104.1 Requirements for students to be eligible to participate in interscholastic athletics at a member school shall be applied uniformly to all member schools and amongst all students participating or seeking to participate in interscholastic athletics at a member school.
104.2 Any information in regard to any aspect of student eligibility that is provided by the student, the parent(s), legal guardian, or the member school shall be accurate and complete.
104.3 In order to establish eligibility to participate in interscholastic athletics at a member school, a student shall:
(a) Meet the requirements set forth in this subsection regarding: (1) Age, semester and grade level;(4) Health and fitness; and(b) Comply with any other eligibility requirements set forth in this chapter.104.4 In order to be eligible to participate in a DCSAA-approved sport and/or activity, a student shall meet the following age, semester and grade level requirements:
(a) A student who turns nineteen (19) years old on or before August 1 shall not be eligible to participate in interscholastic athletics in the upcoming school year;(b) A student shall be eligible to participate in regular season, playoff, or championship interscholastic athletic contests for no more than eight (8) semesters following initial enrollment in the ninth grade. Eligibility beyond eight (8) semesters requires a waiver approved by the DCSAA. Completion of a summer school program shall not be counted as a semester of attendance; and(c) The student shall not have graduated from high school, provided that an eligible student whose graduation exercises are held before the end of the school year may continue to participate in interscholastic athletics through the conclusion of the athletic season that began before graduation, or until the end of that school year, whichever comes later; and(d) A student who is repeating the twelfth 12th grade, or who seeks eligibility for a fifth (5th) year, and who requires two (2) or fewer courses to graduate, and has not attempted course or credit recovery, is prohibited from participating in interscholastic athletics or activities and must request a waiver in order to participate.104.5 In order to be eligible to participate in interscholastic athletics at a member school, a student shall meet the following residency requirements:
(a) If the student is attending a District of Columbia public school or District of Columbia public charter school, or other school or educational program with funding provided by the District of Columbia, free of charge, the student shall establish bona fide residency in the District of Columbia pursuant to the requirements set forth in Chapter 50 of Subtitle 5- A in the DCMR (5-A DCMR §§ 5000 et seq.) unless the student is a valid nonresident current on tuition payments owed; or(b) If the student is a non-resident, the non-resident student is either: (1) Validly enrolled in a District of Columbia public school, District of Columbia public charter school, or other school or educational program with funding provided by the District of Columbia consistent with the requirements set forth in Chapter 50 of Subtitle 5-A of the DCMR (5-A DCMR §§ 5000 et seq.) and has paid or is current in payment of his or her nonresident tuition fee; or(2) Enrolled in a private, independent or parochial member school.(c) If the student is a resident of the District of Columbia and is home schooled, under the conditions set forth at § 106.4. Residency in the District of Columbia must be established through the same criteria as employed by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), currently set forth at 5- A DCMR §§ 5000 et seq., and the member school is in charge of verifying the District residency of a home-schooled student who seeks to participate on its team. 104.6 Each member school and/or LEA shall establish standards which assure that students involved in interscholastic athletics are making satisfactory progress towards graduation. In order to be eligible for participation in interscholastic athletic contests and activities a student must pursue a regular course of study, or its equivalent as approved by the member school and/or LEA, and shall maintain a 2.0 grade point average (GPA), or its equivalent as officially calculated by the member school and/or LEA grading scale, per marking period. For those member schools which do not calculate a GPA, such member school shall submit a certification to the DCSAA, in a manner established by the DCSAA, stating that the school does not calculate GPAs and that all students participating in a DCSAA-approved sport have a minimum equivalence of a 2.0 GPA and are in good academic standing as consistent with this chapter.
104.7 In order to be eligible to participate in a DCSAA-approved sport and/or activity, a student shall provide a current medical certification, to the student's member school and/or LEA, confirming that the student has been examined by a licensed physician, or other qualified medical practitioner, and is physically fit to participate in try-outs, practices, and contests for the sport in which the student seeks to participate.
104.8 In order to be eligible to participate in a DCSAA-approved sport and/or activity, a student shall maintain compliance with state attendance regulations and shall maintain eighty- five percent (85%) attendance per marking period in order to maintain eligibility and any additional attendance requirements established by the student's LEA and/or member school. Additionally, a student must be in attendance at school for the full day during the regularly scheduled school day in order to participate in any try-out, practice, or contest, which is scheduled on that day, unless the student has an excused absence.
104.9 In order to maintain eligibility to participate in interscholastic athletics at a member school, a student shall maintain compliance with the requirements set forth in § 104.3 to establish eligibility and :
(a) Participate only under the name by which he or she is registered in the school he or she is enrolled;(b) Represent only one (1) school in the same sport during a school year;(c) Not participate in junior varsity competition if the student participated in varsity competition in the same sport during the same school year;(d) Not participate in the same individual or team sport outside of school, or with a team, an organized league, tournament meet, match or contest between the first (1st) and last scheduled contest of the school team during the season of the sport; provided, that a student who is selected to represent the United States in international amateur competition shall not become ineligible in school competitions for participating in qualifying trials. The following sports shall be exempted from the restrictions of this requirement : Baseball; Bowling; Competitive Cheer; Crew; Cross Country; Field Hockey; Golf; Gymnastics; Lacrosse; Rugby; Soccer; Softball; Squash; Swimming; Tennis; Track & Field; Ultimate Frisbee; Volleyball; and Wrestling; and (e) Preserve amateur standing by engaging in sports only for the physical, educational, and social benefits derived from sports and by not accepting, directly or indirectly, a remuneration, gift, or donation based on his or her participation in a sport other than those approved or waived by the DCSAA.104.10 Notwithstanding the provisions in §§ 104.3 to 104.9, a student that is granted a hardship waiver by the DCSAA shall be eligible to participate in interscholastic athletics at a member school.
D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 5, r. 5-F104
Final Rulemaking published at 67 DCR 2867 (3/13/2020)