or awa rd may be awa rded by the dis - trict executive committee. (h) AMATEUR RULE. There is no a ma teur rule for junior high school students competing in junior high competitions. Section 441, Ama teur Athletic Sta tus, does not apply to students until the first class day of their ninth-grade yea r. (i) MEMBERSHIP. (1) School District . Junior high/middle schools receive membership in the UIL through the pa id memberships of their pa rent high schools. (2) K-8 Independent School Districts . For school sys - tems with no high schools, refer to the mem - bership fee structure in Sections 10 through 14. (3) Superintendent’s Responsibility . The superin - tendent shall have final responsibility for membership. When a school boa rd elects to pay membership fees to join the UIL, it agrees to accept a nd observe the terms of pa rticipa tion in the contests as set forth in the Constitution and Contest Rules . This is a volunta ry orga niza tion. All conditions sur - rounding pa rticipa tion a re freely accepted a nd both the letter a nd spirit of the rules a re to be observed. Thus, when disputes a rise, they shall be settled by the committees in the prescribed ma nner. (j) DISTRICTS. (1) No District Assignments . Junior high schools will not be assigned to junior high districts or conferences by the UIL office. Schools may follow the high school academic a nd/or a th - letic district assignments or form their own district. Students will represent their ca mpus in the junior high academic a nd a thletic dis - trict meets. (2) Required Assignments . The UIL office reserves the right to assign contesta nts or tea ms to districts. (3) Composite or Combined Teams. Students will represent their ca mpus. Combined or com - posite tea ms a re not allowed in UIL district academic or a thletic competitions. (k) PROTESTS. (1) Persons Responsible . In junior high schools tha t do not form a district, the district executive committee of the high school which the stu - dents will a ttend shall decide protests for the junior high school tha t has been protested. In junior highs tha t do form districts, the junior high school administra tors from their schools shall consider all protests a nd eligibility of the students. In disputes between junior high schools from different junior high districts, neutral representa tives from the executive committees of both districts will settle the dispute. (2) Time For Protest . The superintendent or a des - igna ted administra tor must file the protest in writing with the district executive committee. The protest must be filed within a reasona ble time, but not exceeding four days a fter the contest, unless it involves eligibility or a rule imposing ma nda tory penalties. (3) Appropriate Committees . All disputes a mong pa rticipa nt schools shall be settled by the appropria te executive committee. (4) Jurisdiction Within District . The district execu - tive committee shall have jurisdiction over all eligibility cases, disputes a nd protests within the district. The representa tive of a protesting school or the school protested is disqualified from the adjudica tion of the dispute. (5) Jurisdiction Outside Of District . All disputes a nd 162 protests a rising between schools belong - ing to different districts shall be resolved through a meeting with equal representa - tion from each district including the two tea ms involved. The disputing school a nd the school cha rged with viola tion shall not be allowed to vote. (l) VIOLATIONS AND PENALTIES. (1) Penalties . Penalties a re applica ble to the appro - pria te viola tor as sta ted in Sections 27 a nd 29. (2) May Not Play Suspended Schools . No school in the UIL shall engage in a ny contest, ga me or scrimmage with a suspended school, a nd a ny school viola ting this rule may be suspended. This prohibition applies only to the contest in which the school is suspended. (3) Minimum Penalty . Forfeiture of the contest is the minimum penalty for using a n ineligible contesta nt. (4) Receiving High School . The receiving high school will be notified of a ny viola tions. The associa ted high school may be suspended by the Sta te Executive Committee in the activity in which the junior high viola tes rules if the junior high does not a bide by the ruling of the district executive committee. (m) INDIVIDUAL PLANS. Specific requirements a nd regula tions may be found in the individual contest pla ns. (1) Academic . Sections 1410-1474. (2) Athletics . Section 1478. Section 1401: A+ PROGRAM ACADEMIC PLAN (a) PURPOSES. Pa rticipa tion in UIL academic con - tests should help students develop oral la nguage a nd communica tion skills, become independent readers a nd writers, develop conceptual under - sta nding, lea rn to solve problems a nd apply knowl - edge to all facets of their lives. (1) All A+ competitions should be conducted so tha t educa tional objectives a re achieved, high - est sta nda rds of sportsma nship a re upheld, a nd no single phase of the progra m is pro - moted a t the expense of other progra ms. (2) Schools a re encouraged to pa rticipa te in a full ra nge of contests, to offer as ma ny opportuni - ties for competition as possible, to administer all contests fa irly a nd efficiently, to provide specific, positive feedback a nd to see tha t competition is conducted in a nurturing a nd educa tional environment. (3) Faculty leaders a re encouraged to fully pre - pa re students for competition while insuring tha t broad educa tional objectives a re never compromised in the pursuit of victory. (4) Administra tors should help crea te lea rning environments, structures a nd policies tha t encourage educa tional competition while adhering to the school’s general educa tional mission. (b) A+ MEET CODE. The general A+ Meet Code mea ns to: (1) pa rticipa te in contests in the spirit of fa irness a nd sportsma nship, observing all rules – both in letter a nd in spirit; (2) sponsor a nd advise individuals a nd tea ms without resorting to unethical tactics, trickery which a ttempts to skirt the rules or a ny other unfa ir tactic which detracts from sound edu - ca tional principles; (3) accept decisions of officials a nd judges without protest a nd extend protection a nd courtesy to officials; (4) rega rd opponents as guests or hosts while placing personal a nd/ or tea m integrity a bove victory a t a ny cost. Ma inta in grace a nd poise in victory or defea t. Conduct tha t bera tes, intimida tes or threa tens competitors, based on gender or ethnic origin, has no place in interscholastic activities; (5) provide informa tion or evidence rega rding eligibility of a ny contesta nt or school to local school administra tors or to the appropria te judicial bodies upon request; (6) understa nd a nd apprecia te the educa tional values of competition a nd a bsta in from mod - ifying or soliciting a nother teacher to modify grades for eligibility purposes, knowing tha t such behavior defea ts the cha racter-building purposes of extracurricula r competition; (7) a bsta in from a ny practice tha t makes a student feel pressured to pa rticipa te in non- school activities; a nd (8) a t all times, ensure tha t competition is rela tive to a more importa nt overall educa - tional effort, using competition as a tool in the prepa ra tion of students for citizenship a nd successful adulthood. (c) SALARY/STIPEND. Any sala ry or stipend a rra nge - ment which makes it to the fina ncial interest of a coach, director or sponsor to win a UIL contest will be in viola tion of the A+ Meet Code, a nd the member school district, pa rticipa nt school a nd the school district personnel shall be subject to the ra nge of penalties outlined in Sections 27 a nd 29. (d) CONTESTS. The Academic Meet Pla n covers these 162 Section 1400: Junior High 163 163 Section 1401: A+ Program Academic Plan A+ Academic Activities for the grade levels indi - ca ted in pa rentheses : (1) Art (4-8) (2) Calcula tor Applica tions (6-8) (3) Chess Puzzle (2-8) (4) Crea tive Writing (2) (5) Dictiona ry Skills (5-8) (6) Editorial Writing (6-8) (7) Impromptu Speaking (6-8) (8) Listening (5-8) (9) Maps, Graphs, & Cha rts (5-8) (10) Ma thema tics (6-8) (11) Modern Ora tory (6-8) (12) Music Memory (2-8) (13) Number Sense (4-8) (14) One-Act Play (6-8) (15) Oral Reading (4-9) (16) Ready Writing (3-8) (17) Science (6-8) (18) Social Studies (5-8) (19) Spelling (3-8) (20) Storytelling (2-3) Instructions a nd required contest procedures a re found in the A+ Ha ndbook. (e) MEMBERSHIP IN UIL; FORMING DISTRICTS. (1) Membership. Elementa ry, middle a nd junior high schools receive membership in the UIL through the pa id memberships of their pa r - ent high schools. The superintendent shall have final responsibility for membership. For school systems with no high schools, refer to the membership fee structure in Sections 10 through 14. (2) Statement of Participation. Elementa ry , middle a nd junior high schools should indica te their desire to pa rticipa te in UIL activities by reg - istering with the UIL office. Deadline for registra tion is designa ted on the official UIL calenda r. (3) Compliance with the UIL Constitution and Con - test Rules. Contest directors shall not devia te from the Constitution and Contest Rules in administering UIL A+ academic contests. The district executive committee may elect to add or delete UIL contests from its specific meet pla n. (4) The UIL’s elementa ry contest pla n is restrict - ed to academic competition. No interscho - lastic a thletic competition is allowed in a ny conference for tea ms in the sixth grade a nd below. This does not apply to a nnual inter- school elementa ry field days. For a thletic exceptions to allow sixth grade students to pa rticipa te, Refer to Section 1478 (c). (5) Elementa ry a nd junior high school contesta nts do not qualify to a higher post-district meet. (f) ORGANIZING THE DISTRICT. Elementa ry, mid - dle a nd junior high schools will not be assigned to districts or conferences by the UIL office. Schools may follow the high school Academics Meet district assignments or form their own district. (1) Required Assignments . The UIL office reserves the right to assign contesta nts or tea ms to districts. (2) Composite or Combined Teams . Students will represent their ca mpus. Combined or com - posite tea ms a re not allowed in UIL district academic competitions. (3) District Executive Committee . This body shall be composed of a n administra tor from each of the pa rticipa ting schools in the district. Duties include: enforcing the eligibility rules in the district; selecting the district direc - tor; selecting the site a nd da te for the meet; a rra nging for fina ncing the meet; determin - ing which events will be offered a nd for which grade levels; designing a district meet entry form; notifying members of the district of the events a nd entry restrictions; soliciting entries from each school; coopera ting with the schools in effecting a nd promoting a dis - trict orga niza tion; a nd adjudica ting disputes a rising within the district subject to provi - sions of Subchapter E of the Constitution. (4) Materials Order Form . This informa tion shall be submitted to the UIL office online through the UIL website. The meet director’s na me shall be included. Deadlines a re posted on the A+ calenda r webpage. (5) District Director . Each district shall select a district director for A+ activities. Duties include: selecting the directors of the contests in accorda nce with individual contest pla ns; a rra nging for necessa ry facilities; requisition - ing all contest ma terials from the UIL office; distributing the ma terials to contest direc - tors; assuming immedia te responsibility for conducting the meet in a n orderly ma nner; being ava ila ble to assist contest directors when questions a rise; a nd seeing tha t a list of winners is compiled immedia tely from the reports furnished by the contest directors. The district director shall notify all pa rtici - pa nt schools rega rding the da tes a nd contest schedule of the meet, but each school has the final responsibility for ascerta ining the da tes 164 a nd schedule. Section 1405: ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Students a re eligible so long as they have been in a tten - da nce a nd a re passing all classes in accorda nce with sta te law a nd rules of the Sta te Boa rd of Educa tion a nd the Texas Educa tion Agency. The UIL has no age limit for elementa ry academic competition, nor does it have a residence rule. (a) COMPETING OUT OF GRADE LEVEL. Elemen - ta ry students a re not prohibited from competing one grade level higher tha n the one in which they a re enrolled. However, a student shall not compete in two or more grade levels of the sa me contest in the sa me yea r. (b) AMATEUR RULE . There is no a ma teur rule for students competing in elementa ry school or junior high school competitions. Section 441, Ama teur Athletic Sta tus, does not apply to students until the first class day of their ninth-grade yea r. Section 1408: A+ MEETS (a) SUNDAY PARTICIPATION. No UIL participant school shall sponsor individuals or tea ms in a ny con - test or school competition on a Sunday in a UIL con - test or a contest simila r to one offered by the UIL. (b) SCHEDULING. Schools may use no more tha n one school day or two half-school days per school yea r to hold the district academic contests. (c) MEET TIMEFRAMES. Ca mpuses may choose to pa rticipa te in a district meet in a maximum of one of the three timefra mes beginning in October a nd ending in May referred to as Set A, Set B, a nd Set C. Scrimmage or qualifying meets orga nized local - ly may be held outside of the district timefra me. (d) DISTRICT ENTRIES AND SUBSTITUTIONS. Each district may devise its own entry forms for entering contesta nts in academic contests or use the form found in the A+ Handbook . Policies rega rding due da tes, la te entries a nd substitutions should be determined by each district prior to the academic meet. (e) CONTEST MATERIALS. (1) Confidentiality . Coaches, contest directors a nd contesta nts a re responsible for ma inta ining confidentiality of district meet contest ma te - rials. Tra nsfer of informa tion rela tive to the tests shall be considered a viola tion of the A+ Meet Code a nd subject to penalties as outlined in Section 27 a nd Section 29. (2) Materials . Contest ma terials supplied by the UIL office will be prepa red for the grade levels designa ted in each contest pla n. Two or more grade levels will, in most cases, take the sa me test. (3) Contest Materials . Testing ma terials for A+ activities will be ava ila ble sta rting in October a nd ending in May. Specific da tes for each timefra me will be posted on the A+ calenda r webpage a nd identified as: Set A, Set B, a nd Set C. It is permissible for districts to schedule meets outside those time fra mes, but testing ma terials will not be ava ila ble from the UIL office for those meets. Ma terials necessa ry for conducting meets shall be requisitioned from the UIL office by the district director. Set A, Set B a nd Set C will be ava ila ble in digital forma t. Districts may opt to receive one set of printed ma terials for either Set B or Set C. Contest ma terials may be returned to pa rticipa ting schools on the da tes posted on the A+ calenda r webpage. (f) OPTIONAL CONTEST. (1) Speech . The middle or junior high schools in a ny A+ district may hold a ny of the speech contests listed in the high school Academics Meet Pla n in Section 1000. Winners do not adva nce to a higher level. (2) Additional Grade Levels. With the approval of the A+ district executive committee, districts may elect to crea te a division of a contest for each designa ted grade level or