The TSSAA Legislative Council approved several significant changes during its latest session, including changes to the Recruiting Rule and the Transfer Rule. A proposal to allow coaches to work with their own children during the offseason was approved. The change allows coaches to coach their children in the preseason and offseason provided no other students from their school are on the team. The Council also modified requirements for classified employees, removing the NFHS First Aid course mandate while maintaining the Fundamentals of Coaching certification.
The council voted to allow two of the 10 allotted days of team-against-team competition to occur in June, with the caveat that these events must take place within Tennessee. Additionally, the council eased scheduling restrictions by passing a proposal that removes alumni games from a school’s official regular-season contest count.
Several were denied or delayed for further review. The council denied a measure that would have formally defined an "athletic record" as any participation at the varsity or sub-varsity level and rejected a tiered disqualification structure for ejections, asking the state office to research what other states are doing and bring that information back to a future meeting. A proposal aimed at preventing "schedule manipulation" following coach or player suspensions was tabled. The session concluded with discussions on the Amateur Rule, specifically focusing on ensuring student compensation is not tied to participation at a specific member school.
Voted to approve the Minutes from the December 11, 2025, meeting without reading since members had been sent a copy to review.
Voted to implement the clarification on TSSAA Sports Calendar to go into effect immediately, allowing volleyball, basketball, baseball, softball, lacrosse, football, flag football, and soccer coaches to coach their own children in the preseason and offseason, provided that there are no other students from their school on the team.
Voted to remove the requirement for classified employees to take the NFHS First Aid, Health and Safety Course but keep the NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching Course requirement for classified employees.
Voted to approve the revised proposal regarding pre-season events concerning Article I Section 8 TSSAA Sports Calendar (Scrimmage Rule) and Article IV Section 10 (Jamborees).
Voted to table the proposed change to Article II, Section 12d (Athletic Coaching Link) of the TSSAA Bylaws, then subsequently voted to deny the proposal.
Voted to deny the proposed definition of athletic record that would have defined a student as having an "athletic record" if the student has played in an interscholastic contest at the varsity, junior varsity, ninth grade, or any other level.
Voted to approve the proposed changes to the Transfer Rule and gave the state office permission to make editorial changes to the "rezoning" provision and the "transition provision" to provide more clarity.
Voted to approve the recommended revisions to the Recruiting Rule.
Voted to approve the proposed change to the Football Sports Calendar allowing two of the 10 days of team-against-team competition to take place in June, provided the competition takes place in Tennessee.
Voted to approve setting deadlines for schools to join TSSAA based on whether they are fielding their own teams or participating in a cooperative program only.
Voted to deny as written the proposal to create a tiered disqualification structure for ejections and gave the state office the opportunity to research how other states handle the issue.
Voted to accept the Alumni Games Proposal so that alumni games no longer count as an official contest toward the number of regular season contests allowed.
Voted to table the proposal concerning suspension accountability and schedule manipulation that would prevent schools from adding or substituting contests in their schedule after a coach or player is suspended.
Discussed summer participation's impact on eligibility for transfer students.
Discussed the Amateur Rule and potential language clarifying that compensation must not be tied to a student's participation in interscholastic athletics at a particular member school.
Discussed the period of ineligibility for transfer students and how other states handle it differently from TSSAA.
Voted to adjourn.
Agenda and Attachments
