WIAA Representative Assembly passes 22 amendments, plus an advisory vote on ejections

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, April 22, 2026

The Representative Assembly of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association passed 22 of 35 proposed changes to the WIAA Handbook, including one that would eliminate socioeconomic factors to determining enrollment figures for reclassification.

Also, an advisory vote on a proposal that would allow schools to have the ability to enhance penalties above the WIAA Handbook guidance for an ejection from a contest also gained enough votes to pass. But since the rule doesn’t comply with current state law, the amendment won’t be implemented.

Another advisory vote that would restrict participation in girls sports to biological females did not receive enough votes for approval.

Starting in 2018, the WIAA began using socioeconomic factors to allow schools to automatically reduce the enrollment figure that would be used to determine classification.

But the Representative Assembly voted 27-8 to eliminate this practice when the next classification cycle starts in 2028-29 school year.

Proposed amendments required 60 percent approval for passage. For amendments that apply to high schools only, 21 votes are required for passage. For amendments that apply to high schools and middle schools, 35 votes are the threshold for passage.

Another amendment involving classification was approved that change the counting months for enrollment numbers to be collected to January through May and then three times the Oct. 1 count.

Other amendments passed included:

A postseason meeting between coach and each athlete on the team must be held within one month of the end of the team’s season.

A private school student could transfer to another private school without having to prove a double hardship.

Eligibility for the start of the winter sports season was changed to read that a student shall be passing the minimum number of classes in the most recent quarter/trimester to be eligible for competition. Previously, eligibility was linked to the most recent semester or trimester.

Softball teams that play in one two-day tournament or two one-day tournaments will be allowed to count each tournament as one contest to the regular-season limit of 20.

Fastpitch softball games will end if the losing team is trailing by 15 runs after three innings, 12 runs after four innings or 10 or more runs after five innings.

The individual limit of matches in a season for a wrestling was increased from 45 to 51 matches.

Among the amendments that failed to garner enough votes for passage was one that would require private schools with an enrollment of 90 or greater to opt up to the next classification. The proposal only generated 13 votes for approval, eight short of passage.

A proposal that would limit the WIAA Executive Board’s authority to assess penalties or sanctions was voted down 41-12.

The advisory vote that would limit girls sports to biological females received 29 votes for approval, six short of the 60-percent threshold. A similar advisory vote received 31 votes last year.