[Roll Call]

14.2 Seasons of Participation Competition: 10-Semester/15-Quarter Rule. A student-athlete shall not engage in more than four seasons of intercollegiate participation competition in any one sport (see Bylaw 14.2.4.1).

[14.2.1 unchanged.]

14.2.2 Ten-Semester/15-Quarter Rule. A student-athlete shall complete their seasons of participation competition during the first 10 semesters or 15 quarters in which the student is enrolled in a collegiate institution in at least a minimum full-time program of studies, as determined by the regulations of that institution. For an institution that conducts registration other than on a traditional semester or quarter basis, the Management Council shall determine an equivalent enrollment period.

[14.2.2.1 unchanged.]

14.2.2.2 Fraction of 10 Semesters/15 Quarters Remaining. A student-athlete whose combination of semesters and quarters of previous enrollment leaves them with any fraction of the 10th semester or 15th quarter of eligibility at the beginning of their final semester or quarter may remain eligible for the entire semester or quarter.

[14.2.2.3 through 14.2.2.4 unchanged.]

[14.2.3 unchanged.]

14.2.4 Criteria for Determining Season of Eligibility.

14.2.4.1 Minimum Amount of Participation Competition. A season of intercollegiate participation competition shall be counted in the student-athlete's sport when a student-athlete participates (practices or competes) during or after the first contest in the traditional segment following the student-athlete's initial participation of that academic year at that institution or when the student-athlete engages in intercollegiate competition during the nontraditional segment in that sport. This provision is applicable to intercollegiate athletics participation (practice or competition) conducted by a Division III collegiate institution at the varsity, junior varsity or freshman team level. (See Bylaw 14.1.12, for student-athletes participating in a recognized foreign exchange/study abroad program).

14.2.4.1.1 Exceptions. A season of participation competition shall not be counted:

[14.2.4.1.1-(a) through 14.2.4.1.1-(b) unchanged.]

(c) In baseball, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball and volleyball, when a student-athlete participates (practices or competes) during the nontraditional segment.

14.2.4.1.2 Exception -- Pending Subcommittee for Legislative Relief Waiver. A student-athlete who is eligible for practice may practice, but not compete, after the first contest or date of competition without using a season of participation while a Subcommittee for Legislative Relief waiver is pending. To be eligible for this exception, the institution must have received official notification that the national office has received the institution's completed waiver application and all relevant supporting documentation. If the waiver request is denied, the student-athlete must cease practicing immediately on notification to the institution of the decision or the student-athlete shall be charged with the use of a season of participation. If the institution chooses to appeal a waiver denial, the student-athlete shall not resume practice until the institution receives official notification that any information required for appeal has been received. If the subcommittee denies the appeal, the student-athlete must cease practicing immediately upon notification to the institution of the decision or the student-athlete shall be charged with the use of a season of participation.

14.2.4.1.3 Student Managers and Student Coaches. A season of participation shall be counted when a student manager or student coach participates as a team member in practice or other physical activities during the time frame set forth in Bylaw 14.2.4.1. A student coach or student manager's role should be limited to performing traditional coaching or managerial duties. If these individuals practice and/or compete they will be subject to the same eligibility regulations as student-athletes.

14.2.4.1.4 Transfer from a Non-Division III Institution.

The season of participation competition standard does not apply to a transfer student-athlete's previous participation at a non-Division III institution. A transfer student-athlete is subject to the legislation that applied to the previous institution during the term(s) of participation. 

14.2.4.2 Track and Field and Cross Country. For the purposes of determining a season of intercollegiate participation competition, cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field shall be considered separate sports.

14.2.4.2.1 Participation on Triathlon Team. Participation in triathlon shall not use a season of participation competition in cross country, swimming or track and field.

14.2.4.3 Volleyball and Beach Volleyball. For the purposes of determining a season of intercollegiate participation competition, volleyball and beach volleyball shall be considered separate sports.

[14.2.4.4 unchanged.]

14.2.4.5 Intercollegiate Participation Competition. A student-athlete is considered to have engaged in a season of intercollegiate participation competition when they compete in an athletics event involving any one of the conditions characterizing intercollegiate participation competition (per Bylaw 14.02.6 and 14.2.4.1).

14.2.4.6 International Competition/Summers. Competition by a student-athlete representing an institution in international competition during the summer-vacation period shall not affect the student-athlete's seasons of participation competition, provided the competition has been certified by the institution per Bylaw 17.31.1 or sanctioned by the Management Council, by a two-thirds majority of its members present and voting, and the request for Management Council sanction has been made by the institution at least 30 days before the competition.

14.2.4.7 Foreign-Tour Competition. A student-athlete who did not participate compete during the institution's season just completed and who represents the institution in a certified foreign tour after that intercollegiate season and before the start of the next academic year shall not be charged with a season of participation competition for the preceding season.

14.2.4.8 Male Practice Player. A male student who practices with a women's team in a sport that is also sponsored as a men's sport by the NCAA or is considered the same sport under amateurism regulations, is charged with a season of participation in the men's sport. If a male student practices with a women's team in a sport that has no equivalent men's sponsored sport, the male student is charged with a season of participation in the women's sport.

14.2.5 Hardship Waiver. A student-athlete may be granted an additional year of participation competition (per Bylaw 14.2.4) by the conference or the Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement for reasons of "hardship." Hardship is defined as an incapacity resulting from a season-ending injury or illness that has occurred under all of the following conditions:

[14.2.5-(a) through 14.2.5-(b) unchanged.]

[14.2.5.1 through 14.2.5.3 unchanged.]

14.2.6 Season-of-Participation Competition Waiver -- Participation While Ineligible. In conjunction with a request for restoration of eligibility and any conditions imposed thereon per Bylaw 14.12, a student-athlete may be granted an additional season of participation competition by the Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement when they engaged in a limited amount of participation competition as a result of a good-faith, erroneous formal declaration of eligibility by the institution's appropriate certifying authority or a student-athlete's good-faith, erroneous reliance on a coaching staff member's decision to put the student-athlete into participation competition before the coaching staff member receiving a formal declaration of the student-athlete's eligibility from the institution's appropriate certifying authority. The participation must have occurred under all of the following conditions:

(a) The participation competition occurred while the student-athlete was representing an NCAA member institution;

(b) The participation competition occurred within 60 days of the date the student-athlete first reported for athletics participation;

[14.2.6-(c) unchanged.]

(d) The student-athlete was involved innocently and inadvertently in the erroneous determination or declaration of eligibility, which permitted the student-athlete to participate compete while ineligible; and

(e) In the case of a coaching staff member's erroneous decision, the student-athlete had reason to believe they would be eligible to participate, and the student-athlete did not contribute to the coaching staff member's erroneous decision to allow the student-athlete to compete participate.

[14.2.6.1 unchanged.]

14.2.7 Season-of-ParticipationCompetition Waiver -- Participation While Eligible. A student-athlete may be granted an additional season of participation competition by the Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement when, due to extenuating circumstances (per Bylaw 14.2.7.1.2), the student-athlete, while eligible, engaged in a limited amount of participationcompetition. The participation competition must have occurred under all of the following conditions:

(a) The participation competition occurred within the first half of the traditional segment; and

[14.2.7-(b) unchanged.]

14.2.7.1 Administrative Criteria. The following criteria shall be employed in the administration of this season-of-participation competition waiver:

[14.2.7.1.1 through 14.2.7.1.3 unchanged.]