How to Fill Out and Submit the FHSAA EL2 Sports Physical Form

The FHSAA EL2 form is Florida’s required sports physical evaluation, and no high school athlete can try out, condition, or practice until a completed copy is on file with the school. The form runs four pages: the family fills out the medical history at home, and an authorized healthcare provider completes the physical exam pages during the appointment. Starting with the 2026–2027 school year, most first-time athletes also need a separate ECG screening form (the EL1) alongside the EL2.

Where to Download the Current Form

Get the EL2 directly from fhsaa.com. It’s a fillable PDF, so you can type answers on a computer before printing for signatures. Confirm you have the current version. Schools reject outdated editions on sight.

As of early 2026, the FHSAA removed what used to be page five of the EL2 and replaced it with a separate follow-up form, the EL1/2s, which only comes into play if the examining provider flags something needing more evaluation.¹

Filling Out the Medical History at Home

The first two pages are the medical history section, and the family completes them before the appointment. Both a parent or guardian and the student need to answer the questions and sign. Do this in advance. Walking into the clinic with blank history pages wastes the visit and may cost you a second appointment.

Expect questions about prior surgeries and hospitalizations, chronic conditions such as asthma or diabetes, and any history of concussions or head injuries. There are also cardiac-history questions: chest pain during exercise, fainting or dizziness, heart murmurs, and whether any close family member died suddenly from a heart condition before age 50. Florida law requires the form to incorporate the American Heart Association’s 14-element screening recommendations.²

List every medication the student takes and every known allergy. Be thorough. The provider uses this information to decide whether any part of the exam needs extra attention or whether a specialist referral is warranted. Both the parent or guardian and the student must sign the history section, certifying that the information is accurate.

What the Provider Does at the Appointment

The rest of the EL2 belongs to the examiner. The provider records height, weight, blood pressure, pulse, and vision, then works through a head-to-toe evaluation. The cardiovascular check is the most important part: the provider listens for heart murmurs, checks pulses, and looks for signs of conditions such as Marfan syndrome that raise the risk of sudden cardiac events during exercise.

The musculoskeletal portion evaluates joint stability, range of motion, and strength across the neck, shoulders, back, knees, and ankles. If the student has a history of sprains, fractures, or ligament injuries, the provider will pay closer attention to those areas. Most sports physicals take 15 to 20 minutes, but the provider needs a complete and honest medical history to know where to look harder.

Who Can Legally Sign the EL2

Florida law specifies which practitioners can conduct the exam and sign the form. Authorized signers are licensed under one of the following:²

Chapter 458 — medical doctors (MDs) and physician assistants
Chapter 459 — osteopathic physicians (DOs) and physician assistants
Chapter 460 — chiropractic physicians
Section 464.012 — Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs)
Section 464.0123 — registered nurses certified in certain advanced roles

A practitioner holding an equivalent active license from another state can also sign if the exam happens out of state. The provider must be in good standing with their regulatory board.

On the form, the provider signs an attestation that they personally performed each part of the exam, or that it was done under their direct supervision, and they include their license number. A missing license number is one of the most common reasons schools kick a form back.³

Clearance Outcomes and the Follow-Up Form

After the exam, the provider marks one of the clearance outcomes: cleared for all sports without restriction, cleared with specific recommendations or limitations (for example, cleared to run cross-country but not to play football after a prior concussion), or not cleared pending further evaluation. A “not cleared” designation doesn’t necessarily end the season. It means the provider wants additional testing or a specialist’s opinion before signing off.

When follow-up is required, the student takes the EL1/2s form to the specialist, who completes the remaining evaluation and provides clearance or a final determination. The school cannot let the student practice or compete until the completed follow-up form is on file.²

The New ECG Screening Requirement for 2026–2027

Starting July 1, 2026, Florida law adds a separate cardiac screening step: an electrocardiogram, documented on the one-page EL1 form. This applies to all incoming ninth-grade athletes and to any student in grades 10 through 12 who has never participated in an FHSAA-sanctioned sport. Returning athletes with an FHSAA sports history are not required to complete it, though the FHSAA strongly encourages it.¹

The ECG doesn’t replace the EL2 physical. It’s a separate form, with parent attestation, clinician verification, and space for referral information if the results are abnormal. An ECG performed on or after July 1, 2024 satisfies the requirement, so some students entering ninth grade in fall 2026 may already have a qualifying test on file.²

Families with medical concerns about the ECG can ask a physician to complete the ME1 exemption form.

Submitting the Completed Form to Your School

Once the provider signs and dates every page, bring the form to your school’s athletic department. Many Florida schools use a digital platform, most commonly Aktivate or HomeCampus, where parents create an account, register the student for a sport, and upload scans or clear photos of the completed EL2. If your school uses one of these systems, a hard copy alone won’t count. You have to upload it. Schools without an online system accept the paper form directly through the athletic director’s office.

Submit before the first official practice, tryout, or conditioning session. Florida law is strict on the timing: a student cannot participate in any physical activity connected to an interscholastic team until the school has received and approved the medical evaluation, and that includes offseason workouts and summer conditioning.² Don’t count on the coach making an exception. The school faces real liability if an uncleared athlete gets hurt.

Common Reasons Schools Reject the Form

Most rejections come from problems that take five minutes to prevent:³

Missing student information at the top of the form
No provider signature or missing license number
No date on the physical completion line
Missing parent or student signatures on the medical history pages
Using an outdated version of the form

Before you leave the doctor’s office, flip through every page and check that nothing is blank. Incomplete forms are denied outright.

How Long the Form Lasts and What It Costs

The EL2 is valid for 365 calendar days from the date the provider signs it. A physical completed on June 1, 2026 covers the student through May 31, 2027, which typically means the full school year plus the start of summer conditioning for the next one. Scheduling in late spring or early summer gives maximum coverage and gets ahead of the back-to-school rush at clinics.

Sports physicals aren’t usually covered by health insurance, even under plans that cover annual well-child visits. Expect to pay roughly $50 to $75 out of pocket at most urgent care clinics and pediatric offices in Florida. Some communities, school districts, and hospitals run free or reduced-cost sports physical events during the summer, so check with your school’s athletic department or a local children’s hospital for dates. Combining the sports physical with an annual well-child checkup at your pediatrician can sometimes cut costs, because the preventive visit portion may be covered by insurance while the sports clearance form gets completed during the same appointment.

1
Florida High School Athletic Association. Medical Forms, Including ECG Screening Form(s) Now Available
2
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 1006.20 – Athletics in Public K-12 Schools
3
Hernando County School District. Parents/Guardians and Student Athletes