PAPF Explainer

Rank One Pro · Last updated June 9, 2026

The Previous Athletic Participation Form (PAPF) is a critical UIL eligibility document that captures a student's prior athletic participation when they enroll at or change schools. This guide explains what the PAPF is, why it matters, and how Rank One streamlines the entire process—ensuring the right form reaches the right people and a student's eligibility is never left in question.

Part 1: Understanding the PAPF

1 Know What the PAPF Is

The Previous Athletic Participation Form (PAPF) is a UIL eligibility document used to capture a student's prior athletic participation when they enroll at—or change to—a new school. It helps establish whether a student is eligible to participate at the varsity level and supports the district's review of residence, prior schools attended, and related eligibility factors.

Tip: Under current UIL expectations, a student-athlete in grades 9–12 should not participate at any level until the required first portion of the PAPF is completed. Keeping these forms tracked and verified protects students, keeps programs eligible, and helps districts avoid forfeitures tied to compliance gaps.

2 Understand the Four-Role System

Rank One connects four groups involved in the PAPF process through one shared record:

Families (Parent Portal): Guardians and students complete the PAPF and related eligibility forms in your school's branded Parent Portal, with translation available for accessibility.
School Staff (Rank One Logistics): Coaches and athletic directors review and verify each submission in the same place they manage rosters and eligibility, with clear status indicators.
District Executive Committee (DEC): The DEC reviews the completed form and makes the eligibility determination for the student.
UIL State Office (Organizational Control Panel): Completed forms are accepted and filed by the UIL for oversight across districts, on the same record the family started.

Instead of paper passing between offices, the form moves through the system with each role seeing exactly what it needs at the right moment.

Part 2: The PAPF Workflow in Rank One

3 Step 1: Families Complete the Form in Parent Portal

Guardians and students access your school's branded Parent Portal and complete the PAPF along with other required eligibility forms. Eligibility is presented as the first, most pressing step, and translation options are available so every guardian can complete it confidently.

Tip: Forms families complete in the Parent Portal flow into your Logistics view automatically—there's no separate upload step for families' submissions.

4 Step 2: School Staff Review and Verify in Logistics

Coaches and athletic directors review and verify each PAPF submission inside Rank One Logistics—the same place they manage rosters and eligibility. A clear status shows at a glance whether a student is cleared or still has an item to resolve.

Important: Your account role (for example, Athletic Director or Assistant AD) determines what you can review and verify. Ensure your staff roles are correctly configured in your district setup.

5 Step 3: DEC Reviews and Determines Eligibility

Once both schools have completed their portions, the District Executive Committee (DEC) reviews the form and makes the eligibility determination. The DEC then sends the form to the UIL State Office for acceptance and filing.

6 Step 4: UIL State Office Accepts and Files

The UIL State Office accepts and files the completed form for oversight across districts — closing the loop without a single document leaving the system.

Part 3: Getting Started With PAPF in Rank One

7 Log In to Your Rank One Account

Access your Rank One account at app.rankone.com using your school email. If you're a new UIL district, your login is set up for you—use the password reset link the first time if needed.

Tip: Whether your district is brand new to Rank One or has used the platform for years, the PAPF workflow uses the same system your staff already knows.

8 Confirm Your District Setup

Before launching your PAPF workflow, verify that your campuses, staff roles, and rosters are current in Rank One. This ensures that forms flow to the right people and eligibility status is accurately tracked.

Check that all athletic directors and coaches have the correct role assignments
Confirm that your campuses and sports are properly configured
Verify that your roster data is up to date
Ensure that Rank One User Type, Coaching Assignments, and UIL Roles are complete for all applicable users

Tip: If you're already using Rank One, this PAPF enhancement is not a fresh start—your existing setup carries forward seamlessly.