Years of eligibilty

In AZ (don't know if the rules differ by state), you can play four years. Participating at any level consititutes one year of elligibility used up.

My daughter took math at the HS as an 8th grader, so we inquired about her playing freshman softball as an 8th grader and still having four years of elligibility left when she actually attended HS full time. We were told if she played even one game of freshman ball, that would use up a year and she'd only have three left when she was in HS.

Not sure what happens with some serious injury or illness that results in having to repeat a year of school. They must have some kind of rule that allows a "red shirt" in those cases.

Policies such as that tend to be set by each state's governing body for interscholastic athletics. A quick search led me to the "Handbook"for the Florida High School Athletic Association.

Section 9.5.1 (p. 61) states: "A student has four consecutive calendar years of eligibility from the date he/she begins ninth grade for the first time."

Later, the "Handbook" adds that a student can't be older than 19 years, 9 months to participate.

I'd invite you to check out the following link to see if a distinction is made between junior varsity or varsity sports. If you see none, I'd recommend that your son ask his high school coach.

Florida High School Athletic Association "Handbook"


Best of luck to your son!

Here in NJ we sometimes have kids who attend parochial schools run into problems with this. NJ only allows 4 continuous years of HS sports competition, while nearby NY allows 7th and 8th graders to play HS sports at their sending district public schools. There are players who are unaware of these differences, who go to play HS sports starting 9th grade in NJ who then may only have 3 or 2 years left of HS eligibility. I know of a player that had to transfer to his local NY HS in order to play his senior year.

Ft. Meade Middle/Senior High is a football powerhouse in Florida. (small school division) It is also the home of Andrew Mc Cutcheon, as well as other good football and baseball players. Ontario McCalebb (Auburn runningback; good game Friday) is another player from Ft. Meade. The best athletes play varsity around 7th grade in both baseball and football, and play through their senior year. One of my son's good friends has started in leftfield since 7th grade. He's a jumior now. I'm sure it's legal, as they are a strong, ethical program, and have been for years.( Key, it's a middle/senior HS)

This is my point for asking, we have several HS's in our county all 9-12 but one school is K-12. At this K-12 school some of the 6th and 7th graders are playing HS baseball. I'm trying to find out if these kids will be eligible as junior and seniors. My son attends a 9-12 HS

If it is a K-12, they will be elgible through their senior year. There are charter schools, K-12, middle-senior high schools, and private schools in Florida that can play varsity in 7th and 8th grade. Generally, they play in smallschool divisions. 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B It works out both ways, but I'm rather glad my sons weren't exposed to HS sports, varsity or JV, at that age. They grow up quick enough, rather not push it.

At least one state I know of limits eligibility to four years beginning when you start the ninth grade. This means that if you repeat a grade in high school, you won't be eligible to play the fifth year you are there. That is true even if you never play the sport until your last year. Its based on calendar years and not on your participation. Other states may vary.

Edit: I also know of some sports in some states where 8th graders can play varsity. NY allows it in wrestling in certain instances. Not sure about baseball.

I've noticed the last couple of years on my son's college roster a few guys who it says lettered five or six years in baseball. I think they were all from the South not sure what states. It must be possible in a few states maybe private schools.

In SC you have four years from the time you first enter ninth grade, but 7th and 8th graders may participate in varsity sports other than football and wrestling.

I grew up in NH and the rule there was you could play HS sports so long as your JR high school didn't offer the same sport. My brother ran track in 8th grade because of this rule.

If a K-12 school only has HS baseball and there is no JR high designation or sports funded at that level, I could see a 7th grader playing varsity baseball, so long as it was safe (90 mph fastballs to 13U's and such).

In my softball example, Cheyenne played JR high softball, but the season was during the winter and completed by the end of January. Tryouts for HS were in February, so the seasons didn't conflict. The rule states if the sport is offered in JR high, you can't "play-up" without giving up a year of elligibility, so we obviously passed.

As I side note, if you ever have a chance to attend a JR high softball game in Gilbert, AZ, invent a grandmother who recently passed. Most games are very ugly...

new york has whats called selective classification if a coach wants a 7th or 8th grade student to play on the HS JV or varsity team they must pass a sport specific fitness test and then they are eligeble to play on a high school team, which can result in their high school career lastng up to 6 years

i think jb holmes played varsity golf in high school since the 4th grade?