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Limits on Practice and Performance

Commissioner of Education Regulations Limiting Contests Per School Week (Activities Preceding Administration of Statewide Student Assessment Program, Eight-Hour Limitation, Practice by Ineligible Students)
Commissioner of Education regulations limit participation to one contest per school week. Participation is defined as involvement with the activity (e.g., traveling with the team, sitting on the bench). Example: On a Tuesday night, the student’s name is on the scorebook but she remains on the bench and does not actually enter the game. This counts as participation according to state law. That student cannot participate again until Friday after school. 19 TAC §76.1001, Subchapter AA

(d) Limitations on practice, rehearsal, and student participation in extracurricular activities during the school week shall be as follows:

1. For any given extracurricular activity, a student may not participate in more than one activity per school week, excluding holidays, except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection.

2. In addition to the limit specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection of one extracurricular activity permitted per school week, a student may also participate in a tournament or post-district contest, as well as a contest postponed by weather or public disaster that may determine advancement to a post-district level of competition.

3. For each extracurricular activity, a school district must limit students to a maximum of eight hours of practice and rehearsal outside the school day per school week.

4. The Commissioner of Education recommends that school districts avoid scheduling extracurricular activities or public performances on the day or evening immediately preceding the day on which the administration of the statewide student assessment program is scheduled for Grades 3-11.

UIL Regulations Limiting Contests Per Calendar Week
UIL limits participation in contests per calendar week in some sports. For UIL, participation is defined as a student actually entering a contest. Example: On Tuesday night, the student’s name is on the score book but the student remains on the bench and does not actually enter the game. This does not count as participation in a UIL contest according to UIL (but does count according to state law. That student cannot participate again until Friday after school.) The Tuesday game does not count as one of the games UIL permits the student to participate in for that calendar week or for the season because the student did not enter the game.

UIL Constitution and Contest Rules: Section 5: Definitions

(b) Calendar week means 12:01 a.m. on Sunday through midnight on Saturday.

(ee) School week means the week beginning at 12:01 a.m. on the first instructional day of a calendar week and ends at the close of instruction on the last instructional day of the calendar week, excluding holidays.

The following situations are considered as one contest during the school week.

Volleyball:
(1) A single match.
(2) A dual match (a team plays two other teams or plays the same team twice at the same site on the same day.) A dual match counts as one of the two matches UIL permits students per calendar week and counts as two of the total matches for the student per season.
(3) A double header (a student may play in a varsity and a junior varsity match or a ninth grade and a varsity match at the same site the same night). A double header counts as the total two allowable matches UIL permits the student for the calendar week and counts as two of the total matches for the season. Students could also play in a tournament the same week they participate in a single match, dual match, or double header.

Basketball and Soccer:
(1) A single game; or
(2) a double header (a student may play in a varsity and a junior varsity game or a ninth grade and a junior varsity game at the same site the same night). It counts as the two total games the student may play for the calendar week and two of the total games for the season. Students may not play in a tournament the same week as they play in a double header.

Cross Country, Golf, Swimming, Team Tennis, Tennis and Wrestling: An invitational meet/tournament, dual or triangular, competition. Schools shall not enter invitational tournaments/meets scheduled on more than one school day per any one tournament.

Baseball/Softball/Water Polo:
(1) A single game; or
(2) a double header (a student could play two back-to-back varsity games or in a varsity and junior varsity game, at the same site the same night.) Each game counts as one of the student’s total games for the season. Students may play in additional games at the conclusion of that school week because UIL does not limit the number of games per calendar week in these two team sports.

Track and Field:
Students or teams representing a participant school are permitted to participate in an invitational track and field meet only as listed below:

(1) After 2:30 on Friday or the last day of the school week, or as early as the end of the academic school day for all participating schools on a day preceding a holiday or break. EXCEPTION: A student representing a participant school may participate in a maximum of three meets on a Thursday or Friday, or the last day of the school week with no restriction on start time.
(2) Or on Saturday or school holidays;
(3) Or on any school day other than the last day of the school week with the following conditions:

(a) Events shall not begin until after the end of the academic school day for all schools involved.
(b) Schools utilizing this option are limited to a one day meet.
(c) A school or student participating in this type of meet shall not enter another track and field meet during the same school week, Monday through Friday.
(d) No event shall start after 10:00 p.m.

