Legislative Services

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Legislative Services
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Legislative Services

• Seasons of Competition
• Initial Eligibility
• Eligibility Certification Procedures
• Continuing Eligibility
• Transfer
• Amateur Status
• Hardships
• Recruiting
• Financial Aid
• Contest Limitations

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Legislation Seasons of Competition

• 4 seasons of competition
• Season of Competition Participation in one or
  more intercollegiate contests whether in a
  varsity, junior varsity, or freshman program
• 10 Semesters/15 Quarters
• Term of Attendance any quarter, semester or
  trimester (excluding summer sessions) in which
  the student becomes identified1 at a single
  institution
• 1 Identification NAIA Bylaws Article V,
  Section B, Item 8 Representing an institution
  in an intercollegiate contest or enrolling in
  twelve (12) or more institutional credit hours
  with a minimum of nine (9) institutional credit
  hours at the NAIA member institution in any given
  term (excluding summer session) and attending any
  regularly scheduled class.

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Legislation Initial Eligibility

• To be eligible for NAIA intercollegiate
  competition, a freshman student must
• 1. Be a graduate of an accredited high school or
  be accepted as a regular student in good standing
  at the enrolling institution
• 2. Meet two of three entry-level academic
  requirements
• Minimum score of 18 ACT/860 SAT1 or
• Minimum overall high school GPA of 2.000 on 4.000
  scale or
• Graduation in top half of high school graduating
  class
• Minimum 12 hours of enrollment for participation
• 12 credit hours at the time of participation
• If participating between terms, must have been
  identified with the institution the prior term
• Exception In last semester prior to graduation
• 1 The score must be achieved on the Critical
  Reading and Math sections of the SAT. The test
  score must be achieved at a single test sitting
  administered by a certified tester on a National
  or International testing date to apply to this
  requirement. The ACT/SAT must be taken prior to
  the beginning of the term in which the student
  initially participates.

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Legislation Eligibility Certification

• Completion and filing of the
• NAIA Official Eligibility Certificate and
• NAIA Certificate of Clearance
• And when applicable
• Transfer Eligibility Statement
• Eligibility Certificate for Entering Freshmen
• and Non-Resident Student or Enrollment Gap Form
• These documents must be completed and filed for
  all student-athletes prior to allowing those
  student-athletes to represent the institution in
  any manner during a term.
• The NAIA National Office now offers Eligibility
  Certification Processing (ECP) software. The
  software automates the eligibility certification
  process. For more information, contact Tony
  Bybee via email tbybee_at_naia.org or phone (913)
  791-0044.

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Legislation Continuing Eligibility

• 9/24/36 Hour Rule
• Freshman must have passed at least 9 credits
  prior to second term
• After 2nd semester or 3rd quarter must have
  passed at least 24 hours the previous two
  semesters or 36 hours the previous three quarters
• Progress Rule-Seasons of Competition
• Second season must have passed 24 semester/36
  quarter hours
• Third season must have passed 48 semester/72
  quarter hours
• Fourth season must have passed 72 semester/108
  quarter hours
• (with 48 semester/72 quarter hours in major)
• Minimum GPA
• In third and fourth seasons must maintain
  minimum 2.000 GPA

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Legislation Transfer

• Transfer Student A student who becomes
  identified with an NAIA institution after having
  previously been identified with a two-or
  four-year institution of higher learning.
• Transfer students must complete NAIA Transfer
  Player Eligibility Statement prior to first
  participation at the enrolling institution, no
  matter how much time has elapsed since transfer
  from previous institution.
• 16-Week Residency
• A student who has competed in a sport at the
  previous four-year institution and transfers to
  an NAIA institution must be in residence for
  16-weeks to become eligible in that sport at the
  enrolling institution.
• The term 16-weeks refers to 16 consecutive
  calendar weeks (112 calendar days), including
  vacations and inter-terms. The 16-week period
  DOES NOT include non-terms and summers.
• The 16-week period shall be counted from the
  opening day of classes as stated in the official
  college catalog or from the date on which the
  student enrolls, whichever is later.
• Conference Requirements
• Students transferring to institutions within the
  same conference as the former institution may be
  subject to more stringent requirements than those
  codified in the NAIA Constitution and Bylaws.
  Students should contact the Conference for
  additional requirements.

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Legislation Amateur Status

• Amateur Status is Sport Specific
• Acts that Result in Loss of Amateur Standing
• Receipt of cash awards
• Signing contract with any pro team
• Receiving remuneration for use of name and
  picture
• Receipt of expense reimbursement over actual
  expense amount
• Participating in any athletics contest as a
  professional or as a member of a team where the
  student in question receives remuneration
  exceeding the actual expenses of travel, meals
  and lodging only.
• Entering into an agreement of any kind to compete
  in professional athletics, with either a
  professional sports organization or with any
  individual or group of individuals authorized to
  represent the athlete with a professional sports
  organization.