additional grade levels. (3) Other Contests. Districts may pilot contests tha t a re not described in the Constitution or may alter other high school contests in a ma nner appropria te for the pa rticula r grade level. (g) TESTS /JUDGING. (1) Philosophy. Critiques of tests a nd perfor - ma nces should first comment on the positive aspects of the competition a nd then offer constructive criticism. When comments a re possible, they need not be long, but they should be specific. Strictly objective tests do not need commenta ry. (2) Corrections. Any corrections to contest ma te - rial will be made ava ila ble to meet director. (3) Changing Answer Keys. If there is consensus a mong the graders, judges a nd coaches tha t a n a nswer on the a nswer key is incorrect, the contest director is a uthorized to correct the a nswer key. This decision shall be made before the official results a re a nnounced. (h) POINTS. In determining the overall cha mpionship, points shall be awa rded according to the follow - ing cha rt. Points shall be awa rded for all places in which a contesta nt pa rticipa ted. For exa mple, if 164 Section 1405: Eligibility Requirements 165 165 Section 1408: A+ Invitational/District Meets only two contesta nts pa rticipa te in a n event, both contesta nts receive points according to the results of the event. CONTESTS PLACES AND POINTS 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th Art 15 12 10 8 6 4 Tea m Art 8 6 4 0 0 0 Calcula tor Applica tions 15 12 10 8 6 4 Tea m Calcula tor Applica tions 8 6 4 0 0 0 Crea tive Writing 15 12 10 8 6 4 Chess Puzzle 15 12 10 8 6 4 Tea m Chess Puzzle 8 6 4 0 0 0 Dictiona ry Skills 15 12 10 8 6 4 Tea m Dictiona ry Skills 8 6 4 0 0 0 Editorial Writing 15 12 10 8 6 4 Impromptu Speaking 15 12 10 8 6 4 Listening 15 12 10 8 6 4 Tea m Listening 8 6 4 0 0 0 Maps, Graphs, & Cha rts 15 12 10 8 6 4 Tea m Maps, Graphs, & Cha rts 8 6 4 0 0 0 Ma thema tics 15 12 10 8 6 4 Tea m Ma thema tics 8 6 4 0 0 0 Modern Ora tory 15 12 10 8 6 4 Music Memory 15 12 10 8 6 4 Tea m Music Memory 8 6 4 0 0 0 Number Sense 15 12 10 8 6 4 Tea m Number Sense 8 6 4 0 0 0 One-Act Play Ra nked Plays 22 18 15 0 0 0 Individual Awa rds 8 4 2 0 0 0 Oral Reading 15 12 10 8 6 4 Ready Writing 15 12 10 8 6 4 Science 15 12 10 8 6 4 Tea m Science 8 6 4 0 0 0 Social Studies 15 12 10 8 6 4 Tea m Social Studies 8 6 4 0 0 0 Spelling 15 12 10 8 6 4 Tea m Spelling 8 6 4 0 0 0 Storytelling 15 12 10 8 6 4 (1) One-Act Play Points . The first-place play receives 22 points, the second-place play receives 18 points a nd the third-place play receives 15 points. Individual awa rds shall consist of first place (each best performer), second place (each all-sta r cast) a nd third place (each honora ble mention all-sta r cast). Individual awa rds may not exceed those specified in Section 1033. An all-sta r cast awa rd assigned by the judge to a chorus or other group of players counts as only one individual awa rd a nd shall be alloca ted the appropria te points. (2) Ties in Individual and Team Competition. In contests in which a tie ca nnot be broken, tied individuals or tea ms split the total points equally for the two or more places in which the tie exists. Two schools tied for first place in a contest shall add first a nd second place points a nd divide equally. The school ra nking next shall receive third place points. Two schools tied for second place shall add second a nd third place points a nd divide equally, a nd no third place points shall be awa rded. Ties for rema ining places shall be decided in the sa me ma nner, except tha t schools tied for last place shall divide equally the points assigned to tha t place. (i) CHAMPIONSHIPS. An overall academic district cha mpion may be na med, a nd a trophy awa rded to the winning elementa ry, middle a nd/or junior high school, a t the discretion of the district executive committee. Points won by a n elementa ry, middle or junior high school shall not be counted towa rd the overall cha mpionship in a high school meet a nd vice versa. No school shall be eligible for the overall cha mpionship tha t does not place in a t least three events. (j) TROPHIES AND AWARDS. The district executive committee may a uthorize the purchase of a sta nda rd or approved district cha mpionship trophy to be given to the winning school. (k) LIMITATION OF AWARDS. There is no Awa rds Rule for students in grades 2 through 6 who com - pete in UIL elementa ry academic contests. Awa rds for elementa ry students a re determined by the pa rticipa ting schools. (l) INDIVIDUAL PLANS. Specific requirements a nd regula tions may be found in the individual contest pla ns. (1) Academic. 1410 through 1474. (2) Athletic. Section 1478. Section 1410: ART (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Summary . This contest involves the study of pa intings from the Na tional Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. a nd pa intings from select - ed Texas museums. The Art Smart Bulletin is the source for test ma terial of history a nd a rt elements rela tive to the a rt selections. As pa rt of their study, students will demonstra te a n understa nding of a rt history a nd interpret ideas a nd moods in original a rtworks while making informed judgments a bout the a rt - work. (2) Contest Format. Pa rt A requires contesta nts to identify the a rtist’s na me, as it appea rs on the official list, a nd the title of 15 pa intings selected ra ndomly from the official list of 30 pa intings as published in the Art Smart Bulletin a nd on the UIL website. Pa rt B consists of 30 questions a bout a rt elements a nd principles a nd a rt history cha racteristic of the 30 a rt 166 selections. Both Pa rts A a nd B of the contest shall be conducted. Approxima tely 30 min - utes will be allotted for Pa rt A a nd 30 minutes for Pa rt B of the contest exclusive of time required for instructions. (b) REPRESENTATION. (1) Contestants. Students in officially prescribed grade levels below 9th grade who a re eligible under Section 1400 a nd 1405 may enter this contest. (2) Divisions . Districts shall offer either a sepa ra te division for each pa rticipa ting grade level or combined grade level divisions as specified in official contest procedures. (3) Individual Competition . For each division, each school may enter as ma ny as five contesta nts in the district meet. (4) Team Competition . If the district has elected to include tea m competition, the combined scores of all contesta nts in each division from a school, divided by the number of contes - ta nts from tha t school, shall constitute the school’s tea m score. A tea m shall have a t least three contesta nts compete to pa rticipa te in tea m competition. (c) CONTEST ADMINISTRATION. (1) Personnel. All personnel in this contest may be coaches of pa rticipa ting students, with the exception of the person choosing the selec - tions to be used in Pa rt A of the contest. This person shall not be the coach of a ny student in the competition. (2) Verification Period. C ontesta nts a nd coaches shall be given a period not to exceed 15 min - utes to exa mine their test papers with offi - cial keys . Unofficial results should be posted. Questions should be directed to the contest director, whose decision shall be final. (3) Official Results. After the verifica tion period has ended a nd all test papers have been col - lected, the contest director shall a nnounce the official results. Official results, once a nnounced, a re final. (4) Points and Ties. Points a re awa rded as specified in Section 1408 (i). Tied individuals or tea ms split the total points equally for the two or more places in which a tie exists. Should there be a tie for first place, there will be no second place. Should there be a tie for second place, there will be no third place, etc. (5) Certificates . Students who score 100% in both sections of the contest a t the district competi - tion a re eligible to receive a Certifica te of Achievement. (6) Returning Materials. No ma terials from dis - trict contests may be returned to contesta nts prior to official release da tes. Section 1414: CALCULATOR APPLICATIONS (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Summary . This contest is designed to stimu - la te the development of ma thema tical a nd calcula tor skills. Goals a re both intellectual a nd practical: developing ma thema tical rea - soning a nd knowledge a nd requiring the applica tion of problem-solving skills towa rd realistic problems. (2) Contest Format . Students will take a test con - ta ining 80 problems. The contest consists of problems tha t may include calcula tions involving addition, subtraction, multiplica tion, division, roots a nd powers. It also includes stra ightforwa rd calcula tion problems a nd simple geometric a nd sta ted problems simila r to those found in recently adopted textbooks. Districts shall offer either a sepa ra te division for each pa rticipa ting grade level or combined grade level divisions as specified in official contest procedures. (b) REPRESENTATION. (1) Contestants. Students in officially prescribed grade levels below 9th grade who a re eligible under Sections 1400 a nd 1405 may enter this contest. (2) Divisions . Districts shall offer either a sepa ra te division for each pa rticipa ting grade level or combined grade level divisions as specified in official contest procedures. (3) Individual Competition. For each division, each pa rticipa nt school may enter as ma ny as three contesta nts in the district meet. (4) Team Competition. If the district has elected to include tea m competition, the combined scores of the three contesta nts in each divi - sion from a school shall constitute the school’s tea m score. A tea m shall have three con - testa nts compete to pa rticipa te in the tea m competition. (c) CONTEST ADMINISTRATION. (1) Personnel. All personnel in this contest may be coaches of pa rticipa ting students. (2) Verification Period . Contesta nts a nd coaches shall be given a period not to exceed 15 min - utes to exa mine their test papers with offi - cial keys . Unofficial results should be posted. Questions should be directed to the contest director, whose decision will be final . 166 Section 1410: A + Art 167 167 Section 1414: A+ Calculator Applications (3) Official Results . After the verifica tion period has ended a nd all test papers have been col - lected, the contest director shall a nnounce the official results. Official results, once a nnounced, a re final. (4) Points and Ties . Points a re awa rded as speci - fied in Section 1408 (i). Tied individual or tea ms split the total points equally for the two or more places in which a tie exists. Should there be a tie for first place, there will be no second place. Should there be a tie for second place, there will be no third place, etc. (5) Returning Materials. No ma terials from dis - trict contests may be returned to contesta nts prior to official release da tes. Section 1416: CHESS PUZZLE (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Summary. The study of chess teaches a nalytical thinking, pa ttern recognition a nd crea tivity, which in turn improve student performa nce in reading, writing, history, geography, a nd ma th. (2) Contest Format. Students will take a n objec - tive test conta ining approxima tely 20 chess puzzles, plus a tiebreaker section. Answer forma ts may include fill-in-the-bla nk, mul - tiple choice a nd/or true/false. Thirty minutes will be allotted for the testing period a nd a n additional five minutes will be allotted for the tiebreaker, exclusive of time required for instructions. (b) REPRESENTATION. (1) Contestants. Students in officially prescribed grade levels below 9th grade who a re eligible under sections 1400 a nd 1405 may enter this contest. (2) Divisions . Districts shall offer either a sepa ra te division for each pa rticipa ting grade level or combined grade level divisions as specified in official contest procedures. (3) Individual Competition. For each division, each pa rticipa nt school may enter as ma ny as three contesta nts in the district meet. (4) Team Competition. If the district has elected to include tea m competition, the combined scores of the three contesta nts in each division from a school shall constitute the school’s tea m score. A tea m shall have three contesta nts compete to pa rticipa te in tea m competition. (c) CONTEST ADMINISTRATION. (1) Personnel. All personnel in the contest may be coaches of pa rticipa ting students. (2) Verification Period . Contesta nts a nd coaches shall be given a period not to exceed 15 min - utes to exa mine their test papers with offi - cial a nswer keys. Unofficial results should be posted. Questions should be directed to the contest director, whose decision shall be final. (3) Official Results. After the verifica tion period has ended a nd all test papers have been col - lected, the contest director shall a nnounce the official results. Official results, once a nnounced, a re final . (4) Points and Ties. Points a re awa rded as speci - fied in Section 1408 (i). Tied individuals or tea ms split the total points equally for the two or more places in which the tie exists. Should there be a tie for first place, there will be no second place. Should there be a tie for second place, there will be no third place, etc. (5) Returning Materials. No ma terials from dis - trict contests may be returned to contesta nts prior to official release da tes. Section 1418: CREATIVE WRITING (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Summary. This contest is designed to pro - mote crea tivity in a n academic forma t a nd to encourage writing skills a t a n ea rly grade level. Through prepa ra tion for the contest, students will be a ble to evalua te their own writing a nd the writing of others. (2) Contest Format. Contesta nts will be given a prompt with several captioned pictures. From these pictures, the students will crea te a n original story based on their selections. The stories shall conta in a t least one of the pictured items, but it is not required tha t all items on the page be included. Thirty minutes will be allotted for writing exclusive of time required for instructions. (b) REPRESENTATION. (1) Contestants. Students in the second grade who a re eligible under Section 1405 may enter this contest. (2) Divisions . This contest will consist of only one division. (3) Individual Competition. Each pa rticipa nt school may enter as ma ny as three contesta nts in the district meet. (4) Team Competition. There is no tea m competi - tion in crea tive writing. (c) CONTEST ADMINISTRATION. (1) Personnel. The contest director may be the coach of a pa rticipa ting student. (2) Viewing Period . An optional period not to 168 exceed 15 minutes may be a rra nged for coaches a nd contesta nts to review their own evalua tions, stories a nd verify identifica tion. (3) Official Results. After the viewing period has ended a nd all contest papers have been col - lected, the contest director shall a nnounce the official results. Official results, once a nnounced, a re final. (4) Returning Materials. No ma terials from the district contests may be returned to contes - ta nts prior to official release da tes. Section 1422: DICTIONARY SKILLS (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Summary . Thorough knowledge of the dic - tiona ry is a way to increase a student’s a bility to find the informa tion tha t is needed for class work as well as everyday living. The sub - ject ma tter of all tests is taken from Merriam Webster’s Intermediate Dictionary. Contesta nts may use other dictiona ries in the contest. In prepa ra tion for this contest, students will develop skills to communica te effectively. (2) Contest Format. Each