 

Sunday Prohibition and Exceptions
UIL rules prohibit interschool athletic, academic and fine arts competition (including marching contests) on Sunday. Academic activities may schedule practice sessions on Sunday provided such sessions receive advance approval from the superintendent or his/her designee. Exceptions:


1) School district personnel may instruct high school students and accompany them to school sanctioned academic or fine arts competitions held on Sunday, that do not count on League standing, under the following provisions: (a) school district personnel shall not accompany a student on more than four competitions on Sunday during a school year; (b) the participation of the student, academic coach, sponsor, or director must have prior approval of the superintendent or designated administrator; (c) participation is limited to contests that are sponsored by colleges or universities. Exception: Robotics.

2) UIL competitions may be held on Sunday, due to unavoidable circumstances which cause hardship to participating schools, provided they are approved by the UIL office.

3) If the regional and/or state golf tournaments are scheduled on a Monday, the one 18-hole practice round allowed at the regional and/or state tournament site may be played on the Sunday afternoon preceding the meet if permitted by the regional or state meet director. .

4) If the regional and/or state tennis tournaments are scheduled on a Monday, and if participants arrive at the site on the preceding Sunday because of travel distance, it will not be construed a violation of this rule if school district personnel accompany or transport participants to a tennis court for the purpose of practicing on their own, if permitted by the regional or state meet director.

Sec. 33.0812  Scheduling Extracurricular Activities prohibited in certain circumstances.
(a) The State Board of Education by rule shall prohibit participation in a University Interscholastic League area, regional, or state competition.


(1) on Monday through Thursday of the school week in which the primary administration of assessment instruments under Section 39.023(a), (c), or (1) occurs;

(2) or if the primary administration of the assessment instruments is completed before Thursday of the school week, beginning on Monday and ending on the last school day on which the assessment instruments are administered.

(b) The commissioner shall determine the school week during the school year in which the primary administration of assessment instruments occurs for purposes of Subsection (a).

(c) The commissioner shall adopt rules to provide the University Interscholastic League with a periodic calendar of dates reserved for testing for planning purposes under this section. The periodic calendar must be provided at least every three years on or before May 1 of the year preceding the three-year cycle of reserved testing dates.

(d) In adopting rules under this section, the commissioner shall:


(1) include a procedure for changing, in exceptional circumstances, testing dates reserved under the periodic calendar;

(2) define circumstances that constitute exceptional circumstances under Subdivision (1) as unforeseen events, including a natural disaster, severe weather, fire, explosion, or similar circumstances beyond the control of school districts or the agency; and

(3) establish criteria for determining whether a University Interscholastic League area, regional, or state competition must be canceled if that event conflicts with a changed testing date.