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Legislation Seasons of Competition

• Students are charged Seasons of Competition when
• Participate in one or more intercollegiate
  contests whether in a varsity, junior varsity, or
  freshman program. Seasons of competition for a
  transfer student will be determined under the
  rules of the association under which they
  competed.
• Participate in any athletic competition or
  training for which the participant receives
  compensation including remuneration for expenses
  after September 1 in the year of high school
  graduation or the equivalent.

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Legislation Hardships

• The student shall not have participated in more
  than the following numbers of contests or dates,
  excluding scrimmages, during the sports season
• Baseball 8 contests
• Basketball 5 contests
• Cross Country 2 meets
• Football 2 contests
• Golf 2 contests
• Soccer 3 contests
• Softball 3 dates
• Swimming Diving 2 meets
• Tennis 3 dates
• Track and Field Indoor 1 meet
• Track and Field Outdoor 2 meets
• Volleyball 4 dates
• Wrestling 3 dates
• Scrimmages not allowed
• Hardships cannot be requested for students
  incapacitated in the last regular season contest
  or postseason competition.

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Legislation Recruiting

• CANNOT contact
• Enrolled students (including summer)
• Students that have drawn equipment and
  participated in preseason practice
• Contact by Student
• If your institution is contacted by an athlete
  enrolled at another institution notify in
  writing the institution (AD or FAR) where the
  athlete is presently enrolled within 10 days
  following the first contact.
• Campus Visits and Tryouts (Article II, Section C)
• Consistent with institutional policy for
  procurement of students with special talents
• If institution has written policy that allows for
  expense reimbursement to all students with
  special talents, prospective student-athletes may
  have expenses (e.g., travel, meals, lodging)
  reimbursed

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Legislation Financial Aid

• Any financial aid to prospective or enrolled
  students must be administered by the institution
  under policies/procedures established by the
  institution through its regular committee on
  student loans and scholarships.
• Awards cannot exceed
• Tuition
• Mandatory fees, books, and supplies
• Room and board

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Legislation Financial AidContinued

• Upper Limits of Financial Aid
• Baseball 12 Basketball (I) 11 Basketball (II)
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• Cross Country 5 Football 24 Golf 5
• Soccer 12 Softball 10 Swimming Diving 8
• Track Field 12 Tennis 5 Volleyball 8
• Wrestling 8
• Academic Exemptions
• Financial aid for academically gifted students
  can be exempted from institutional limits.
• Incoming freshmen or continuing students can
  receive one-half or full exemptions if the
  students meet criteria established by the NAIA
  Council of Presidents.

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Legislation Contest Limitations

• A student-athlete may compete each academic year
  in no more than the number of games, contests or
  playing dates listed below (including varsity,
  junior varsity, freshman, etc.)
• NAIA-approved postseason participation is
  excluded.

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Limits on Games/Contests/Playing Dates

• Baseball 55 contests
• Basketball (MW) 30 games
• Cross Country (MW) 8 meets
• Football 11 contests (including games
  scrimmages)
• Golf 14 matches/tournaments
• Soccer (M W) 18 games
• Softball 28 dates
• Swimming and Diving (MW) 12 meets
• Tennis 24 matches, tournaments and/or
  scrimmages
• Indoor Track (MW) 10 meets
• Outdoor Track (MW) 10 (12 if no indoor track)
• Volleyball 28 dates
• Wrestling 20 dates
• Junior varsity or freshman games, contests or
  playing dates are subject to the same limits.

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Legislation Contest Limitations

• Scrimmage A contest or competition against
  competitors not identified with the institution
  when
• The contest or competition is not listed or is
  noted as a scrimmage on the institutional
  schedule
• No scores or statistics are reported by either
  institution
• No admission is charged

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Scrimmages Permitted (in addition to allowable
varsity games, contests or playing dates)

• Baseball 2
• Basketball (M W) 2
• Cross Country (M W) 0
• Football 1
• Golf 0
• Soccer (M W) 2
• Softball 2
• Swimming Diving (M W) 0
• Tennis (M W) 1
• Volleyball 2
• Wrestling 0
• Track and Field (M W) 0

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Practices

• Practice An activity organized and/or directed
  by an identified member of the coaching staff of
  that sport in which appropriate equipment is used
  or instruction and/or evaluation of the athlete
  takes place
• 24-Week Practice/Competition Season Enforced
  during academic year with three break periods

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LegislationLines of Communication

• Parents/Students
• Coach
• AD/FAR
• Eligibility Chair or NAIA Staff
• NEC, CEC, NCC