[Division II, Roll Call]

7.02.2 Emerging Sports for Women. The following shall be considered emerging sports for women:

(a) Team Sports: acrobatics and tumbling, flag football, rugby and stunt; and

[7.02.2-(b) unchanged.]

[7.02.2.1 unchanged.]

[Division II, Roll Call]

7.3.1.7.1.1.6 Contests Versus Club Teams. A contest against a collegiate institution's club team may not be counted toward meeting minimum-contest requirements. However, a member is not precluded from scheduling club teams.

[7.3.1.7.1.1.6.1 unchanged.]

7.3.1.7.1.1.6.2 Exception -- Women's Flag Football. In women's flag football, an institution may count up to three contests per year against collegiate club teams toward meeting minimum contest requirements.

[Division II, Roll Call]

7.3.1.7.1.1 Minimum Contests and Participants Requirements for Sports Sponsorship. In each sport, the institution's team shall engage in at least a minimum number of intercollegiate contests (against four-year, degree-granting collegiate institutions) each year. In the individual sports and acrobatics and tumbling, the institution's team shall include a minimum number of participants in each contest that is counted toward meeting the minimum-contest requirement. The following minimums are applicable:

[7.3.1.7.1.1.1 through 7.3.1.7.1.1.11 unchanged.]

[Division II, Roll Call]

15.4.2 Equivalency Sports.

[15.4.2.1 unchanged.]

15.4.2.1.2 Women's Sports. There shall be a limit on the value (equivalency) of financial aid awards (per Bylaw 15.2.1) that an institution may provide in any academic year to counters in each women's sport, as follows:

[15.4.2.1.3 through 15.4.2.1.4 unchanged.]

[15.4.2.2 unchanged.]

[Division II, Roll Call]

17 Playing and Practice Seasons

[17.01 through 17.02 unchanged.]

17.02.16 Varsity Intercollegiate Sport. A varsity intercollegiate sport is a sport that has been accorded that status by the institution's president or chancellor or committee responsible for intercollegiate athletics policy and that satisfies the following conditions:

[17.02.16-(a) through 17.02.16-(c) unchanged.]

17.02.16.1 Team Sports. The following are classified as team sports for purposes of this bylaw:

[17.02.16.2 unchanged.]

[17.02.17 through 17.02.18 unchanged.]

[17.1 through 17.10 unchanged.]

17.11 Flag Football, Women's. Regulations for computing the women's flag football playing season are set forth in Bylaw 17.1, General Playing-Season Regulations. (See Figure 17-1 and Figure 17-2).

17.11.1 Length of Playing Season. The length of an institution’s playing season in women’s flag football shall be limited to a 132-day season, which may consist of two segments (each with consecutive days) and which may exclude only required off days per Bylaw 17.1.6.5 and official vacation, holiday and final-examination periods during which no practice or competition shall occur.

17.11.2 Preseason Practice. A member institution shall not commence practice sessions in women's flag football prior to September 1 or the institution's first day of classes, whichever is earlier.

17.11.3 First Contest. A member institution shall not engage in its first contest (game or scrimmage) with outside competition in women's flag football prior to September 1 or the institution's first day of classes, whichever is earlier.

17.11.4 End of Regular Playing Season. A member institution shall conclude all practice and competition by Memorial Day (see Bylaw 17.1.7 for additional regulations regarding the end date of practice and competition).

17.11.5 Number of Contests.

17.11.5.1 Maximum Limitations -- Institutional. A member institution shall limit its total playing schedule with outside competition in women's flag football during the institution's flag football playing season to 24 contests (games and scrimmages), except for those contests excluded under Bylaws 17.11.5.3, 17.11.5.4 and 14.4.7.5.

17.11.5.1.1 In-Season Foreign Competition. A member institution may play one or more of its countable contests in women's flag football in one or more foreign countries on one trip during the prescribed playing season. However, except for contests played in Canada and Mexico or on a certified foreign tour (see Bylaw 17.33), the institution may not engage in such in-season foreign competition more than once every four years.

17.11.5.2 Maximum Limitations -- Student-Athlete. An individual student-athlete may participate in each academic year in 24 contests in women's flag football. This limitation includes those contests in which the student-athlete represents the institution in accordance with Bylaw 17.02.8, including competition as a member of the varsity, junior varsity or freshman team of the institution.

