WPIAL officials hosted their annual PIAA district committee meeting Wednesday, when District 7 board members and athletic directors were updated on several recent discussion points by PIAA senior director of member school services and sport Jennifer Grassel.
One of them involved charter, cyber, private and faith-based school students.
“Students enrolled in a charter school, cyber charter school, private school and private faith-based school are eligible only at said school in those interscholastic sports sponsored by that school,” Grassel said via a Zoom conference call.
In accommodating participation by students enrolled in a charter, cyber charter, private school or private faith-based school for sports not sponsored by their school, the following provisions apply:
• Schools are encouraged to enter into a cooperative sponsorship agreement with another PIAA-member school to afford all students enrolled in the school the opportunity to participate as part of the agreement.
• Absent a co-op, students enrolled in a charter, cyber charter, private school or private faith-based school that does not offer a particular interscholastic sport are eligible to participate in that sport at the school which they would otherwise attend, in the public school district of their residences, provided that the students meet all other eligibility requirements.
Other items discussed:
• The PIAA board passed, effectively immediately, to amend the definition of open gyms, to permit students eligible to participate for a team, the opportunity to participate in open gyms.
“An open gym is an event/activity whereby a PIAA member school makes available the use of its gymnasium(s) and/or other athletic facilities to all students fully enrolled or otherwise eligible in their school district and are no longer in attendance at their previous school.”
• Another topic addressed was feeder schools for private schools.
Any member private senior high school may submit to PIAA a list designating its feeder schools. Such submission is necessary for the schools to be recognized as feeder schools for a particular school.
• Alternative school students, magnet school students and career and technology and/or vocational school students are eligible at only one school for all interscholastic athletics.
A student attending one of those schools on a full-time basis is eligible only at said school if said school offers one or more interscholastic athletic programs.
• A basketball shot clock is effective July 1, 2028 for varsity and junior varsity boys and girls competition.
• Effective July 1, coaching on the fly will be permitted in girls and boys tennis. Information will be forthcoming regarding the application of permitting coaching during play.
• Backstroke ledges will be permitted during the 2026-27 swimming and diving season and required for district and state competition. If used, it is required for all lanes in competition.
• The elimination of overtime during regular season soccer contests. Overtime during regular season tournaments will proceed directly to penalty kicks, as will adoption of the dual and diagonal systems of officiating.
• PIAA fall championship site selections for 2026-29: Penn State (golf), Hershey Racquet Club (tennis), Big Spring School District (cross country), Cumberland Valley High School (football, field hockey), Saint Francis (girls volleyball), Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh (soccer).
• Winter championship dates for 2026-27: Competitive spirit on Jan. 8-9; team wrestling on Feb. 12-13; individual wrestling on March 11, 12 and 13; swimming and diving on March 10, 11, 12 and 13; and basketball on March 18, 19 and 20.