Before an Illinois student-athlete can try out, practice, or play, the school needs a completed Illinois sports physical form on file. There are two versions: the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Pre-Participation Examination form for high schoolers, and the Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) Pre-Participation Physical Evaluation form for elementary and middle schoolers. Your school’s athletic department will tell you which one applies. The process has two stages you handle in order: you and your parent fill out the medical history at home, then a licensed healthcare provider performs the exam and signs the clearance.
Where to Download the Form
Most schools post the correct version on their athletic department webpage or hand out paper copies at registration. You can also download the IHSA form from ihsa.org and the IESA form from iesa.org.
One boundary worth knowing: the sports physical is not the same document as the routine school health examination required at certain grade levels, and neither one substitutes for the other.1SSM Health. IHSA Pre-Participation Examination Form If your child is due for both in the same year, you can knock them out at a single office visit, but the provider has to complete both sets of paperwork.
Filling Out the Medical History at Home
The top half of the form is a medical history questionnaire that the student and a parent complete before the appointment. Thorough answers here are what make the exam itself useful; a blank or vague history gives the provider almost nothing to work with.
The IHSA history section asks about:1SSM Health. IHSA Pre-Participation Examination Form
- Current medications (including inhalers, EpiPens, and regular over-the-counter drugs) and allergies to medications, latex, foods, or insect stings.
- Prior hospitalizations, surgeries, missed practices or games, and use of braces or orthotics.
- The student’s own heart health: chest pain during exercise, unexplained fainting or dizziness, racing heartbeat, or a known murmur.
- Family heart history: any relative who died unexpectedly before age 35 from heart problems, or genetic heart conditions such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, long QT syndrome, or Marfan syndrome.2Illinois Elementary School Association. IESA Preparticipation Physical Evaluation
- Bone and joint history: fractures, dislocations, sprains, and joints that swell or give out.
- Other medical conditions, including asthma, diabetes, seizures, sickle cell trait, and eating disorders.
- For female athletes, menstrual history, including age at first period and regularity.
If your child has had a concussion, note how many, when each occurred, and whether they were held out of play. The provider may order baseline neuropsychological testing or a more detailed cognitive evaluation based on that history.
Circle any question you genuinely don’t know the answer to rather than guessing. The form says to do this so the provider can follow up in person. Both the student and a parent or legal guardian sign and date the bottom of the history section, confirming the answers are complete and correct to the best of their knowledge. Bring the signed history to the appointment. Most providers won’t start the exam without it.
What Happens During the Exam
The provider completes the bottom half of the form in the office. The medical portion records height, weight, blood pressure, pulse, and vision, then checks the eyes, ears, nose, throat, lymph nodes, heart, lungs, abdomen, skin, and neurological function.1SSM Health. IHSA Pre-Participation Examination Form The heart check is the most important piece: the provider listens for murmurs, irregular rhythms, or other signs that warrant further testing. If the history flagged cardiac concerns, the provider may recommend an ECG or echocardiogram and refer the student to a cardiologist before signing off.
The musculoskeletal screening goes joint by joint from neck to feet, looking for pain, limited range of motion, instability, or signs of an unhealed injury. Old sprains and fractures that “felt fine” sometimes turn out to need another look.
After the exam, the provider marks one of three clearance decisions:
- Yes: cleared for all sports without restrictions.
- Limited: cleared for some activities, or cleared with conditions such as wearing a knee brace or avoiding contact sports.
- No: not cleared. The provider will explain what additional testing, treatment, or specialist evaluation is needed before clearance can be reconsidered.
The provider signs and dates the form. Neither the IHSA nor the IESA form requires an office stamp; the provider’s signature and credentials are enough.
Who Can Sign the Form
Illinois limits who can perform and sign a sports physical. The IHSA form authorizes physicians (MD or DO), physician assistants, and advanced nurse practitioners.1SSM Health. IHSA Pre-Participation Examination Form The IESA form lists MD, DO, NP, and PA, which covers the same categories of licensed professionals.2Illinois Elementary School Association. IESA Preparticipation Physical Evaluation
Chiropractors are not listed on either form. Some other states allow chiropractors to perform sports physicals; Illinois schools follow the provider categories printed on the IHSA and IESA forms, so a chiropractor’s signature would not be accepted.
How Long the Physical Is Valid
An IHSA sports physical is good for 395 days from the date of the exam.1SSM Health. IHSA Pre-Participation Examination Form That roughly 13-month window is deliberately longer than a calendar year so a physical done in mid-June still covers the full following school year through spring sports. Watch the timing: a physical done in late July expires the following September, which can leave your child ineligible for fall sports the next year.
Even inside the 395-day window, a significant health event (concussion, surgery, new diagnosis, or prolonged illness) can trigger a fresh evaluation before the student returns to play. Illinois schools maintain Concussion Oversight Teams that run return-to-play and return-to-learn protocols after head injuries.3IHSA. Youth Sports Concussion Act
Submitting the Form to the School
Once the provider signs the form, send it to the athletic department. Many Illinois districts use digital platforms such as FinalForms, where you upload a scan or phone photo along with other required paperwork like emergency contacts and the concussion acknowledgment. Other districts still take paper copies through the athletic director or school nurse. Either way, keep your own copy before handing anything over.
Timing is strict. The form has to be on file before the student’s first official team activity, whether that’s a tryout, conditioning session, or first practice. A student without a current physical will be held out until the paperwork is complete. After submission, you should get confirmation that your child is eligible. If you don’t hear back within a few days, follow up.
What It Costs
A standalone sports physical is not the same as a preventive well-child visit, and insurance plans often treat them differently. There is no specific billing code for a sports physical, which creates a gray area for coverage. The cleanest workaround: if your child is due for an annual well-child checkup, schedule the sports physical at the same visit and ask the provider to fill out both forms. Well-child visits are typically covered as preventive care at no cost under most plans.
If your child already had a recent well-child visit and just needs the sports physical form completed, expect to pay out of pocket. Urgent care and walk-in clinics commonly charge around $25 to $50. Some school districts also run low-cost group physical events before the fall sports season, often with a local hospital or clinic. Ask your athletic department in late spring or early summer whether one is scheduled.