District of Columbia Opens Door to NIL for High Schoolers

A student may not participate in an interscholastic sport unless they are considered an amateur in
that sport. A student forfeits their amateur status if they do any of the following:

1. Knowingly plays on or against a professional team which is defined as a team having
one or more members who have received or are receiving directly or indirectly monetary
consideration for their athletic services.

2. Signs a professional contract, accepts reimbursement for expenses to attend a professional
tryout, or receives financial assistance in any form from a professional sports organization.

3. Enters a competition under an assumed name. The surname and given name used by any
athlete in the student’s first game of interscholastic competition shall be used during the
remainder of the student’s interscholastic career. Any change in spelling or use of another
name shall be regarded as an attempt to evade this rule unless the change has been
properly certified by the athlete to the principal or administrative head of the school.

4. Receives remuneration of any kind or accepts reimbursement for expenses in excess of
the actual and necessary costs of transportation, meals and lodging for participating in
a team or individual competition or an instructional camp or clinic. Reimbursement for
the aforementioned expenses is permitted only if all of the participants receive the same
benefit.

5. Receives cash or a cash equivalent (savings bond, certificate of deposit, etc.), merchandise or a merchandise discount, (except for discount arranged by school for part of team uniform) a reduction or waiver of fees, a gift certificate, or other valuable consideration as a result of the student’s participation in an organized competition or instructional camp or clinic. Accepting an event program or a complimentary item(s) (t-shirt, hat, equipment bag, etc.) that is inscribed with a reference to the event, has an aggregate retail value of no more than $1,500 and is provided to all of the participants, shall not jeopardize the student’s amateur status.

6. Sells or pawns awards received.

7. Uses the student’s athletic status to promote or endorse a commercial product or service
on the internet, in newsprint, radio, television advertisement or any other form of media, or
personal appearance.

8. Accepting compensation for teaching lessons, coaching or officiating shall not jeopardize
the student’s amateur status.

These provisions are not intended to restrict the right of any student to participate in a commercial
or marketing endorsements provided there is no school team, school or DCSAA affiliation name or
logo visible. The student may not appear in the uniform of the student’s school and cannot utilize the
marks, logos, etc., of the school or DCSAA as any part of any endorsement. DCSAA must be notified of
all student commercial or marketing endorsements.

A student who forfeits their amateur status under the provisions of this rule is ineligible to participate
at the interscholastic level in the sport in which the violation occurred. The student may be reinstated
after a period of up to the total number of days in the school year provided that during the suspension,
the student complies with all of the provisions of this rule. The suspension shall start on the date of
the last offense.