Well HS baseball season is right around the corner and some kind of practice has started, but we are still in travel ball with about 1 week left? Many parents have asked if we have to end travel ball early. HS coach said to quit last week. I have heard we can play travel until HS starts its first league game. Any info is appreciated.
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Cabbagedad is the best one to answer, but when my son was playing he stopped any travel ball once HS practices started. I would not be playing on a travel team during any part of the season, just to be safe, but cabbage will know the exact rules. Not sure what is to gain by playing travel ball anyway, HS practices usually are M-F and Saturday anyway.
BTW is this Los Angeles, CA. Well we are in the last week of Winter season in a league.
BTW is this Los Angeles, CA. Well we are in the last week of Winter season in a league.
LAball, assuming you are the playing under the same CIF rules as down here in OC - you cannot participate in any club / travel at the time you are participating in a high school sport. If you are found to have played both your high school team would have to forfeit any games the player participated in. Tried to find the exact CIF rule but don't have the time to track it down. My 2018's travel ball team goes dark from this week through the end of May for just this reason.
Found it (CIF rule 600):
ARTICLE 6
600. COMPETITION ON AN OUTSIDE TEAM
A student on a high school team becomes ineligible if the student competes in a contest on an “outside” team, in the same sport, during the student’s high school season of sport (See Bylaw 504.A). The following exceptions apply:
A. If the outside team has half or more of the team members as stated in the National Federation rules book for that sport, it shall be considered the same sport. Examples: three on three basketball---outside team competition prohibited; two on two volleyball---outside team competition permitted.
B. Flag Football
For purposes of this rule, touch football and flag football are considered to be different sports than tackle football.
C. Soccer
In the sport of soccer, Bylaw 600 shall be in effect only during the winter high school soccer season. High school soccer programs that compete during the fall or spring season are not subject to Bylaw 600.
NOTE: For purposes of this section, indoor soccer and futsal are not considered the same sport as soccer.
D. Swimming and Diving
Swimmers may compete for an amateur team during the season of sport in the USA Swimming Senior National Championship Meet, the USA Swimming Sectional Championship meets and the YMCA National Meet. Divers may compete for an amateur team during the season of sport in the USA National Diving Championships and the USA National Junior Diving Championships.
E. Bylaw 600 shall not be in effect for those sports conducted outside the State-adopted season of sport.
F. Spontaneous Recreational Activity
It is permissible for a high school team member to participate in a spontaneous recreational activity or game in which sides or teams are chosen without regard to players representing any group or organization. Such participation would not cause loss of eligibility. (Definition of spontaneous: no prior planning or notice; an unplanned part of another activity which has a primary focus other than the sport.)
G. Unattached Competition in Individual Sports
(1) An unattached athlete shall not represent any team. Points won by the athlete shall not be credited to any team. An unattached athlete shall not use a uniform which identifies a school or “outside” team. Any violation shall be considered an infraction of Bylaw 600.
(2) Unattached competition is permissible for a student in other than school contests during the season of sport provided the student enters in the individual sports of badminton (singles and doubles), cross country, golf, gymnastics, skiing, swimming and diving (including unattached entry on relays), tennis (singles and doubles), track and field (including unattached entry on relays) and wrestling.
(3) Certification of Unattached Athletes
No official recognition or certification on the part of the CIF member school or personnel of the CIF member school may be given in order that unattached athletes may participate in contests.
(4) Representation in CIF Competition
Unattached competition is not permitted in any CIF competition (See Bylaw 503.D.). Individuals or teams entered in CIF competition must represent a CIF member school. No other form of representation shall be permitted in CIF competition.
NOTE: Alpine, Nordic Skiing and Snowboarding are exempt for this Bylaw as the season of sport is not defined and listed under Bylaw 503.D. and that all competitions are done in conjunction with the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association.
601. PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION OF BYLAW 600
A. Individual
(1) First Offense in High School Career in Any Sport
The student becomes immediately ineligible for participation with his/her high school team for a number of contests equal to twice the number of contests of outside competition in which the student participated.
(2) Any Subsequent Offense in High School Career in Any Sport
The student becomes immediately ineligible for one year (365 days) from the second infraction in all sports.
(3) Appeals
Upon written appeal to the Section commissioner, the student may petition his/her Section for reinstatement of his/her eligibility status.
B. Team
(1) Games Forfeited
Games in which a student participated on his/her high school team after violation of Bylaw 600 shall be forfeited.
