Athletic Eligibility Requirements

Middle School Eligibility Requirements (Established by the NCDPI)

Grade Level
Athletic participation is available to students in grades 6 through 8. (Students in 6th grade cannot participate in football.)

Academic Requirements
In middle school a student must pass 70% of all courses taken during the previous semester to be eligible for athletics. 

Attendance Requirement
In order to be eligible for athletic participation, students must have been in daily attendance 85% of the previous semester. In regard to athletic eligibility, daily absences cannot be made up under any circumstances, even if the student attends Saturday classes, extra help sessions, summer school, and/or any other means to make up academic work. A student must, at any time of any game in which he or she participates, be a regularly enrolled member of the school’s student body. All absences count, regardless of reason.

Promotion Standards
In middle school a student must be making sufficient progress toward meeting the academic and curricular requirements of the PSU and the State Board of Education to be promoted to the next grade level or to graduate within the next calendar year.

Six Semester Rule
From the time a student first enters the 6th grade, they have a period of 6 consecutive semesters to complete their middle school athletic eligibility.

Medical Examination
Student athletes must receive a medical examination once every 395 days by a duly licensed physician, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant.

Age
A student may not participate in any middle school sport if his or her 15th birthday comes on or before August 31st of the current school year.

Residence
A student is eligible to participate in athletics at the school to which he or she is assigned by the Board of Education, within the administrative unit of residence. Transfers within the Guilford County Schools administrative district are governed by local Board of Education policy.

High School Eligibility Requirements (Established by the State Board of Education and NCHSAA)

Scholastic Requirements

1) To be eligible to participate in interscholastic athletics, a student must be in good academic standing. For purposes of this Rule, a student shall be deemed to be in good academic standing under the following circumstances:

a) The student passed at least seventy (70) percent of the courses taken in the preceding semester; and

b) The student is on track to advance to the next grade level or graduate within the next calendar year.

Attendance Requirement
In order to be eligible for athletic participation, students must have been in daily attendance 85% of the previous semester. In regard to athletic eligibility, daily absences cannot be made up under any circumstances, even if the student attends Saturday classes, extra help sessions, summer school, and/or any other means to make up academic work. A student must, at any time of any game in which he or she participates, be a regularly enrolled member of the school’s student body. All absences count, regardless of reason.

Eight Semester Rule – Beginning with the student’s first entry into the 9th grade, the student may not participate in athletics for a period lasting longer than eight (8) consecutive semesters.

Enrollment – A student who attends a school supervised by a local board of education shall only participate in interscholastic athletics on behalf of the school to which the student is assigned under G.S. 115C-366.

Medical Examination – Student athletes must receive a medical examination once every 395 days by a duly licensed physician, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant.

Age – A student may not participate in any sport if his or her 19th birthday comes on or before August 31st of the current school year.

Residence – A student is eligible to participate in athletics at the school to which he or she is assigned by the Board of Education, within the administrative unit of residence. Transfers within the Guilford County Schools administrative district are governed by local Board of Education policy.

Student Participation in Interscholastic Athletics

In addition to the athletic eligibility rules established by the NCHSAA, additional athletic eligibility rules have been established by the Guilford County Schools Board of Education.

• Students in grades 10-12 must earn a weighted GPA of 2.0 or higher during the semester immediately prior to the semester of athletic participation. First year freshmen do not have a GPA requirement for the first semester of the 9th grade year, but must earn a GPA of 1.50 or higher during the first semester to be eligible for the second semester of the 9th grade year.
• Annually, prior to participation, parents must provide two proofs of residence.
• Annually, prior to participation, the student and parent must complete an Athletic Participation Form. (See school athletic director for details.)

A more detailed description can be found in Board of Education policy 3621 (Student Participation in Interscholastic Athletics) as well as the associated procedures.