INTERSCHOLASTIC ELIGIBILITY RULES ARE GIVEN

By Roy B. Henderson

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 6 - The University of Texas Interscholastic League eligibility rules for the forthcoming year contain two important and far reaching changes which apply almost exclusively to high school athletics. The new rules read as follows:

Transfer Rule - A student is eligible to represent only the school district in which his parents or guardian reside, provided (1) a student is not barred under this rule who transfers to the higher class school located nearest his home, (2) one year's regular attendance in contests of the League.

Half-Year Rule - No one shall take part in any athletic contest in this League who did not attend school at least one-half of the last year he was in school.

It is explained that the half-year rule has been made necessary because of a practice which has become far too common, namely keeping a certain undesirable class of young men in high school for only a few months in the Fall for the primary object of playing football. As soon as the football season is over, or if the team has lost a few games, these boys drop out of school and remain out until the next football season. The Interscholastic League authorities take the position that high school football should be for bona fide high school students who attend long enough to feel a real sense of loyalty and love for the school and who participate in football for the honor of the school and not for the personal publicity, reputation or other selfish reasons. The half-year rule is expected to eliminate the part-time student athlete.

By far the most important change which has been made in the League athletic rules for years is the transfer rule which goes into effect Sept. 1st this year. The rapidly increasing custom of inducing prominent athletes to transfer to a certain school is a problem which has troubled school men and League officials for some time. Bidding for athletes reached such proportions during the last year that nearly all of the Interscholastic League period at the State Teachers Association meeting in Dallas last November was devoted to a discussion of this evil and the present rule is the result. The wholesale transferring of high school athletes seemed to be destroying high school athletics. The new rule may apply unfortunately in some cases, it is feared, but no rule could be formulated with strength sufficient to reach the gulty without in some isolated cases reaching the innocent as well. For the benefit of the whole it is thought better to let a few innocent transgressors suffer in order that this ulcer, which was slowly but surely undermining the whole structure of high school athletics in the State, may be removed.

School men in all parts of the State have expressed themselves to the effect that they believe the new changes will very largely secure the desired results and that state high school athletics will continue to grow and be a real power in education and character-building.

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