SANCTIONING

Welcome to the Sanctioning landing page!  Everything you need to sanction your event can be found below of this page; from understanding the sanctioning process, to determining if a form needs to be completed and if so, the correct form to use.  If you are looking to find if an event has been sanctioned, select the specific sport to find a specific event in the list below.  Have an additional question or need a clarification?  Please contact the National Assistant Director in the National Federation of Middle School Sports National Office (404-477-8781).

Please note: The National Federation of Middle Schools Sports (NFMSS) Intrastate Sanction Form is used only for intercounty/city contests involving more than three teams from one state AND sponsored by a non-member educational institution.  This form can be filled out online and submitted electronically but must include an official listing of participating schools before it can be processed for approval.  Member NFMSS schools may host intercounty/city contests involving other member NFMSS schools or schools approved through the Standards of Competition without sanctioning approval.

The National Federation of Middle School Sports Bordering State Sanction Form and the federations Interstate Sanction Form are used when an event has schools from MULTIPLE STATES that are invited to participate against member National Federation of Middle School Sports schools. These forms can be filled out online, printed, and then faxed, or scanned and emailed to the National Federation of Middle School Sports office.  The submitted forms MUST include an official listing of participating schools before it can be processed for approval.  If unsure of which form to use, please utilize the “Sanctioning Levels and Required Forms” item in the menu on the left or contact the Assistant Director in the National Federation of Middle School Sports National Office (404-477-8781).

Schools interested in competing in events beyond state borders should make sure that the sponsoring institution or agency has made application to their home association for sanctioning and that our member schools are listed as participants.  This will ensure that National Federation of Middle School Sports will be contacted to approve or deny participation from the host state association as part of the event sanctioning process.  Each such request will be evaluated based upon current by-laws and policies.  Factors such as distance to be traveled, loss of instructional time, impact on instructional time, number of total contests, and the potential for exploitation of student-athletes are considered in the evaluation of each contest, meet, or tournament for which sanctioning approval is requested.  Sanction approval will NOT be given to events which conflict with National Federations of Middle School Sports sponsored events, are sponsored by non-educational institutions or agencies, provide awards to participants that do not meet with Association standards, and are scheduled outside of the seasonal limitations outlined in the Association by-laws.

Understanding Sanctions

The sanctioning regulations of the National Federation of Middle School Sports are frequently misunderstood.  Our by-laws require member schools to participate only in athletic events sanctioned by the National Federation of Middle School Sports.  Many people are unaware or confused about just what the term sanctioned means. Let us explain:
 
Regular season single contests scheduled and conducted by local school systems and made within the bylaws of the State Board of Education are already considered to be sanctioned.  The same is true about post-season events conducted by local school systems or the National Federation of Middle School Sports for the purpose of awarding a league, county, city, district, region, or state championship.  In the case of multi-team invitational tournaments/events held during each particular sports season, member National Federation of Middle School Sports schools may host intercounty contests involving only other member National Federation of Middle School Sports schools or schools approved through the “Standards of Competition” without sanctioning approval.  All other types of multi-team events require the host school to file the appropriate sanction request form with the National Federation of Middle School Sports Executive Director PRIOR to the first play date of that particular season (fall, winter, or spring) and at least 15 days prior to the event for events within the first two weeks of the season.  Each request must include an official listing of participating schools before it can be processed for approval.  The request will then be reviewed upon receipt with approval dependent upon the degree to which the event format relates to the National Federation of Middle School Sports National Office guidelines for athletics.  Events that fall within the regulations are approved for participation by member National Federation of Middle School Sports schools.  In the case of teams that are invited from several states, it then becomes incumbent on each state association to rule on the eligibility of schools from their particular state.
 
One of the most commonly asked questions about sanctioning is, “Why?”.  Sanctioning provides an assurance to schools that the students will not be exploited.  While the vast majority of tournaments provide wholesome competition in an educational setting, there have been abuses, especially in some high profile tournaments.  In some of those tournaments, large amounts of money are made on the backs of high school athletes.  Many times, these events are disguised as fundraisers for worthy causes, yet promoters pocket large administrative fees.  There have also been cases where schools are promised housing and meals as part of their participation, only to be told differently once they arrive on site.  This has happened to some teams, while other schools received preferential treatment at the same event.  Finally, the guidelines used to evaluate tournaments are as follows:

  • The competition complies with all participatory limitations of the State Board of Education;
  •  The competition shall not determine a regional or national championship;
  •  The competition is not preliminary to a college or professional game;
  •  The competition is sponsored by an educational institution or similar non-profit organization
  •  Participation in the event is within the United States of America, does not involve loss of instructional time, and complies with the local school system policies and procedures for school-sponsored travel;
  • All awards shall comply with Regulation .08 Awards and Recognition.