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Posted: Sep 24, 2024 3:50 PMUpdated: Sep 24, 2024 4:50 PM
Oklahoma AG Addresses OSSAA Link Rule
The OSSAA is suspending the enforcement of Rule 24, which is otherwise known as the Link Rule. This comes after Oklahoma Attorney General raised concerns about the rule that is currently in place.
Under the so called “Link Rule,” a student athlete can be ruled ineligible if a coach of the new school coached the player at the previous school he or she attended. Another qualifier is if a student participated in a camp or clinic run by a member school and or its coaches. Also included in the link rule is if the coach at the new school acted as a private instructor for the athlete changing schools, whether the coach was paid for the service or not. The final qualifier is a player following a coach to a new school within a 12-month window.
In an e-mail written to OSSAA Executive Director David Jackson, Drummond had the following to say:
“Concerning transfers to a non-resident school, the Oklahoma Legislature authorizes a student to transfer from one school district to another any time in the year unless the number of transfers exceeds the capacity of a grade level for each school site within the receiving school district. But Rule 24's heavy-handedness dissuades student-athletes from moving or transferring, fearing that they may be declared ineligible to participate in varsity sports.”
The OSSAA goes on to say that they believe Rule 24 addresses important issues at the high school level, but they want to partner with student-athletes and schools to ensure a competive balance at the highest level of high school sports.
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