test consists of 40 objec - tive questions. Contesta nts use dictiona ries in the competition. Twenty minutes will be allotted for the testing period exclusive of time required for instructions. (b) REPRESENTATION. (1) Contestants. Students in officially prescribed grade levels below 9th grade who a re eligible under Sections 1400 a nd 1405 may enter this contest. (2) Divisions . Districts shall offer either a sepa ra te division for each pa rticipa ting grade level or combined grade level divisions as specified in official contest procedures. (3) Individual Competition. For each division, each pa rticipa nt school may enter as ma ny as three contesta nts in the district meet. (4) Team Competition. If the district has elected to include tea m competition, the combined scores of the three contesta nts in each division from a school shall constitute the school’s tea m score. A tea m shall have three contesta nts competing to pa rticipa te in the tea m competition. (c) CONTEST ADMINISTRATION. (1) Personnel. All personnel in this contest may be coaches of pa rticipa ting students. (2) Verification Period. Contesta nts a nd coaches shall be given a period not to exceed 15 minutes to exa mine their test papers with official keys. Unofficial results should be posted. Questions should be directed to the contest director, whose decision shall be final. (3) Official Results. After the verifica tion period has ended a nd all test papers have been col - lected, the contest director shall a nnounce the official results. Official results, once a nnounced, a re final. (4) Points and Ties. Points a re awa rded as speci - fied in Section 1408 (i). No ties a re to be broken in either the individual or the tea m component of this contest. Tied contesta nts or tea ms split the total points equally for the two or more places in which a tie exists. Should there be a tie for first place, there will be no second place. Should there be a tie for second place, there will be no third place, etc. (5) Returning Materials. No ma terials from district contests may be returned to contesta nts prior to official release da tes. Section 1424: EDITORIAL WRITING CONTEST (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Summary. Editorial writing teaches critical a nd a nalytical thinking, as well as the a bility to write persuasively a nd concisely. Students lea rn to exa mine both sides of a n issue, select a nd develop a sta nce a nd support tha t sta nce with logical, clea r writing. (2) Contest Format . Contesta nts will be provided a fact sheet from which they will develop a nd write a n editorial. Forty-five minutes will be allotted for the writing period exclusive of time required for instructions. (b) REPRESENTATION. (1) Contestants. Students in officially prescribed grade levels below 9th grade who a re eligible under Section 1400 or 1405 may enter this contest. (2) Divisions . Districts shall offer either a sepa ra te division for each pa rticipa ting grade level or combined grade level divisions as specified in official contest procedures. (3) Individual Competition. Each pa rticipa nt school may enter as ma ny as three contesta nts per division in the district meet. (4) Team Competition. There is no tea m competi - tion in Editorial Writing. (c) CONTEST ADMINISTRATION. (1) Personnel. The contest director may be the coach of a pa rticipa ting student. A single or a n odd number of judges should be selected. 168 Section 1418: A+ Creative Writing 169 169 Section 1424: A+ Editorial Writing Contest Judge(s) shall not be coaches of pa rticipa ting students. (2) Options for Writing. Contesta nts may ha nd- write their editorials or may bring a nd use their own computers. If contesta nts choose to use their own computers, they shall bring their own printers, associa ted ha rdwa re, soft - wa re a nd paper. Spell check a nd thesa urus functions may be used. Students who opt to compose their entries on computers accept the risk of computer malfunction. In case of computer malfunction, the contesta nt may use the rema ining allotted time to complete the composition in ha ndwriting. Contesta nts may use electronic or printed dictiona ries a nd thesa uruses. (3) Viewing Period. An optional period not to exceed 15 minutes may be a rra nged for coaches a nd contesta nts to review their own evalua tions a nd stories a nd verify identifica tion. (4) Official Results. After the viewing period has ended a nd all contest papers have been col - lected, the contest director shall a nnounce the official results. Official results, once a nnounce, a re final. (5) Points and Ties. Points a re awa rded as specified in Section 1408 (i). There ca n be no ties in this contest. (6) Returning Materials. No ma terials from district contests may be returned to contesta nts prior to official release da tes. Section 1426: IMPROMPTU SPEAKING (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Summary. This contest gives students experi - ence in formula ting a nd orga nizing clea r thoughts a nd effectively delivering those thoughts to a n a udience. The contest provides opportunities for students to explore the use of the voice a nd body in speaking situa tions; to exa mine different purposes for speaking; to orga nize ideas a nd deliver speeches on a va riety of topics; to evalua te speeches given by others; a nd to develop self-confidence. (2) Contest Format. Contesta nts will draw three topics, select one, a nd have three minutes to prepa re a speech, which shall be presented without a ny notes . Contesta nts may not use costumes or props in the contest. The maximum time limit for each speech is five minutes. There is no minimum time limit. Students who exceed the allotted five minutes shall be penalized one ra nk. For exa mple, if the judges ra nk a student second who has gone overtime, tha t student shall be assigned third place a nd the student who was ra nked third will be given second place. No speaker may be coached or prompted in a ny ma nner during the presenta tion. Audiences a re permitted. (b) REPRESENTATION. (1) Contestants. Students officially prescribed grade levels below 9th grade who a re eligible under Section 1400 a nd 1405 may enter this contest. (2) Divisions . Districts shall offer either a sepa ra te division for each pa rticipa ting grade level or combined grade level divisions as specified in official contest procedures. (3) Individual Competition. For each division, each pa rticipa nt school may enter as ma ny as three contesta nts in the district meet. (4) Team Competition. There is no tea m competi - tion in this contest. (c) CONTEST ADMINISTRATION . (1) Personnel. The contest director may be the coach of a pa rticipa ting student. A time - keeper should be provided for each section. Contest officials should select one judge or a n odd-numbered pa nel of judges for each section. Judges shall not be coaches of pa r - ticipa ting students. So fa r as possible, judges should not know wha t school a ny contesta nt represents. (2) Sections. A section shall consist of no more tha n eight contesta nts. If nine or more stu - dents enter a division of impromptu speaking, they shall be divided into sections according to official contest procedures. (3) Rankings, Ties and Points. Contesta nts shall be ra nked as specified in official contest proce - dures. There ca n be no ties in this contest. Points a re awa rded as specified in Section 1408 (i). (4) Verification Period. If a pa nel of judges is used, a verifica tion period shall be provided. Unofficial results should be posted. Coaches should be given no more tha n 15 minutes to verify tha t ta bula tion of ra nkings is correct. The decisions of the judges a re not subject to question. Evalua tion sheets may be viewed by contesta nts a nd coaches during the veri - fica tion period a nd shall be returned to the contest director a t the end of the verifica - tion period. For rounds with single judges, a 15-minute viewing period is recommended. 170 (5) Official Results . The contest director shall a nnounce the official results. Official results, once a nnounced, a re final. (6) Returning Materials . No ma terials from district contests may be returned to contesta nts prior to official release da tes. Section 1430: LISTENING (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Summary. This contest is designed to help students recognize the importa nce of effec - tive listening skills a nd to identify prob - lems they may have in listening effectively. It also provides a challenging forma t to test the improvement of their listening a bilities. Through prepa ra tion for the contest, pa r - ticipa nts will listen to a va riety of ma terial a nd lea rn to evalua te a nd critically a nalyze a speaker’s message. The objective tests will measure skills such as identifying the ma in idea a nd supporting ideas, listening for deta ils, drawing conclusions a nd distinguish - ing fact from opinion. (2) Contest Format . Contesta nts will listen to a script ra nging from approxima tely seven to 10 minutes in length, take notes as needed, a nd use their notes to a nswer 25 objective questions. Ten minutes will be allotted for the testing period. (b) REPRESENTATION. (1) Contestants. Students in officially prescribed grade levels below 9th grade who a re eligible under Sections 1400 a nd 1405 may enter this contest. (2) Divisions . Districts shall offer either a sepa ra te division for each pa rticipa ting grade level or combined grade level divisions as specified in official contest procedures. (3) Individual Competition. For each division, each pa rticipa nt school may enter as ma ny as three contesta nts in the district meet. (4) Team Competition. If the district has elected to include tea m competition, the combined scores of the three contesta nts in each divi - sion from a school shall constitute the school’s tea m score. A tea m shall have three contes - ta nts compete to pa rticipa te in the tea m com - petition. (c) CONTEST ADMINISTRATION. (1) Personnel. All personnel in this contest may be coaches of pa rticipa ting students except the script reader. The reader may not be a coach of a ny contesta nt entered in the contest. (2) Ties and Points . No ties a re to be broken in either the individual or the tea m component of this contest. If there is a tie for first place, there is no second place. If there is a tie for second place, there is no third place, etc. Points a re awa rded as specified in Section 1408 (i). (3) Verification Period . A verifica tion period shall be provided. Unofficial results should be posted. Contesta nts a nd coaches should be given no more tha n 15 minutes to exa mine their test papers with official keys. Questions should be directed to the contest director, whose decision shall be final. (4) Official Results. After verifica tion period has ended a nd all test papers have been collected, the contest director shall a nnounce the offi - cial results. Official results, once a nnounced, a re final. (5) Returning Materials. No ma terials from district contests may be returned to contesta nts prior to official release da tes. Section 1434: MAPS, GRAPHS AND CHARTS (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Summary. This contest is designed to help stu - dents lea rn to get informa tion from a va riety of maps, graphs a nd cha rts including world maps, pie cha rts, ba r cha rts a nd local a rea maps. The objective test will measure skills such as using a n a tlas as a reference book to loca te informa tion, making compa risons, estima ting a nd approxima ting, using scale a nd interpreting grid systems, legends a nd keys. (2) Contest Format . Some subject ma tter will be taken from the designa ted official sources(s). Students will be given a n objective test con - ta ining approxima tely 75 objective questions. Contesta nts may use a n a tlas during the contest; a n a tlas will be needed to a nswer some test questions. Forty-five minutes will be allotted for the testing period exclusive of time required for instructions. (b) REPRESENTATION. (1) Contestants. Students in officially prescribed grade levels below 9th grade who a re eligible under Sections 1400 a nd 1405 may enter this contest. (2) Divisions . Districts shall offer either a sepa ra te division for each pa rticipa ting grade level or combined grade level divisions as specified in official contest procedures. (3) Individual Competition. For each division, each 170 Section 1426: A+ Impromptu Speaking 171 171 Section 1434: A+ Maps, Graphs and Charts pa rticipa nt school may enter as ma ny as three contesta nts in the district meet. (4) Team Competition. If the district has elected to include tea m competition, the combined scores of the three contesta nts in each divi - sion from a school shall constitute the school’s tea m score. A tea m shall have three con - testa nts compete to pa rticipa te in the tea m competition. (c) CONTEST ADMINISTRATION. (1) Personnel. All personnel in this contest may be coaches of pa rticipa ting students. (2) Ties and Points . No ties a re to be broken in either the individual or the tea m component of this contest. If there is a tie for first place, there is no second place. If there is a tie for second place, there is no third place, etc. Points a re awa rded as specified in Section 1408 (i). Tied contesta nts or tea ms split the total points equally for the two or more places in which a tie exists. (3) Verification Period. A verifica tion period shall be provided. Unofficial results should be posted. Contesta nts a nd coaches should be given no more tha n 15 minutes to exa mine their test papers with official keys. Questions should be directed to the contest director, whose decision shall be final. (4) Official Results. After the verifica tion period has ended a nd all test papers have been col - lected, the contest director shall a nnounce the official results. Official results, once a nnounced, a re final. (5) Returning Materials. No ma terials from dis - trict contests may be returned to contesta nts prior to official release da tes. Section 1438: MATHEMATICS (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Summary . Lea rning to complete ma th prob - lems quickly is a valua ble skill in all facets of life. This contest includes problems covering, but not limited to: numera tion systems, a rith - metic opera tions involving whole numbers, integers, fractions, decimals, exponents, order of opera tions, proba bility, sta tistics, number theory, simple interest, measurements a nd con - versions. Geometry a nd algebra problems may be included as appropria te for the grade level. (2) Contest Format . The contest consists of 50 multiple-choice problems. Thirty minutes will be allotted for the testing period exclusive of time required for instructions. (b) REPRESENTATION. (1) Contestants. Students in officially prescribed grade levels below 9th grade who a re eligible under Sections 1400 a nd 1405 may enter this contest. (2) Divisions . Districts shall offer either a sepa ra te division for each pa rticipa ting grade level or combined grade level divisions as specified in official contest procedures. (3) Individual Competition. Each pa rticipa nt school may enter as ma ny as three contest-a nts per division in the district meet. (4) Team Competition. If the district has elected to include tea m competition, the combined scores of the three contesta nts in each division from a school shall constitute the school’s tea m score. A tea m shall have three contesta nts compete to pa rticipa te in the tea m competition. (c) CONTEST ADMINISTRATION . (1) Personnel. All personnel in this contest may be coaches of pa rticipa ting students. (2) Ties and Points . No ties a re to be broken in