The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) Legislative Council approved several changes to its bylaws and rules during its most recent meeting, according to an announcement on April 14.
The changes include modifications to the Recruiting Rule and Transfer Rule, as well as adjustments affecting coaches, classified employees, and scheduling. These updates are expected to impact schools, coaches, and student-athletes across Tennessee.
One of the approved proposals allows coaches to work with their own children during the preseason and offseason, provided no other students from their school are present on the team. The council also removed the requirement for classified employees to complete the NFHS First Aid course but kept the Fundamentals of Coaching certification in place. In terms of scheduling, alumni games will no longer count toward a school’s regular season contest limit. Additionally, two out of ten permitted days for team-against-team football competition can now occur in June if held within Tennessee.
Several proposals were either denied or delayed for further consideration. The council rejected a formal definition of “athletic record” based on participation at various levels and denied a tiered disqualification structure for ejections pending further research into how other states handle such issues. A proposal aimed at preventing schedule manipulation after suspensions was tabled.
Discussions also took place regarding summer participation’s effect on transfer student eligibility and clarifications around compensation under the Amateur Rule so that it is not linked directly to participation at a specific member school.
The meeting concluded with approval of previous minutes without reading them aloud since members had reviewed them beforehand. The council adjourned after addressing all agenda items.
