Ohio High School Athletic Association member schools need a medical clearance for each athlete once every 13 months, and this 14-page 2026-27 packet is the association's adopted preparticipation evaluation. It combines the AAP history, athletes with disabilities supplement, physical examination and medical eligibility pages with the OHSAA authorization, eligibility statement, Ohio concussion sheet and Lindsay's Law cardiac form. Schools keep the clearance on file indefinitely.
The athlete and parent complete the history, and the disabilities supplement if relevant, and sign the authorization, eligibility statement, concussion and Lindsay's Law forms. The examining MD, DO, DC, NP or PA completes the physical examination form and the medical eligibility form with its shared emergency information.
The athlete completes this before the appointment, with a parent if younger than 18: name, date of birth, exam date, sports, sex assigned at birth and gender identity, conditions, surgeries, medicines and supplements, and allergies. It includes the PHQ-4 screen and 32 questions on heart health, family heart history (with an unsure option), bones and joints, medical issues and menstrual history. Yes answers are explained at the end and the athlete and parent sign.
For athletes with a disability: type, date, classification and cause of the disability, sports played, and yes or no questions on braces and assistive or prosthetic devices, skin problems, hearing and vision, bowel and bladder devices, autonomic dysreflexia, heat or cold illness, spasticity and uncontrolled seizures. A checklist covers atlantoaxial instability and its x-ray evaluation, easy bleeding, enlarged spleen, osteopenia, numbness or weakness, coordination or walking changes, spina bifida and latex allergy.
Physician reminders suggest sensitive questions on stress, mood, home safety, tobacco, alcohol and drugs, steroids and supplements, and prompt review of history questions 4 to 13. Record height, weight, blood pressure, pulse and vision, then mark each item normal or abnormal with findings: appearance with Marfan stigmata, eyes, ears, nose and throat, lymph nodes, heart murmurs standing, supine and with Valsalva, lungs, abdomen, skin and neurological. A footnote suggests ECG, echocardiography or cardiology referral for abnormal cardiac findings.
Mark the neck, back, shoulder and arm, elbow and forearm, wrist, hand and fingers, hip and thigh, knee, leg and ankle, and foot and toes, plus the functional tests: double-leg squat, single-leg squat and box drop or step drop. Print your name, date, address and phone, and sign as MD, DO, DC, NP or PA.
Enter name, date of birth and year of graduation, then check one: eligible for all sports without restriction, eligible with recommendations for further evaluation or treatment, eligible for certain sports, not eligible pending further evaluation, or not eligible for any sports. Add recommendations. The signed statement confirms no apparent contraindications, that findings are on file in your office, and that eligibility may be rescinded if new conditions arise. Include date of exam, address and phone.
At the bottom of the eligibility page, list the athlete's allergies, current medications, other information relevant in an emergency, and emergency contacts. Because these sit on the same page as the signed eligibility decision, school staff reading the clearance also see the details they would need if the athlete is hurt or ill.
A HIPAA authorization letting the student's physicians, school-retained examiners and treating providers release physical exam and sports injury records to named school staff, such as the principal, athletic director, coach, athletic trainer and school nurse. A parent or legal guardian signs for a student under 18; a student 18 or older signs personally. It lasts while the student is enrolled, and the student cannot be cleared until it is signed and returned.
Signed by the student and parent before the physical examination. It acknowledges the OHSAA eligibility guide, a student code of responsibility, informed consent to injury and infection risk, consent to emergency treatment, release of school records from seventh grade, and the concussion rule: no same-day return, and written authorization from an MD, DO or provider supervised by a physician before returning to participation.
The Ohio Department of Health concussion sheet explains signs, symptoms, return to learn and a sample return-to-play progression, and the parent signs its acknowledgment. The Lindsay's Law form explains sudden cardiac arrest and states that an athlete who faints must be removed and cleared in writing by a health care provider, such as an MD, DO, certified nurse practitioner or, for school athletes, a PA or licensed athletic trainer.
Download the current version from the source each time; forms change without notice.
Preparticipation Physical Evaluation (OHSAA Pre-Participation Physical Exam Form)
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OHSAA Bylaw 3-5-1 requires the preparticipation evaluation once every 13 months. The one exception covers exams done between May 1 and June 1: signed by the medical examiner, those are valid for one calendar year plus the rest of that school year's spring sports season, which runs through about mid-June.
OHSAA's instructional document says that in Ohio a physician (MD or DO), a doctor of chiropractic, a physician assistant and an advanced nurse practitioner may complete the exam and sign the form. The signature lines on the examination and eligibility pages read MD, DO, DC, NP or PA.
Only the history portion. OHSAA posts a separate 2026-27 Spanish history form on its physical exam page, while the examination, eligibility, authorization and consent pages are in English. The clinician completes the examination and eligibility pages from the English packet.
Under OHSAA rules, the school will not allow the student to take part in interscholastic athletics. The authorization lasts for the student's enrollment at the school and can be revoked in writing to the principal or designee, which makes the student ineligible once received. Students 18 or older sign it themselves.