MIAA Bonafide player rule

[Unregistered]

Is anyone here familiar with the intention and application of the MIAA Bonafide Player rule?

Is this applied only in situations where the player misses HS practice, games or meetings for ANOTHER sport? or would it apply to a situation where players only show up for games, with no practice...and god knows what they are doing, but it probably isn't another sport.

And let me be clear, we are not talking about missing a practice or two, we are talking about half the starting roster ATTENDING less than ten practices the entire year. So, curious what people think about a situation like this and if anyone has experience with anything like this.

My guess is this is so basic, probably every coach out there sets an expectation of attendance at practices, games and meetings, that perhaps no one has encountered this.

or perhaps this is left entireley up to the coach to manage as he sees fit.

this is what I am looking to understand.

Here's the rule:

45. Loyalty to the High School Team: Bona Fide Team Members
A bona fide member of the school team is a student who is consistently present for, and actively participates in, all high school team sessions (e.g. practices, tryouts, competitions). Bona fide members of a school team are precluded from missing a high school practice or competition in order to participate in a non-school athletic activity/event in any sport recognized by the MIAA. First Offense: Student athlete is suspended for 25% of the season (see chart on Rule 62). Second Offense: Student athlete is suspended for an additional 25% of the season, and is ineligible for tournament play immediately upon confirmation of the violation. See Rule 96 for additional tournament restriction and Rule 86 for waiver guidelines.

[Unregistered]

MIAA has given waivers for players who play on national teams in the past, anything less is not certain...

Happens a lot in overlapping seasons where a player may want to play a soccer match in disney but will miss some of the basketball season....Seen waivers approved seen waiver not approved and girls go anyway and get caught and suspeneded...

Have seen girls miss a hockey game for a field hockey national tournment with waiver from MIAA...Waiver paperwork sent in a lot earlier.

Local school is the primary enforcing agency...eithics there are the most important....have heard of parents dropping dime to MIAA when a teammate does not abide by rule (sound like what is implied in this case), heard of parents going to AD and when not satisfied go to MIAA... heard of teammates on competing club teams parents dropping dime to AD and MIAA when a player plays in tournment without waiver and calls in sick to HS team in order to miss practice....Heard of parents telling AD there is a death in family, religous celebration, in order to play in tournment and the kid getting busted...

mostly have heard of situation on girls teams and only one or two with boys, don't know if it happens more in girls sports than boys or parents of girls are more cut throat. Seen parents be happy with 25% of games missed, seen parents happy to give up season if season is not going well....or girl not getting enough playing time....rare on boys side seeing this behavior....Drop the dime if you want to but you will have to live with it...saw a team loss a state championships because of it.

[Unregistered]

one case AD was informed (by outside party )that girl was going to disney, AD confronted parent before event and told them the girl would be suspended if went, parents lied to him, on game day parents said girl was sick, parents actually went to HS game and told AD and coach she was sick. AD had picture of girl playing in game in disney that day when they came up and told him. It is amazing what lengths some parents will go to....

[Unregistered]

OP here.

Examples in your response are all ones where athlete is playing for an outside school team. on this the rules seems clear.

My question is more along the lines of, Is a student a bona fide member of a HS team (soccer in this case) if they go to 75% of the games, and less than 15% (less than 10% is some cases)?

and there is no "dime dropping going on". Just the opposite, looking to gather the facts so we can have an adult conversation with coaching staff. After waiting until season has ended.

the result of this favoritism behavior on the squad in question is quite damaging:

7-10 boys at practice does not make for a viable training atmosphere
the double standard is apparent in every Coach/team/player interaction.
Ironic twist is, the coach puts intense pressure on the players that do come to actually be on time and visible, as he has an AD looking at him sideways at him on lack of numbers
2nd ironic twist, is he coddles the non-attending players when they do come, perhaps to make it attractive to return? makes no sense to anyone watching.
The macro effect was a season that started with 50-60 boys for 3 teams (F, JV, V) and ended with less than 30 for two teams (sometimes 23 for for two games, V and JV).

The facts are we want to stay with program because Academics are first. However, soccer is important enough that we will make a school change if we don't hear plan to remedy. But dime dropping is just not a path we will be pursuing.

fair enough?

[BostonSoccerDad]

OP here.

Examples in your response are all ones where athlete is playing for an outside school team. on this the rules seems clear.