either the individual or the tea m component of this contest. If there is a tie for first place, there is no second place. If there is a tie for second place, there is no third place, etc. Points a re awa rded as specified in Section 1408 (i). (3) Verification Period . A verifica tion period shall be provided. Unofficial results should be posted. Contesta nts a nd coaches should be given no more tha n 15 minutes to exa mine their test papers with official keys. Questions should be directed to the contest director, whose decision shall be final. (4) Official Results. After verifica tion period has ended a nd all test papers have been collected, the contest director shall a nnounce the offi - cial results. Official results, once a nnounced, a re final. (5) Returning Materials. No ma terials from district contests may be returned to contesta nts prior to official release da tes. Section 1442: MODERN ORATORY (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Summary. In this contest, the contesta nt will select one of the topics, determine the critical issues in the topic, a nd acknowledge both pro a nd con points citing support discovered in their resea rch. Students will choose a side they will defend a nd support tha t side with additional evidence. Along with 172 the skills of a nalysis, resea rch, note-taking, documenta tion, evalua tion a nd decision- making come those of memoriza tion a nd delivery. (2) Contest Format. The UIL will provide a selec - tion of topics each academic yea r from which the student will pick one. Contesta nts will deliver a three to six-minute speech on their topic without the use of notes. Contesta nts shall not use costumes or props in the contest. Students going over the maximum or under the minimum time limit shall be penalized one ra nk. For exa mple, if the judges ra nk a student second who has gone over the time limit, tha t student shall be assigned third place a nd the student who was ra nked third will be given second place. No speaker may be coached or prompted in a ny ma nner during the presenta tion. Audiences a re permitted. (b) REPRESENTATION. (1) Contestants. Students in officially prescribed grade levels below 9th grade who a re eligible under Section 1400 a nd 1405 may enter this contest. (2) Divisions . Districts shall offer either a sepa ra te division for each pa rticipa ting grade level or combined grade level divisions as specified in official contest procedures. (3) Individual Competition. Each pa rticipa nt school may enter as ma ny as three contesta nts per division in the district meet. (4) Team Competition. There is no tea m competi - tion in this contest. (c) CONTEST ADMINISTRATION . (1) Personnel. The contest director may be the coach of a pa rticipa ting student. Contest offi - cials should select one judge or a n odd-num - bered pa nel of judges for each section. Judges shall not be coaches of pa rticipa ting students. So fa r as possible, judges should not know wha t school a ny contesta nt represents. (2) Sections. A section shall consist of no more tha n eight contesta nts. If nine or more stu - dents enter a division of modern ora tory, they shall be divided into sections according to official contest procedures. (3) Rankings, Ties and Points . Contesta nts shall be ra nked as specified in official contest proce - dures. There ca n be no ties in this contest. Points a re awa rded as specified in Section 1408 (i). (4) Verification Period . If a pa nel of judges is used, a verifica tion period shall be provided. Unof - ficial results should be posted. Coaches should be given no more tha n 15 minutes to verify tha t ta bula tion of ra nkings is correct. The decisions of the judges a re not subject to question. Evalua tion sheets may be viewed by contesta nts a nd coaches during the verifica - tion period. For rounds with single judges, a 15-minute viewing period is recommended. (5) Official Results. The contest director shall a nnounce the official results. Official results, once a nnounced, a re final. (6) Returning Materials. No confidential ma terials a re used in this contest. Therefore, evalua tion sheets may be returned to contesta nts a t the conclusion of the contest. Section 1446: MUSIC MEMORY (a) THE CONTEST . (1) Summary . The focus of this contest is a n in-depth study of fine pieces of music taken from a wide spectrum of genres to expose students to grea t composers, their lives a nd their music. In the course of prepa ring for the contest, students should be given the opportunity to describe a nd a nalyze the music, rela te the music to history, to society a nd to culture, a nd to evalua te musical performa nce. The UIL will publish each yea r the official UIL Music Memory List a nd provide sources for obta ining recordings of the music a nd informa tion on the pieces a nd composers. (2) Contest Format . Students in grade 2 will listen to a nd identify short excerpts of 10 musical selections. Additional optional components may be ava ila ble for district considera tion. There is no tiebreaker section for the grade 2 contest. Students in grades 3 a nd 4 will com - plete a ma tching section a nd will listen to a nd identify short excerpts of up to 20 musi - cal selections. Students in grades 5, 6, 7 a nd 8 will listen to a nd identify short excerpts of up to 20 musical selections. Specific test forma ts for grades 5, 6, 7 a nd 8 may differ by grade level a nd may include tiebreaker sections or optional components for district consid - era tion. The current A+ Handbook includes complete rules a nd instructions. (b) REPRESENTATION. (1) Contestants. Students in officially prescribed grade levels below 9th grade who a re eligible under Sections 1400 a nd 1405 may enter this contest (2) Divisions . Districts shall offer either a sepa ra te 172 Section 1442: A+ Modern Oratory 173 173 Section 1446: A+ Music Memory division for each pa rticipa ting grade level or combined grade level divisions as specified in official contest procedures. (3) Individuals. Each pa rticipa nt school may enter as ma ny as five contesta nts in each division in the district meet. (4) Team Competition. If the district has elected to include tea m competition, the combined scores of all contesta nts in each division from a school, divided by the number of contes - ta nts from tha t school, shall constitute the school’s tea m score. A tea m shall have a t least three contesta nts compete to pa rticipa te in tea m competition. (c) CONTEST ADMINISTRATION. (1) Personnel. All personnel in this contest may be coaches of pa rticipa ting students. (2) Ties and Points . Ties shall be broken, when applica ble, by applying the tiebreaker rules for tha t grade level. If a tie rema ins a fter the tiebreaker has been scored, the tie will sta nd. If there is a tie for first place, there is no sec - ond place. If there is a tie for second place, there is no third place, etc. Points a re awa rded as specified in Section 1408 (i). Tied individu - als or tea ms split the total points equally for the two or more places in which a tie exists. (3) Certificates . Students having a 100% correct paper on the district test selections a re eligible for a Certifica te of Achievement. The four tie- breaking questions a re not to be considered in determining 100% papers. (4) Verification Period. A verifica tion period shall be provided. Unofficial results should be posted. Contesta nts a nd coaches should be given no more tha n 15 minutes to exa mine their test papers with official keys. Questions should be directed to the contest director, whose decision shall be final. (5) Official Results. After the verifica tion period has ended a nd all test papers have been collected, the contest director shall a nnounce the official results. Official results, once a nnounced, a re final. (6) Returning Materials. No ma terials from district contests may be returned to contesta nts prior to official release da tes. Section 1450: NUMBER SENSE (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Summary . Individuals a re called upon every day to use their a bility to make quick mental calcula tions to make decisions. The development of such a bilities should be a n integral pa rt of the ma th curriculum. Concepts covered include, but a re not limited to: addition, subtraction, multiplica tion, division, proportions, a nd use of ma thema tic nota tion. (2) Contest Format . Students will be given a fill- in-the-bla nk test which they shall complete without doing calcula tions on paper or on a calcula tor. Erasures, ma rk-overs a nd ma rk- outs a re not permitted. Requirements for numeric forms shall be as specified in official contest procedures. Exactly 10 minutes shall be allotted for the testing period exclusive of time required for instructions. (b) REPRESENTATION. (1) Contestants. Students in officially prescribed grade levels below 9th grade who a re eligible under Sections 1400 a nd 1405 may enter this contest. (2) Divisions . Districts shall offer either a sepa - ra te division for each pa rticipa ting grade level or combined grade level divisions as specified in official contest procedures. (3) Individual Competition. For each division, each pa rticipa nt school may enter as ma ny as three contesta nts in the district meet. (4) Team Competition. If the district has elect - ed to include tea m competition, the com - bined scores of the three contesta nts in each division from a school shall constitute the school’s tea m score. A tea m shall have three contesta nts compete to pa rticipa te in the tea m competition. (c) CONTEST ADMINISTRATION. (1) Personnel. All personnel in this contest may be coaches of pa rticipa ting students. (2) Ties and Points . Ties a re not to be broken in either individual or tea m competition. If there is a tie for first place, there is no second place. If there is a tie for second place, there is no third place, etc. Points a re awa rded as speci - fied in Section 1408 (i). Tied individuals or tea ms split the total points equally for the two or more places in which a tie exists. (3) Verification Period. A verifica tion period shall be provided. Unofficial results should be posted. Contesta nts a nd coaches should be given no more tha n 15 minutes to exa mine their test papers with official keys. Questions should be directed to the contest director, whose decision shall be final. (4) Official Results. After the verifica tion period 174 has ended a nd all test papers have been col - lected , the contest director shall a nnounce the official results. Official results, once a nnounced, a re final. (5) Returning Materials. No ma terials from district contests may be returned to contesta nts prior to official release da tes. Section 1454: ONE-ACT PLAY (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Summary . Students will have the opportunity to work in all aspects of the production of a 40-minute play. During the production of the play they will be a ble to: (A) sa tisfy the competitive, a rtistic spirit with friendly rivalry a mong schools, emphasizing high quality performa nce in this crea tive a rt; (B) foster apprecia tion of good acting, good directing a nd good dra ma ; (C) promote interest in tha t a rt form most readily usa ble in leisure time during adult life; (D) lea rn to lose or win graciously, accept - ing in good sportsma nship the judge’s decision a nd criticism with a view to improve future productions; a nd (E) increase the number of schools tha t have adopted thea tre a rts as a n academic subject in school curricula. (2) Contest Format. Schools will produce a play in strict accorda nce to the rules a nd regula tions in the current One-Act Play Handbook a nd Sections 1033 a nd 1034, with the following exceptions: (A) all deadlines a nd schedules a re to be determined by the district executive committee; (B) enrollment a nd Title Entry Forms a re not required for junior high schools a nd will not be ava ila ble from the UIL office; a nd (C) directors for eighth grade a nd below do not have to be full-time employees of the school district as required by 1033 (b) (5) (A). (b) REPRESENTATION. (1) Contestants. Students in the seventh a nd eighth grades who a re eligible under Section 1400 may enter this contest. Sixth graders who a re eligible under Section 1405 may pa rticipa te in the contest if they a re on the sa me ca mpus as the seventh a nd eighth grade. Pa rticipa nts shall be full-time students in grades six, seven or eight a t the school they represent. (2) Divisions . This contest consists of one division. (c) OFFICIAL RESULTS. The decision of the critic judge or judges is final. The winner of a junior high school one-act play contest shall not adva nce beyond the district level. Winners shall be ra nked first, second a nd third. (d) MATERIALS. No printed ma terials a re shipped for A+ One-Act Play contests. All instructions a nd forms a re ava ila ble for download from the UIL website. Section 1458: ORAL READING (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Summary . Reading a text out loud serves four purposes: to a nalyze the text as a litera ry critic; to grow a nd to develop as a performer; to communica te a message to a n a udience; a nd to perform a n a rtistic crea tion. All of these apply to the Oral Reading competition, which should be a n extension of the class - room litera ry a nd la nguage a rts activities in poetry, short stories a nd children’s fiction. (2) Contest Format. Requirements for acceptable selections shall be as specified in official contest procedures. The maximum time for each presentation is six minutes. There is no minimum time limit. Students who exceed the allotted six minutes shall be penalized one rank. For example, if the judges rank a student second who has gone overtime, that student shall be assigned third place and the student who was ranked third will be given second place. Contestants may not use cos - tumes or props in the contest. No speaker may be coached or prompted in any manner during the presentation. Audiences are per - mitted . (b) REPRESENTATION. (1) Contestants. Students in officially prescribed grade levels below 9th grade who a re eligible under Sections 1400 a nd 1405 may enter this contest a t the district meet. Eligible ninth grade students may also enter oral reading. (2) Divisions . Districts shall offer either a sepa ra te division for each pa rticipa ting grade level or combined grade level divisions as specified in official contest procedures. (3) Individual Competition. Each pa rticipa nt school may enter as ma ny as three contesta nts per division in the district meet. (4) Team Competition. There is no tea m competi - tion in this contest. 