UIL Constitution and Contest Rules

Section 901: ACADEMIC CONTEST ETHICS CODE

(a) The Academic Contest ethics code shall carry the force of rule. Member school districts, member schools and/or covered school district personnel who violate any of the provisions of this code shall be subject to penalty.

(1) Participate in contests in the spirit of fairness and sportsmanship, observing all rules– both in letter and in spirit.

(2) Sponsor and advise individuals and teams without resorting to unethical tactics, trickery which attempts to skirt the rules, or any other unfair tactic which detracts from sound educational principles.

(3) Accept decisions of officials and judges without protest and extend protection and courtesy to officials.

(4) Regard opponents as guests or hosts while placing personal and/or team integrity above victory at any cost. Maintain grace and poise in victory or defeat. Conduct that berates, intimidates, or threatens competitors has no place in interscholastic activities.

(5) Provide information or evidence regarding eligibility of any contestant or school to local school administrators or to the appropriate judicial bodies upon request.

(6) Understand and appreciate the educational values of competition and abstain from modifying or soliciting another teacher to modify grades for eligibility purposes, knowing that such behavior defeats the character-building purposes of extracurricular competition.

(7) Abstain from any practice that makes a student feel pressured to participate in nonschool activities.

(8) At all times, ensure that competition is relative to a more important overall educational effort, using competition as a tool in the preparation of students for citizenship and successful adulthood.

(9) Insure that UIL Academic district, regional and state meets receive precedence over non-qualifying contests or meets.

(10) School districts shall notify the academic district or regional meet director no later than the end of the second school day following academic district or regional competition if a student or a team knows that it will not compete at the next higher academic meet.

(b) SALARY/STIPEND. Any salary or stipend arrangement which makes it to the financial interest of a coach, director or sponsor to win a UIL Contest will be in violation of the Academics Ethics Code, and the member school district, member school and the school district personnel shall be subject to the range of penalties outlined in Sections 27 and 29.