The Montana High School Association met earlier this year and changed some of the landscape of how high school athletics in Montana will be in the near future.
The new rules kicked in for this tennis season, where jewelry has been approved for matches except for any sort of communication device like smart watches. Coaches are allowed to communicate with players until they get into warmups before each match. The coaches then have to cease communication until the 90-second changeover after every third game when they can resume coaching.
Starting in the 2024-25 school year, the following changes will be implemented:
The board approved that for six-man football postseason moving forward, there should be five officials for every game in the first round with that number being mandatory in all rounds thereafter.
In regard to State Class ‘C’ basketball, track and field and volleyball, Districts 13C and 14C are combining to make a new District 13C. The schools represented will be Alberton, Charlo, Drummond, Granite, Hot Springs, Lincoln, Noxon, St. Regis, Seeley Swan, Two Eagle River, Valley Christian, and Victor.
MEETING RECAP
The Executive Board reviewed fall sports postseason financial reports.
● Track and Field – Process if failing of FAT during district or divisional meet (Effective 2023-24):
● Convert the stopwatch time for the heat in which the timing failed by adding 1 to any
tenths (10ths) if there were any hundredths (100ths) on the recorded time, and next add
an additional .24 for the total corrected time. You only need to convert the time for the
first-place runner because the difference between the first runner and the other runners
may be obtained from the timing system and then add this additional time to the firstplace time.
● Tennis–The following language changes/clarifications were approved for the 2023-24 season:
● Jewelry is allowed per USTA rules, with the exception of smartwatches or other devices
that can be used to communicate with others.
● The MHSA Tennis uniform language has changed. Click here for the new rule.
● Once players have taken the court for warmups, no coaching is allowed until the 90-
second change over after the 3rd game.
● Baseball – Click the following link for the approved baseball divisions. 2023-24 Baseball Divisions
● Baseball Play-offs – All division champions will automatically qualify for the state tournament. The
following play-in games will be played either Saturday, May 18th, or Monday, May 20th, 2024 at
the home sites of the #2 teams. The winners qualify for the state tournament:
▪ #2 SW vs. #3 E (winner plays the #1 NW)
▪ #2 E vs. #3 SW (winner plays the #1 W)
▪ #2 NW vs. #3 W (winner plays the #1 SW)
▪ #2 W vs. #3 NW (winner plays the #1 E)
● Montana Officials Association – The following financial changes were approved:
● Volleyball: The Board approved adding a line judge fee of $25.00 per contest if schools
opt to use an MOA official for a regular season contest. Additional line fee changes were
approved as follows for the postseason: Districts – $25.00 per match, Divisional – $30.00
per match and State -$175.00 for the tournament.
● Soccer: The Board approved a fee adjustment for soccer officials when only 2 officials are
available. The total fee paid for the contest for the 2 officials will be the same as if 3
officials were used and this is only approved for sub-varsity competition.
● Soccer: The Board adjusted the postseason per diem to $10.00 per game or $.12 per mile
(whichever is greater) regardless of if the official is in or out of town.
● Football: The Board approved a 5-person official crew to be used for postseason
competition in 6-player football when available for the first round, and will be required
for each subsequent round.
Final action was taken on the following items from their November meeting after two-week notice:
● Emergency Action Plan – Schools must have an EAP for each venue where they practice or have
contests. A form must be submitted to the MHSA by July 15th of each school year to verify the
completion of this requirement.
● Track and Field – A change to qualifying procedures for the Class C Southern Divisional track meet
was approved. Last year in the 4C, 5C and 6C district meets, the top two places qualified for
divisionals and then the next four best overall times/distances/heights also qualified. Beginning
this year, the same procedures will be in place, but participants will also qualify for divisionals
through divisional qualifying marks.
Final action was taken on the following realignment items from previous meetings:
● Eight-Player Football Placement & Alignment Link
● Realignment for basketball, track and field and volleyball for the 13C and 14C districts. The 13C
and 14C will now consolidate to become the 13C in 2024-25. The following schools will represent
District 13C: Alberton, Charlo, Drummond, Granite, Hot Springs, Lincoln, Noxon, St. Regis, SeeleySwan, Two Eagle River, Valley Christian, and Victor.
