Adjustment allows high school seniors to compete in all-star games before end of seasons

The CIF Southern Section is implementing a plan adopted Thursday by the CIF State Office that allows seniors to compete in all-star games before the end of the regular seasons in each sport.

The ruling takes effect for this school year only and is in response to the tentative CIF calendar changing for all sports. Some sports are scheduled to start in December with football planned for January 2021.

“Only graduating seniors could play in a high school all-star game prior to to the end of the last game in the state in the all-star competition of that sport, no underclassmen,” said Thom Simmons, assistant commissioner of the CIF.

The new CIF state rule reads:

“In order to offer graduating high school seniors the opportunity to compete in all-star competitions, the  CIF is temporarily suspending Bylaws 900.A. and 900.B. for the 2020-21 school year. This action is necessitated by the change in the 2020-2021 season of sports calendar. Accordingly, for this school year only, graduating seniors may compete in high school all-star competition prior to the completion of the current school year season of sport in that sport.

“High school all-star competition, for graduating seniors only, may begin prior to the conclusion of the last Section or State contest in that sport. As per CIF  Article 23, local schools, school districts, leagues, and Sections may develop a more restrictive rule than the CIF State Office with respect to the aforementioned Bylaws.”  

Simmons confirmed the Southern Section will adopt the measure.