New guidelines for Florida high school student-athletes will change the process for transfer students and non-traditional students in the state.
According to ON3, the Florida High School Athletics Association and Florida lawmakers cemented changes to the student-athlete transfer and eligibility process put forth in Senate and House Bill 538. Now, student-athletes must compete and take classes at a school in the county they live in. They will not be allowed to play for schools outside their county while completing classes virtually. And, non-traditional student-athletes who do opt to play for public schools may face fees up to $400.
“You’re paying taxes in the county you reside in; you should play in that county. It’s opportunity over where I might want to play at,” said FHSAA executive director Craig Damon. “You don’t want to take away freedom from parents to make the best educational choices… but we felt that kids playing in multiple schools needed some controls.”
Damon clarified that any students who transferred before spring practices began in 2026 will be grandfathered into the new rules.
According to Fox 13 News, the new guidelines take effect on July 1st. In Polk County in particular, non-traditional students participating in district sports will be subject to a $400 fee that will be put towards increasing operational costs, including transportation, maintenance and uniforms.
"There's a discrepancy in the law," senior director of athletics at Polk County High School Dan Talbot said. "The way we thought of it by way of FHSAA is that we cannot charge homeschool students or charter school students — only charge private school students."
“I think it’s going to slow down transfers a little bit,” said Damon. “By transfers, I mean kids playing on different teams as a non-traditional student. It’s going to make non-traditional students all have the same guidelines. It will make it a little easier on our ADs as to who can play where. It’s a step in the right direction.”
