Golf Manual Regular Season

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Regular Season

Practice Regulations 

Practice Regulations - When School is in Session - Individual Sports 

• Eight-Hour Practice Rule – School districts shall adopt policies limiting extracurricular activities from the beginning of the school week through the end of the school week (excluding holidays) by limiting practice outside the school day to a maximum of eight hours per school week per activity.
• Sessions for strength & conditioning instruction may be conducted for teams during their off-season by school coaches for students in grades 7-12 from that coaches attendance zone starting the first day of school. A strength and conditioning session shall be no more than one hour per day outside the school day, Monday through Friday, and a student shall attend no more than one session of supervised instruction per day.
• The in-school athletic period and the one-hour strength & conditioning does not count towards the allotted 8 hours.
• Any time used in connection with a practice that is not part of the athletic period or the one-hour strength & conditioning counts as part of the 8 hours. (dress, video/meetings, etc).

Practice Regulations - OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL YEAR - INDIVIDUAL SPORTS 

Practice regulations for sports that practice outside of the school year are as follows- 

• The maximum length of any single practice session is three hours. 
• Students-athletes shall not engage in more than three hours of practice activities on those days during which one practice is conducted.
• Student-athletes shall not engage in more than five hours of practice activities on those days during which more than one practice is conducted.
• On days when more than one practice is conducted, there shall be, at a minimum, two hours of rest/recovery time between the end of one practice and the beginning of the next practice.
• Schools shall not schedule more than one practice on consecutive days and student-athletes shall not participate in multiple practices on consecutive days (Exception: Volleyball).
• What counts towards practice time? Actual on-court practice, sport specific skill instruction, mandatory conditioning, water breaks and rest breaks.
• What doesn’t count? Meetings, *weight training, film study, injury treatment and *voluntary conditioning.
  • * denotes activity cannot be done during the two-hour rest between the two practices.

Sundays: A League participant school shall not participate in any athletic contest or conduct any practice, or teach any plays, formations, or skills on Sunday.

• Violation: Any showing of films to, or meetings of athletes for the purpose of instructions or reviewing of plays, formations, or skills in any sport will be construed as a violation.
• Coaches Sunday Meetings: This does not prevent coaches from meeting on Sunday or from viewing films or planning an instructional program, provided that no athletes are involved in this meeting.

Contest Schedule Rules

The following section combines State Law, State Board of Education regulations, and UIL rules regarding scheduling and participation in a contest.    

Constitution and Contest Rules: Section 5 - Definitions:

• Calendar week means 12:01 a.m. on Sunday through midnight on Saturday.
• 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. 
• One contest per school week: School districts shall adopt policies limiting extracurricular activities from the beginning of the school week through the end of the school week (excluding holidays) by scheduling no more than one contest or performance per activity per student. *Exception: Tournaments and post-season competition, as well as district varsity contests postponed by weather or public disaster, may also be scheduled during the school week. 
• Eight-hour practice rule: School districts shall adopt policies limiting extracurricular activities from the beginning of the school week through the end of the school week (excluding holidays) by limiting practice outside the school day to a maximum of eight hours per school week per activity. 

Participation

• (b) SUNDAY PROHIBITION: A UIL member school shall not participate in any athletic contest or conduct any practice or teach any plays, formations or skills on Sunday.
  • (1) Violation: Any showing of films to or meetings of athletes for the purpose of instruction or reviewing of plays, formations or skills in any sport will be construed as a violation.
  • (2) Coaches Sunday Meetings: This does not prevent coaches from meeting on Sunday or from seeing films or planning an instructional program, provided no athletes are involved in this meeting.
  • (3) Exceptions:
    • (A) Golf. 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 (no earlier than 12:00 noon) if permitted by the regional or state meet director.
• (c) REGIONAL AND STATE TOURNAMENT COMPETITION ON SUNDAY. Regional or state tournament directors may reschedule postponed or weather delayed tournaments on Sunday afternoon or evening with prior approval of the tournament director and the participating schools and with prior permission from the UIL Athletic Director.

Golf Tournament Regulations

Number of Contests Allowed (2023-24): 8 Tournaments excluding one district, regional and state tournament.

