Interscholastic Athletics Appeals Board
Notice of Appeal
The National Federation of Middle School Sports (“NFMSS”) is responsible for enforcing policies on middle school interscholastic athletics, including determinations of student eligibility and the imposition of penalties on players, coaches, and schools. Any person or school that is directly and adversely impacted by the final decision of one these administering organizations regarding the enforcement or application of an SBE policy may file an appeal with Superintendent of Public Instruction. With the exceptions of a parent acting on behalf of his or her child or a school acting on behalf of its student or employee, no one may file an appeal on behalf of another party.
A party seeking to file an appeal with the Superintendent must complete this form and submit all supporting documentation within five calendar days of the final written decision of the administering organization. Appeals filed after 5 days or before the administering organization has issued a final decision will not be considered. If an appeal is time sensitive due to the impact of the decision on an impending athletic event, the aggrieved party should file the appeal as soon as possible and note the date of the athletic event in the appeal. The administering organization will have up to five calendar days to respond to the aggrieved party’s appeal.
Appeals are reviewed by the Interscholastic Athletics Appeals Board, an independent board of volunteer educators with significant experience in high school athletics. Panels of no fewer than three board members review each appeal and may hold a hearing to gather input from the party that filed the appeal and administering organization that issued the final decision. Within 30 days of receipt of the appeal, a panel of three or more members of the Appeals Board will review the appeal and any response filed by the administering organization, though the panel may act more quickly for time-sensitive appeals. The panel will affirm the decision of the administering organization unless it was legally erroneous or not supported by substantial evidence. The judgment of the Appeals Board is final and not subject to further appeal.