IHSAA Girls' Basketball Rules

More than 140 players who went to high school in Indiana have gone on to play basketball in the National Basketball Association or American Basketball Association. The Indiana High School Athletics Association regulates athletes at these high schools. While the league plays by the same rules as other basketball leagues, there are a number of strict eligibility and participation rules to play girls or boys basketball with the IHSAA.

  1. Student Status

    • To qualify for participation on IHSAA basketball, students must fulfill a number of basic requirements.

      Students in IHSAA schools must be no older than 19 years of age. Students turning 20 years old on or before the date of the IHSAA state basketball finals are not eligible to compete.

      Students cannot play under a false name, accept money, awards or gifts from college or athletic programs for their play or sign a professional contract while they play in the IHSAA. They are banned from accepting commercial awards that advertise a business.

      Students must complete an IHSAA physical with a physician, and the form must be verified and filed at the student's high school before the student can begin practicing with the team.

      Student athletes cannot participate in any similar basketball team during the IHSAA season, and cannot participate in a non-IHSAA-sponsored sport without the direct consent and supervision of their school.

      A student cannot play for an IHSAA team if she has been enrolled in high school for more than four consecutive years or has represented a high school in a sport for more than four years.

    Student Behavior

    • Students playing IHSAA basketball must live up to a number of behavior and performance requirements.

      Students must be passing at least five full-credit high school courses to play IHSAA basketball. The athletes must also maintain proper behavior. Their actions cannot disrupt the school's credibility, morale or educational environment.

      Individual high schools in the IHSAA may have certain regulations regarding proper in-school behavior and grade requirements.

      Students must attend school regularly. If a student is absent from school for five or more consecutive school days, she must present the school administration with a doctor's note stating that she is eligible to return to the team without risk of further illness or injury.

    Drug Testing

    • Students making an attempt to serve on an IHSAA basketball team---meaning that they try out for the team or begin practicing for the team---are subject to random drug tests. Students at each school are tested weekly, and a student can be chosen for a drug test at any time during the season.