MEMORANDUM
TO:
Myles Brand, NCAA President.
FROM: Bernard
Muir, chair
NCAA
Playing Rules Advisory Panel.
SUBJECT: Playing Rules Advisory
Panel Recommendation Regarding the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Soccer
Rules Committee Zero-Tolerance Language Policy.
This is to advise you of the recommendation of
the NCAA Playing Rules Advisory Panel about a playing rule involving abusive
and obscene language and gestures in soccer. As you know, the three divisions voted
differently on a playing rule that must be common. Specifically, the Division I
Championships/Competition Cabinet opposed a zero-tolerance policy for, this
type of behavior citing the fact
that officials already have the power, per the current rules of the game, to
choose to eject players using abusive or insulting language or gestures. The Cabinet expressed concerns that a
zero-tolerance policy was not in effect for all sports and would be arbitrary
if implemented only for soccer.
The Division II Championships Committee
supported the rules committee’s recommendation. The Division III Championships Committee
supported the recommendation, noting that the rule should apply to all coaches
and bench personnel as well. Both
Division II and Division III expressed concerns for the foul language problem
that exists within soccer and were encouraged that the zero-tolerance policy
would help officials enforce ejection for inappropriate language.
The Division II and Division III Management
Councils supported the decision made by their respective Championships
Committees.
Recommendation
for Executive Committee Action:
The Playing Rules Advisory Panel recommends that
the Executive Committee endorse the soccer rules committee’s
zero-tolerance language policy. The
panel voted in favor of supporting the soccer rules committee’s
zero-tolerance language proposal, 6-2.
The panel agreed abusive and obscene language in soccer is a serious
problem and believed that such language has no place on the soccer field. The committee also believes a
zero-tolerance policy is in the best interests of the Association’s
support of sportsmanship.
CMS:nkb
cc: Playing Rules Advisory
Panel Members
Selected NCAA Staff
Members