Athletic Transfers Revised : Eligibility: City high schools fall in line with CIF by tightening guidelines on changes for reasons of discipline.

In a move that puts the City Section in step with the rest of the California Interscholastic Federation, the City athletics office has tightened guidelines governing the often-controversial “opportunity transfer” program.

Beginning with the winter sports calendar, any student granted an opportunity transfer for disciplinary reasons will lose athletic eligibility for one year.

The revision was passed Thursday by the City Rules Committee.

“We were directed by the CIF to get into compliance,” said City Commissioner Barbara Fiege, who applauded the news. “This puts us in line with everyone else.”

More changes could be forthcoming. Fiege said that a committee will be formed Monday to study other programs within the Los Angeles Unified School District that have allowed athletes to change schools by using loopholes.

For instance, Fiege said open permits allowing students to enroll at campuses that are under-represented in certain ethnic groups will be among the programs examined.

The district’s open permit and opportunity transfer programs have come under fire from coaches, who believe some athletes are using the programs to attend schools outside their attendance areas.

“We’ll be looking at anything where students move from school to school as athletes,” Fiege said.

Opportunity transfers, which are granted for a wide range of reasons, have been particularly controversial.

Opportunity transfers are granted between administrators at the affected schools and are not subject to review by the athletics office.

Last year, Steve Woodruff, a basketball player at Canoga Park who shoved former Coach Jeff Davis after a game, was granted an opportunity transfer to Chatsworth, where he was allowed to play without restriction.

Under the new guidelines, the player would lose his eligibility.

Additionally, a ruling on the hardship petition filed by basketball standout Jerome Joseph was tabled until Monday.

Joseph, a sophomore point guard from Montclair Prep, is seeking a transfer to Chatsworth. Jerome’s father, Alvin, has been asked to supply more documentation.

The hardship petition of baseball pitcher Chad Evanson, a senior who is seeking a transfer from Faith Baptist to Chatsworth, was tabled until December because of a backlog of hardship applications.

Lamarr Thompson, a basketball player from Sylmar, was granted an additional year of eligibility for the 1993-94 season based on personal circumstances, Fiege said.