REPORT OF THE
NCAA
DIVISION III MANAGEMENT COUNCIL
PLAYING
AND PRACTICE SEASONS SUBCOMMITTEE
ACTION ITEMS.
1. Legislative
Action Items.
a. Modification
of Wording Based on Intent – NCAA Bylaw 17.1.7(c) (NCAA, NCCAA, or NAIA
Championships Participation in Team Sports)
(1)
Recommendation.
Adopt a modification of wording of Bylaw 17.1.7(c) to specify that an
institution’s spring championship sport team that earns its
conference’s automatic qualification in the fall segment may not continue
to practice after its declared segment in the fall, and prior to its declared
segment in the spring, based on its belief that it is under consideration for
selection to an
NCAA championship.
(2)
Rationale. As
conferences continue to award their automatic qualification to spring
championship sport teams (e.g., golf, tennis) based on competition in the fall,
a legislative loophole currently exists where institutions could continue to
practice beyond its declared weeks in the fall and prior to declared spring
segment based on the belief it will be selected for a spring NCAA championship.
This modification of wording closes
the loophole and reinforces the legislative intent that only institutions who
have completed their entire declared season leading up to the NCAA championship
may continue to practice prior to the selection of the NCAA championship field
based on the belief it is under consideration for selection to participate in
an NCAA championship.
(3)
Budget Impact.
None.
(4) Student-Athlete
Impact. None.
b. 2007 NCAA Convention
Legislation – NCAA Bylaw 17.1.9.4 (traditional and nontraditional segment
length – baseball, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, and
women’s volleyball).
(1)
Recommendation. Sponsor
2007 Convention legislation to amend Bylaw 17.1.9.4 to specify that a maximum
of eight hours of
athletically related
activity may occur on the one date of competition in the nontraditional segment
for all participants. Further, to
specify the following competition activity limitations by sport for the one
date of competition in the nontraditional segment:
(a)
Baseball
– equivalent of two regulation baseball games (i.e., 18 innings).
(b)
Field
Hockey – the time equivalent of two regulation field hockey contests
(i.e., 140 minutes of competition activity).
(c)
Men’s
and Women’s Lacrosse – the time equivalent of two regulation
lacrosse contests (i.e., 120 minutes of competition activity).
(d)
Men’s
and Women’s Soccer – the time equivalent of two regulation soccer
contests (i.e., 180 minutes of competition activity).
(e)
Softball
– equivalent of three regulation softball games (i.e., 21 innings).
(f)
Volleyball
– 15 regulation volleyball games.
(2)
Rationale. This
proposal addresses concerns surrounding student-athlete health and well-being linked
to the proliferation of excessive athletic and competition activities (e.g.,
100 inning baseball games) that occur on the one date of competition in the
nontraditional segment. By
outlining an overall eight hour athletic activity limit and competition
activity limit germane to each sport, student-athletes are able to participate
fully in athletic and competition activities on the one date of competition
without endangering their healthy and well-being with excessive athletic
activity in a 24-hour period. The
time limits for competition activity in specified sports provide teams with the
flexibility to conduct shorter games at its discretion (e.g., six 30-minute
soccer games; seven 20-minute field hockey contests) in order to maximize
competition opportunities for all participants and incorporate unique tournament
or competition formats traditionally associated with the one date of
competition. In sports that do not
regulate competition by a time limit, an appropriate amount of competition
activities based on a relevant standard (e.g., innings for baseball and
softball, games for volleyball) was established noting the normal amount of
time to complete regulation contests in those sports. The Playing and Practice Seasons Subcommittee
considered feedback and
recommendations from each sport committee before making this legislative
recommendation.
(3)
Budget Impact.
Possible reduction in institutional costs in those sports that conducted
athletic activities beyond eight hours on the one date of competition in the
nontraditional segment.
(4) Student-Athlete
Impact. Protects health and
well-being of student-athletes on the one-date of competition in the
nontraditional segment.
c. Noncontroversial Legislation – NCAA Bylaw 14.1.1 (postseason and regular-season competition)
(1) Recommendation. Adopt noncontroversial legislation to amend Bylaw 14.1.1 (postseason and regular-season competition) and archive a May 4, 1993, official interpretation (item ref: 4), to specify that to be eligible to participate (e.g., practice or compete) in Division III athletics, all student-athletes including male practice players shall meet all applicable NCAA and Division III eligibility requirements.
(2) Rationale. Male practice players who practice on an occasional basis with female teams are not currently required to go through complete eligibility certification required of Division III student-athletes. By requiring all student-athletes including male practice players to be certified under all NCAA and Division III eligibility requirements, enrolled students who are serving as male practice players for a women’s team would need to be certified under all standards and complete all eligibility forms regardless of how often they practice with a women’s team.
(3) Budget Impact. Varies. Possible increase in administrative costs for certifying eligibility of male practice players if number of overall male practices remains consistent or increases. Possible decrease in administrative costs if number of male practice players practicing on occasional basis shrinks based on additional eligibility requirements.
