Eligibility Awareness

Eligibility of an athlete is basic to whether the student athlete may participate in an interscholastic athletic program or event.  Considering the vital importance of this facet, we have instituted a procedure that involves the coaches and athletic directors in checking the eligibility of such athlete and creating student awareness of eligibility requirements.

NEW JERSEY STATE INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Eligibility rules apply to all Freshman, Sophomore, Junior Varsity, and Varsity Programs representing grades 9 through 12.

ELIGIBLE if a student has not reached the age of 19 prior to September 1. 

ELIGIBLE   All freshmen are Eligible for athletic competition during the first semester.  Students in grades 10, 11, and 12 are eligible for athletic competition during the first semester (September 1 to January 31) if they have passed 25% of the credits (30) required by the State of New Jersey for graduation (120), during the immediately preceding academic school year.

ELIGIBLE FOR SECOND SEMESTER –(February 1 to June 30) if a student has passed the equivalent of 12.5% of the credits required by the State of New Jersey for graduation at the close of the preceding semester, i.e. 15 credits.  Full year course shall be equated as one-half of the total credits gained for the full year to determine credits passed during the immediately preceding semester.

ELIGIBLE immediately if transfer because of a change of residence to another public secondary school district by parents or as  approved by the Executive Committee of the NJSIAA unless the transfer was because of athletic recruitment or was a transfer for athletic advantage and provided all other eligibility regulations are satisfied.  In order for a student to be immediately eligible, both the former school and present school must complete a transfer form affirmatively stating that the transfer is a bona fide change of residence and that there was no athletic recruitment or transfer for athletic advantage. 

ELIGIBLE after 30 days from beginning of a season for athletes in grades 10,11, and 12 at a present school if student participated in the sport on the varsity level at the previous school and transferred from one school to another when parents have not moved from one public school district to another public school district. A grade nine student who has not participated in a sport at his/her previous school shall be eligible immediately in any sport at the new school.  To prevent possible recruitment or transfer for athletic advantage, a transfer form must be executed by the two schools and filed with the NJSIAA before any interscholastic participation. 

ELIGIBLE for eight consecutive semesters following a student’s enrollment into 9^th grade provided that the student has not reached age 19 prior to September 1.

Please check the NJSIAA website at njsiaa.org for the complete listing of the eligibility requirement.