My question is more along the lines of, Is a student a bona fide member of a HS team (soccer in this case) if they go to 75% of the games, and less than 15% (less than 10% is some cases)?

and there is no "dime dropping going on". Just the opposite, looking to gather the facts so we can have an adult conversation with coaching staff. After waiting until season has ended.

the result of this favoritism behavior on the squad in question is quite damaging:

7-10 boys at practice does not make for a viable training atmosphere
the double standard is apparent in every Coach/team/player interaction.
Ironic twist is, the coach puts intense pressure on the players that do come to actually be on time and visible, as he has an AD looking at him sideways at him on lack of numbers
2nd ironic twist, is he coddles the non-attending players when they do come, perhaps to make it attractive to return? makes no sense to anyone watching.
The macro effect was a season that started with 50-60 boys for 3 teams (F, JV, V) and ended with less than 30 for two teams (sometimes 23 for for two games, V and JV).

The facts are we want to stay with program because Academics are first. However, soccer is important enough that we will make a school change if we don't hear plan to remedy. But dime dropping is just not a path we will be pursuing.

fair enough?

This does not sound like a healthy environment for the team as a whole. How can the team be a cohesive unit in a situation like this? Personally I don't see it happening and would not want my kid to be playing on this team.

[Unregistered]

This where the AD and principal come in, If it is for school activities and it has approval of the AD and Principal it is okay.....many academics such as labs, extra help, math etc...

If it is for another sport I think that is a no-no, i.e. a soccer player called in to do the kick offs and PAT for a football team, or a someone showing up for golf match (I would love that)

The sticky point is extracuriclar activities such as drama (glee enthusists take note), ski club, french club etc. usually those activies don't conflict with practice but sometimes they do and that is where mature conversations have to occur...

interesting point in this case, some feel that everyday practice is too much and kids need a rest day (I don't agree).

To me it just seems that soccer is more of an activity than a serious sport and they are trying to have everyone experience it. Some charter schools are trying this approach, some kids thrive in this atmosphere others need more structure.

[Unregistered]

I think the rules are pretty clear for most cases that come up ...

45. Loyalty to the High School Team: Bona Fide Team Members
A bona fide member of the school team is a student who is consistently present for, and actively participates in, all high school team sessions (e.g. practices, tryouts, competitions). Bona fide members of a school team are precluded from missing a high school practice or competition in order to participate in a non-school athletic activity/event in any sport recognized by the MIAA. First Offense: Student athlete is suspended for 25% of the season (see chart on Rule 62). Second Offense: Student athlete is suspended for an additional 25% of the season, and is ineligible for tournament play immediately upon confirmation of the violation. See Rule 96 for additional tournament restriction and Rule 86 for waiver guidelines.

86. Bona Fide Team Member Waiver Guidelines
The Bona Fide rule requires that members of a school team actively participate in all team practices and competitions. Members of a school team are precluded from missing a high school practice or competition in order to participate in a non school event/activity in any sport recognized by the MIAA.
On occasion, a student might find himself/herself in potential conflict with this rule. This can happen when a student-athlete has an association with an out-of-school team or has an opportunity to participate in some special tournament or on a special team. A waiver of the bona fide team rule excusing the student from the school activity that day and allowing the student to participate in such a non-school event is possible under the guidelines set forth below. Before a waiver request (See White Book for form) is submitted ALL of the following considerations must be present:
86.1 The non-school event must be a significant experience -- not one normally available to most anyone.
86.2 The invitation must have come from a personalized invitation -- not a form letter that went to a large number of students.
86.3 It must be clear that the student is not being exploited and that the student is truly being singled out to participate.
86.4 The amount of time being missed from school will definitely be considered.
86.5 The number of school team activities being missed will be a factor considered.
86.6 There is a limit to the number of times that a student could qualify for a waiver. It would be extremely rare that a student-athlete would be granted more than one waiver per year.
86.7 The request for a waiver must have the written support of the school principal, the athletic director, and the coach.
Waivers will be considered on an individual basis on the merits of each case. Requests for a waiver should be addressed to the MIAA. The above points should be addressed in the waiver request.

[Unregistered]

or your coach can manipulate the rules and make you a swing player and roster you on both Varsity and JV. This can allow you to miss practices and scrimmages.

[Unregistered]

or your coach can manipulate the rules and make you a swing player and roster you on both Varsity and JV. This can allow you to miss practices and scrimmages.

Sounds like a coach I'd want my kid to play for. Creatively make the rules work in your
favor.

Nothing wrong with that in my book!

[Unregistered]

Ah, I was wondering when the annual discussion about the bonafide player rule on TS would begin.