2701.1 The certification of eligibility of students to participate in interscholastic athletics shall occur, pursuant to procedures to be established by the Superintendent, as follows:

1. (a) Principals shall be responsible for determining and certifying the eligibility of students to participate in athletics by submitting a list of eligible students to the Director of Athletics two (2) weeks prior to the first scheduled game, whether league or non-league;
2. (b) A supplemental list may be submitted two (2) weeks after the first game. However, students on the supplemental list may not participate without the prior written approval of the Director of Athletics. The supplemental list may be submitted for league games only; and
3. (c) The Director of Athletics shall be responsible for verifying the eligibility of students within one (1) week of receipt of the eligibility list, including supplemental lists.

2701.2 The Supervising Director of Athletics shall have the authority to challenge and to investigate the eligibility of any students certified by principals as being eligible to participate in interscholastic athletics whenever there is reason to believe that a student may not have fulfilled the eligibility requirements set forth in § 2701.3 of this chapter.

2701.3 In order to be certified as eligible to participate in interscholastic athletic programs and contests conducted by the D.C. Public Schools, and to maintain such eligibility, students shall fulfill the following requirements:

1. (a) Students shall be residents of the District of Columbia, as defined by statute, and the rules set forth in §§ 2000.2 and 2000.3 of this title, except as provided for in §2701.3(b);
2. (b) Students residing outside the District of Columbia, whose admission to D.C. Public Schools has been approved in accordance with § 2006 of this title and who have either paid, or are current in payment of, their nonresident tuition fee, and, students who become bona fide D.C. residents by virtue of a court-appointed custodian or guardian and who otherwise fulfill the requirements of this section, may become eligible to participate upon satisfactory completion of two (2) full consecutive semesters at the D.C. Public School the student wishes to represent in interscholastic athletics. The Director of Athletics may, within ten (10) days of the beginning of each sport season, grant a waiver of this rule, upon a request from the affected student, if the student is able to show good cause or undue hardship from the application of the rule. Coaches shall be prohibited from obtaining guardianship or custody of a student as a subterfuge for residency;
3. (c) Students shall be enrolled within the first twenty (20) calendar days of a semester at the school the student wishes to represent in interscholastic athletics, except as provided for in § 2701.3(d);
4. (d) Students who transfer enrollment after the first twenty (20) calendar days of a semester on the basis of a change of address, may only become eligible to participate when the change of address within the District of Columbia has been verified by both the sending and receiving principals in accordance with the rules and procedures set forth in §§ 2105, 2002.10, and 2002.11 of this title;
5. (e) Students in grades seven (7) through twelve (12) shall submit to the principal an

original or certified true copy of the student's birth certificate, except that in cases where a student provides a certification from a Bureau of Vital Statistics, or comparable agency, that no birth certificate exists for the student, satisfactory documentary proof of the student's date of birth shall be accepted in accordance with provisions set forth in § 2002.6 of this title;

1. (f) Students who are less than eighteen (18) years of age shall submit to the principal a statement signed by the student's parent or guardian indicating the sport for which parental consent is being given for the student to participate;
2. (g) Students shall provide a physician's certification that the student has been examined and found to be physically fit for the sport in which the student seeks to participate;
3. (h) Students shall be covered by accident insurance, either contracted for by D.C. Public Schools or selected by the parent (guardian) and approved by D.C. Public Schools, during each season the student participates. Appropriate notice of the coverage and cost of the accident insurance contracted for by D.C. Public Schools, shall be provided annually to parents or guardians and adult students. Parents submitting a policy for approval by D.C. Public Schools shall do so within the time specified by D.C. Public Schools. In addition, students participating in football shall be covered by football accident insurance which shall be paid for by D.C. Public Schools;
4. (i) Students shall maintain regular school attendance having been present at least two-thirds (2/3) of the school days during the semester preceding the sport season, and have no unexcused absences during the season of participation. Completion of a summer school program shall not be counted as a semester of attendance for the purposes of establishing eligibility under provisions of this subsection;
5. (j) Students in grades nine (9) through twelve (12), in regular education and career development programs or in Level I and Level II programs of the continuum of services available to special education students, shall have a grade point average of 2.0 ('C') as required by Chapter 22;
6. (k) Students in grades four (4) through eight (8) shall not fail more than one (1) subject at the end of the advisory period immediately preceding the sport season in which the student wishes to participate;
7. (l) Students shall be undergraduates; provided, that an eligible student whose graduation exercises are held before the end of the school year may continue to participate in interscholastic athletics until the end of that school year;
8. (m) Students who have attained the following ages on or before July 1st preceding the following school year shall not be eligible to participate in interscholastic athletics offered for the grade levels indicated:
9. (1) Grades four (4) through six (6): thirteen (13) years;
10. (2) Grades seven (7) through nine (9): sixteen (16) years; and
11. (3) Grades ten (10) through (12): nineteen (19) years;
12. (n) Students shall maintain amateur standing by engaging in sports only for the physical, educational and social benefits derived therefrom and by not accepting remuneration, gifts or donations other than approved school awards, directly or indirectly;
13. (o) Students may represent only one (1) school in the same sport during a school year;

