I wasn’t surprised when I heard Hillsborough County’s proposal that transfers during a school year must sit out a year, unless they meet one of several requirements (moving homes, family hardships and so on). The move had been rumored for weeks. I’ve heard other counties considering similar measures.

Here’s what I find interesting. It shifts the burden of proof from the school/district to the players and their families. The school no longer has to declare why a student-athlete should not be eligible. The player must show why he/she should be eligible. That’s a big difference.

So is the shift from having schools determine eligibility to having a district community do so. That eliminates some conflict of interest. A coach won’t be able to go to his principal and ask why a transfer was ruled ineligible, because it’s out of the principal’s jurisdiction.

I open up the blog for discussion. Do you like the proposal? What would you change? What questions do you want answered?