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17.02 Definitions and Applications.

[17.02.1 through 17.02.12 unchanged.]

17.02.12.2 Determining the First Permissible Practice Date for Fall Sports Other Than Football -- Application of the 16 Units. To determine the first permissible practice date, an institution shall count back a total of 16 units on a calendar starting with no earlier than the day before the first scheduled intercollegiate competitionpermissible contest date (see Bylaw 17.02.12.2.1), as follows:

[17.02.12.2-(a) through 17.02.12.2-(b) unchanged.]

(c) The first six units: assign one unit to each of the six calendar days (not including Sunday) before the first scheduled permissible intercollegiate competition (see Bylaw 17.02.12.2.1);

[17.02.12.2-(d) through 17.02.12.2-(e) unchanged.]

17.02.12.2.1 First Scheduled Intercollegiate CompetitionPermissible Contest Date. The assignment of units for counting using the preseason practice formula shouldmay begin on no earlier than the day before the first scheduled intercollegiate competition (see Bylaw 17.1.1.3.4.1 for exception).permissible contest date. It is not permissible to determine the starting date for preseason practice by counting back from the first scheduled preseason exhibition, scrimmage or joint practice season.

[17.02.12.2.2 through 17.02.12.2.5 unchanged.]

[17.02.13 through 17.02.14 unchanged.]

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17.1.1 Playing Season. The playing (i.e., practice and competition) season for a particular sport is the period of time between the date of an institution's first officially recognized practice session and the date of the institution's last practice session or date of competition, whichever occurs later. An institution is permitted to conduct athletically related activities (see Bylaw 17.02.1.1) in each academic year only during the playing season as regulated for each sport in accordance with the provisions of this bylaw. The institution must conduct the same playing season for varsity and subvarsity teams in the same sport.

17.1.1.1 Declaration of Playing Season. Each member institution shall determine the playing season for each of the sports referenced under Bylaw 17.02.13. Declaration of the institution's playing season in each such sport shall be on file in writing in the department of athletics before the beginning of the institution's playing season for that sport. Changes in the declaration for a particular sport are permissible and also shall be filed in writing in the office of the institution's director of athletics.

17.1.1.2 Segments of Playing Season. Segment limitations are applicable to all team and individual sports (listed under Bylaws 17.02.13.1 and 17.02.13.2), except for football, golf, rowing, tennis and sports with a winter NCAA championship . The segments shall be defined as follows:

[17.1.1.2-(a) through 17.1.1.2-(b) unchanged.]

17.1.1.3 Week. A week shall be defined by the institution as any consecutive seven-day period, regardless of the day on which the seven-day period begins. (See Bylaw 17.1.4.1 for day off requirements) An institution may not redefine its week except in the following circumstances:

(a) During a segment (or period in golf, rowing and tennis) of the playing season, following a period of at least seven consecutive days that includes a vacation, final-examination period or holiday period during which no athletically related activities occur; or

(b) Between the fall and spring period in golf, rowing and tennis and between segments of the playing season in other sports, provided the institution divides its practice and playing season into two distinct segments per Bylaw 17.1.1.2.

17.1.1.4 Equipment Issue, Team Pictures.

(a) It shall be permissible to designate a single date for issuing equipment and for taking team pictures after the beginning of classes in the fall term or the day before the beginning of preseason practice.

(b) Exception for Sundays. If the day before the beginning of preseason is a Sunday, the member institution may designate the preceding Saturday for issuing equipment and taking team pictures.

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17.1.2 General Regulations for Computing Playing Seasons. In determining the length of an institution's playing season, the following regulations shall apply:

17.1.2.1 Sports with a Fall NCAA Championship other than football. Except for the sport of football (see Bylaw 17.11) and unless otherwise noted in the applicable sport section, the playing season shall be conducted according to the following:

(a) Traditional Segment.

(1) First Permissible Practice. A member institution shall not commence practice before the date that permits a maximum of 16 units in the preseason practice formula (see Bylaw 17.02.12) before the first permissible contest date. This provision is not applicable to men's water polo [see Bylaw 17.27.2-(a)].

(2) First Contest or Date of Competition. September 1 or the preceding Friday if September 1 falls on a Saturday, Sunday or Monday (see Bylaw 17.1.4.5.1-(d) regarding alumni game). This provision is not applicable to men's water polo [see Bylaw 17.27.3-(a)]. Exempted scrimmages, exhibitions and joint practices [see Bylaw 17.1.4.5.1-(c)] are permitted prior to the first regular-season contest or date of competition.

(3) End of Segment. NCAA championships selections. For those sports without an NCAA championship, the season shall not extend beyond the selection date of the last Division III fall championship sport to conduct selections.

