Dropping Pass-to-Play Applauded : Preps: Coaches happy about school board move to drop no-fail requirement from eligibility standard.

City Section coaches Tuesday greeted the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education’s decision to drop the no-fail stipulation of its eligibility requirements for extracurricular activities with the near-unanimous sentiment: It’s about time.

Coaches who had strongly opposed the measure when it was introduced in 1982 rejoiced after the Board voted 5 to 2 to no longer bar students who receive a single failing grade from participating in extracurricular activities as long as they maintain a C average.

The measure, which puts the district in line with the state’s C-average rule that was passed in 1987, is effective immediately for students in grades four through 12.

City Section Commissioner Hal Harkness and coaches contacted Tuesday argue that the no-fail rule has failed to motivate students and instead punishes them.

“I’ve always been against the no-fail rule and not because I’m anti-academic,” said Darryl Stroh, the Granada Hills football and baseball coach. “The C average is a good enough rule. If a kid takes a fail and the rest of his grades are good enough to absorb it, then there’s no justification for denying him eligibility.”

Harkness took a similar stance, saying that the decision will benefit students.

“I don’t think it sends the message to youngsters that the system cares less about academics,” he said.