School Exam
School Exam
1. CIF Rule 307 authorizes chiropractors to perform
preparticipation evaluations.
Rule 307 of Article 3 (“School Regulations”) of the CIF Bylaws authorizes a “medical
practitioner” to screen students for participation in athletic competition. Rule 307
provides as follows:
307. Physical Examination
As a condition of membership, schools will require an annual physical
examination on a school board approved form which includes a health
history, or a statement by a medical practitioner on a school board
approved form certifying that the student is physically fit to
participate in athletics, before a student may try out, practice or
participate in interscholastic athletic competition. A student will be
excused from this physical examination provided there is a compliance
with the Education Code provisions concerning Parents’ Refusal to
Consent. The CIF Health and Safety Committee strongly recommends that
districts use the Pre-Participation Physical Examination form that has been
endorsed by the following five major medical societies: American
Academy of Family Physicians; American Academy of Pediatrics;
American Medical Society for Sports Medicine; American Orthopedic
Sports Medicine; and the American Osteopathic Academy of Sports
Medicine. All CIF schools must use Board Approved forms by the 2004-
4
2005 school year. (Revised May 2003 Federated Council). NOTE: Bylaw
number changed from 306 to 307 May 2003.
1
(Emphasis added.)
Rule 307 does not expressly define medical practitioner nor does it specifically
enumerate the practitioners that are included within the term. However, the key indicia
of CIF’s intent -- the contemporaneous definition of medical practitioner, the rule-making
history, and CIF’s course of conduct since the provision was adopted -- all underscore the
fact that chiropractors were meant to be covered by the term medical practitioner and are
therefore authorized to perform preparticipation evaluations.2
(a) The contemporaneous definition of medical practitioner
included chiropractors and thus demonstrates CIF’s clear
intent to authorize chiropractors to perform