The Brief Illinois high school officials could change a rule to allow student-athletes to compete more outside of their school team. The IHSA currently disallows student-athletes to compete for both their school team and a club or travel team in the same sport during the school season. A majority of the IHSA’s 815 member schools would have to approve the rule change for it to take effect.

High school sports officials from across Illinois will consider a rule change to allow young athletes to compete more outside of their school season.

The backstory:

The issue came up earlier this year during a push to change the bylaws of the Illinois High School Association, the body that governs high school sports in the state.

The IHSA does not allow students to play for both their school team and a club or traveling team in the same sport during the high school season.

A suburban state lawmaker even proposed a bill to allow for student-athletes to compete more outside of their school team with a so-called “Right to Play Act.”

State Rep. Janet Yang Rohr (D-Naperville) argued the change would allow a cross country runner, as an example, to compete in a charity race on the weekend without fearing disqualification from school competition.

But the head of the IHSA warned that such a law change would cause “unintended consequences” and potentially allow for a proliferation of travel and other for-profit athletic tournaments held during the traditional high school sports season.

Later, the IHSA said it would consider a rule change to address the issue.

What’s next:

The proposed change up for consideration this fall would permit “students to participate in two (2) non-school competitions during a sport season and an additional non-school competition that is sanctioned by the National Governing Body of that sport or its junior or official Illinois affiliate.”

The proposal said the change would allow for more “flexibility” for student-athletes as more non-school competitions are available to them.

For the rule change to take effect, a legislative body of more than two dozen principals and athletic directors from high schools around the state needs to approve it before it goes to an all-school ballot for consideration.

After a series of town hall meetings this month at which school officials can give feedback on each of the 23 proposed rule changes, the legislative body will vote on them. If a majority of the legislative body approves the change, it will then be voted on by all member schools in an online ballot, which takes place during the first two weeks of December.

Assuming the legislative body approves any of the rule changes, each of the 815 schools that are members of the IHSA can vote in favor, to oppose, or abstain from the changes. If a rule change receives a simple majority approval, about 408 votes, it will go into effect.

If approved, the specific rule change on out-of-school competition would take effect 30 days after passage.