Improved, But Still Confusing CIF High School Sports Transfer Rules
By Michelle Ball, California Education Attorney for Students since 1995 Recently, the California Interscholastic Federation, aka CIF, the governing body for high school sports in California, softened their interdistrict transfer rules for the better. It is still confusing, but students should benefit from this move. Previously, there was a single transfer allowed without a "valid change of residence" (a "valid change of residence" is moving house to house) prior to the tenth grade year. Under the amended CIF Rule 207 , a student may transfer without moving, and may be able to compete at a new school after a "sit out period." This can be during any year of high school, so long as this is their first transfer without a "valid change of residence." How this works is, say student A played junior varsity or varsity football at School X. They thereafter transfer to School Y prior to the first football game that year without a "valid change ...