Is it illegal for a student to transfer to another school souly based on decathlon. Say if a student were to score 8000 points and the students team is inable to qualify for state or nationals. Could he transfer to another school so he could compete with them at say nationals or state.

I am not sure quite what you're asking. If the question is whether a student can transfer schools between state and nationals to compete with a new team, then no; USAD rules require that teams at nationals be composed of the same exact people that won the state competition. If you're talking about transferring between school years, then I don't see how it could be illegal, as long as no money changes hands. (Of course, many districts prohibit students from attending schools outside their attendance areas.)

exactly what im asking

Yeah, I don't know the exact rules for transferring schools during the year, but they tend to be fairly strict.

Even if that's totally within the rules, I would caution against it. This may be a total hypothetical on your part, but if it's something you're considering, let me try to dissuade you.

One, the state-bound team probably already has nine people, which means they would have to kick out one of their own. Most teams would probably be reluctant to drop their under-achieving friend for a stranger, even one with really good scores.

Two, even if they had an open slot, a successful team probably already has good internal chemistry. A transfer from a different school will probably, in the best case scenario be what military units call an "FNG", and, worst case, some sort of mercenary. Most coaches probably won't want to introduce those sort of variables into a formula that's already working.

Third, USAD has been know to develop new rules on the fly and implement them post facto-stlye. Even if it's legal now, it might not be fifteen minutes before nationals. No, really. If the wrong people found out, you might be beyond screwed.

It is legal to change rosters between Regionals and State, but not between State and Nationals. That is as far as current AD rules go. As far as is it legal to switch schools for competition purposes, most schools have a transfer rule that would apply, barring students from taking this route. Morally, there are huge concerns.

Even if it was legal, this is a horrible decision. Don't try to transfer schools solely because of acadec, that's not the point of acadec. It sucks you can't do more with your team, but don't give up on them. We had a kid ask this a few years ago, and then he ended up dropping out I believe because he transferred. Don't do it. Don't even think about it, it will just make you hate your team more.



Like last year when they changed the rules AFTER Alice had already won E-nats?! Yea, sometimes smurf USAD...and yes Cali, we know you run USAD, and we know you're the reason it changed.

I think you're thinking of Justin Nichols...he never actually transferred.

I am, so he just dropped out?

People who transfer whether because of sports or acadec and just abandon their current team are detestable and horrible people.

So does that apply to every professional athlete who's ever been traded?

I digress, but I think people are overreacting a bit. Are Aca-Deca teams really so cohesive from year to year that having a new student transfer in would ruin the team dynamic? They weren't at my school, and I doubt they are at big California schools that replace their whole team every year anyway. Personally, I feel a high degree of loyalty to my high school, but not everyone is so fortunate.

I was speaking in high school terms, Will...people in professional sports usually have no control over where they get traded.

Also, I'm speaking from the perspective of the teams that lose a member.

Justin dropped out of school before state, but competed at state, so he wasn't eligible, since he wasn't a student at the school. His scores were negated and his team dropped out of the top ten. He later talked about transferring to a new school, but as far as I know, never did. As a coach, I wouldn't touch a student like that with a ten foot pole. They've already shown themselves to be unreliable.

They make decisions like a third world democracy, if you know what i mean.

Nah, he finished his G.E.D., and is now at MCC, I think.

i was just wondering because ive known of kids doing it in sports.

I don't know how the sports thing works anywhere else, but in SE WI you can't play sports for a semester if you transfer schools a lot of times.

In Texas, you can't play varsity sports for 1 year from the time of transfer if the athlete played for a previous team (though depending on the reason for the transfer this can be waived). A form needs to be filled out that has questions on it such as "Did anyone from the new school contact the student prior to their enrollment in the new school?", that must be signed by the student, new coach, parents, and an administrator. The 2nd part of the form is sent to the school of origin with multiple questions asking if the student has been recruited or was suspended from the athletic program, etc, that must be signed by the old coach and the old principal.