Softball Pre-Season Regulations

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Pre-Season Regulations

UIL Coach Education and Training Requirements

All high school coaches must be full-time employees of the school district EXCEPTION: A retired teacher/administrator who has 20 or more years of experience may serve as an assistant coach in all athletics and as a head coach for golf, tennis, team tennis, cross country, track and field, and swimming. (This rule shall not affect the status of a coach on a leave of absence attending college.) Also, student teachers, while they are assigned to a participant school to fulfill their student teaching requirements, may volunteer to serve as an assistant coach in all athletics. Schools shall not pay student teachers for assisting athletic coaches.

Section 1202: Employment of Coaches

(a) HIGH SCHOOL COACHES.

(1) Full-Time Employees. A school is not eligible for UIL competition in an athletic activity unless the head coach and assistant high school coaches are full-time employees of the school board of the school which the team represents.

(2) Full-Time Defined. Full-time means that the person is under contract to the school board of the school which the athletic team represents for the whole scholastic or calendar year, and the person has enough contractual duties to be considered a full-time employee by the Teacher Retirement System and state law. Refer to Official Interpretation 05-08-03, Appendix I.

(3) Exceptions. A retired teacher/administrator who has 20 or more years of experience may serve as an assistant coach in all athletics and as a head coach for golf, tennis, team tennis, cross-country, track and field, swimming and wrestling. (This rule shall not affect the status of a coach on a leave of absence attending college.) Also, student teachers, while they are assigned to a member school district to fulfill their student teaching requirements, may volunteer to serve as an assistant coach in all athletics. Schools shall not pay student teachers for assisting athletic coaches. A full-time substitute who has coached during the school year may be permitted to continue coaching until the UIL competitive year has ended. Example: state baseball playoffs.

(b) SOURCE OF PAY. Schools shall not pay coaches out of gate receipts, or draw the contracts with coaches in such a way as to make it to the financial advantage of a coach to win games. Schools shall not pay to coaches, and coaches shall not accept, funds gathered by a high school booster club or other sources within the school district. Refer to Official Interpretation 09-03-04, Appendix I.

(c) SCHOOL AUTHORITY RESPONSIBLE. Responsibility for the proper administration, contracts, arrangements, control and scheduling of athletic contests in all school systems shall be under the supervision of the superintendent or a designated administrator.

(d) SALARY: NO BONUS. A coach’s salary shall be fixed at the beginning of the year, and shall include no provisions for bonus. It shall be a violation for a contract to be based upon a percentage of the gate receipts.

(e) REGULAR DISBURSEMENT. The salary of a coach shall be paid from funds under the complete control of the school board and disbursed to the coach in the regular way in which the other salaries are disbursed. A district may comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act by paying a non-exempt employee overtime, provided the rate of pay is set prior to the school year and remains at that same rate throughout the school year.

(f) NO FINANCIAL INTEREST IN GAME. Any contract which makes it to the financial interest of a coach to win a game will be in violation of the spirit of the rule.

(g) Gifts. If a coach accepts money, products or services in recognition of his/her coaching, other than the items stipulated within his/her 
employment contract, those items come under Section 481, gift awards rule.

(h) PREVIOUS SUSPENSION. The State Executive Committee shall forfeit any contest won by an individual or school if it finds a school district employee previously suspended under Section 27 participated on behalf of the individual or school in the contest plan while prohibited from doing so under order of the State Executive Committee.

(i) COACH OR ADULT SUPERVISOR. No student shall represent his or her school at any time in connection with interscholastic competition unless accompanied by a coach or another appointed member of the school faculty. Exception: A non-school employee may serve as the adult supervisor of students when appointed by the administrator in areas where no coaching/directing takes place. These individuals may provide the transportation to and from the activity and be responsible for the supervision of participants.

(j) PROFESSIONAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT FORM. All personnel coaching in grades 7-12 shall sign a Professional Acknowledgment Form prior to the beginning of their tenure at a member school. These forms shall be on file in the superintendent’s office.

(k) UIL COACHES CERTIFICATION PROGRAM

(1) All coaches shall annually complete the UIL Coaches Certification Program prescribed by the UIL prior to their sport season or prior to the first day of school if their sport is not in season. A coach who is hired less than one week prior to the start of the sport season or after the first day of school (whichever is earlier) must complete the CCP within thirty (30)days of being hired.

(2) The names of coaches who complete the UIL Coaches Certification Program will be kept on file by the school.

(l) Coaches Education: All first-year coaches and any coach who is not a full-time employee of the school district Exception: Coaches who qualify for the exception under Section 1202 (a) (3) must complete a UIL approved fundamentals of coaching course prior to their participation as a coach for any UIL member school.

Texas Education Code Requirements (State Law)

TEC Chapter 33.086 - Certification - CPR and First Aid Training

Athletic coaches, athletic trainers, cheerleading sponsors and other head directors of UIL extra-curricular activities must have a current certification filed with the district.

TEC Chapter 22.902 - Certification - AED Training

Athletic coaches and sponsors, school nurses, PE teachers, marching band directors, and students that serve as an athletic trainer must have a current certification filed with the district.

TEC Chapter 33.202 - Annual Requirement – Safety Training

Training provided by UIL within the Rules Compliance Program (RCP). Athletic coaches must complete prior to contact with students.

TEC Chapter 38.158 - Annual Requirement - Concussion Training (2 hours every other year/1 hour annually)

Athletic coaches, athletic trainers and potential members of the Concussion Oversight Team must complete the training annually.

Coaches Certification Program (CCP)

The CCP consists of both UIL and state law requirements and requires a coach to complete the prescribed components on a yearly basis. Completion of the CCP will recognize coaches as UIL certified coaches. All coaches shall annually complete the UIL Coaches Certification Program prescribed by the UIL prior to their sport season or prior to the first day of school if their sport is not in season. A coach who is hired less than one week prior to the start of the sport season or after the first day of school (whichever is earlier) must complete the CCP within thirty (30) days of being hired.