174 Section 1450: A+ Number Sense 175 175 Section 1458: A+ Oral Reading (c) CONTEST ADMINISTRATION . (1) Personnel. The contest director may be the coach of a pa rticipa ting student. A timekeeper should be provided for each section. Contest officials should select one judge or a n odd- numbered pa nel of judges for each section. Judges shall not be coaches of pa rticipa ting students. So fa r as possible, judges should not know wha t school a ny contesta nt represents. (2) Sections. A section shall consist of no more tha n eight contesta nts. If nine or more students enter a division of oral reading, they shall be divided into sections according to official con - test procedures. Winners from the prelimina ry rounds will compete in a final round. (3) Rankings, Ties and Points. Contesta nts shall be ra nked as specified in official contest proce - dures. There ca n be no ties in this contest. Points a re awa rded as specified in Section 1408 (i). (4) Verification Period . If a pa nel of judges is used, a verifica tion period shall be provided, dur - ing which unofficial results should be posted. Coaches should be given no more tha n 15 minutes to verify tha t ta bula tion of ra nkings is correct. The decisions of the judges a re not subject to question. Evalua tion sheets may be viewed by contesta nts a nd coaches during the verifica tion period a nd shall be returned to the contest director a t the end of the verifica - tion period. For rounds with single judges, a 15-minute viewing period is recommended. (5) Official Results . The contest director shall a nnounce the official results. Official results, once a nnounced, a re final. (6) Returning Materials. No confidential ma terials a re used in this contest. Therefore, evalua tion sheets may be returned to contesta nts a t the conclusion of the contest. Section 1462: READY WRITING (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Summary. Texas has put a grea t emphasis on writing skills a t all levels of school a nd all levels of sta tewide testing. Ready Writing builds upon those skills a nd helps students refine their writing a bilities. In pa rticula r, this contest helps them lea rn to write clea rly a nd correctly a paper tha t is interesting a nd original. (2) Contest Format . Contesta nts a re given a choice between two prompts, each of which defines the a udience a nd provides the purpose for writing. Students should be encouraged to a nalyze the prompts for purpose, forma t, a udience a nd point of view. The forma t may be, for exa mple, a letter, a n a rticle for the newspaper or a n essay for the principal. Va rious writing stra tegies may be sta ted or implied in the prompt. Some of these include: (A) description to inform – describe the happening or person/object from imag - ina tion or memory; (B) na rra tion – write a story; (C) persuasion – describe a nd a rgue just one side of a n issue; describe both sides of a n issue then a rgue only one side; write a n editorial; write a letter to per - suade, etc. There is no minimum or maximum number of words the contesta nts may write. Two hours a re allowed for writing the composi - tion. The District Executive Committee may shorten the length of the contest period to conform to the needs of the grade level. (b) REPRESENTATION. (1) Contestants. Students in officially prescribed grade levels below 9th grade who a re eligible under Sections 1400 a nd 1405 may enter this contest. (2) Divisions . Districts shall offer either a sepa ra te division for each pa rticipa ting grade level or combined grade level divisions as specified in official contest procedures. (3) Individual Competition. For each division, each pa rticipa nt school may enter as ma ny as three contesta nts in the district meet. (4) Team Competition. There is no tea m competi - tion in this contest. (c) CONTEST ADMINISTRATION . (1) Personnel. (A) Contest Director . The contest direc - tor may be the coach of a pa rticipa ting student. A single or a n odd number of judges should be selected. Judge(s) shall not be coaches of pa rticipa ting students. (2) Options For Writing . Contesta nts may ha nd-write their essays or may bring a nd use their own computers. If contes - ta nts choose to use their own comput - ers, they shall bring their own printers, associa ted ha rdwa re, softwa re a nd paper. Spell check a nd thesa urus func - tions may be used. Students who opt to compose their entries on computers 176 accept the risk of computer malfunction. In case of computer malfunction, the contesta nt may use the rema ining allot - ted time to complete the composition in ha ndwriting. Contesta nts may use electronic or printed dictiona ries a nd thesa uruses. (3) Viewing Period An optional period of time not to exceed 15 minutes may be a rra nged for coaches a nd contesta nts to review their own evalua tions a nd compositions, a nd verify identifica tion . (4) Ties and Points . There ca n be no ties in this contest. Points a re awa rded as specified in Section 1408 (i). (5) Official Results . After the optional viewing period has ended a nd all compositions have been collected , the contest director shall a nnounce the official winners. Official results, once a nnounced, a re final. (6) Returning Materials. No ma terials from district contests may be returned to contesta nts prior to official release da tes. Section 1466: SCIENCE (a) THE CONTEST. (1) Summary . Emphasis for the Science contest will be placed on knowledge of scientific fact, understa nding of scientific principles a nd the a bility to think through scientific problems. The contests a re designed to test not only memory but the a bility to think critically a bout science a nd scientific processes a nd concepts. Such concepts include, but a re not limited to: ma tter a nd energy, equilibrium, force a nd motion, physical a nd chemical properties, the rela tionship between orga nisms a nd the environment, the components of our sola r system, the composition of ma tter a nd genetics. The contests will build upon the vast body of cha nging a nd increasing knowledge described by physical, ma thema tical a nd conceptual models. (2) Contest Format. Each test will consist of approxima tely 50 objective questions tha t will be taken prima rily from current sta te- adopted science textbooks a nd the curricu - lum. Forty-five minutes will be allotted for the testing period exclusive of time required for instructions. (b) REPRESENTATION. (1) Contestants. Students in officially prescribed grade levels below 9th grade who a re eligible under Section 1400 or 1405 may enter this contest. (2) Divisions . Districts shall offer either a sepa ra te division for each grade level or combined grade level divisions as specified in official contest pro - cedures. (3) Individual Competition. Each pa rticipa nt school may enter as ma ny as three contesta nts per division in the district meet. (4) Team Competition. If the district has elect - ed to include tea m competition, the com - bined scores of the three contesta nts in each division from a school shall constitute the school’s tea m score. A tea m shall have three contesta nts compete to pa rticipa te in the tea m competition. (c) CONTEST ADMINISTRATION. (1) Personnel. All personnel in this contest may be coaches of pa rticipa ting students. (2) Verification Period. A verifica tion period shall be provided. Unofficial results should be posted. Contesta nts a nd coaches should be given no more tha n 15 minutes to exa mine their test papers with official keys. Questions should be directed to the contest director, whose decision shall be final. (3) Ties and Points. Ties shall not be broken. If there is a tie for first place, there is no second place. If there is a tie for second place, there is not third, etc. Points a re awa rded as specified in Section 1408 (i). (4) Official Results. After the verifica tion period has ended a nd all test papers a nd a nswer sheets have been collected, the contest direc - tor shall a nnounce the official results. Offi - cial results, once a nnounced, a re final. (5) Returning Materials. No ma terials from district contests may be returned to contesta nts prior to official release da tes. Section 1468: SOCIAL STUDIES (a) THE CONTEST . (1) Summary . This contest is designed to encour - age students to expa nd their knowledge of social studies, pa rticula rly in the a reas of history, government systems, economics, citi - zenship a nd culture. Subject ma tter used for the test will be taken from currently adopted social studies textbooks a nd identified pri - ma ry sources. (2) Contest Format . Students will be given a n objective test conta ining approxima tely 40 questions. Thirty minutes will be allotted for the testing period exclusive of time required for instructions. 176 Section 1462: A+ Ready Writing 177 177 Section 1468: A+ Social Studies (b) REPRESENTATION. (1) Contestants . Students in officially prescribed grade levels below 9th grade who a re eligible under Sections 1400 a nd 1405 may enter this contest. (2) Divisions . Districts shall offer either a sepa ra te division for each pa rticipa ting grade level or combined grade level divisions as specified in official contest procedures. (3) Individual Competition. For each division, each pa rticipa nt school may enter as ma ny as three contesta nts in the district meet. (4) Team Competition. If the district has elected to include tea m competition, the combined scores of the three contesta nts in each division from a school shall constitute the school’s tea m score. A tea m shall have three contesta nts compete to pa rticipa te in the tea m competition. (c) CONTEST ADMINISTRATION. (1) Personnel . All personnel in this contest may be coaches of pa rticipa ting students. (2) Verification Period . A verifica tion period shall be provided. Unofficial results should be post - ed. Contesta nts a nd coaches should be given no more tha n 15 minutes to exa mine their test papers with official keys. Questions should be directed to the contest director, whose deci - sion shall be final. (3) Ties and Points . No ties a re to be broken. If there is a tie for first place, there is no second place. If there is a tie for second place, there is no third place, etc. Points a re awa rded as specified in Section 1408 (i). (4) Official Results . After the verifica tion period has ended a nd all test papers have been col - lected, the contest director shall a nnounce the official results. Official results, once a nnounced, a re final. (5) Returning Materials. No ma terials from district contests may be returned to contesta nts prior to official release da tes. Section 1470: SPELLING (a) THE CONTEST . (1) Summary . This contest is designed to give stu - dents exposure to a wide va riety of voca bula ry words. It is not a contest of memoriza tion. For the most educa tional value, prepa ra tion for this contest should include instruction in the rules of the English la nguage, mea nings a nd definitions, a nd root words. In addition to lea rning to spell proficiently, contesta nts will lea rn to write clea rly a nd to capitalize words properly. Words will come from the appropri - a te UIL spelling list, sta te adopted textbooks a nd words of common usage . Approxima tely 20 percent of the test words will come from sources other tha n the UIL spelling lists. The source designa ted in official contest proce - dures will serve as the a uthority for all words in the contest (2) Contest Format . Students will write down words given by the pronouncer on their paper a t a ra te of approxima tely five words per minute. (A) Grades 3 a nd 4: 50 words; tie breaker, 15 words. (B) Grades 5 a nd 6: 80 words; tie breaker, 20 words. (C) Grades 7 a nd 8: 110 words; tie breaker, 30 words. The tiebreaker is given to all contesta nts immedia tely following the initial test. Con - testa nts who do not take the tiebreaker shall be disqualified. (b) REPRESENTATION. (1) Contestants. Students in officially prescribed grade levels below 9th grade who a re eligible under Sections 1400 a nd 1405 may enter this contest. (2) Divisions . Districts shall offer either a sepa ra te division for each pa rticipa ting grade level or combined grade level divisions as specified in official contest procedures. (3) Individual Competition. For each division, each pa rticipa nt school may enter as ma ny as three contesta nts in the district meet. (4) Team Competition. If the district has elect - ed to include tea m competition, the com - bined scores of the three contesta nts in each division from a school shall constitute the school’s tea m score. A tea m shall have three contesta nts compete to pa rticipa te in the tea m competition. (c) CONTEST ADMINISTRATION. (1) Personnel . The contest director will be in cha rge of running the contest a nd resolv - ing a ny problems tha t a rise. The director may also serve as the pronouncer as long as he/she is not the coach of a ny student in the contest. The pronouncer shall not be a coach of a ny contesta nt entered in the con - test. Responsibilities of the pronouncer a re as specified in official contest procedures. Additional required a nd recommended con - test personnel a re specified in official contest 178 procedures. (2) Verification Period . A verifica tion period shall be provided. Unofficial results should be posted. Contesta nts a nd coaches should be given no more tha n 15 minutes to exa mine their test papers with official keys. Questions should be directed to the contest director, whose deci - sions shall be final. (3) Ties and Points . Ties in individual competition a re to be broken by scoring the tie breaker test of only those involved in the tie. When calcula ting tea m scores, do not include scores from the tie breaker portion of the test unless a tie exists. If a tie exists in tea m competition, calcula te the tie breaker scores for only those tea ms involved in the tie. If the tie rema ins a fter scoring the tie breaker, the tie shall sta nd. If there is a tie for first place, there is no second place. I f there is a tie for second place, there is no third place, etc. Points a re awa rded as specified in Section 1408 (i). (4) Certificates . Students who score 100% in dis - trict competition a re eligible to receive a Certifica te of Achievement. Words misspelled on the tie breaker do not disqualify a student from a certifica te. (5) Official Results. After the verifica tion period has ended a nd all test papers have been col - lected, the contest director shall a nnounce the official results. Official results, once a nnounced, a re final. (6) Returning Materials. No ma terials from district contests may be returned to contesta nts prior to official release da tes. Section 1474: STORYTELLING (a) THE CONTEST . (1) Summary. To tell a story, the pa rticipa nt should develop skills in listening, thinking a nd speaking. This contest also allows for the development of crea tive expression. For practice, teachers ca n use stories from a ny good children’s books or maga zines. (2) Contest Format . Contesta nts shall listen to a storyteller read a brief story (between 600 a nd 1100 words long) only once, a nd then retell tha t story in their own words before a judge or judges. Contesta nts shall not use cos - tumes or props in the contest. No ma terials or notes may be used during the presenta tion. There is no minimum or maximum time limit for the presenta tion. Contesta nts may not receive prompting of the story plot or deta ils. Audiences a re permitted to hea r contesta nts tell their stories. (b) REPRESENTATION. (1) Contestants. Students in officially prescribed grade levels below 9th grade who a re eligible under Section 1400 or 1405 may enter this contest. (2) Divisions . Districts shall offer either a sepa ra te division for each pa rticipa ting grade level or combined grade level divisions as specified in official contest procedures. (3) Individual Competition. Each pa rticipa nt school may enter as ma ny as three contesta nts per division in the district meet. (4) Team Competition. There is no tea m competi - tion in this contest. (c) CONTEST ADMINISTRATION. (1) Personnel. The contest director may be the coach of a pa rticipa ting student. If the contest director is not the coach of a pa rticipa ting student, the contest director may serve as the storyteller or may appoint a qualified person to act in this capacity. Responsibilities of the storyteller a re as specified in official contest procedures. The storyteller may not be the coach of a pa rticipa ting student. Contest officials should select one judge or a n odd- numbered pa nel of judges for each section. Judges shall not be coaches of pa rticipa ting students. So fa r as possible, judges should not know wha t school a ny contesta nt represents. (2) Sections. A