Monthly newsletter on timely rules topics — June 2010
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No school + Summer = more games and practice… huh?
So imagine you’re an athletics director or maybe a faculty athletics representative,
summertime is here, no need to fret over the 24-week rule, who can play and/or practice
with the team or figure out what exactly is practice, right? In most cases you probably are
being asked these questions and more. The June newsletter is your guide to summer!
NAIA Summertime: May 16 to July 31
The NAIA governs frequency of play, scheduling and practice from August 1 to May 15.
Each program is allowed a maximum of 24 weeks of practice and competition during this
period. Summer in the NAIA begins May 16 and goes to July 31. During this time, NAIA
programs have unlimited opportunities to practice and/or compete.
Who can compete and/or practice during the summer?
While the NAIA does not govern practice and competition from May 16-July 31, only
currently enrolled students may practice and/or compete with the team during this time.
Currently enrolled students are defined as students who have identified with the institution
through competition and/or enrolling in 12 or more institutional credit hours and attending
regularly scheduled classes.
Prospective students (entering freshmen and transfers) are not permitted to practice or
compete with an institution’s team prior to the beginning of the 24-week season, which in
includes summer, regardless of the student’s stated commitment (written or verbal) to the
institution. Prospective students are defined as individuals who have never identified with
an institution or their previous collegiate identification was with another institution. In other
words, all entering freshmen and transfer students are considered prospective students
until they identify with their institution.
Year-End Reports
NAIA institutions must complete the
following information on NAIAHelp.
• Financial Aid Worksheet
• Rosters
• Frequency of Play
• Substance Abuse
• National Championship expenses,
if applicable (new requirement)
Due — September 1, 2010
Financial Aid Tips
• Make sure to include your financial
aid office, registrar’s office and
coaching staff in the year-end
reporting process.
• Transfer students’ exemptions are
determined by using the GPA at face
value for the first term only.
• Non-countable aid is not funded,
controlled, or allocated by the
institution.
Please note, prospective students enrolling in summer school at your institution will not be
considered identified. Summer school is considered a non-term.
PRACTICE! We’re talking about PRACTICE, not a game… PRACTICE!
Activities involving the appropriate sport equipment organized and/or directed by a
coaching staff member or where the instruction and/or evaluation of a student takes place
will be considered practice. Practice can be one-on-one, involve specific positions or
groups and/or involve the entire team.
Practice or Not Practice?
Published monthly by the
A quarterback organizes a 7-on-7 passing session that includes the wide receivers and
defensive backs; coaches are not present. ...............................................NOT PRACTICE
A cross country coach schedules a Tuesday morning, 25-minute, low-intensity run
........................................................................................................................... PRACTICE
NAIA Rules Education Newsletter — June 2010
National Association of Intercollegiate
Athletics National Office
1200 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64106
Phone 816.595.8000 • Fax 816.595.8200
http://www.naia.org
A graduate assistant soccer coach schedules and organizes a 1v1 attacking, shooting and
headers session for Thursday afternoon; no coach is present. ......................... PRACTICE
The captain of the volleyball team schedules a Monday morning workout that includes 25minute sessions for setting, serving and digs. The assistant coach will film the sessions to
allow her and the head coach to evaluate the sessions at a later date.
........................................................................................................................... PRACTICE
The facility manager blocks out time in the summer master schedule (May-July) for
basketball. The times are set for 6 am-10 am/5 pm-9:30 pm, Monday, Wednesday and
Fridays and 8 am-12 pm /7 pm-10 pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The
facility is open to varsity and non-varsity students. Basketball players can come in during
these scheduled times and work on their individual drills, play 3-on-3 and/or 5-on-5.
...................................................................................................................NOT PRACTICE
The swimming and diving coach sets a schedule for 5 am to 7 am, Monday and
Wednesdays. It’s voluntary for the swimmers; however, if they attend, they must swim
three sets of 100 meters in the stroke of the day and repeat the process (3 x 100m evenly,
50m slow and 3 x 100m, moderate, fast and fastest). The coach is not present.