Conferences: Participating schools shall be divided into conferences according to UIL spring meet alignments.

Divisions: There shall be the following divisions in girls’ and boys’ districts: (a) singles and (b) teams consisting of five (or a minimum of four) entries from the same high school. Singles entries may also be a member of the team. This must be designated. The medalist for each respective meet is singles champion, regardless of whether he/she is a member of a team or a single entry.

Official Rules: All matches shall be played under the United States Golf Association rules. Contestants may not use caddies or electric carts during district, regional or state tournaments. A pull cart may be used. Students with disabilities as defined by ADA may apply for a waiver. Contact the UIL office for details.

Maximum Scoring: In district play, and in regional and state competition, at any time during the play of a hole, a competitor may pick up the ball and record a 9 for that hole if it becomes apparent to the player that a score of less than 9 is highly unlikely.

• A player’s score for a hole is based on the player’s number of strokes (including strokes made and penalty strokes), except that the player will get only the maximum score even if the actual score exceeds the maximum.

Coaching Rule: Two coaches may engage (coach) with the player(s) from tee to green. Once a player steps onto the green, no coaching is allowed until all participants have finished the hole.

• At district, regional and state competition, two coaches are allowed to coach that team/individual once play has begun that day for that team or player(s).
  • Penalty Structure:
    • First Offense - Warning
    • Second Offense - Stroke penalty for player and loss of coaching privileges for the coach
    • Third Offense - Disqualification of the player for the entire tournament.

Representation: No student or team representing a member school shall participate in more than eight tournaments during the school year, excluding district, regional and state tournaments. Each high school may enter three singles and two golf teams in each division.

Dress Regulations: Individuals and teams representing member schools in golf shall wear school-approved clothing. It is recommended that clothing be in school colors, similar in design, and/or have the school identifying logo or name. All clothing does not have to be identical, but the school officials must approve whatever is worn.

Double Entry: A school may, if permitted by the tournament director, play more than one team at the same varsity tournament. This would constitute one tournament for the team and for each golfer of the eight school tournaments allowed.

School Week Limitation: No student or team representing a participant school shall participate in more than one tournament per school week (the first instructional day of the week through the last school day of the week). See Contest Schedule Rules (p. 12-13) for definition of calendar week. *Exceptions: The regional and state tournament, and district varsity tournaments postponed by weather or public disaster, may also be scheduled during the school week. Schools shall not enter invitational golf tournaments scheduled on more than one school day per any one tournament.

School Tournament Defined: A meeting of more than three schools or a match in which there results in a loss of school time is defined as a school tournament. It could also be considered a school tournament if, in a non-school 17 tournament, a student is wearing school uniforms or equipment, using school transportation, or is being directed in the tournament by a coach paid by the school.

Invitational Tournaments: In invitational tournaments, consisting of less than 36 holes (e.g., a 27-hole tournament), team honors shall be determined by totaling the best four scores for all holes included in the tournament to avoid dividing team play into increments of less than 18 holes. Hosts may still schedule a 9-hole competition if desired.

Non-School Tournaments: If a student participates in a non-school tournament, it will not count as one of his/her school tournaments providing he/she is not representing the school.

Junior Varsity: A bona fide junior varsity team may represent a school and attend junior varsity tournaments. This team would also be limited to eight junior varsity tournaments. A golfer could move from the junior varsity level to the varsity level, but a combined total of eight tournaments (at any level) would still be in effect for the player.

Tournament Cancellation or Continuation: A tournament is considered a tournament when all contestants have played one half of the predetermined length. (It is preferred that in order to prevent additional loss of school time, the tournament shall be called and a champion determined on less than the scheduled number of holes.)

• If the second half of the tournament has not begun and the tournament cannot be continued, the remaining holes may be played at a later date without counting as another tournament provided there is no additional loss of school time.
• If less than half of the tournament has been played, and the tournament cannot be continued, the tournament may be canceled and does not have to count as one of the allowable eight tournaments. (If there was a loss of school time, the tournament must be counted)

Awards: High school participants may receive trophies or medals. They cannot accept anything of valuable consideration. Using the students’ names for advertising purposes, if paid, is prohibited.