Key adjustments on transfer rules pass first test

separate postseason tournaments for public and private/Catholic/charter schools, but the PIAA does not want to go down that road, Lombardi said.

“The feeling of the board is that unless the [Pennsylvania] general assembly changes the law, we’re not going to get ourselves into a position where we’re taking on one sector of the membership,” said Lombardi. “We want to treat all members equally, and this competition success formula does that. It doesn’t segregate people. … We feel the success formula, coupled with the transfers, crosses all schools and is equitable.”

The WPIAL is part of the PIAA, but WPIAL executive director Tim O’Malley preferred not to comment on the proposals because he has not seen their exact language.

“We will talk about it next week,” said O’Malley. “But I would say that any movement to tighten the transfer rule is welcome.”

Under the proposed new PIAA transfer rule, studentathletes can transfer schools without penalty at the “natural break,” which is between eighth and ninth grade. But anyone who transfers after the start of ninth grade will be ineligible for playoffs for one year in any sport they participated in previously.

But a transfer can still be ruled eligible by a district committee if the transfer was forced by “exceptional and unusual” circumstances. Transfers for academic needs, or for developmental, spiritual or social reasons are not considered exceptional and compelling.

A question, though, is what about a student-athlete who physically moves with his family? Lombardi said that student-athlete could be ruled eligible for the postseason at his new school, but would have to have a hearing with the district committee (WPIAL). In essence, the PIAA will possibly be curbing transfers to Catholic/private/ charter schools by students who do not move.

Student-athletes, however, might be willing to transfer and sit out a postseason, only to be eligible for playoffs the next year.

The “competition success formula” is a little complicated, tying together postseason wins and transfer students that could affect classifications of teams. It will go into effect in 201819, but would not affect teams until 2020-21.

Classifications are based on school enrollments. Under the proposed new formula, teams get points for advancing far in the postseason. Advancing to a district (WPIAL) championship is worth one point, the PIAA quarterfinals two points, the PIAA semifinals three and a PIAA championship four.

If a school reaches six points or more over a twoyear span, the school will move up one classification, but only if it also exceeds the maximum number of transfer students allowed in that sport.

The maximum number of transfer students would be one fewer than half of the starting size of that sport. Two examples: In football, it would be five, and, in baseball, it would be four.” Confused? Let’s use basketball as an example. If Team A wins a WPIAL championship one year, and makes it to the PIAA semifinals, that’s a total of four points. If that team makes it to the PIAA quarterfinals the next year, that’s a total of six points over two years. If that team also had two players who were transfers, then that team must move up one classification in the next two-year cycle. However, it should be pointed out that teams that accumulate more than six points in the success formula and don’t have the maximum number of transfer students, will stay in their assigned class.

In other words, win without transfers, and you won’t have to move up.

“The issue seems to be schools are not only having success, but reloading sometimes with new players,” said Lombardi.

“That’s a concern of the board. If people are having success and doing it with kids in their own building, that’s not an issue.”

A question is what happens to a team playing in the largest classification already and is deemed to have to move up? Lombardi said the PIAA will likely have a seventh classification in football and basketball for teams that have to move up under the success formula.

Teams can also choose to play on their own in the seventh classification.

Lombardi said the PIAA also will start a three-member investigative committee with the hopes of investigating some questionable transfers and also schools that might be breaking PIAA rules. In the future, all transfers must be registered in a PIAA portal.

Previously, transfers only had to be registered with districts, like the WPIAL.