section shall consist of no more tha n eight contesta nts. If nine or more stu - dents enter a division of storytelling, they shall be divided into sections according to official contest procedures. Winners from the prelimina ry rounds will compete in a final round. (3) Rankings, Ties and Points . Contesta nts shall be ra nked as specified in official contest pro - cedures. There ca n be no ties in this contest. Points a re awa rded as specified in Section 1408 (i). (4) Verification Period . If a pa nel of judges is used, a verifica tion period shall be provided. Unof - ficial results should be posted. Coaches should be given no more tha n 15 minutes to verify tha t ta bula tion of ra nkings is correct. The ra nkings given by judges a re not subject to question. Evalua tion sheets may be viewed by contesta nts a nd coaches during the veri - fica tion period a nd shall be returned to the contest director a t the end of the verifica - 178 Section 1470: A+ Spelling 179 179 Section 1474: A+ Storytelling tion period. For rounds with single judges, a 15-minute viewing period is recommended. (5) Official Results. The director shall a nnounce the official results. Official results, once a nnounced, a re final. (6) Returning Materials. No ma terials from district contests may be returned to contesta nts prior to official release da tes. Section 1478: SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE ATH - LETIC PLAN (a) PURPOSES. The UIL is vitally interested in the wel - fa re a nd development of every youngster. A prop - erly administered a thletic progra m ca n enha nce their overall educa tion. Junior high progra ms need to take into considera tion the substa ntial ra nge in individual differences a mong seventh a nd eighth grade students, i.e., age, body build, interests, a bil - ity, experience, health, a nd stages of physiological, emotional a nd social ma turity. Exploring a wide ra nge of activities ra ther tha n specializing in one a rea, a nd wha t is best for the grea test number of pa rticipa nts involved should be emphasized. Each local district has final responsibility for enforce - ment of all objectives, guidelines a nd codes in the junior high progra m of competition. The purposes of the junior high a thletic progra m of the UIL include the following. (1) To conduct the a thletic progra m so tha t educa tional objectives a re achieved, highest deta ils of sportsma nship a re upheld, a nd no single phase of the a thletic progra m is promoted a t the expense of other progra ms. (2) To provide broad a nd va ried a thletic pro - gra ms with a n opportunity for equita ble com - petition for all students. A desira ble progra m involves pa rticipa tion in intra mural competi - tion a t several a bility levels a nd interschool competition for the more adva nced students. (3) To equalize competition a nd administer the progra ms so tha t misma tching of tea ms or individuals is not permitted. Individual schools shall have the final responsibility of enforcing this concept. (4) To integra te the a thletic progra m with all other activities essential to junior high school youth, avoiding a n excessive activity load for a ny student. (5) To require tha t pa rticipa nts a re properly exa mined, approved, equipped, classified, instructed a nd supervised. (6) To administer the progra m so tha t there will be a minimum loss of school time, proper but minimal publicity, competent officia ting, limited awa rds, a nd the progra m kept in its proper perspective. (7) To provide qualified faculty leadership who understa nd this adolescent age group, the objec - tive of this modified sports progra m, a nd the emphasis on sa fety a nd welfa re of the student. (8) To foster proper respect for a uthority a nd avoida nce of all evidences of undesira ble a thletic ma nnerisms. (9) To compete within the spirit of the rules, giv - ing every opponent due credit a nd respect, a nd making every effort to be gracious in vic - tory or loss. NOTE: All middle and junior high coaches are required to comply with Section 1202 (j), (k), and (l). (b) ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE PARTICIPANTS. An indi - vidual may pa rticipa te in UIL a thletic competition or contests as a representa tive of a pa rticipa nt school if he/she: (1) has met the requirements of Section 1400 (a) rega rding general eligibility; (2) for seventh grade a thletic competition, has not reached his/her 14th birthday on or before September 1, a nd has not enrolled in the ninth grade; (3) for eighth grade a thletic competition, has not reached his/her 15th birthday on or before September 1, a nd has not enrolled in the ninth grade; a nd (4) a student who initially entered the seventh or eighth grade the current school yea r a nd is too old for seventh or eighth grade pa r - ticipa tion may pa rticipa te according to age, tha t is, seventh graders on the eighth grade, ninth grade, high school junior va rsity or high school va rsity tea m, a nd eighth graders on the ninth grade, high school junior va r - sity or high school va rsity tea m. (A) Four Consecutive Yea rs. A student has only four consecutive calenda r yea rs to complete high school va rsity eligibility. Exception: Refer to Section 463. (B) Athletic Class. Overage junior high school students who have reached their 15th birthday on or before September 1 of tha t school yea r may be assigned to high school a thletic periods if they a re pa rticipa ting with the high school sub-va rsity or va rsity. Otherwise sev - enth a nd eighth grade students rema in in their junior high school a thletic class 180 throughout the school yea r. (C) Full Pa rticipa tion Allowed. Only seventh a nd eighth grade students who a re too old to represent the eighth- grade tea m may pa rticipa te on the high school’s a thletic tea m. Overage junior high school students who pa rticipa te with a high school ninth grade, sub- va rsity or va rsity tea m, may pa rticipa te fully under the rules for high school a thletes in tha t sport, including, but not limited to, rules governing number of ga mes, post-season ga mes, etc. (5) Is a full-time student in grade seven or eight a t the school he/she represents, or is a non- enrolled (home schooled) student seeking pa rticipa tion a nd is in complia nce with all provisions included in section 33.0832 of the Texas Educa tion Code. Exception: Seventh a nd eighth grade students from public K-8 ISDs tha t do not field a tea m, may pa rticipa te on the seventh a nd eighth grade baseball, bas - ketball, football, soccer, softball a nd/or vol - leyball tea ms a t the junior high school in the a ttenda nce a rea where they reside or which is a pa rt of the designa ted receiving school district. (Pa rochial, priva te schooled students a re not eligible.) (6) Has been in a ttenda nce a nd has passed the number of courses required by sta te law a nd by rules of the Sta te Boa rd of Educa tion, a nd is passing the number of courses required by sta te law a nd by rules of the Sta te Boa rd of Educa tion; or is a non-enrolled (home schooled) student seeking pa rticipa tion a nd is in complia nce with all provisions included in section 33.0832 of the Texas Educa tion Code. (7) Has not cha nged schools for a thletic purposes. Note : Eligibility is lost for one to three yea rs for seventh grade “A” tea m, eighth grade “A” tea m or combined seventh a nd eighth grade “A” tea m. An “A” tea m is the sa me as a high school va rsity tea m. (c) SIXTH GRADE PARTICIPATION. (1) No Interscholastic Athletic Competition Below Seventh Grade. With only the exceptions noted below, no interscholastic a thletic practice or competition is allowed in a ny conference for tea ms in the sixth grade a nd below. Sixth grade students may not practice with or aga inst junior high students. This does not apply to a nnual inter-school elementa ry field days, assuming there is no awa rding of place ribbons or determina tion of tea m cha mpions. (2) Student’s Eligibility . A sixth grader may pa r - ticipa te in UIL competition or contests as a representa tive of a pa rticipa nt school only if he/she: (A) is a student with a disa bility which delayed his or her educa tion by a t least a yea r a nd therefore will be too old to pa rticipa te the following yea r as a sev - enth grader; (B) has met the requirements of Section 1400 (a) rega rding general eligibility; (C) Is a full-time student in grade six a t the school he/she represents; (D) has been in a ttenda nce a nd has passed the number of courses required by sta te law a nd by rules of the Sta te Boa rd of Educa tion, a nd is passing the number of courses required by sta te law a nd by rules of the Sta te Boa rd of Educa tion; a nd (E) has not cha nged schools for a thletic purposes. (3) Exceptions. A sixth grader may also pa r - ticipa te in UIL competition or contests as a representa tive of a pa rticipa nt school under the following circumsta nces. (A) In Conference 1A a nd 2A schools or in small junior high schools whose enroll - ment corresponds to Conference 1A a nd 2A enrollment, sixth graders may be used when their pa rticipa tion is vital to field one combined seventh a nd eighth grade baseball, basketball, football, soccer, soft - ball or volleyball tea m on the first day of the season. Sixth graders may not be used on either tea m when a school has more tha n one tea m playing baseball, basketball, football, soccer, softball or volleyball tea m on the first day of the season. 1A a nd 2A schools a re allowed to use sixth graders to field as ma ny as two (2) tea ms under this rule. The first day of the season is defined as the first day of practice outside the school day or the day of the first competition, whichever occurs sooner. If fewer tha n the below listed number of seventh a nd eighth grade students report the first day of the season, then sixth graders shall be notified the next day tha t they may try out for the combined seventh a nd eighth grade tea m a nd may pa rticipa te for the entire season. If the number of seventh 180 Section 1478: Seventh & Eighth Grade Athletic Plan 181 181 Section 1478: Seventh & Eighth Grade Athletic Plan a nd eighth graders reporting the first day of the season meets or exceeds the num - ber listed below, then sixth graders shall not be used a nytime during the entire season. Baseball - 18 Basketball - 10 Football: 6-ma n - 12 Football: 11-ma n - 22 Soccer - 22 Softball - 18 Volleyball - 12 If a coach intentionally prevents seventh or eighth graders from reporting a t the beginning of the season (so as to permit sixth graders to pa rticipa te) it will be considered a viola tion of the Athletic Codes a nd subject to penalty. (B) Individual Sports. Sixth graders shall not represent a UIL seventh a nd eighth school in individual sports (cross coun - try, golf, swimming, tennis, track a nd field a nd wrestling), except students with disa bilities who meet the criteria of the provisions of Section 1478 (c) (2). Sixth graders a re allowed to pa rticipa te in individual sports in conference 1A if they meet the conditions a bove in a preceding tea m sport. (C) Schools must provide evidence of com - plia nce with the rule a bove to the DEC to utilize sixth graders. (d) GENERAL REGULATIONS FOR ATHLET - IC COMPETITION . Prior to all a thletic ga mes, meets, ma tches a nd practices the following shall be adhered to, if applica ble. (1) Scheduling . No ga me, contest, scrimmage or tourna ment, including district competition, shall begin prior to the end of the academic school day for all pa rticipa nts. Refer to 1478 (b) (4) for junior high students who pa rticipa te on a high school tea m a nd for scheduling a thletic classes. (2) No Post-district Competition . There shall be no post-season playoffs or competition in a ny a thletic event. (3) Non-Discrimination Policy In UIL Junior High School Contest Plans . Refer to Section 360 of the Constitution. (4) Pre-Participation Physical Examination. Upon entering the first yea r in junior high a thletics a physical exa mina tion signed by a physicia n, a physicia n assista nt licensed by a sta te boa rd of physicia n assista nt exa miners, a registered nurse recognized as a n adva nced practice nurse by the boa rd of nurse exa miners or a Doctor of Chiropractic is required. Sta nda rdized pre-pa rticipa tion physical exa mina tion forms, ava ila ble from the UIL office a nd a uthorized by the UIL Medical Advisory Committee a re required. (5) Medical History Form. Each yea r prior to a ny practice or pa rticipa tion a UIL medical his - tory form signed by both student a nd a pa r - ent or gua rdia n is required. A medical history form shall accompa ny each physical exa mi - na tion a nd shall be signed by both student a nd a pa rent or gua rdia n. (6) Concussion Acknowledgement Form . According to Section 38.155 of the Texas Educa tion Code, “a student may not pa rticipa te in a n interscholastic a thletic activity for a school yea r until both the student a nd the student ’s pa rent or gua rdia n or a nother person with legal a uthority to make medical deci - sions for the student have signed a form for tha t school yea r tha t acknowledges receiv - ing a nd reading written informa tion tha t expla ins concussion prevention, symptoms, trea tment, a nd oversight a nd tha t includes guidelines for sa fely resuming pa rticipa tion in a n a thletic activity following a concussion .....” This section also applies to students pa rticipa ting in the cheerleading progra m a t the school. (7) Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Form . Each yea r prior to a ny practice or pa rticipa tion in a thletics, a UIL Sudden Ca rdiac Arrest Awa reness form signed by both student a nd a pa rent or gua rdia n is required. (8) Sunday Participation . No UIL pa rticipa nt school shall sponsor individuals or tea ms in a ny contest or school competition on a Sun - day in a UIL contest or a contest simila r to one offered by the UIL. Schools shall not con - duct practices or teach a ny plays, forma tions or skills on Sunday. Any showing of films to or meetings of a thletes for the purpose of instruction or reviewing of plays, forma tions or skills in a ny sport will be construed as a viola tion. This does not prevent coaches from meeting on Sunday or from seeing films or pla nning a n instructional progra m, provided tha t no student a thletes a re involved in the meeting. (9) Holiday Restriction . A school shall not conduct 182 contests or practices, use school facilities, per - sonnel or equipment during five consecutive days of December. Any orga nized or required practice will be a viola tion of this regula tion. Schools may choose a ny five consecutive days which include December 24, 25 a nd 26, with the following exceptions. (A) When December 26 falls on a Thursday, schools may pa rticipa te in a tourna - ment ga me on December 26. (B) When December 26 falls on a Thursday, schools shall still follow a five consecu - tive day restriction, including December 24 a nd 25. (C) No practice shall be permitted on a ny of the five consecutive days. (D) Travel is permitted on the 26th if a tour - na ment ga me is scheduled on December 27; however, no practice shall be per - mitted on the 26th. (E) Travel will not be permitted on Decem - ber 25. (F) A tea m tha t has a ga me on December 23 could travel home on December 24 a nd still be in complia nce with this section. (10) Officials . (A) Responsible School. Home school is responsible for obta ining officials. Unless mutually decided otherwise UIL member schools shall use UIL registered officials for non-va rsity ga mes. (B) Fee Schedule. The fla t fee schedule a nd travel reimbursement, as approved by the Legisla tive Council, shall be posted on the UIL