State changes no pass-no play rule for middle school athletes

By Kristina Torres

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Some middle school athletes will face stricter eligibility requirements with the state Board of Education's vote Wednesday to expand Georgia’s no pass-no play sports rule.

The state school board members merged existing but separate policies for high school athletes and middle school students who participate in interscholastic sports and cheerleading.

With the merger, which creates one rule for grades 6-12, all middle school students must pass 70 percent of classes that count toward grade promotion in the semester prior to when they want to play.

They previously had to pass five subjects.

State officials said the change evens the playing field statewide for middle school students who attend class using different schedules and with different class loads. Prior to the action, several Georgia systems routinely sought waivers from the former policy because their academic schedules were different -- such as using a block schedule of four classes a day.

"It was changed so the requirements were the same for all middle schools," state education spokesman Matt Cardoza said. It is unclear just how many students this affects because middle school sports are more loosely organized than on a high school level. State officials do not track how many middle school students play them.

High school eligibility requirements, which fall under the authority of the Georgia High School Association, have not changed and similarly require a passing grade of 70 percent.

The new rule continues to require annual physical exams for middle school athletes. It also gives school systems more authority to expand, improve and regulate middle school sports programs, including granting exceptions to application deadlines so that children whose parents are transferred due to military service can still participate in sports.