The new rule would implement more penalties for athletes who switch schools and eliminate a key loophole athletic officials say is currently being exploited
ROBBINSVILLE — A new statewide transfer rule that would shake up New Jersey high school sports is one step closer to reality.
The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s Executive Committee, after nearly an hour of intense debate Wednesday morning, approved a proposal from its public/non-public committee to significantly strengthen and simplify the state’s controversial transfer rule.
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The new three-pronged proposal would require all athletes that transfer schools to sit out 30 days or half the games allowed for each sport in which they participated the previous year at the prior school; call for athletes who transfer on or after the first scrimmage or after the regular season start date to be barred from state tournament play, in addition to incurring the mandatory 30-day or half the season sitting out period; and force all athletes who transfer more than once to be barred from state tournament play, while also incurring the mandatory 30-day or half the season sitting out period.
The rule would cover athletes across all levels of play — freshman, junior varsity and varsity — and it would not allow for appeals.
The measure passed by a vote of 27-7. If it’s approved over a second reading at the Feb. 4 Executive Committee meeting, the new rule will go into effect July 1, in time for the 2017-18 school year.
“It’s been a problem,” NJSIAA Executive Director Steve Timko said regarding transfers. “We needed to address the situation, and I think the committee did an outstanding job of doing that.”
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The current transfer rule requires athletes who switch schools without a “bona fide change of residence” to sit out of competition 30 days. The new proposal would eliminate the “bona fide change of residence” loophole that coaches and athletic officials say has been exploited by families who use inauthentic addresses that schools have neither the means nor expertise to verify on their own.
Although the proposal passed, several athletic officials on the Executive Committee raised concerns about the new rule and whether or not it would penalize too many innocent athletes. Some felt it would hurt athletes who moved for legitimate reasons, including inner city athletes from unstable family situations. Others questioned why the rule needed to cover freshman and junior varsity athletes.
“If students transfer because of family issues, I don’t want to hurt that kid any more from whatever personal issues they have at home,” said Memorial principal Scott Wohlrab, who voted “no” to the proposal.
NJSIAA project manager Mike Zapicchi, who co-chairs the special committee, said his group considered all options, including an open transfer policy that would have allowed athletes to switch schools without penalty.
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He also cited three recent high-profile cases from this school year involving transfers — Timber Creek football, Wayne Hills football and Barnegat pitcher Jason Groome — as reasons why a new rule is necessary.
“This cuts out a lot of the gray area,” Zapicchi said. “It will make it cleaner.”
Zapicchi said the proposal was sent to athletic officials across the state last week and that he received 98 total responses, adding 56 percent were in favor of the new rule and 44 percent opposed. He said the biggest concerns cited in the survey were from officials who thought the new rule was unfair to students who move legitimately and that sub-varsity athletes should not be affected.
“We needed to get off the dime and do something,” Timko said. “It’s been such an issue across the board.”
Matthew Stanmyre may be reached at mstanmyre@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattStanmyre. Find NJ.com on Facebook.