Required CCP Modules:

1. Constitution & Contest Rules

2. Ethics & Sportsmanship

3. UIL Steroid Education

4. Safety Training (state law)

5. Concussion Training (state law)

6. Sport-Specific Training – each sport has a sport-specific CCP module

7. Football coaches only – Best Practices in Tackling (Atavus) certification that will be required for all first-year football coaches or those coaches who have not completed both 1.0 and 2.0.

8. First Year Coaches Only - Fundamentals of Coaching in Texas – required for first-year coaches (or JH volunteers) or coaches in their first year to coach in the state of Texas.

9. Cheerleading Coach/Sponsor only - Safety/Risk Minimization for Cheerleading Course

     A. Must have a current certification or annual training completed prior to contact with participants.

     B. Districts shall determine the organization that will provide the certification or training. Resources are available but not limited to those on the UIL website.

UIL Eligibility for Athletic Contests

Section 403: Eligibility - Athletics

Subchapter O, Section 480: Limitation on Awards

Student Participation Required Forms

It shall be the responsibility of each school to keep on file the following required annual forms for each student who participates in any practice, scrimmage, or game. Forms can be found on the Athletics website here.

Forms for all students:

Pre-Participation Physical Examination Form. As a minimum requirement, a Physical Examination Form must be completed prior to junior high athletic participation and again prior to first and third years of high school athletic participation. Local district policy may require an annual physical exam. The form must be filled in and signed by either a Physician, a Physician Assistant licensed by a State Board of Physician Assistant Examiners, a Registered Nurse recognized as an Advanced Practice Nurse by the Board of Nurse Examiners, or a Doctor of Chiropractic. Examination forms signed by any other health care practitioner, will not be accepted.

Medical History Form. Each year prior to any practice or participation a UIL Medical History Form signed by both a student and a parent or guardian is required. A Medical History Form shall accompany each physical examination and shall be signed by both a student and a parent or guardian.

Parent or Guardian Permit. Annual participation permit signed by the student’s parent or guardian.

Rules Acknowledgment Form. Annual UIL Rules Acknowledgment Form signed by the student and the student’s parent or guardian.

Parent/Student Anabolic Steroid Use and Random Steroid Testing Form. The parent/guardian of each high school athlete, along with each high school athlete, must annually sign the UIL Illegal Steroid Use and Random Steroid Testing Parent and Student Notification/Agreement Form.

Concussion Acknowledgement Form. Annual UIL Concussion Acknowledgment Form signed by the student and the student’s parent or guardian.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Form. Annual UIL Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Form signed by the student and the student's parent or guardian.

Forms for Varsity Participation

Eligibility Form. Schools must submit comprehensive eligibility blanks for football, basketball, volleyball, softball, baseball, and soccer.  For all other athletic activities general alphabetical listing of eligible athletes is required.  One copy shall be sent to the district executive committee chair and one copy shall be filed in the school’s office.  Completed eligibility forms are to be signed by the superintendent or a designated administrator and the coach.  These forms are to be postmarked before a contestant is allowed to participate in a varsity contest.  Failure to furnish correct and complete information may, upon request by the proper committee, constitute grounds for suspension.

Previous Athletic Participation Form. New students in grades 9-12 who represented their former school in a varsity or sub-varsity athletic contest or practice in grades 8-12 in any previous school year must have a Previous Athletic Participation Form completed prior to participation in a varsity contest at the new school.

Late Forms. If an eligibility form or a Previous Athletic Participation Form was not filed prior to competition, and it was an inadvertent error and the student is actually eligible under Subchapter M of the Constitution, the district executive committee is not required to demand forfeiture or to rule the student ineligible.  They may assess the minimum penalty of private reprimand to the school.

Foreign Exchange Students. Subject to the other eligibility rules of the Constitution, foreign exchange students in approved CSIET foreign exchange programs are allowed to apply for exceptions to the residence rule through the UIL waiver process. A waiver could be granted in certain activities if they have not received advanced training or have not had extensive experience in the activity of their choice.  Foreign exchange students are not eligible for varsity athletic participation unless they are granted a Foreign Exchange Student Waiver.

Varsity Athletic Eligibility for Over-Age Student. Subject to the other eligibility rules of the UIL Constitution, an individual is eligible to participate in a League varsity athletic contest as a representative of a participant school if that individual is less than 19 years old on September 1 preceding the contest; or has been granted eligibility based on a handicapping condition which delayed his or her education by at least one year and the student is currently in special education and under the auspices of an ARD Committee or has been identified as a 504 student prior to the end of their second year in high school (effective for entering ninth graders in the current school year). 

Practice Regulations and Contest Schedule Rules

Practice Regulations - Outside of the School Year

Practice Regulations - When School is in Session

• Eight Hour Rule – Practice outside the school day, from the beginning of the school week through the end of the school week (excluding holidays), is limited to a maximum of eight hours per school week, per activity.
• Sessions for strength & conditioning instruction may be conducted by school coaches for students in grades 7-12 from that coaches attendance zone in off-season 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).

Contest Schedule Rules

The following section combines State Law, State Board of Education regulations, and UIL rules.  The Texas Education Agency defines participation as being involved with the activity, traveling with the team, or sitting on the bench.  UIL defines participation of a student-athlete as actually entering the contest as a player.  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 for TEA but not UIL.  In other words, that student cannot participate again until Friday after school because of TEA regulations, however, that game does not count as one of the allowable games as determined by UIL policy.

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. 

   19 TAC 97.113 (K) (1)

• 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

• 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.

1. 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.
2. 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.