CIF Rules and Guidelines
Basic CIF Eligibility Rules
Your high school years will be highlighted by your participation in interscholastic athletics. These will prove to be some of the most enjoyable years of your young life. The CIF Sac-Joaquin Section has standards that you must meet in order to be eligible to compete at the high school level. You are urged to study these carefully.
Here is the link to the 2022-23 San Joaquin Section sports calendar to better understand dates for all fall, winter and spring sports. The document lists all important dates such as first practice, first contest, and beginning of playoffs.
Changing Schools----Transfers
If a student transfers from another school to Esparto High School, they must contact the Athletic Director for eligibility. Students are not automatically eligible. For complete details, go to www.cifsjs.org under “Eligibility Requirements”.
Age Limitations
No student, whose nineteenth birthday is attained prior to June 15, shall participate or practice on any team in the following school year. A student whose 19th birthday is on June 14, or before is ineligible.
Scholastic Eligibility
A student is scholastically eligible if:
1. The student is currently enrolled in at least 20 semester units of work.
2. The student passed at least 20 semester units of work at the completion of the previous regular grading period.
3. The student is maintaining minimum progress toward meeting the high school graduation requirements as prescribed by the governing board.
4. The student has maintained during the previous grading period a minimum of a 2.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale, in all enrolled courses.
5. EHS maintains additional eligibility requirements. The handbook outlines these requirements.
Semesters of Attendance
A student who first enters the ninth grade of any school following the student’s completion of the eighth grade in any school may be eligible for athletic competition during a maximum period of time that is not to exceed eight consecutive semesters following the initial enrollment in the ninth grade of any school and said eligibility must be used during the student’s first eight consecutive semesters of enrollment at that school or any other school.
Competing Under a Name Other Than Your Own or Falsifying Your Address
Any student whose address or name has been falsified in order to achieve residential eligibility will be ineligible in all interscholastic athletic competition for a period of one year from the date the infraction is verified.
Undue Influence----Recruitment of Athletes
The use of undue influence by any person or persons to secure or retain a student or to secure or retain one or both parents, guardians or care giver of a student as residents may cause the student to be ineligible for high school athletics for a period of one year and shall jeopardize the standing of the high school in the California Interscholastic Federation.
Competition on an Outside Team
A student on a high school team becomes ineligible if the student competes in a contest on an “outside” team in the same sport, during the student’s high school season of sport.
Student Participation-----Conduct Penalty
Student participation in athletic contests is a privilege. As a student athlete, you are expected to conduct yourself in an exemplary manner at all times. During participation in any/all CIF competition, a student who is ejected or disqualified from participating in the remainder of said contest will be ineligible for the team’s next contest. [In addition, any student who physically assaults a game or event official shall be banned from interscholastic athletics for the remainder of the student’s interscholastic eligibility.]