In-School Athletic Period (8hr Rule)
(1) Does the in-school day athletic period count as part of the eight hours? No.
Dressing and Redressing Time (8hr Rule)
(2) Does dressing out time and redressing time count as part of the eight hours? Yes, unless the student athletes were already dressed out because the athletic period precedes the portion of the day used as part of the eight hours. In that case, the dressing out time would not count as part of the eight hours, but the redressing time would.
Water Breaks and Film Review (8hr Rule)
(3) Do water breaks and film review count as part of the eight hours? Yes. Any time used in connection with a practice that is not part of the in school athletic period counts as part of the eight hours.
Ineligible Student Practice
(4) May ineligible students practice? Yes. Students do not have to comply with No Pass No Play requirements in order to participate in a scrimmage or practice session. (TEC §33.081 [f].)
Students Attendance on Day of Contest
(5) Is a student required to attend school all day or any portion of the school day the day of a contest? Local school district policy provides the answer to this question. UIL and TEA requirements do not address this issue.
Bad Weather Make-Up Days
(6) How do bad weather make-up days affect the school week limitation? If bad weather forces cancellation of a school day and that day is later made up on a Saturday, the Friday that immediately precedes that make-up day can no longer be considered the last day of the school week. Schools must reschedule extracurricular performances or contests if necessary to comply with the limit on contests and performances during the school week.
Two Unrelated Activities During the School Week
(7) May a student participate in two unrelated activities during the school week such as a music extracurricular performance on Tuesday night and a volleyball game on Thursday night? Yes. Each activity is treated separately. (19 TAC §76.1001 [d] [1])
UIL Academic Spring Meet
(8) Is the UIL academic spring meet classified as a single contest allowing a student to participate in several events, or is each event classified as a separate contest limiting a student’s participation to only one event in the competition? The UIL academic spring meet can be considered a tournament event; therefore, students may participate in more than one event in the competition. (19 TAC §76.1001 [d] [2])
Rules Governing Extracurricular Activities
(9) What rules govern practice for extracurricular activities during the school week and during the school day? For rules on limitations during the school week, see 19 TAC §76.1001 (d). For rules on limitations during the school day, see 19 TAC §76.1001 (e).
Rules Prohibiting Scheduling any Extracurricular Activities
(10) Is there a rule that prohibits scheduling any extracurricular activities during the week of finals? Schools cannot be required to play a playoff game on the night prior to final examinations. Scheduling activities during finals week of the semester is not encouraged. Rules of good judgment should apply.
High School Band Students
(11) May a high school band student participate in a marching band contest and perform with the band at a football game within a single school week? Yes. A band contest involving three or more schools meets the definition of a tournament; consequently it could be permissible to participate in both events during the same school week.

Practice for UIL Marching Band: Each entry in the UIL region contest must be accompanied by the following statement signed by the director: “The members of this marching band or any of its components did not begin the marching preparation for this UIL contest presentation prior to August 1. In addition, no more than ten hours of director-supervised instructional time was devoted to marching fundamentals between the end of the previous school term and August 1.” (EXCEPTION: Auxiliary camps, leadership training, and preparation for special summer events such as civic parades, professional football game appearances, and other non-competitive performances are not considered a violation of this limitation.)
Missing Class for Post-District Practice
(12) May students miss class for practice at the site of a post-district athletic, academic, or fine arts contest? UIL strongly discourages any loss of school time for practice scheduled away from that school’s campus. Furthermore, TEC §33.081 (a) states, “The rules must, to the extent possible, preserve the school day for academic purposes.” This language in the statute is the basis for adopting a rule which allows for practice of an extracurricular activity for one period of the day and preserving the remainder of the school day for academics. In addition, practice is limited to one hour during the school day.
Athletic Classes Outside the School Day
(13) An athletic class is scheduled outside the school day. Seventh, eighth, or zero period concepts are not utilized. What problems (pertaining to UIL rules) would the class cause? All class time, including dressing out and redressing, would count as part of the eight hours of practice allowed during in-season sports within the school week. Team sport off-season classes would be in violation of UIL rules.
Students Not Scheduled in Athletic or Marching Band Class
(14) A student has a full schedule and cannot enroll in an athletic or marching band class. May the student participate in these activities? Yes, unless the local district has more restrictive requirements. UIL rules do not require a student to be enrolled in those classes in order to participate. However, the student would not be able to participate in any off-season athletics since he/she would not be enrolled in the class.
Practice time for Non-Athletic Extracurricular Activity During the School Day
(15) How much time may be used for practice of a non-athletic extracurricular activity during the school day? Students may not miss other classes for the purposes of practice for extracurricular academic, fine arts, or athletic activities, such as one-act plays, speech or debate contests, etc. If the student is scheduled for a class that is directly affiliated with the activity (e.g., theatre/one-act play), only the amount of time scheduled for that class may be used for practice purposes. (19 TAC §76.1001 [e] [1], [2] and [3].)