17.11.5.3 Annual Exemptions. The maximum number of contests in women's flag football shall exclude the following:

(a) Conference Championship.  Competition in one conference championship tournament in women's flag football;

(b) National Governing Body Championship. Competition in the flag football national governing body championship;

(c) Alumni Contest. One contest each year against an alumni team of the institution; 

(d) Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, Canada. Any women's flag football contest played in Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico or Canada, respectively, either against or under the sponsorship of an active member institution located in Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico or Canada, by a member institution located outside the area in question;

(e) U.S. National Team. One contest against a U.S. national team as selected by the appropriate national governing body for women's flag football;

(f) Fundraising Activity. Any activities in which student-athletes from more than one of the institution's athletics teams participate with and against alumni and friends of the institution, the purpose of which is to raise funds to benefit the institution's athletics or other programs, provided the student-athletes do not miss class as a result of their participation; and 

(g) Celebrity Sports Activity. Competition involving a maximum of two student-athletes from a member institution's team who participate in local celebrity activities in women's flag football conducted for the purpose of raising funds for charitable organizations, provided:

(1) The student-athletes do not miss class as a result of the participation; and 

(2) The involvement of the student-athletes has the approval of the institution's athletics director.

17.11.5.4 Discretionary Exemptions. The following may be exempted from an institution's maximum number of contests in women's flag football each year. An institution may exempt not more than three from this list annually:

(a) Foreign Team in United States. A contest against a foreign team in the United States played in the facility in which the member institution regularly plays its home contests;

(b) Non-Division II Four-Year Collegiate Institution. An exhibition contest against a non-Division II four-year collegiate institution; or

(c) Scrimmages. A scrimmage with outside competition, provided the scrimmage is conducted without official scoring.

17.11.5.4.1 Official Scoring. For purposes of Bylaw 17.11.5.4-(c), official scoring has occurred when either institution participating in the scrimmage satisfies either of the following conditions:

(a) The signing of a scorebook by an official; or

(b) The score is used for individual or seasonal statistics.

17.11.5.5 Once-in-Four-Year Exemption -- Foreign Tours. An institution may exempt the contests played on a foreign tour, provided the tour occurs only once in a four-year period and is conducted in accordance with the procedures set forth in Bylaw 17.33.

17.11.6 Out-of-Season Athletically Related Activities. Student-athletes and members of the coaching staff shall not engage in countable athletically related activities outside the institution's declared playing season per Bylaw 17.11.1, except as permitted in Bylaw 17.1.6.3.

17.11.6.1 Summer Practice. Practice that is organized or financially supported by a member institution shall be prohibited during the summer unless specifically authorized in the bylaws (e.g., foreign tour) or through official interpretations approved by the Management Council. An institution may pay fees associated with the use of institutional practice and competition facilities by student-athletes engaged in voluntary athletically related activities in their sport.

17.11.7 Camps and Clinics. There are no limits on the number of student-athletes in women's flag football who may be employed (e.g., as counselors) in camps or clinics (see Bylaw 13.9). Currently enrolled student-athletes may not participate as campers in their institution's camps or clinics.

17.11.8 Other Restrictions.

17.11.8.1 Noncollegiate, Amateur Competition.

17.11.8.1.1 In Season. A student-athlete shall be denied eligibility for intercollegiate women's flag football competition for the remainder of the season if, after enrollment in college and during any year in which the student-athlete is a member of an intercollegiate women's flag football squad or team, they compete or have competed as a member of any outside women's flag football team in any noncollegiate, amateur competition (e.g., team invitational meets, exhibition meets or other activity) during the institution's intercollegiate women's flag football season that ends with the national governing body championship (see Bylaw 14.4.7.5 for exceptions and waivers).

17.11.8.1.1.1 Exception -- Olympic, Paralympic and National Team Development Program. A student-athlete may participate in Olympic, Paralympic and national team development programs while a member of an intercollegiate women's flag football squad or team and during the segment that concludes with a season-ending tournament. Such programs may also include a coach and student-athlete from the same institution provided:

(a) The national governing body conducts and administers the development program; and

(b) The national governing body selects the coaches involved in the development program.

17.11.8.1.2 Out of Season. There are no limits on the number of student-athletes with eligibility remaining in intercollegiate women's flag football who may practice or compete out of season on an outside, amateur women's flag football team.

17.11.8.1.2.1 Involvement of Coaching Staff. No member of the coaching staff of a member institution may be involved in any capacity (e.g., coach, official, player or league/team administrator) at any time (i.e., during the academic year, vacation periods and summer) with an outside team that involves any student-athlete with remaining eligibility from that institution's women's flag football team, except as provided under Bylaws 14.4.7.5, 16.8.1.3.1 and 17.33.

17.11.8.1.2.2 Olympic, Paralympic and National Team Development Program. There are no limits on the number of student-athletes from the same institution who may participate in Olympic, Paralympic and national team development programs. Such programs may also include a coach and student-athlete from the same institution.

17.11.8.2 Equipment Issue, Squad Pictures. It shall be permissible to designate a single date for issuing women's flag football equipment and for taking squad pictures after the beginning of classes in the fall term or the day before the beginning of a segment as specified in Bylaw 17.11.2.

[17.11 through 17.33 renumbered as 17.12 through 17.34, unchanged.]