HERMITAGE, Tenn. (WGNS) - Local high school athletic departments are preparing for a series of regulatory shifts following the latest meeting of the TSSAA Legislative Council. The governing body for Tennessee high school sports moved to update several cornerstone bylaws, most notably addressing issues surrounding student transfers and athletic recruiting. While the specific language for the transfer rule is being finalized to clarify rezoning and transition periods, the approval signals a move in how the state manages student movement between districts.

The Council also voted to implement an immediate change to the sports calendar. Coaches in sports ranging from football and basketball to soccer and lacrosse may now coach their own children during the preseason and offseason. This exception applies only if no other student-athletes from the coach’s school are participating on the same team. Additionally, the Council eased the burden on classified employees by removing the requirement for the NFHS First Aid, Health and Safety Course, though the Fundamentals of Coaching certification remains mandatory.

Football programs in Rutherford County and across Tennessee also gained more summer flexibility. The Council voted to allow two of the ten allotted days of team-against-team competition to take place in June, provided the events occur within the state of Tennessee. The Council passed a proposal ensuring that alumni games no longer count toward a school’s official regular-season contest limit. Not all proposals found favor, however, as the Council denied a tiered disqualification structure for ejections and tabled a measure designed to prevent schedule manipulation following player or coach suspensions.