Other items for your information – MHSA Annual Meeting
Proposals Approved
The 2024 Annual Meeting was conducted in Bozeman on January 15, 2024. The proposals approved by
the membership to take effect in 2024-25 were:
MHSA Eligibility By-Laws were amended to allow homeschool/non-public students to transfer in school
districts with multiple schools. The MHSA transfer rule will apply.
MHSA Eligibility By-Laws were amended to allow an exception to the bricks and mortar rule. This
exception will allow a school district approved personalized learning program as an exception to the
required twenty hours per week and in regular attendance in ten hours per week at the school where the
student participates. This exception requires that the student enrolled and completing the personalized
learning program must participate for the district in which they are enrolled.
MHSA General Penalty By-Laws were amended to allow the MHSA Executive Board to assess a higher fine
to member schools who violate the MHSA postseason streaming policy.
MHSA Administration By-Laws were amended to add an American Indian Executive Board Member. This
board member will be elected as an American Indian superintendent, high school principal or high school
activities director from an American Indian member school. An American Indian school shall be defined
as any MHSA member school with an American Indian student population of at least 50% in grades 9-12
as reported to the Office of Public Instruction. The election for this position will occur at the MHSA Annual
Meeting in 2025 and the first term will begin in the 2025-26 school year.
MHSA Eligibility By-Laws were amended to allow participation eligibility for students attending a stateapproved Charter school approved by the Montana Board of Public Education. The Charter School student
must participate for the district in which the student’s family resides.
MHSA General Rules and Regulations for adding a new sport or activity were amended. New sports or
activities will be added as an emerging sport/activity in the future. Click here for the emerging
sport/activity details.
MHSA Executive Board By-Laws were amended to state that rules and regulation changes, appeals or any
other requests for action at a board meeting must be submitted in writing to the Executive Director seven
(7) days prior to a scheduled Executive Board meeting.
MHSA Executive Board By-Laws for expedited hearings were amended. A fee will be assessed to the
appellant for these hearings in the future.
Section (24) – Process for adding a new sport or activity. Emerging Sports
The purpose of this rule is to grow meaningful interscholastic participation opportunities for students in
athletics and activities for interested students that have the potential to meet the required number of
schools participating to be considered for official sanctioning by the MHSA.
Listed below are the steps required to request designation as an Emerging Sport/Activity and the
timeline involved. Any sport/activity that meets these requirements must successfully complete a twoyear provisional period before consideration for adoption as an officially sanctioned sport/activity.
a) Have at least 10 member schools or 25% of the schools in a Classification participating in the
sport/activity and/or written indication from schools willing to offer the sport/activity on a
provisional basis.
b) Submit a request to the MHSA Executive Board for approval.
c) Contest limitations, individual player limitations and the applicable season of participation will be
determined and specified in the approval by the MHSA Executive Board.
d) If approved, the sport/activity will be listed as an emerging sport/activity in the MHSA Handbook
and registration in the sport/activity will be offered.
e) If approved, a committee shall also be formed to help determine specific rules and any other
necessary information for the sport/activity.
f) Emerging sports/activities approved on a provisional basis will be limited in the services they
receive until they become officially sanctioned by the MHSA. The following MHSA administrative
services will not be offered to emerging sports/activities:
1. Assigned rules interpreters, but the MHSA will assign a sports / activity liaison to assist with
questions and implementation.
2. Sport/Activity section on the MHSA website
3. State Championships administered by MHSA – although the MHSA will work with the
committee to investigate and implement a state championship.
4. MHSA Membership Dues will be charged as student athletes are covered under the MHSA
catastrophic and concussion insurance.
g) Emerging sports/activities approved on a provisional basis, along with member school student
and coach participants, must abide by all MHSA Regulations.
At the end of the two-year provisional period, the sport/activity committee shall report back to the
Membership at the next MHSA Annual Meeting to summarize the progress that has been achieved.
The Membership will vote to officially sanction the sport/activity, keep the sport/activity in provisional
status, or remove it from the list of emerging sports/activities
