REPORT OF THE
NCAA
DIVISION III MANAGEMENT COUNCIL
PLAYING
AND PRACTICE SEASONS SUBCOMMITTEE
ACTION ITEMS.
1. Legislative Actions.
a.
Modification of Wording Based on Intent –
Bylaw 14.1.11 (Male Practice Player Eligibility).
(1)
Recommendation.
To issue a modification of wording to Bylaw 14.1.11 to remove the
reference to male practice players being eligible for benefits currently
authorized by NCAA legislation for all other student-athletes.
(2)
Effective Date. Immediate.
(3)
Rationale. The subcommittee noted that the intent of
this bylaw did not include expanding the benefits received by male practice
players. The subcommittee noted
that current legislation permits male practice players only to receive practice
apparel and that the intent of adopting Bylaw 14.1.11 was not to deregulate the
benefit limits related to male practice players.
(4)
Estimated Financial Impact. Maintains current limits on benefits available to male practice players
which will limit impact on athletics department budgets.
(5)
Student-athlete Impact. None.
2. Nonlegislative Actions.
·
Subcommittee
Position on Male Practice Player Amendment-to-Amendment.
The
subcommittee reviewed the membership sponsored amendment-to-amendment (2007
Division III Proposal No. 6-1) to allow male practice players to participate in
three practices per week (instead of one) and to permit the equivalent of a
full starting unit of male practice players to participate in said practices
(instead of the equivalent of one-half a starting unit). The subcommittee opposes Proposal No. 6-1
noting that the proposal undermines the reasonable limitations set forth in
Proposal No. 6 and would otherwise provide excessive latitude for institutions
to use male practice players in the future.
INFORMATIONAL ITEMS.
1. 2007 Division III Proposal No. 4 – Limits to Overall Athletic Activity and Competition Activity on One Date of Competition. The subcommittee confirmed that the athletically related activity and competition specific limits set forth in the proposal involving the one date of competition apply to the institution as a whole regardless of the number of teams (e.g., varsity, junior varsity), split squads (e.g., A team, B team) or student-athletes it may have in a particular sport. The subcommittee confirmed that once any student-athlete participates in any required athletically related activity, as defined in NCAA Division III Bylaw 17.02.1.1 (athletically related activities), the time in that activity counts against the eight-hour maximum limit for that sport.
2. Division III Rules Test. The subcommittee recommended several enhancements to the NCAA Division III Rules Test including an increased emphasis on recruiting (Bylaw 13) and playing and practice seasons (Bylaw 17) questions, as these topics are more germane to activities that Division III coaches should be tracking on for compliance purposes. The subcommittee also recommended that sport-specific questions be synched to the sport for coaches attempting the test. The subcommittee also suggested that registration be available to coaches without e-mail addresses and that NCAA staff refrain from including isolated or obscure legislative questions.
3. Alternative Seasons of Participation Standards. The subcommittee discussed the Presidents Council’s request for the subcommittee to identify alternative seasons of participation models that would address the perceived inequity between sport seasons under the current season of participation standard without rolling back the reform measures put in place in 2004 by reinstating any element of redshirting into the rule. The subcommittee noted that two diverging seasons of participation proposals are up for vote at the 2007 NCAA Convention and that it would be premature to recommend any alternative seasons of participation models without knowing which, if any, of the proposals are adopted by the Division III membership. The subcommittee confirmed that it will revisit this issue after the 2007 NCAA Convention.
4. Division III Requiring Opponents to Count Contests By Same Contest Category. The subcommittee reviewed the situation in which Division III institutions and other non-Division III institutions are competing against each other in the same contest and counting the contest under separate categories (e.g., Division I institution counts contest as regular season game against win-loss record while Division III
institutions counts same contest as exhibition which does not count against win-loss record.) The subcommittee confirmed that this is an interpretative issue and referred its position to the Interpretations and Legislation Committee to resolve through issuance of an official interpretation.
5. Rules Education on Male Practice Players. The subcommittee requested that the NCAA staff provide expanded rules education on the eligibility certification requirements and other rules impacting the use of male practice players in Division III. The subcommittee recommended that the rules education occur subsequent to the 2007 NCAA Convention noting that proposals directly impacting the use and eligibility requirements of male practice players are up for membership vote.