(4) Student-Athlete Impact. Proposal may decrease use of male practice players practicing on an occasional basis due to additional certification requirements and concurrently increase potential participation opportunities for current female student-athletes who might have previously lost practice time due to usage of male practice players.
2. Non-legislative
Action Items.
a. Merging Division III Playing and Practice Seasons Subcommittee into Division III Interpretations and Legislation Committee.
(1) Recommendation. The subcommittee recommended that it become a standing subcommittee of the Division III Management Council to continue reviewing playing and practice season issues and to not disband.
(2) Rationale. The subcommittee discussed the charge of the NCAA Executive Committee’s working group to reduce meeting frequency to reduce costs without comprising the efficiency and completion of NCAA business. The subcommittee also considered the recommendation of the Division III Interpretations and Legislation Committee to fold the subcommittee into the Interpretations and Legislation Committee. The subcommittee recognized that it was created by the Management Council to address nontraditional segment and contest limit issues in Division III starting in 1999. The subcommittee noted that it continues to oversee an area that is at the competitive core of a student-athlete’s athletics experience, that the initial dialogue of the subcommittee is beneficial to serve as a primer for the broader Management Council dialogue, and that this subcommittee is in a position to vet Bylaw 17 issues more thoroughly without adding a significant amount of meeting time or costs to conducting NCAA business. The subcommittee also noted that the amount of playing and practice season issues has not waned since the 2004 NCAA Convention when the legislative reform package surrounding nontraditional segment and competition activities were addressed.
(3) Budget Impact. None.
(4) Student-Athlete Impact. Division III student-athletes may benefit from this subcommittee’s more focused review of playing and practice activities that impact the athletics experience.
b. Championships Committee Recommendation to Permit Walk-Throughs During 5-day Acclimatization Period.
(1) Recommendation. The subcommittee recommends that the Council not sponsor the “noncontroversial” amendment recommended by the Division III Championships Committee. Considerable dialogue on this issue confirms that it is not a noncontroversial issue. The subcommittee also requests that the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sport to provide data for this subcommittee’s review in time for the 2008 legislative cycle (e.g., January 2007 subcommittee meeting) that determines the impact of the current 5-day acclimatization model in Division III and the impact of the recently adopted legislation in Divisions I and II that permit one-hour walk-throughs during the 5-day acclimatization period.
(2) Rationale. The subcommittee noted that the Division III governance structure including the Division III Football Committee, SAAC, and Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sport were not in agreement on adding walk-throughs to the 5-day acclimatization period. The subcommittee believes that by requesting additional data on the current Division III acclimatization model and on the Division I and Division II models that include the one-hour walk-throughs, the subcommittee could more accurately assess the current Division III model and whether changes to the acclimatization model are appropriate.
(3) Budget Impact. Increased costs associated with conducting additional one-hour walk-throughs during 5-day acclimatization period in football.
(4) Student-Athlete Impact. Additional walk-throughs during the 5-day acclimatization period may impact the health and safety of football student-athletes.
INFORMATIONAL ITEMS.
1. Conference Championships Conducted in Fall and Spring. The subcommittee reviewed a situation in which a conference scheduled its four-day conference golf tournament to determine its automatic qualification entry by conducting the first two days of the four-day tournament in the fall golf segment and the second two days of the four-day tournament in the spring. The subcommittee concurred that per Division III Bylaw 31.3.4 (automatic qualification) a conference may determine the manner in which it determines its automatic qualification. The subcommittee also recommended the Championships Committee confirm that conference golf championships, similar to the NCAA golf championship, are not bound by the three-day limit for golf tournaments per Division III Bylaw 17.12.5.1.1 (tournament limitations) based on the Championship Committee’s recent legislative recommendation to modify the wording in Bylaw 17.12.5.1.1.
2. Usage of Male Practice Players. The subcommittee recommended the Council accept noncontroversial legislation to require that all student-athletes, including male practice players, be certified under all NCAA and Division III eligibility standards. The subcommittee also discussed recommendations on best practices from the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the Committee on Women’s Athletics and would request further dialogue by these committees and the rest of the Division III governance structure to establish specific limits on the number and frequency of use of male practice players. The subcommittee noted that the Management Council would convene this discussion with feedback from all committees during its July 2006 in-person meeting.
3. 2006 Fall Preseason Period Points of Emphasis Memorandum. The subcommittee reviewed a draft memorandum authored by the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sport to be disseminated to Division III athletics directors at the end of this month. The memorandum outlines points of emphasis for fall sports acclimatization practices for Division III including rest and recovery plans, consulting medical staff when developing preseason conditioning activities, and encouraging an environment whereby student-athletes report potential injuries or illnesses. The subcommittee
recommended edits to the memo including adding a Web link to the Division III Fall Sports Acclimatization Best Practices document currently available on the NCAA Web site. The NCAA staff will forward the subcommittee’s feedback and edits to the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports.