When student athlete John Snap (12) transferred to Los Banos High School, he expected to start fresh on the field and in the classroom.

Instead, he found himself on the sidelines benched not by the coaches, but by the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) and its strict transfer eligibility rules. 

CIF, the governing body for high school sports across California enforces a set of regulations designed to ensure fair competition and discourage students from switching schools purely for athletic gain.

 Snap situation highlights a growing debate about CIF’s transfers rules. While CIF defends its policies as necessary to protect fairness critics argue that the system punishes the wrong students who transfer for reasons outside of the athletics like family issues academics or simply wanting a better fit.

“This isn’t the end of my story,” Snap said. “When I finally get back out there, I’m going to make every second count.”

 For Snap the intent of the rule doesn’t matter; what matters is that his chances to shine and progress and maybe even catch the eye of a college recruiter has been cut in half.

Still Snap hasn’t given up. 

He continues to attend practices, train in the weight room and support his teammates from the sidelines. He determined that when his sit-out period ends, he’ll be ready to step in and prove what he’s capable of.