website. www.uiltexas.org/a thletics/officials (11) Tournament Regulations . Definition: a t least three tea ms assembled on days other tha n Sunday for a n elimina tion contest. Tourna - ment ga mes shall not begin prior to the end of the academic school day for all pa rtici - pa nts. Ga mes do not have to be scheduled on consecutive days. Round robin tourna ments limited to four tea ms a nd pool play tourna - ments limited to 16 tea ms shall be permitted. Refer to tea m sports pla ns for further regu - la tions. (12) Recommended Standards . It is recommended tha t seventh a nd eighth grade activities be held on a Sa turday or on a non-school night, or end competition to allow students to be back a t home no la ter tha n 10 p.m. on a school night. It is highly recommended tha t no contest be scheduled on a night prior to a semester or a six-weeks exa m. (13) Physical Education/Athletic Periods . No student shall be enrolled in more tha n one physical educa tion or a thletics class per school day. Schools may use a seventh, eighth or zero period concept for a thletics, provided no student enrolled in the class is enrolled in a ny other physical educa tion/a thletics class. This period shall not exceed 60 minutes per day (or 300 minutes per week on a block schedule) a nd the allotted time includes time for dressing a nd re-dressing in street clothes. Refer to Section 1206 (d). This provision applies to a non-enrolled (home schooled) student pa rticipa ting in accorda nce with section 33.0832 of the Texas Educa tion Code. (e) ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS FOR TEAM SPORTS: BASEBALL, BASKETBALL, FOOT - BALL, SOCCER, SOFTBALL AND VOLLEYBALL. (1) Coaches Involvement with Non-school Teams . For non-school competition seventh- a nd eighth-grade school coaches shall not sched - ule ma tched ga mes for students in grades 7-12 from their a ttenda nce zone during the school yea r. Coaches may assist in orga nizing, selecting players a nd coaches, a nd supervis - ing facilities for non-school UIL play. School coaches shall not coach or instruct students from their school district a ttenda nce zone, except their own adopted or birth children. (2) Rule Modification . Any extension of a ga me in baseball, softball, basketball, football or soccer shall involve different players from those who pa rticipa ted in the ea rlier contest. Any exten - sion mea ns a ny additional time, i.e., a nother qua rter played a t the end of the regula tion junior high contest. The additional play shall count as one of the allowa ble contests per school week, calenda r week, a nd season for the individuals pa rticipa ting. Schools shall count the contest as one of the allowa ble B tea m contests in tha t sport. Schools a re allowed to pay a n additional pa rtial ga me fee to officials. (3) Summer Camps . Refer to Section 1209. (4) Summer Strength/Conditioning Programs and Sport Specific Skill Instruction Refer to Section 1206 (h). (5) Prescheduled District Tournaments - Base ball, Basketball, Soccer, Softball and Volleyball . Junior high prescheduled district baseball, basketball, soccer, softball a nd volleyball tourna ments may be played in addition to invita tional tourna ment(s) provided each ga me/ma tch 182 Section 1478: Seventh & Eighth Grade Athletic Plan 183 183 in the prescheduled tourna ment is counted as a ga me/ma tch on the regula r season record. Exa mple: A junior high school could pa rticipa te in nine regula r season basketball ga mes, two invita tional tourna ments a nd a three-ga me district tourna ment. Schools need to save enough ga mes/ma tches to cover all possible district tourna ment ga mes. (f) BASEBALL AND GIRLS’ SOFTBALL. (1) Number of Games . No tea m or individual shall compete in more tha n 12 ga mes a nd 2 invi - ta tional or district tourna ments. Two ga mes may be substituted in place of a tourna ment. A scrimmage counts as one of the 12 contests. (2) Number of Games Per Week. One ga me or scrimmage may be played per calenda r week. A tourna ment may be played in the sa me cal - enda r week of a ga me. (3) Number of Tournament Games Per Day . Contes - ta nts or tea ms shall play no more tha n two tourna ment ga mes per calenda r day, except contesta nts or tea ms may play in three ga mes in a one-day tourna ment scheduled on a Sa t - urday. (4) Season for Workouts and Games . Schools shall have 97 consecutive calenda r days to practice outside the school day a nd to complete scrim - mages a nd ga mes. The season ca n be held a nytime during the school yea r, provided it does not exceed the number of consecutive calenda r days listed a bove. (g) BASKETBALL. (1) Number of Games . No tea m or student shall compete in more tha n 12 ga mes a nd two invi - ta tional or district tourna ments. Two ga mes may be substituted in place of a tourna ment. If a tea m or student does not play in a ny invita - tional or district tourna ments, four additional ga mes may be played. A scrimmage counts as one of the 12 ga mes. (2) Number of Games Per Week . One ga me or scrimmage may be played per calenda r week. A tourna ment may be played in the sa me cal - enda r week of a ga me. (3) Number of Tournament Games Per Day . Contes - ta nts or tea ms shall play no more tha n two tourna ment ga mes per calenda r day, except contesta nts or tea ms may play in three ga mes in a one-day tourna ment scheduled on a Sa t - urday. (4) Season for Workouts and Games . Schools shall have 121 consecutive calenda r days to prac - tice outside the school day a nd to complete scrimmages a nd ga mes. The season ca n be held a nytime during the school yea r, provid - ed it does not exceed the number of consecu - tive calenda r days listed a bove. (5) Eight Minute Quarters . Junior high schools may, by mutual consent, play eight-minute qua rters. Refer to Basketball Ma nual. (h) FOOTBALL. (1) Number of Games . No tea m or student shall compete in more tha n nine (but recommend eight) football ga mes. A scrimmage counts as one of the allowa ble ga mes. (2) Number of Games Per Week . One ga me or scrimmage may be played per calenda r week. There shall be a minimum of five days between contests. (3) Season for Workouts and Games . (A) Practice . Practice shall not begin prior to the first day of school. Football equip - ment may be checked out to the players on a ny one day during the week preced - ing the first day of school. The first five days of practice shall consist of the fol - lowing acclima tiza tion period. The first two days of practice shall be conducted without a ny contact equipment except helmets. On the third a nd fourth days of practice, helmets, shoulder pads a nd padded girdles (shells) may be worn, but no player to player contact is allowed. On day five of the acclima tiza tion peri - od, helmets, shoulder pads a nd padded girdles (shells) may be worn, a nd player to player contact is permitted. During the five-day acclima tiza tion period, no full contact activities shall be permitted. All student a thletes who a rrive a fter the first day of practice a re required to undergo a five-day acclima tiza tion period. No interschool scrimmages or ga mes shall be allowed until a fter a period of a t least seven days of contact football. (B) Schools shall have 90 consecutive calen - da r days to practice outside the school day a nd to complete scrimmages a nd ga mes. The season ca n be held a nytime during the school yea r, provided it does not exceed the number of consecutive calenda r days listed a bove.. (C) For schools choosing not to sta rt their 90 days on the first day of school, stu - dents may be in a n a thletic period, but ca nnot pa rticipa te in a ny football activities outside the school day until Section 1478: Seventh & Eighth Grade Athletic Plan 184 the first day of the 90 consecutive calen - da r days. (D) During the season, football players a re not allowed to pa rticipa te in more tha n ninety (90) minutes of full contact prac - tice per week. Refer to the Junior High Coaches Ma nual for expla na tions of full contact. (4) Off-Season Workouts . Accelera ted physi - cal educa tion activities, calisthenics, indi - vidual football skills, strength tra ining or conditioning exercises may be conducted during the school term within the school day, (provided such activities do not exceed one regula r class period not to exceed 60 minutes per day (or 300 minutes per week on a block schedule). Practice may include 11-on-11 drills without contact equipment or activities. Activities before or a fter school or during the lunch period a re specifically prohibited. Allowed equipment is limited to a football, shoes with clea ts, passing a nd punt - ing machines a nd physical educa tion a ttire. Air or padded blocking dummies or devices, a nd other simila r devices a re prohibited. Refer to Section 1206 (d). (5) Preseason or Summer Practice for Junior High or Elementary School Students . (A) Eighth Grade a nd Below Pre-Season Practice Prohibited. Schools shall not hold a ny preseason football practice in junior high school (eighth grade a nd below) or elementa ry school, individual or tea m, prior to the opening day of school. (B) Eighth Grade a nd Below Spring Tra in - ing Prohibited. Schools shall not con - duct a ny spring tra ining either in elementa ry school or junior high school (eighth grade a nd below) the preceding spring. (C) Exception for Ninth Graders Not on High School Ca mpus. Students in the ninth grade may pa rticipa te in spring tra ining in Conference AAAAAA a nd AAAAA schools provided tha t such pa r - ticipa tion is on a site a nd a t the sa me time as the high school squad prac - tices a nd tha t sa id high school is the one which the ninth grade students will a ttend the following fall. (D) Viola tions. Penalty for viola tions shall be assessed by the appropria te executive committee. (6) Tied Games . The NCAA tie breaker system shall not be used by junior high school tea ms. (i) SOCCER. (1) Number of Games . No tea m or student shall compete in more tha n 10 ga mes a nd two invita tional or district tourna ments. Two ga mes may be substituted in place of a tour - na ment. A scrimmage counts as one of the 10 ga mes. (2) Number of Games Per Week. One ga me or scrimmage may be played per calenda r week. A tourna ment may be played in the sa me cal - enda r week of a ga me. (3) Number of Tournament Games Per Day. Contes - ta nts or tea ms shall play no more tha n two tourna ment ga mes per calenda r day, except contesta nts or tea ms may play in three ga mes in a one-day tourna ment scheduled on a Sa t - urday. (4) Season for Workouts and Games . Schools shall have 86 consecutive calenda r days to practice outside the school day a nd to complete scrim - mages a nd ga mes. The season ca n be held a nytime during the school yea r, provided it does not exceed the number of consecutive calenda r days listed a bove. (j) GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL . (1) Number of Matches . No tea m or girl shall compete in more tha n 12 ma tches a nd two invita tional or district tourna ments. Two ma tches may be substituted in place of a tour - na ment. If a tea m or student does not play in a ny invita tional or district tourna ments, four additional ma tches may be played. A scrim - mage counts as one of the 12 ma tches. (2) Number of Matches Per Week . One ma tch or dual ma tch or scrimmage may be played per calenda r week. A tourna ment may be played in the sa me calenda r week of a ma tch. (3) Number of Tournament Matches Per Day . Con - testa nts or tea ms shall play no more tha n three tourna ment ma tches per calenda r day, except contesta nts or tea ms may play in four ma tches per calenda r day in a one day tour - na ment scheduled on a Sa turday. (4) Season for Workouts and Matches . (A) Traditional School Yea rs. Practice shall not begin prior to the first day of school. Schools shall have 86 consecu - tive calenda r days to practice outside the school day a nd to complete scrim - mages a nd ma tches. Volleyball equip - ment may be checked out to the players on a ny one day during the week pre - ceding the first day of school. The 184 Section 1478: Seventh & Eighth Grade Athletic Plan 185 185 season ca n be held a nytime during the school yea r, provided it does not exceed the number of consecutive calenda r days listed a bove. (B) Non-traditional School Yea rs. Schools should schedule their season to coincide with the schools in the UIL playing dis - trict they will compete aga inst. (k) ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS FOR INDI - VIDUAL SPORTS: CROSS COUNTRY, GOLF, SWIMMING, TENNIS, TRACK AND FIELD AND WRESTLING. (1) Number of Meets/Tournaments . No tea m or student shall compete in more tha n six meets or tourna ments, including the district meet/ tourna ment. (2) Exception to Six Meet/Tournament Limitation . (A) Cross Country, Golf, Swimming, Track a nd Field a nd Wrestling. Schools may also hold competitions with three or fewer schools provided there is no loss of school time. (B) Tennis. If four tea ms meet for the pur - pose of playing tennis dual ma tches, it shall not be counted as one of the six tourna ments allowed the tea m or the individual if no school time is lost a nd if no tourna ment draw is set to determine a cha mpion. (3) Number of Contests Per Week . Individual sport pa rticipa nts a re limited to one contest, meet or tourna ment per calenda r week. (4) Season for Meets/Tournaments and Workouts . Practice a nd/or competition shall not begin prior to the first day of school. There is no ma nda ted season length however, there is the limita tion of six meets/tourna ments per school yea r. (l) TRACK AND FIELD EVENTS. The recommended track a nd field events a nd order of events, is as follows. The district executive committee may by majority vote, alter the dista nce of certa in events or a uthorize additional events. (1) Boys’ and Girls’ Running Events . Girls’ 2400-meter run,* Boys’ 2400-meter run* Girls’ 400-meter relay Boys’ 400-meter relay Girls’ 800-meter run Boys’ 800-meter run Girls’ 100-meter hurdles 30” Boys’ 110-meter hurdles 36” Girls’ 100-meter dash* Boys’ 100-meter dash* Girls’ 800-meter relay* Boys’ 800-meter relay* Girls’ 400-meter dash Boys’ 400-meter dash Girls’ 200-meter low hurdles Boys’ 200-meter low hurdles Girls’ 200-meter dash Boys’ 200-meter dash Girls’ 1600-meter run Boys’ 1600-meter run Girls’ 1600-meter relay Boys’ 1600-meter relay * These events shall be run a t the metric dis - ta nce only. All other events may be run in ya rd equivalents. (2) Boys’ and Girls’ Field Events . Girls’ Pole va ult Girls’ 6-pound shot put Girls’ Discus Girls’ High jump Girls’ Long jump Girls’ Triple jump Boys’ Pole va ult Boys’ High jump Boys’ 4-kilo shot put Boys’ Long jump Boys’ Discus Boys’ Triple jump (3) Event Limitations . (A) No contesta nt shall be allowed to com - pete in more tha n three running events, including the relays, or in more tha n five total events. (B) No contesta nt shall be allowed to enter more tha n two of the following events: 400-meter dash, 800-meter run, 1600- meter run or 2400-meter run. This does not prevent a 400, 800, 1600 or 2400- meter contesta nt from running on the relays provided he/she is entered in no more tha n three total running events. (C) Contesta nts may enter a maximum of five field events provided they a re not entered in a ny running events. (4) Day of Week and Starting Time . Students or tea ms representing a pa rticipa nt school a re permitted to pa rticipa te in a track a nd field meet only a fter the end of the academic day for all pa rticipa nts. Exception : Two of the six allowa ble meets may sta rt no ea rlier tha n 2:00 p.m. (m) WATER POLO PROGRAM Section 1478: Seventh & Eighth Grade