(p) Students may participate in regular season, playoff or championship interscholastic athletic contests for a maximum of:

(i) four (4) semesters [two (2) seasons] in grades four (4) through five (5);

(ii) six (6) semesters [three (3) seasons] in grades six (6) through eight (8); and

(iii) eight (8) semesters [four (4) seasons] in grades nine (9) through twelve (12), except that, for any student who participated in interscholastic athletic contests in a ninth (9 [th]) grade situated in a District of Columbia middle school or junior high school prior to 2008 and who subsequently repeated ninth (9 [th]) grade in a District of Columbia high school, the student's participation in interscholastic athletics in the middle school or junior high school shall not be counted in computing eligibility.

(iv) Semester [season] computations shall begin from the semester in which the student was enrolled for the first time in grades four (4), six (6), and nine (9) respectively, and shall be counted continuously thereafter, regardless of whether he/she remains continuously enrolled in school.

(q) Students in grades nine (9) through twelve (12) shall not participate in the same individual or team sport outside of school, or with a team, an organized league, tournament meet, match or game between the first and last scheduled contest of the school squad during the season of the sport; provided, that students who are selected to represent the United States in international amateur competition shall not become ineligible in school competitions for participating in qualifying trials. The following sports shall be exempted:

(1) Golf;

(2) Swimming;

(3) Tennis;

(4) Gymnastics;

(5) Volleyball;

(6) Softball;

(7) Track and Field;

(8) Cross-Country;

(9) Crew; and

(10) Cheerleading;

(r) Students shall participate only under the name by which they are registered in D.C. Public Schools;

(s) Student participation shall be classified as follows:

(1) Grades four (4) through six (6) shall participate on the elementary level;

1. (2) Grades seven (7) through nine (9) shall participate on the junior high school level, except as provided in §§ 2700.9 and 2700.10; and
2. (3) Grades ten (10) through twelve (12) shall participate on the senior high level, except as provided in §§ 2700.9 and 2700.10;- (t) A student who needs less than two (2) classes (1 to 2 Carnegie units) to graduate from twelfth (12th) grade and who transferred to a high school within the past twelve (12) months shall not participate in any interscholastic athletic activity for the duration of the student's matriculation at that school;
3. (u) The grade designation on the student's official record, or official transfer record, shall be controlling in determining whether a student is assigned to grades four (4) through six (6) as used in this chapter; and
4. (v) A student shall be considered to be assigned to grades seven (7) through twelve (12), as used in this chapter, based upon one of the following:
5. (1) The qualifications adopted by the Board in the Secondary Student Progress Plan; or
6. (2) The grade designation on the official transfer record from another jurisdiction; provided, that the student has met the minimal criteria, required for the grade, pursuant to the Board rules.2701.4 Students who are ineligible for any reason to participate in interscholastic athletics at the time of transfer from one school to another, for any reason other than failure to meet the requirements of Chapter 22, shall not be considered for eligibility to the receiving school until the student has been enrolled for a full semester.2701.5 Students who are ineligible due solely to their failure to meet the requirements of Chapter 22 shall become eligible at the end of the advisory in which they meet the requirements of that chapter.2701.6 Students who are ineligible to participate in interscholastic athletics for any reason may not play practice, or otherwise participate with a D.C. Public School team during the period of such ineligibility.2701.7 School officers and coaches who knowingly allow ineligible students to participate in an interscholastic athletic program or contest shall be subject to disciplinary action.2701.8 Schools shall forfeit all contests during which an ineligible student participates.

SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 25 DCR 9873, 9875-78 (May 4, 1979); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 27 DCR 3847, 3850 (June 27, 1988); by Final Rulemaking published at 38 DCR 5659, 5660 (September 6, 1991); and by Final Rulemaking published at 40 DCR 6958 (October 1, 1993); and Final Rulemaking published at 55 DCR 012274 (December 5, 2008).