(i) Exception. An institution may participate in post-season activities as set forth Bylaw 17.1.3.

(b) Nontraditional Segment. An institution may conduct a maximum of 24 days of athletically related activities as follows:

(1) First Permissible Practice and Competition. First class date after January 1st.

(2) End of Segment. All practice and competition shall be completed not later than five weekdays before the first day of the institution's final examinations for the regular academic year. If an institution's academic year concludes with a nonregular academic term (e.g., May term), then all practice and competition shall be completed not later than the first day of final examinations for that nonregular academic term [see Bylaws 17.1.2-(c) and 17.1.2-(d) regarding holiday, vacation and final examination periods].

(3) Days. No more than four days of athletically related activity may occur in any one week. Any athletically related activity by any member of the team shall constitute the use of a day. No class shall be missed for participation in these days (including the competition date).

(4) Competition: One date of competition may occur and shall be counted as one of the 24 permissible days of athletically related activities.  No more than eight hours of athletically related activity may occur on the date.  (See Bylaw 17.1.4.4 for additional sport specific limitations).

17.1.2.2 Sports with a Winter NCAA Championship. Unless otherwise noted in the applicable sport section, the playing season shall be conducted according to the following:

(a) The length of an institution's playing season shall be limited to a maximum 114 team days, occurring between the following.

(1) First Practice or Competition. September 7 or the institution's first day of classes for the fall term, whichever is earlier. (This does not apply in the sports of basketball, women's bowling, ice hockey and men's and women's wrestling, in which the applicable start date provisions are set forth in the specific sports sections.)

(2) End of Season. All practice and competition shall be completed by NCAA championships selections. For those sports without an NCAA championship, the season shall not extend beyond the selection date of the last Division III winter championship sport to conduct selections.

(b) Exceptions.

(1) An institution may participate in post-season activities as set forth in Bylaw 17.1.3, that shall not count toward against the 114 days.

(2) An institution may use up to eight of the 114 permissible days outside the playing season provided:

(i) The days are not used before the first day of classes;

(ii) The days are not used five weekdays before an exam period through the exam period;

(iii) The days may not be used during the summer vacation period; and

(iv) No more than than three days are used per week.

17.1.2.3 Sports with a Spring NCAA Championship, except for Golf, Rowing and Tennis. Unless otherwise noted in the applicable sport section, the playing season shall be conducted according to the following:

(a) Traditional Segment.

(1) First Date of Practice or Competition. Fifteen weeks before NCAA championship selection in that sport. An institution may use up to 12 of its 24 nontraditional days set forth in Bylaw 17.1.1.4(b)(3) in the two weeks immediately preceding the start of the season.

(2) End of Segment. NCAA championships selections. For those sports without an NCAA championship, the season shall not extend beyond the selection date of the last Division III spring championship sport to conduct selections.

(i) Exception. An institution may participate in post-season activities as set forth Bylaw 17.1.3.

(b) Nontraditional Segment. An institution may conduct a maximum of 24 days of athletically related activities as follows:

(1) First Practice and Competition. September 7 or the institution's first day of classes, whichever is earlier.

(2) End of Segment. All practice and competition shall be completed not later than five weekdays before the first day of the institution's final regular fall examination period.

(3) Days. No more than four days of athletically related activity may occur in any one week. Any athletically related activity by any member of the team shall constitute the use of a day. No class shall be missed for participation in these days (including the competition date).

(4) Competition. One date of competition may occur and shall be counted as one of the 24 permissible days of athletically related activities. No more than eight hours of athletically related activity may occur on the date. (See Bylaw 17.1.4.4 for additional sport specific limitations).

17.1.2.4 Period Sports (Golf, Rowing and Tennis). Unless otherwise noted in the applicable sport section, the playing season shall be limited to a maximum of 114 team days conducted within the following periods:

(a) Fall Period.

(1) First Permissible Practice. The date that permits a maximum of 16 units in the preseason practice formula before the first permissible date of competition as specified in each sport.

(2) First Permissible Competition. In golf and tennis, September 1 or the preceding Friday if September 1 falls on a Saturday, Sunday or Monday, or the institution's first day of classes, whichever is earlier. Exhibitions or scrimmages may be conducted during the preseason practice period. In rowing, September 7 or the institution's first day of classes for the fall term, whichever is earlier.

(3) End of Period. All practice and competition shall be completed not later than five weekdays before the first day of the final regular fall examination period.

(b) Spring Period.

(1) First Practice or Competition. January 15.

(2) End of Period. All practice and competition shall be completed by the NCAA championship selections for the sport.

