These proposed Texas UIL rule changes may limit athletic eligibility violations
The University Interscholastic League could introduce updated rules regarding athletic eligibility, with a goal of limiting the opportunity for violations regarding an athlete’s residency.
The potential updates would be made in section 442 of UIL contest rules, which concern residency. A proposal to amend the rules was passed by the UIL standing committee on policy and will be considered for final approval at the UIL Legislative Council meeting in October.
UIL assistant athletic director Virginia Flores spoke about what to anticipate at the Texas High School Athletic Directors Association Conference, which was held May 31-June 3. She said the potential UIL rule changes largely formalize what many districts already practice internally.
The changes would establish statewide procedural guidelines with precise wording and stricter student-athlete residency verification requirements, which leaves less room for error.
Tracking the homestead exemption
Flores said the potential contest rules will specifically mention homestead exemptions, and that parents or guardians of athletes must take the exemption on the residence they claim to live in. Homeowners can claim a homestead exemption on their primary residence for a reduction in their property taxes.
“In our previous language, there wasn’t any information about [the homestead exemption],” Flores said of the 2025-26 UIL contest rules.
The current UIL rules mention the following:
“Any relocation of residence is a complete and permanent move for the family. The residence shall be the domicile which is a fixed, permanent and principal home for legal purposes.”
That implies the homestead exemption should be taken on the primary residence. The updated, more specific rules would leave nothing up to interpretation.
The changes could allow districts to catch residency violations before they become season-threatening mistakes and make families more aware of the guidelines.
In May, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD self-reported multiple violations of section 442 of the UIL contest rules, including a family carrying an active homestead exemption on a previous home, according to documents obtained by the Star-Telegram. That resulted in back-to-back state champion Grapevine baseball being removed from the UIL playoffs.
The rule regarding a homestead exemption would not apply to the families of athletes who rent their homes.
Checking on utilities, properties
The potential contest rules could also introduce specific wording on utility usage, according to Flores, who said that if a family of five is living in a house, a utility bill of $5 is a red flag.
“If it’s a family of five that’s living at that residence, then the utility usage should reflect that,” Flores said.
There will also be a question posed to districts regarding families owning more than one property.
“There’s nothing wrong [with owning multiple properties] — we have parents and we have families that have multiple properties,” Flores said. “They are leasing it out, or it’s a rental property. There’s a lot of different reasons people have more than one residence, but its another way for [districts] to go in a check for verification ... to understand what is going on with that situation.”
Limiting procedural errors
Constitution and contest rules could also be updated to address the following requirements that are already in place.
- The athlete’s current school would need to contact the former school to obtain information about the athlete’s participation and enrollment history.
- The athlete’s current school would need to verify that the athlete’s residence complies with the parent residence requirements outlined in the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules.
Updated wording and the addition of a mandatory explanation box helps ensure coaches and districts don’t make any procedural mistakes and check all boxes before proceeding.
“It’s just another way, really, to save our coaches and to save you,” Flores said. “To make sure that kids live where they say they live.”
In 2026, procedural mistakes were an issue for several North Texas baseball teams. Poolville baseball was removed from the UIL playoffs due to its head coach not filling out a prior athletic participation form (PAPF).
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