The following are some commonly asked questions and more general information about the sanctioning process. 

 

Member schools may only compete against other member schools of the MPSSAA, Maryland non-public schools verified to be in compliance with the Standards of Competition (link for list of schools can be found on sanctioning front page in the right hand column), or schools that are members or approved by their state's high school athletic association. 

 

The Maryland State Superintendent of Schools seeks to maintain the integrity of Maryland Public Schools athletic programs when MPSSAA member public schools practice or play against nonmember high school teams. Accordingly, the Maryland State Superintendent of Schools has established Standards of Competition to achieve the following purposes: ensure athlete safety, minimize risks, deter exploitation of students, ensure that competing school teams are appropriately supervised by a responsible entity, maintain athletics as an integral part of the total educational program, promote competitive fairness, foster student leadership, encourage academic progress and minimize administrative burdens on MPSSAA member schools.

 

The Standards of Competition (found on the sanctioning front page in the left hand column) has set standards that institutions must adhere to. To verify compliance with the Standards of Competition, the administrative head of the school, responsible for the daily administration, must sign and submit this verification application for annual approval. This verification shall be submitted to the Maryland State Superintendent of Schools prior to the first practice or athletic competition against an MPSSAA member high school team. All information and form to submit is located on the Standards of Competition link on the sanctioning front page. 

 

The 45-day rule requires that all sanction requests must be received by the MPSSAA office 45 days before the event. This is necessary because of the different channels sanctions travel through (other state associations and the National Federation office) and gives the MPSSAA office, host school and invited schools ample time to work out any issues regarding the sanction application. The most common reasons for sanction problems involves the wrong form, missing pertinent information or missing appropriate signatures. The 45-day rule allows for these and other issues to be resolved in a timely manner in order for the event to take place. The 45-day rule is not designed to hinder member schools from athletic competition but to assure the event follows all state bylaws and gets sanctioned by all necessary state associations and the national federation office. 

 

- The ""45 day rule"" does not apply to events outside Maryland.

- The ""45 day rule"" does not apply to non-member sanction requests.

- The ""45 day rule"" has only affected a few tournaments thus far.

 

One of the most common problems in the sanctioning process is the use of the wrong form. The following is a set of sanctioning guidelines to check for the correct form to use. If you are still unsure, contact the MPSSAA office and we will help direct you to the proper form to fill out. 

 

           •         Yes - Stop. You must use Form A (NFHS Application for Sanction of International Athletic Competition).

           •         No - Proceed to Question 2.

            •         Yes - Answer Question 2A

            •         No - Proceed directly to Question 3

 

             •         Yes - Stop. You must use Form B (NFHS Application for Sanction of Athletic Competition).

             •         No - Answer Question 2B

 

              •         Yes - Answer Question 2C

              •         No - This event does not need to be sanctioned by the MPSSAA.

               •         Yes - Stop. You must use Form C (MPSSAA Request for Intercounty sanction).

               •         No - This event does not need to be sanctioned by the MPSSAA.

 

•         Yes - Answer Question 3B 

•         No - Proceed directly to Question 4

                •         Yes - Stop. You must use Form B (NFHS Application for Sanction of Athletic Competition)

                •         No - Answer Question 3C.

 

                •         Yes - Stop. You must use Form B (NFHS Application for Sanction of Athletic Competition)

                •         No - You must use Form D (Application to State Assoc. for Sanction of Interstate Athletic Event).

•         Yes - Stop. You must use Form E (Application for Sanction of Border States Athletic Events)

•         No - Proceed to Question 5

•         Yes - Answer Question 5B

•         No - This event does not need to be sanctioned by the MPSSAA.

                •         Yes - Stop. You must use Form C (MPSSAA Request for Inter-county Sanction).

                •         No - This event does not need to be sanctioned by the MPSSAA.

Sanctioning Guidelines and Checklist are a first step in assisting our athletic director and coaches navigate through this sanctioning process. Having proactive communication with the MPSSAA office is key. Double check your sanction form with the Sanction checklist and submit all the information to the MPSSAA office.