(i) Exception. An institution may participate in post-season activities as set forth Bylaw 17.1.3.

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17.1.3 Postseason Activities. The following may occur after NCAA championship selections:

(c a) NCAA, NCCAA or NAIA Championships Participation in Team Sports. Neither pPractice for nor and participation in any NCAA, NCCAA or NAIA championship event is considered part of the institution's declared playing season;

(d b) Under Consideration for Selection to a NCAA Team Championship.Golf, Rowing and Tennis. A member institution that has reason to believe it is under consideration for selection to participate in an NCAA championship event may do the following:

(2 1) An institution's spring championship sport team that earns its conference's automatic qualification in the fall segment/period may not continue to practice after the fall segment/period and before the spring segment/period based on its belief that it is under consideration for selection to the spring NCAA championship.

(e c) NCAA Championships Participation in Individual Sports. Only appropriate squad members considered necessary for effective practice with the individual(s) preparing for the NCAA championships may continue to practice without counting such practice against the institution's declared playing-season limitation;

(f d) Post-NCAA Championships Participation.Joint-Declaration Program: After the conclusion of an NCAA (or NAIA or NCCAA) championship in a sport, an institution may resume practice and/or competition in the sport, provided it is continuing its permissible playing season in the sport and provided the activity occurs during the academic year. An institution in the joint-declaration program may participate in the championship for which the institution declared, even when the championship occurs outside the permissible NCAA playing season. Institutions in the joint-declaration program must abide by all other NCAA regulations for all sports, including the length of the playing season (see Bylaw 31.2.1.2);

(g e) Non-NCAA Postseason Championships and Qualifying CompetitionTournament. Practice and/or competition in one non-NCAA (or non-NAIA or non-NCCAA) postseason championships (e.g., an invitational tournament scheduled after a conference championship) must be counted against the institution's declared playing-season limitation. For emerging sports for women (see Bylaw 20.02.6) or a non-NCAA championship sport used for sport sponsorship purposes (see Bylaw 20.11.3.4.1), practice and competition for one postseason championship may be excluded under the following circumstancesprovided:

(1) An institution may exclude a maximum ofThe tournament does not extend beyond three weeks of competition from its declared playing season for qualifying competition for the championship eventor conclude after the NCAA championship; and

(2) The qualifying competition shall be the only event from which teams or individuals are selected to participate in the championship event. In women's gymnastics, practice for and competition in the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association national championship are exempt from the institution's declared playing-season limitation; andThe institution and/or individuals were not selected to the NCAA championship (or NAIA or NCCAA).

(h f) Foreign Tours. Participation by a member institution on a certified foreign tour (see Bylaw 17.31) need not be included within the institution's declared playing-season limitation in the sport.

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17.1.4 Practice, Contest and Dates of Competition Limitations.

[17.1.4.1 unchanged.]

17.1.4.2 Missed Class Time. A student-athlete shall not miss class for the following:

(a) Practice activities in any segment; and

[17.1.4.2-(b) unchanged.]

[17.1.4.2.1 unchanged.]

[17.1.4.3 unchanged.]

17.1.4.4 Nontraditional Segment Competition Limitations for Baseball, Field Hockey, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball and Volleyball. The nontraditional segment shall be subject to the following limitations:

[17.1.4.4-(e) relettered as 17.1.4.4-(a), unchanged.]

(1) Baseball. Two regulation baseball games or 18 regulation innings (e.g.i.e., three outs per inning, three strike outs per out).

[17.1.4.4-(a)-(2) through 17.1.4.4-(a)-(4) unchanged.]

(5) Softball. Three regulation softball games or 21 regulation innings (e.g.i.e., three outs per inning, three strikes per out).

[17.1.4.4-(a)-(6) unchanged.]

[17.1.4.5 unchanged.]

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17.24 Track and Field, Indoor/Outdoor. Regulations for computing the indoor/outdoor track and field playing season are set forth in Bylaw 17.1, General Playing-Season Regulations. (See Figure 17-1)

17.24.1 Length of Playing Season. The length of an institution's playing season in indoor and outdoor track and field shall be limited to the following:

(a) An institution that sponsors only indoor or outdoor track and field (but not both) shall be limited to a maximum playing season of 19 weeks 114 days.

(b) An institution that sponsors both indoor and outdoor track and field shall be limited to a maximum playing season of 24 weeks 144 days, which may not be divided into segments (i.e., traditional and nontraditional). The weeks of the playing season shall be conducted consecutively and in accordance with Bylaw 17.1.2.

[17.24.1.1 unchanged.]

[17.24.2 through 17.24.6 unchanged.]