Minnesota State High School League Rules
Pertaining to Chemical Eligibility
Please Note: The following bylaw was taken from the 2008-2009 handbook. The updated 2009-2010 will be provided soon.
BYLAW 205.00 CHEMICAL ELIGIBILITY
Cross Reference: Bylaw 304.B.1 (“Denial Penalty”)
1.A student shall not at any time, regardless of the quantity: A.use or consume, have in possession a beverage containing alcohol;
B.use or consume, have in possession tobacco; or,
C.use or consume, have in possession, buy, sell or give away any other controlled substance or drug paraphernalia.2.Penalties for Category I Activities
Definition - Category I Activities: Those League-sponsored activities in which a member school has a schedule of interscholastic contests, exclusive of League-sponsored tournaments.
· Athletic Activities
· Fine Arts Activities
1)Debate
2)Speech Activities including One Act Play - when a school schedules a season of interscholastic contests.
A.First Violation Penalty
The student shall lose eligibility for the next two consecutive interscholastic contests or two weeks, 14 calendar days, of a season in which the student is a participant, whichever is greater
B.Second Violation Penalty
The student shall lose eligibility for the next six consecutive interscholastic contests or three weeks, 21 calendar days, whichever is greater, in which the student is a participant.
C.Third or Subsequent Violation Penalty
1)The student shall lose eligibility for the next 12 consecutive interscholastic contests or four weeks, 28 calendar days, whichever is greater, in which the student is a participant.
2)A student who chooses to become a participant in a treatment program may become eligible for participation after a minimum period of six weeks after entering treatment if all of the following conditions are met:
a)The student is assessed as chemically dependent,
b)enters treatment voluntarily, and
c) the director of the treatment center certifies that the student has successfully completed the treatment program.
Successful completion of a chemical dependency treatment program will satisfy only the most recent violation. Any other violations for which the penalty has not been satisfied must still be served in full.
D.Applying the Penalty
1)Penalties shall be progressive beginning with the student’s first violation and continuing throughout the student’s high school career. Penalties shall be served consecutively.
2)Violation Confirmation Definition: The violation shall be confirmed when the administrator responsible for the athletics/activities program has informed the student that the student has violated a bylaw and is now under the penalty. The notification shall be verbal and also in writing.
3)Counting Weeks:
a)The weeks shall begin on the date that the violation is confirmed by the school administrator and extend for the required number of calendar days.
b)For the purpose of this bylaw, a week is seven calendar days. The week starts the date the violation is confirmed.
c) At the beginning of the season, practice and conditioning weeks are counted.
d)The student must participate in and complete the entire season in which the penalty has been applied for the penalty to count. As examples: a student can not begin participation in a program at the start of the season, serve the penalty and then quit after the suspension has been served; nor can a student join a program after the season has begun, and serve the penalty.
4)A student who is under penalty for a violation of a League bylaw may not join a second sport in the same season in order to fulfill a penalty.
5)Practices, jamborees, inter-school scrimmages and previews are not interscholastic contests and may not be counted, however, the student is eligible to participate.
6) A student who participates in both Category I and Category II activities shall serve the penalty prescribed for that violation in both Category I and Category II activities in which the student participates.
7) Denial Disqualification: A student shall be disqualified from all inter-scholastic athletics for nine additional weeks beyond the student’s original period of ineligibility when the student denies violation of the rule, is allowed to participate and then is subsequently found guilty of the violation.
3.Penalties for Category II Activities
Definition - Category II Activities: Those League-sponsored activities in which a member school does not have a schedule of interscholastic contests, exclusive of League-sponsored tournaments.
Fine Arts Activities
1)Speech activities including One Act Play when a school schedules no interscholastic contests and participates only in the League-sponsored tournament series.
2)Music Activities.
3)Visual Arts Activities.
Each member school shall develop penalties which it will apply to the participants in these activities. A copy of the member school’s policy shall be filed in the principal’s office.