NASHVILLE — For now, the two most significant rules changes to Tennessee high school sports since the public-private split more than 25 years ago will continue to wait before being officially addressed.
During its spring meeting Tuesday, for the second time in the past five months, the TSSAA’s Legislative Council opted to take no action on addressing proposals concerning the transfer rule as well as the residence rule.
The council, which is responsible for setting the rules and laws the TSSAA’s 400-plus member schools must abide by, agreed with the recommendation of executive director Mark Reeves to take no action on a proposal to revise the organization’s transfer rules regarding student-athletes wanting to transfer from one school to another without having to either make a bonafide change of residence or lose one year of eligibility.
Currently, any student-athlete wanting to transfer would need to make a bonafide change of address — along with their family — or would be forced to sit out one calendar year from the last date they participated in an athletic event.
A growing concern raised by parents and state legislators over allowing parents and guardians to have more choice concerning where their child attends school and participates in sports was the basis for the proposed rules change. For now, however, there will be no change to the way those rules are worded and enforced.