(2) Appeals
Sections may establish rules and procedures to consider requests for waivers of game forfeitures.
(Revised May 2004 Federated Council)
Rule No. 8:
http://www.cifstate.org/coache...ure_July_17_2013.pdf
I guess the question is: if you are practicing (and, I'm assuming, participating in scrimmages) with your high school team, but have not yet played an official game with the high school team, does that count as "during the student’s high school season of sport"?
Rule No. 8:
http://www.cifstate.org/coache...ure_July_17_2013.pdf
I guess the question is: if you are practicing (and, I'm assuming, participating in scrimmages) with your high school team, but have not yet played an official game with the high school team, does that count as "during the student’s high school season of sport"?
It does not, but the big question is - why push it? The formal season starts between 2/14-2/28 depending on the school. Any travel ball team down here worth its salt has shut it down already (if not two weeks ago) to avoid these very issues. I'd like to think a travel ball program that truly has the kids best interests in mind would understand this and remove all temptation and be dark already. Our HS team is practicing 2-3 hours a day + multiple games (technically scrimmages) per week - the kids certainly don't need to be spending even more time than this on the field.
Rule No. 8:
http://www.cifstate.org/coache...ure_July_17_2013.pdf
I guess the question is: if you are practicing (and, I'm assuming, participating in scrimmages) with your high school team, but have not yet played an official game with the high school team, does that count as "during the student’s high school season of sport"?
It does not, but the big question is - why push it? The formal season starts between 2/14-2/28 depending on the school. Any travel ball team down here worth its salt has shut it down already (if not two weeks ago) to avoid these very issues. I'd like to think a travel ball program that truly has the kids best interests in mind would understand this and remove all temptation and be dark already. Our HS team is practicing 2-3 hours a day + multiple games (technically scrimmages) per week - the kids certainly don't need to be spending even more time than this on the field.
Agreed.
Rule No. 8:
http://www.cifstate.org/coache...ure_July_17_2013.pdf
I guess the question is: if you are practicing (and, I'm assuming, participating in scrimmages) with your high school team, but have not yet played an official game with the high school team, does that count as "during the student’s high school season of sport"?
Here is additional info on the rule that will clarify...
"A season of sport is defined as that period which begins with student's first interscholastic competition (non-league, tournament or league game) and ends with that student's last interscholastic contest (non-league, tournament or CIF Southern Section Playoff)." At least that is the rule here in the SoCal Southern Section. I know other parts of the country have different rules.
So, technically, a player could continue until actual games started. But I agree with others. Once HS practices get going full steam, it generally causes problems in several ways if one were to try to continue.
I'm curious what league and age is still running at this point with all HS's in California that I'm aware of fully ramped up by now (aside from the one that focuses on kids not playing HS ball).
While I definitely agree with most posters who are basically saying "GIVE THE KID A BREAK BETWEEN TRAVEL AND HS BALL" (seriously, give 'em a break), I have coached both travel and HS baseball and softball in California (CIF-SS).
We generally use President's Day weekend as the "drop dead" date. Not coincidentally, most HS-age travel teams go dark from the Tuesday after Prez Day until Memorial Day weekend.
Surely no one plays a game every day year around, do they? I know of many kids that hit and practice in some fashion year around. In fact, some of them will be drafted early his year. Pitchers are a different story, obviously it's not wise to pitch competitively year around. However there are other things pitchers can do to improve without actually pitching.
Here is what I don't understand... Why would a travel program schedule anything during the high school season? This can only create problems. Maybe this is why so many high school coaches are against travel baseball. Maybe I'm missing something, but it seems like developing a good relationship with high school coaches would be advantageous to a travel program. The most important part of travel ball doesn't take place in February, so why does this problem exist? In the interest of the kids that play why can't people work together. Maybe I'm missing something, but this seems like a very easy thing to fix If it's the players being considered.
Golden Sombrero nailed it. My son plays in Los Angeles in the CIF City Section and also plays on a National Travel Ball team. MLK weekend ( 1/19) is sort of the cut off date w/ reputable travel teams. At my house we don't mess around w/ eligibility issues.
In our state "The Sports Season" is defined as the first day of tryouts through the final post season game in the state playoffs. This year for us that will be February 28th until the 23rd of May
LABall, if you are in CIFSS then the last day would be Feb 27th, If you are in LA Section I do not know what your rules are.
