THE NEW ONLINE NFHS SANCTIONING PROCESS

FOR ENTERING NEW SANCTIONED EVENTS FOR EVENT MANAGERS AND SPONSORS

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Take Part. Get Set For Life.™

National Federation of State

High School Associations

What Events Require NFHS Sanctioning?

• Any interstate or international event involving two (2) or more schools which is co-sponsored by or titled in the name of an organization outside the school community
• Events in non-bordering states if five (5) or more states are involved
• Events in non-bordering states if more than eight (8) schools are involved
• Any event involving two (2) or more schools that involves a team from a foreign country

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Frequently Asked Questions?

• Do international events have to be sanctioned?
• Yes, as long as it meets one of the criteria in slide # 2.
• Do they have to pay a sanction application processing fee? They did not have to do so in the past.
• Yes, it is our experience that international sanctions require the same amount (if not more) work and our member state associations have requested more information regarding these events.

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Frequently Asked Questions?

• What if I have two local schools competing and our bank wants to sponsor and be titled in the competition (e.g. The Main Street Bank Tip Off Tournament)?
• Any organization outside the high school community that is a co-sponsor or is titled in the name of the event will require NFHS sanction and the approval of the local state association.

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Frequently Asked Questions?

• What if every high school in the United States is invited to participate in the Universal Runners Invitational?
• The event sponsor would have to provide the list of invited schools with the initial sanction application and a final list of attendees 20 days prior to the date of the event or be subject to the $100 late processing fee charge.

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Frequently Asked Questions?

• What is an event sponsor?
• An event sponsor is a person, company, or school who is looking to host an athletic event in a particular state.
• How does an event sponsor begin applying for hosting an event?
• They must first register online at www.nfhs.org, click on Sanctioned Events and fill out the online application.

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How does an event manager/sponsor begin the sanctioning process?

• All managers/sponsors will have to register in order to be able to apply for a NFHS sanction approval. See slide # 11 of the registration screenshot.
• The event manager/sponsor will fill out the sanctioning application online 60 days or more prior to the event start date.
• The event manager/sponsor will forward via e-mail the sanctioning application to the host state association office of the host school and the host school principal.

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Frequently Asked Questions?

• What is the “host school” and its role?
• The host school is the school who assumes the accountability of the being responsible for the event.
• The host school principal signs off as assuming oversight responsibility for the event and being either present onsite during the event, either in person or by designee.

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How is the Host School Principal notified that they are the host school?

• The host school principal will receive a targeted e-mail specifically explaining their role and responsibility in the sanctioning process when the event sponsor/manager submits the application to the host state association.
• It is the obligation of the event sponsor/manager to secure the approval of the host school’s principal.

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Frequently Asked Questions?

• Can a host school be responsible for an event outside of that state (e.g. New York high school signing off as the host school for a Florida event) ?
• No, it is of the opinion that the host school shall be in the same state of the event in the event something occurs at the event, then the principal or his/her designee could quickly assess and report the situation.

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Registration Page for Event Managers/Sponsors

• To begin the Sanctioning process, all event managers/sponsors have to fill out a registration page in order to go back and make any edits, additions or deletions (if necessary).

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How does the sanctioning process continue?

• The host state association reviews the event online and either accepts or rejects the sanction based on their eligibility rules (see next slide (#13) for screenshot).
• If the state association rejects the event then the event manager/sponsor is automatically notified via an e-mail.
• If the state association approves the application then the event manager/sponsor is automatically notified that payment is required.

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Screenshot of what the host state association sees when an event manager/sponsor forwards a new sanction event request.

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What is the Processing Fee Schedule?

• $200 if the application is received 60 days or more prior to the event date
• $300 if application is received 15-59 days prior to the event date ($200 application fee plus $100 penalty)
• $300 penalty if the application is received less than 15 days prior the event date plus an additional $100 penalty for not forwarding the list of actual entries 20 days prior to the event date for a total of $600 ($200 application fee plus $400 penalty)

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How is payment made ?

• The sanction application payment will only be accepted by credit card or electronic check. The list of invited schools/states will not be forwarded or appear on the NFHS website until the payment is made.
• Master Card, Visa and American Express are the only credit cards accepted for payment.

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Frequently Asked Questions?

• When is the list of invited schools due to the NFHS?
• The initial list is due at the time of applying for sanctioning. The final list of invited schools is due 20 days prior to the event date. If the final list of schools is not submitted then a $100 penalty is assessed. The manager/sponsor will be automatically e-mailed a reminder notice regarding the final list 25 days prior to the event date.
• If the final roster is not received then the event loses sanctioning approval.

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Frequently Asked Questions?

• What format can the event sponsor/manager submit their list of invited schools?
• They will be able to submit Excel, Word files as well as PDF and CSV formats.

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Frequently Asked Questions?

• What if an event sponsor/ manager finds out at the last moment that an NFHS sanction is required for an event?
• They will be required to go through the online process and we suggest that they place a call to the NFHS Sanctioning Department (317) 972-6900 to advise us that their event is a rush priority and we will closely monitor and assist the event’s processing with the involved state associations.

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Frequently Asked Questions?

• What if the event manager needs to make a change or replace a school from the same or different state?
• The event manager can make changes and additions of other school(s) online. All invited states are automatically notified of any modification via e-mail.

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Frequently Asked Questions?

• How does the event sponsor/manager know if an invited school is a state association member school?
• We would recommend that they contact that school’s state association to determine their status. Their answer will impact if other schools can compete against them.

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Frequently Asked Questions?

• How do the event sponsor/manager find out which states can compete against non-member schools?
• They can consult our Policy on Participation with Non-member Schools on the Sanctioning page of the NFHS website or call the NFHS Sanctioning Department at (317) 972-6900.

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Frequently Asked Questions?

• What if the State Association person is out of the office when I submit my application for sanctioning and their return causes me to have to pay a late fee?
• The date that the application is filled out and submitted is the date that triggers the processing fee automatically. If the state association sanctioning coordinator if out or ill, you will not be penalized.

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Frequently Asked Questions?

• How do I know if invited states have approved their schools to participate?
• The invited state associations will receive weekly automatic e-mail reminders that they have outstanding requests and an answer is required.
• Once the invited state(s) responds it will be updated on the NFHS website with any additional comments. See slides # 24 & # 25 for screenshots of how to search for an event. It is identical to the current procedure.

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Searching for events online at www.nfhs.org

To search for a sanctioning event type, www.nfhs.org, click on “Sanctioned Events”, then “Search for Events by State and/or Sport”. Select State (where event will be held), select Sport, enter Start and End dates, click on “Search.”

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Posted Sanctioning Events

• Once inputted the list of events become available to view.

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Frequently Asked Questions?

• Will we receive a hard copy of our event’s final approval?
• Yes, you will be able to print out the NFHS confirmation e-mail advising you regarding the event’s approval or you can print the approval screen from the NFHS website.

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Frequently Asked Questions?

• What if I need to speak to a person for guidance regarding this new online process?
• We anticipate that there will be some growing pains with the online process. However, if you have any procedural questions, please feel free to contact the NFHS Sanctioning Department at (317) 972-6900 for assistance.

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NFHS Sanctioning Department Involvement Question?

• What involvement will the NFHS Sanctioning Department have with this process since it will be online and no paper documentation will be generated or distributed?
• The NFHS Sanctioning Department will monitor all sanctioning activity after the host state association approves the sanction application and intercede where required or requested.

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Thank you for reviewing the new NFHS Online Sanctioning Process

Please feel free to contact the NFHS Sanctioning Department at (317) 972-6900.

Take Part. Get Set For Life.™

National Federation of State

High School Associations