RENTON, Wash. – The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) Representative Assembly voted to pass 14 amendments effective August 1, 2024, the Association announced Monday.
The Representative Assembly is comprised of 53 (35 high school, 18 middle level) school administrators from each of the nine WIAA districts. For an amendment to pass, 60 percent approval is needed from voting members of the Assembly. A total of 32 votes are needed for a middle-level/high-school amendment to pass, while 21 votes are needed for a high school amendment to pass and 11 votes are needed for a middle-level amendment to pass.
In total, 27 amendments were proposed this year and the 14 that passed will go into effect next school year. In addition to those amendments, two WIAA Executive Board positions were voted on. Scott Chamberlain (Shelton, District 4) and Russ Waterman (Eastmont, District 6) were re-elected to their positions on the Board.
Amendment #10, focused on reducing minimum practice requirements in all high school sports except football and gymnastics, had an individual vote for every sport. Each sport earned enough votes to pass. Amendment #14 did not count to the list of passed and total amendments as a special committee has been approved to review the Association’s transfer rules ahead of Representative Assembly next school year.
READ: An Update on the Ongoing Conversation Surrounding The WIAA’s Transfer & Eligibility Rules.
PASSED AMENDMENTS
| AMENDMENT | RULE | SUMMARY | S | O |
| ML #1 | 3.3.2 | When a middle school becomes a WIAA member, it may choose on a sport-by-sport basis which activities will be included. | 11 | 7 |
| HS #2 | 3.6.2 | Reduced membership fee for schools that do not offer sports programs. | 34 | 1 |
| ML/HS#3 | 5.2.3 | Every member school must be a member of a league | 44 | 9 |
| ML/HS #4 | 5.2.1.A | Each WIAA District will provide oversight for the leagues located within the WIAA District. | 44 | 9 |
| HS #5 | 4.5.0 | Criteria for 2B school that must be met in order to appeal to play 1B football. | 27 | 8 |
| HS #10 | 17.11.2 | Reduces minimum practice requirements in all high school sports except football and gymnastics. | – | – |
| ML/HS #13 | 18.6.0 | A middle school student may participate at their resident public middle school if a program is not offered at a non-member school in which they attend. | 41 | 12 |
| ML/HS #15 | 20.1.3.D | Any student ejected must complete the NFHS Sportsmanship course if the ejection is upheld. | 45 | 8 |
| ML/HS #16 | 20.1.3.E | Any coach ejected must complete the NFHS Teaching and Modeling Behavior Course, and a plan to reduce ejections must be submitted by the school if the ejection is upheld. | 48 | 5 |
| ML/HS #17 | 23.5.1 | Eliminates age minimum for head and assistant coaches. | 34 | 19 |
| ML/HS #21 | 23.5.10 | Stunt certification required for all cheer head coaches. | 40 | 13 |
| HS #26 | 44.3.2 | Increases the time between sets for coaching tennis. | 28 | 7 |
| HS #27 | 45.3.0 | Deletes team dates for track and field (individual athlete limit of 10 remains). | 29 | 6 |
| HS #28 | 45.5.0 | Multi-day track meets will count as one contest for the individual provided they participate in a maximum of four events. | 33 | 2 |
FAILED AMENDMENTS
| AMENDMENT | RULE | SUMMARY | S | O |
| ML/HS #6 | 17.0.0 | Adds Esports to WIAA jurisdiction. | 14 | 39 |
| ML/HS #7 | 17.5.0 | Adds July 1 through July 7 to the out-of-season time period (coaching not allowed). | 3 | 50 |
| ML/HS #8 | 17.7.4 | Would allow baseball and softball players the ability to participate in arm conditioning beginning the day after Martin Luther King Jr Holiday. | 18 | 35 |
| ML/HS #9 | 17.5.10 | Managers may participate in drills and pre-contest warm-ups if on the cleared to participate list. | 23 | 30 |
| ML/HS #11 | 17.15.0 | Adds a contest contract with consequences if contract is not fulfilled. | 3 | 50 |
| ML/HS #12 | 17.25.0 | Each school may determine the parameters regarding involvement with non-school athletic teams. | 12 | 41 |
| ML/HS #18 | 23.3.0 | Coaches must complete the sports specific rules clinic prior to the first contest. | 28 | 25 |
| ML/HS #19 | 23.5.7 | Heat illness prevention course required for all coaches. | 25 | 28 |
| ML/HS #20 | 23.5.7 | Would require two courses over the first two years for new coaches. | 22 | 31 |
| HS #22 | 25.1.0 | 1B schools must compete in at least 50% of their football games in 8-person in order to count for 8-person allocations; 2B schools must compete in at least 50% of their football games in 11-person in order to count for 11-person allocations. | 20 | 15 |
| ML/HS #23 | 29.1.0 | Any timed event may be protested with video review. | 3 | 50 |
| ML/HS #24 | 32.0.0 | Adds girls badminton to WIAA jurisdiction. | 17 | 36 |
| ML/HS #24 | 38.0.0 | Adds girls flag football to WIAA jurisdiction. | 26 | 27 |
