Score one for the FHSAA.

Legislation aimed at taking away some of the high school sports governing body’s power died in Tallahassee.

The bill, Senate Bill 1164, is not on today's floor calendar, the final day of the 2012-13 legislative session. So for at least another year, the FHSAA will continue business as usual.

“It is gratifying that Florida’s 260,000 high school student-athletes will be spared some of the negative consequences of this legislation," said FHSAA Executive Director Roger Dearing in response to the bill's expiration. "We understand that many of the legislators who supported the proposal were doing what they thought was best for high school athletics, but it would have opened the door for a few adults and athletes to build powerhouses while those who respected the rules of fair play were left behind."

Bill 1164, sponsored by Sen. Kelli Stargel (R-Lakeland), sought to change the number of FHSAA board of directors members, to make home-schooled athletes eligible and to strip the investigative powers employed by the FHSAA to local districts.

Dearing didn’t mince words last month when he called the proposed legislation vindictive given the area Stargel represents. Lakeland High School was forced to vacate victories from the 2010 season after a lengthy investigation by the FHSAA uncovered several ineligible players.

In response to critics that claimed the FHSAA held too much power over the eligibility of student athlets, Dearing pointed out of the more than 260,000 high school athletic participants last year, only 72 were ruled ineligible.

“The FHSAA will continue safeguarding the integrity of our state’s high school athletics, as it has done for 93 years," Dearing said. "The session-long discussion about the FHSAA has raised some genuine concerns, and we welcome the opportunity to collaborate with students, parents, coaches, administrators and legislators to ensure that all high school athletes are able to continue competing on a level playing field. Florida’s high school athletes deserve the opportunity to play under a statewide uniform set of fair rules, and the FHSAA is proud to remain the keeper of that sacred tradition for our state.”