........................................................................................................................... PRACTICE
Every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday (no set time), a group of hurdlers work on the stair
hop, ghost hurdles and the A-March drill. The workout is based on the summer workout
guide provided by the track and field coach. .............................................NOT PRACTICE
Two wrestlers at the gymnasium are working on the pummel, double leg drill and fireman’s
drill. The volunteer assistant coach shows up and provides some instruction on the double
leg and fireman’s drill. ........................................................................................ PRACTICE
Countable Contests
In the NAIA, for contests to be
considered countable, the opponent
must meet the following three
criteria:
• Be accredited by one of the six
recognized regional accrediting
bodies in the U.S., or the AUCC
(National Christian College Athletic
Association membership also
satisfies this requirement)
• Be a four-year (or upper-level twoyear) degree-granting institution
• Be a varsity program
Countable Contests Tips
• Review your non-conference
opponents
• Cross check opponents against the
six recognized regional accrediting
bodies, AUCC or NCCAA
membership list
• Verify and confirm varsity status
The baseball facility is open every Monday-Thursday, 10 am-2 pm. Pitchers and catchers
have decided to throw and catch on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 am-12:30 pm. A
baseball coach has to be present to supervise the facility each day it’s open. The coach
does not evaluate nor does he instruct the student-athletes. ....................NOT PRACTICE
An institution pays summer green fees for their golf student-athletes to play 18 holes on
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 pm-3:30 pm. The days and times are scheduled by the
head golf coach, but she is not present for every session. ................................ PRACTICE
A softball program is conducting a camp for rising high school junior and seniors. After the
camp concludes each day, members of the team decide to stay and hit grounders, popups and take batting practice..................................................................... NOT PRACTICE
The athletic department shares the campus tennis facility with the campus recreation
department. The facilities director schedules dates and times for campus recreation,
community patrons and varsity tennis players. The varsity time is scheduled for Monday,
Thursday and Saturday, 8 am-1:30 pm. Coaches were not involved in the scheduling
process nor do they attend the scheduled available times. ...................... NOT PRACTICE
I PLAY GAMES in the SUMMER!
From local recreation leagues to international competition, NAIA current student-athletes
and prospective students get their fill of competition during the summer. While studentathletes are allowed to take advantage of the numerous competitive opportunities
available to them, it is important to note, the NAIA competitive experience and amateurism
rules still can be triggered.
Summer Competition Q & A
Q: A prospective basketball player who just graduated from high school plays on a
Midwest traveling team from June 15-August 3. The prospective student receives travel,
lodging and meals. Is she charged a season of competition?
NAIA Rules Education Newsletter — June 2010
International Competition
(Representing the Institution)
International amateur competition for
individuals representing an institution
or institution teams shall be
permitted if:
• Students representing their
institutions are eligible according to
NAIA rules (and conference, if
applicable).
• The NAIA CEO/President is notified
prior to participation
Please note: Such international
competition will not affect seasons of
competition.
Prospective students are not
permitted to represent the
institution in international
competition.
A: No. The prospective student participated and received remuneration prior to
September 1 in the year of her high school graduation.
What does OPEN GYM
really mean?
Q: A prospective baseball player commits to an institution and wants to travel and
participate with the team during their foreign tour which begins July 1. Is this permissible?
A: No. A prospective student is not permitted to compete with an institution’s team prior to
the beginning of the 24-week season.
Maybe the most popular activity in
the summer is open gym basketball.
The policy on open gym basketball
varies from institution to institution,
however, for it to be considered truly
open; the sessions must be open to
more than just the current team. In
other words, open gym basketball
should be open to other groups, e.g.,
the campus community (other
student-athletes, non-athletes,
faculty, staff, and alumni), current
and former local collegiate players
and others. Prospective students are
permitted to participate in open gyms
as long as other community patrons
(e.g. other current and former local
collegiate players) are as well.
Q: A currently enrolled soccer player has been invited to play on his country’s national
team. The student will receive travel, meals and lodging. The student has just completed
his third season of competition (fall and spring) and will be entering his fourth. Will the
student be charged a fourth season of competition?
A: No. An NAIA student can only be charged one season of competition within a 12-month
period.
Q: A currently enrolled football player just completed his first academic year. The student
only participated in one scrimmage the entire season. The student has signed a contract
to play minor league football during the summer. The organization states it’s a semiprofessional team, however, the players are not compensated. Is the student charged his
first season of competition?
A: Yes. The student has signed a contract with a semi-professional team, therefore he
shall be charged a season. The student must also complete two consecutive
semesters/three consecutive quarters of attendance at the institution before he can
represent the institution in that sport.
Q: A group of currently enrolled volleyball players wants to participate in a local summer
league. The group is forming a team with other local collegiate players from the area. Can
the institution pay their individual league fees?
A: No. The players are not representing institution in the summer league; therefore paying
league fees would be considered a violation of the financial assistance rules.
PlayNAIA.org Need to Know:
• Prospective student athletes can
now search NAIA schools by sports
sponsored, sort by location,
enrollment and conference.
• Site includes links to information for
each NAIA sport
• High school registration is open now.
Encourage high schools to register
today!
NAIA Eligibility Center: PlayNAIA.org
„
NEW Resources for members
„
General information for Membership
„
Eligibility Center FAQs for Membership
„
Convention NAIA Eligibility Center
Preview Powerpoint
„
PlayNAIA.org NAIA Members section
.
NAIA Rules Education Newsletter — June 2010
• Encourage students to register
starting September 1.