Zone Read: Time for a Free Pass?

The sport of high school football continues to evolve, and we here in the state of Arizona are, in many ways, the perfect case study.

For the past decade plus, we have boldly staked our own little red pin on the national prep football map.

State 48, once just considered a stop along the way for college recruiters en route to California, has churned out high-level quarterbacks and skill players by the dozens. Some of these prospects are now on NFL rosters – more than you’d guess if you look closely. We have top-level coaches who pour not only their time, but their souls into their respective programs. ESPN games here in the fall are now the norm, not just one-offs during a “light week” on the schedule. 

We not only compete in-state, we level up with some of the top programs around the country.

Our once simmering football pot is now boiling, and in some cases, overflowing. The competition is greater and the stakes, quite simply, are higher to win on Thursday and Friday nights in the fall.

About a month ago, a coach asked me if I heard anything about a proposed “free transfer,” and if the AIA might, at least internally, be kicking the tires on this. Soon, certainly not to my surprise, it started trickling into my social feed because, as we’ve all learned, the algorithm is undefeated.

See more

AIA needs to give one free transfer. Why are we making HS kids sit if they don’t make them sit at the next level?

— AZHSFB Fan 🏈🏈 (@hsfootballfan23) January 28, 2026

Before I start weighing the pros and cons of this concept, I want to be clear that this is simply a thought concept.

The Transfer Era

This, for many coaches, has been a difficult plane to land. You could also argue the turbulence has been just as bumpy for some players and their often misguided parents.

Put the potential of this “free” transfer volleying of opinions aside for a bit. My advice has been, and will continue to be – evolve or dissolve.

Have we become tone deaf to players in Arizona transferring in and out? Maybe. Some, but not all, are “splashy” moves. If it wasn’t for free flowing and never ending social media, most would likely go unnoticed, and that’s perfectly okay.

My belief has always been in letting the players, not the parents or coaches, decide where they want to play, if moving to another program is on the table. Of course, the players often lean on their parents (cringe) to help guide them through the process. While some do their homework and help get their kids in the best situation academically, culturally and on the field, others fail miserably at reading the room.

Open enrollment has made Arizona high school football a more transient landscape. While players can, in some unique cases, apply for a hardship, the AIA rule makes it even more complicated for players when deciding where to continue their gridiron careers. For football, transfers must sit out half of their first varsity season which, for most schools, is five games. Players are eligible to transfer and play junior varsity immediately.

Many other states around the county are also in open enrollment and, much like here, face hurdles when trying to find the most fair, and logical, blueprint for high school athletes who intend to transfer in-state. 

After speaking with a number of different coaches around the state, off the record, let’s unpack this a little more.

The Pros

As I wrote about two weeks ago in this column, teens’ mental health must be prioritized. This, in many ways, ties into the fabric of high school athletics. The opportunity to be a part of a team – something bigger than yourself, is crucial for growth and maturity in a four-year window when so many struggle. If allowing a student-athlete to transfer once, without having to sit out half a season, jump starts a positive change, why wouldn’t we at least explore this?

It would also allow seniors to transfer and play their full final season. For most, their senior year is the most memorable. They are more mature and comfortable not only on the field but, more importantly, in their own skin. Kids can say they’re fine sitting out five games but does this window truly allow for total inclusion amongst your new teammates and peers? One-time senior transfers must be afforded the opportunity for full participation. 

Further, it would keep the accountability on the coaches to raise the standards from within. If you don’t want players to leave, reassess your standard operating procedure and make your program more desirable in hopes of retaining high-level talent. Change the culture. Build stronger relationships. Develop a deeper trust with not only the team, but the community which supports you, as well. As one head coach told me, “Allowing one penalty-free transfer, per athlete, would shift accountability where it belongs – onto the adults…good programs would remain stable, poor ones would be forced to improve or adapt.”

The Cons 

Well, let’s start with the elephant in the room no one at the AIA wants to address:  recruiting. Do I think some high school coaches in Arizona recruit? Yes. Do I believe most don’t? Yes. Do I feel “kids recruit kids?” Absolutely.

Coaches talk to other coaches and discuss their own players. You simply can’t “hide” talent. Everything is accessible. Coaches swap game tape, pour over Hudl, spend hours not only trying to stop their opponents’ best player, but also keeping a keen eye out for others who “jump off the film.”

It’s safe to assume coaches would hustle if word got out a star was even dipping their toes in the transfer water. How would the AIA go about putting that big glob of toothpaste back in the tube if recruiting was “legal?” 

It’s also feasible to believe a free transfer would maybe not totally kill, but further erode, neighborhood kids staying to play for neighborhood schools. Some of Arizona’s most successful lower level schools are beneficiaries of kids playing together since youth football. That synergy and familiarity with teammates and coaches is undeniable. Sure, programs in smaller towns don’t have the option of four or five high schools within 10-15 minutes of one another (think Horizon, Notre Dame Prep, Saguaro, Desert Mountain, Chaparral) but seeing programs like Horizon, Desert Mountain, Queen Creek, and Williams Field to name a few – steady and consistent teams mostly rooted with their own players – would likely be extinguished.

Former AIA Executive Director David Hines often used the phrase, “competitive balance” when discussing his big picture goal of AZHS football, specifically in the higher classifications (6A) where several of the perennial “blue bloods” reside. Most power programs gain a fair share of transfers in the cycle, certainly some more than others. One free pass for a kid, for whatever reason (more college exposure, better chance at a championship, etc.), would not only allow the “rich to get richer,” but likely alter the desired competitive balance, stacking “super teams” with even more talent and depth.

The Compromise?

Maybe the AIA could meet this concept in the middle.

One long-time, well-respected head coach proposed to me not allowing one free transfer but, instead, loosening a different set of parameters in regards to hardships. If a head coach leaves for another opportunity, allow a one-time transfer without penalty. This would provide a different window of opportunity for student-athletes who desire a change of scenery. It would also lessen the logjam of hardship requests by simply following the paper trail of said coach’s departure from his previous school.

It’s critical we remember, while the AIA is the ultimate judge and jury for transfer cases, there are over 1,100 high schools in Arizona. Due to the sheer volume, they are asked to “self-govern.”

Would providing a free transfer potentially solve one problem, but also create a set of new ones? Maybe. Maybe not.

One former AZHS head coach said, “It’s America. Play where you want to play.”

If it were only that simple.