Athletic Plan 186 (1) Number of Games . No tea m or individual shall compete in more tha n 12 ga mes a nd 2 invi - ta tional or district tourna ments. Two ga mes may be substituted in place of a tourna ment. A scrimmage counts as one of the 12 contests. (2) Number of Games Per Week . One ga me or scrim - mage may be played per calenda r week. A tourna ment may be played in the sa me calenda r week of a ga me. (3) Number of Tournament Games Per Day . Contes - ta nts or tea ms shall play no more tha n three tourna ment ga mes per calenda r day, except contesta nts or tea ms may play in four ga mes per calenda r day in a one-day tourna ment scheduled on a Sa turday. (4) Season for Workouts and Games . Schools shall have 70 consecutive calenda r days to practice outside the school day a nd to complete scrimmages a nd ga mes. The season ca n be held a nytime dur - ing the school yea r, provided it does not exceed the number of consecutive calenda r days listed a bove. (n) CHEERLEADERS; SPIRIT GROUPS. All cheer a nd spirit performa nces a t a ny UIL activity shall be in accorda nce with sa fety sta nda rds as prescribed by the Na tional Federa tion High School Spirit Ha ndbook. Cheerleading sponsors a re required to complete a course rega rding Sa fety Risk Minimiza - tion for Cheerleading a nd present proof of course completion to the school district. (o) CONCUSSION MANAGEMENT PROTOCOL. At all UIL a thletic activities (including practices a nd contests), including cheerleading, schools shall implement a nd follow a concussion ma nagement protocol as prescribed by Texas Educa tion Code Section 38.155 Subchapter D. * This section also applies to students pa rticipa ting in the cheerleading progra m a t the school. (p) CATASTROPHIC INJURY REPORTING. UIL member schools shall file reports of ca tastrophic injuries, as defined by the Na tional Center for Ca ta - strophic Sports Injury Resea rch (NCCSIR), tha t occur during UIL practices a nd/or competitions utilizing the online reporting form ava ila ble on the UIL web site. (q) AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR (AED) USE REPORTING. UIL member schools shall file a report a fter a n AED is used in conjunc - tion with a ny UIL event, practice a nd competition, utilizing the online reporting form ava ila ble on the UIL web site. (r) EMERGENCY ACTION PLANS. UIL member schools a re required to develop a nd implement a venue specific emergency action pla n (EAP) for each venue utilized for UIL a thletic practices a nd/ or competitions. 186 Section 1478: Seventh & Eighth Grade Athletic Plan 187 187 Section 1500: Spirit: Section 1500: INTRODUCTION TO SPIRIT CON - TESTS AND EVENTS (a) PURPOSES OF HIGH SCHOOL SPIRIT. The pur - pose of the spirit progra m for the member schools is: (1) to provide sta tewide spirit competitions a nd evalua tions tha t foster high performa nce sta nda rds; (2) to provide rules a nd regula tions designed to promote the health a nd sa fety of all pa rtici - pa nts; (3) to assist, advise a nd a id the member schools in orga nizing a nd conducting interschool spirit; (4) to devise a nd prepa re eligibility rules tha t will equalize a nd stimula te wholesome com - petition between schools of simila r size, a nd reinforce the curriculum; (5) to regula te competition so tha t students, schools a nd communities ca n secure the grea test educa tional, social, recrea tional a nd aesthetic benefits from the contests; (6) to reinforce the concept to all member schools tha t spirit is a n integral pa rt of the educa - tional progra m; (7) to promote good sportsma nship a nd fa ir play in all contests; (8) to promote a mong the pa rticipa nts, schools a nd communities a spirit of friendly rivalry a nd a respect for the rules; a nd (9) to forwa rd the concept of accepting deci - sions of contest officials without protest a nd trea ting contest officials as so-pa rtners in the educa tional process of competition. Section 1501: SPIRIT CONTEST ETHICS CODE The Spirit Code ca rries the force of rule. Member school districts, member schools a nd/or covered school district personnel or students who viola te a ny of the provisions of these codes will be subject to penalty. (a) THE SPIRIT CODE . The general Spirit Code mea ns to: (1) Pa rticipa te in the spirit of fa irness a nd sports - ma nship, observing all rules, both in letter a nd intent. (2) Coach a nd sponsor the tea ms a nd individuals without resorting to unethical tactics, trick - ery which a ttempts to skirt the rules, or a ny unfa ir tactic which detracts from sound edu - ca tional principles. (3) Accept decisions of contest a nd school offi - cials without protest a nd without question - ing their honesty or integrity, a nd extend protection a nd courtesy to contest officials from pa rticipa nts, school personnel a nd specta tors remembering the contest officials a re guest. (4) Win without boasting a nd lose without bit - terness. Victory is importa nt, but the most importa nt thing in competition is striving to excel a nd the positive feelings it fosters between those who play fa ir a nd have no excuse when they lose. The development of positive huma n rela tions should be stressed in all competition. (5) Remember tha t conduct tha t bera tes, intimi - da tes, or threa tens competitors, has no place in interscholastic activities. (b) SCHOOL OFFICIALS. (1) Provide support for students a nd coaches for implementing contests a nd events; (2) crea te a clima te of professional concern to assure tha t contests a nd events a re ca rried on with sound educa tional qualities as the upper - most priority; a nd (3) strive to assure tha t coaches a re awa re of a nd observe the letter a nd intent of all UIL rules a nd regula tions. (c) CONTEST OFFICIALS. (1) administer a nd adjudica te spirit contests a nd events with a spirit of courtesy a nd coopera - tion a mong all pa rticipa nts; a nd (2) see tha t spirit contests a nd events a re con - ducted with discipline a nd decorum, ma in - ta ining both the spirit a nd intent of the rules a nd regula tions. (d) COACHES. The code for spirit coaches includes the principles described in Subsection (a). Further, the coach’s code includes: (1) Being awa re of, understa nding a nd following all rules governing the competition for which the coach is responsible; (2) trea ting pa rticipa nts based on wha t is best for the educa tion, general welfa re a nd health of the student; (3) professional loyalty to other coaches; (4) not removing a tea m from a contest as a Subchapter E: HIGH SCHOOL SPIRIT 188 protest; (5) adhering to practice regula tions; (6) adhering to policies tha t do not force students to specialize or restrict them from pa rticipa tion in other activities; (7) avoiding a ny coaching practice tha t would enda nger the welfa re or sa fety of a ny pa rticipa nt; (8) emphasizing the academic progress of all pa rticipa nts by a regula r, documented check of their academic sta nding; (9) utilizing the best a nd most current teaching, coaching a nd tra ining methods through a ffilia tion with professional associa tions a nd publica tions; (10) a bsta ining from a ny practice tha t solicits teachers to modify a pa rticipa nt student’s grade for eligibility purposes; (11) avoiding a ny actions tha t encourage, condone or tolera te the use of performa nce enha ncing drugs by a ny student-pa rticipa nt; a nd (12) emphasizing a chemical awa reness progra m tha t informs a nd educa tes students of the da maging effects of a na bolic steroids a nd other illegal drugs. (e) STUDENTS. (1) Know a nd respect the rules a nd regula tions perta ining to pa rticipa tion in a ny UIL spirit competition or event; (2) ma inta in a sense of the educa tional purpose of pa rticipa ting in spirit contests a nd events, keeping uppermost in mind the two-fold benefit of self-gra tifica tion of pa rticipa tion in a n activity as well as the representa tion of one’s school community, a nd; (3) remember tha t conduct tha t bera tes, intimida tes, or threa tens competitors has no place in interscholastic activities. Section 1502: GENERAL REGULATIONS (a) SCHOOL ELIGIBILITY. Schools shall pa rtici - pa te in UIL Spirit competition a nd events based on assignment to conferences in even numbered yea rs. (b) Schools shall a bide by rules in the Constitution , by rules in the “ Official Notices ” column of The Leaguer , by regula tions issued by the UIL office in the UIL Spirit Ma nual, a nd other official notices from the UIL office. Where a ny term or section of the con - test rules or the UIL Spirit Ma nual is found to be inconsistent with the Constitution , the Constitution shall preva il a nd apply, a nd the rema ining terms a nd sections of the contest rules a nd/or the UIL Spirit Ma nual shall continue in effect. (c) STUDENT ELIGIBILITY. Eligibility regula tions as outlined in the Constitution and Contest Rules, Sub - chapter M, Section 400, a nd Subchapter D, Section 1500 shall apply to UIL spirit competitions a nd events. The superintendent or designee shall certify the eligibility of pa rticipa nts a t the time of their entry into the event. (d) FORFEITURE. In the event a n ineligible student pa rticipa tes in a ny spirit competition or event, knowingly or unknowingly, the minimum penalty shall be forfeiture of the ra tings a nd awa rds. Section 1503: HEALTH AND SAFETY (a) All cheer a nd spirit performa nces a t a ny UIL activity shall be in accorda nce with sa fety sta n - da rds as prescribed by the National Federation High School Spirit Handbook . Cheerleading a nd UIL spirit coaches a re required to complete a course rega rd - ing sa fety/risk minimiza tion for cheerleading a nd present proof of course completion to the school district. (b) Concussion Ma nagement Protocol. At all UIL activities (including practices a nd contests), includ - ing cheerleading a nd UIL spirit, schools shall implement a nd follow a Concussion Ma nagement Protocol as prescribed by Texas Educa tion Code Section 38 Subchapter D. (c) Cheerleading/Spirit Pre-pa rticipa tion Physical Exa mina tion. Upon entering the first a nd third yea rs of high school a nd upon a ny 7th or 8th grade student pa rticipa ting in cheerleading/spirit, a physical exa mina tion signed by a physicia n, a physicia n assista nt licensed by a sta te boa rd of physicia n assista nt exa miners, a registered nurse recognized as a n adva nced practice nurse by the boa rd of nurse exa miners or a doctor of chiro - practic is required. Sta nda rdized prepa rticipa tion physical exa mina tion forms, ava ila ble from the UIL office a nd a uthorized by the UIL Medical Advisory Committee, a re required. (d) Cheerleading/Spirit Medical History Form. Each yea r prior to a ny practice or pa rticipa tion a UIL medical history form signed by both student a nd a pa rent or gua rdia n is required. A medical history form shall accompa ny each physical exa mina tion a nd shall be signed by both student a nd a pa rent or gua rdia n. (e) All coaches shall a nnually complete the UIL Rules Complia nce Progra m prescribed by the UIL. (f) The na mes of coaches who complete the UIL Rules Complia nce Progra m will be kept on file by the school. 188 Section 1501: Spirit Contest Ethics Code: Page 189 189 University Interscholastic League 18-08-10 Section 400(b), 403(f) and 406 Student Elgibility. For the purposes of this interpreta tion, the divisions of UIL activities a re: Academics (includes One-Act-Play), Music a nd Athletics. Local school district policies may permit students who a re a ttending a magnet school loca ted on a ca mpus (within their ISD) tha t does not offer a ny activities within a pa rticula r division of UIL activities (Academics(including One-Act-Play), Music or Athletics) to pa rticipa te a t their home a ttenda nce zone ca mpus, in tha t division, under the jurisdiction of tha t principal for UIL purposes with the following provisions: (a) The home a ttenda nce zone ca mpus approves of the student’s pa rticipa tion. (b) Student is enrolled in enough classes to be considered a full-time student a t the magnet school. Full time is defined as enrolled in a t least four hours per day of instruction for either sta te or local high school credit. (c) Student’s grades a re reported from the magnet school officials to the home a ttenda nce zone ca mpus a t scheduled grading periods to insure complia nce with no-pass, no-play. (d) Verifica tion tha t the student complies with the age rule, 4-yea r rule (for high school students) a nd other pertinent informa tion requested by the home a ttenda nce zone ca mpus. (e) High school students who pa rticipa te in va rsity a thletics must comply with University Interscholastic League rules, Sections 440 a nd 442 in the home a ttenda nce zone ca mpus. (f) A student in this situa tion is prohibited from representing both the magnet school a nd the home a ttenda nce zone ca mpus in the sa me division of UIL activities. (g) If the magnet school offers a division of UIL activities, the student would have to represent the magnet school in tha t division of UIL activities. (h) If the magnet school does not offer a division of UIL activities, the student could petition to represent their home a ttenda nce zone ca mpus in tha t division of UIL activities. (i) It would be allowa ble to have a student represent their magnet school (school of a ttenda nce) in one division of UIL activities a nd their home a ttenda nce zone ca mpus (school of pa rents residence) in a division of UIL activities not offered a t the magnet school. (j) If the student subsequently cha nges schools within tha t ISD (to a school other tha n the home a ttenda nce zone ca mpus), the student would be ineligible for va rsity a thletics for one calenda r yea r unless the pa rents made a corresponding move to the new school a ttenda nce zone. Exception: This interpreta tion would not require a student who has been pa rticipa ting a t a school, under this interpreta tion, for two or more continuous yea rs to cha nge their school of pa rticipa tion based on a cha nge of residence of their pa rents, as long as tha t cha nge of residence is still within the bounda ries of the school district in question. 17-09-19 Section 403(f)(1) - Eligibility - Athletics: Previous Sta te Executive Committee Interpreta tions for Section 403 (f) a re no longer applica ble since the rule is addressed in Section 403 (7). 17-09-11 Section 1204 (r)(2)(E) - Sports Officials: Review Criteria and Process. Appeals as described in Section 1204 a re limited to resolving factual disputes from a background check, a nd all decisions rega rding membership in a sports offficial’s chapter or associa tion, a re to be determined by the chapter or associa tion. 17-01-17 Section 400 (b) and 403 - Student Transfers: The Sta te Executive Committee was asked for cla rifica tion to Sta te Executive Committee Interpreta tion 00-09-13 concerning Section 400(b) a nd Section 403(f). The SEC determined tha t students a re ineligible to pa rticipa te a t their home ca mpus if the magnet ca mpus they a ttend is engaged in orga nized a thletic competition involving UIL activities aga inst tea ms of students orga nized by other schools. Additionally, the SEC determined tha t students who previously pa rticpa ted in orga nized competition a t both their magnet progra m a nd home school, prior to the Ja nua ry 17, 2017 meeting, in a thletics a t a ‘home’ school while a ttending a magnet school a re gra ndfa thered in, without penalty 16-03-22 Section 1102 (f) – Region Executive Committee: Previous Sta te Executive Committee Interpreta tions for Section 1102 (f) a re no longer applica ble since the rule has been modified. APPENDICES Appendix I Official Interpretations of the State Executive Committee