NCAA Playing Rules Policies

“Significant financial impact” is defined as any rules change that would exceed $1,000 in cost. The determination of significant financial impact shall be based on “commonly accepted” implementation costs (what most institutions in a division would spend to implement a rules change), rather than on the least expensive solution possible. Further, the implementation of a recommended rules change with significant financial impact shall be delayed for a year to allow divisions to appeal if they wish.
“Participation impact” shall not be considered a basis for division-specific rules differences. A request cannot include generally accepted division-wide “philosophical” arguments to strengthen its position in addition to significant financial impact arguments.
A request for a division-wide exception can be made by the appropriate sports committee with rules-making responsibilities, a division championships committee, a Management Council, a Board of Directors or Presidents Council, or the Executive Committee.
A request that originates from a source other than a sports committee will be referred to the sports committee for study and a recommendation.
The sports committee may solicit opinions from the division seeking the exception through a survey prepared and tabulated by the national office. Language for the survey will be approved by the committees for institutions originating the appeal. Although the sports committee, division championships committees, Management Councils, Presidents Councils or Executive Committee are not bound by the results of the survey, a majority of the members in a division who sponsor the sport should desire the exception for it to be considered favorably.
The sports committee must report to the division championships committee if it conducted a study and its rationale for its decision either to recommend approval or disapproval for the request.
If the request process does not provide an exception to a rules change where there is significant financial impact, instances in which member institutions are not in compliance for reasons beyond their control shall be viewed as technical violations of the obligations of membership.

Rules of play (i.e., conduct rules such as playing equipment, the number of competitors in a contest at any one time, substitution, duties of officials, scoring, fouls and penalties) must be common among all divisions and may not be altered by mutual consent to something not specified in the rules or by specific mutual-consent options. Administrative rules (e.g., the number of competitors who may suit up for a contest, number of officials, types of timing equipment, methods of timing, facility specifications and competition formats) may be altered by mutual consent of the participating coaches. The same principle applies to non-NCAA playing rules that are adopted by a governing sports committee for the conduct for a championship (i.e., the conduct rules used in all division championships must be common). (December 1989)

Rules committees should refrain from proposing rules in an area (such as assignment of officiating crews) that traditionally has been the responsibility of conferences. (May 1989; reaffirmed May 1991)

The Division I Management Council and Divisions II and III Management Councils and Presidents Councils may act for the division championships committees and the Executive Committee in approving or disapproving playing rules in the areas of player safety, financial impact and image of the sport, per Bylaws 21.6.6.3.2, 21.6.6.2.2 and 21.8.6.2.2, with such action to be taken on a case-by-case basis. If the Management and/or Presidents Councils choose not to act on a given case, the matter shall be placed on the agenda for the next meeting of the Executive Committee. If such a decision necessitates, the rules committee shall be directed to delay implementation of the rule for a year. (May 1988)

Bylaw 17.31 (which requires that member institutions conduct intercollegiate contests under the official playing rules of the Association in sports for which the NCAA develops playing rules) does not apply to competition by NCAA student-athletes in traditional, so-called open events that are not conducted by the NCAA member institution; nor shall it apply to competition between National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and NCAA member institutions unless that competition is conducted at the home site of the NCAA member. (August 1986)

Governing sports committees charged with administering sports for which the Association does not publish playing rules may establish selection criteria that include in-season modifications to the playing rules used in the NCAA championships. This authority extends only to such selection criteria. (August 1986)

Relative to Bylaw 17.31, each rules committee shall make certain that playing rules are reasonable and economically feasible for all segments of the membership and shall identify those rules actionable under enforcement proceedings and those to be enforced solely by game management and officials. It is appropriate to identify those rules dealing with the conduct of the contest, with provisions permitting the competing institutions to alter the administrative rules (but not the playing rules) by mutual consent or by exception from the sports committee. (February 1985)

Championships procedures shall not be included in playing rules published by the Association, except that qualifying standards shall be included in the official playing rules for the NCAA men’s and women’s track and field and swimming championships. (August 1982)

The Association shall publish playing rules in a sport only if it conducts a championship in that sport and only if the rules are considered necessary for the proper administration of the sport and are complete and distinct from other published rules for that sport. (Longstanding policy; reaffirmed April 1975 and February 1984)

The appropriate sports committees are responsible for the oversight of playing rules administered outside the NCAA (e.g., making certain that rules are consistent among divisions).