1. Preamble
In order to promote fairness and meet the season-long competitive expectations of collegiate club volleyball players and NCVF constituent organizations, the NCVF has established the following NCVF Rules. These rules have evolved over years of collaboration and challenge. They reflect the current consensus of opinion among NCVF commissioners, representatives, players and other interested persons. The rules are in addition to those that may be imposed by the various NCVF recognized conferences, leagues and divisions.
2. NCVF General Rules
2.1 Players and teams must, in good faith, comply with all NCVF rules by knowing the NCVF rules and following them.
2.2 The NCVF Competitive Season begins on January 1 of each year and concludes with the NCVF National Championship Tournament event.
2.3 As used in the NCVF rules, the term "NCVF Recognized Competitions" are defined as matches or events that are in material compliance with applicable NCVF rules and Best Practices. The NCVF retains discretion to determine material compliance with these requirements.
2.4 Any aggrieved player or team seeking an exception to NCVF rules must follow the NCVF Appeal Process. Appeals of player or team eligibility rule applications must be forwarded to the NCVF Compliance Committee no later than February 1 of the current NCVF Competitive Season. Players and teams are encouraged to seek timely NCVF Rule clarifications from the NCVF Compliance Committee whenever questions arise.
2.5 To better assist players and teams, effective rule changes will be posted on the NCVF website well in advance of the upcoming seasons, i.e., rules for 2012 competitive season and NCVF National Championship Tournament will be announced in September of 2010. Provided, however, that rule changes effective for the 2011 season will be announced no later than April of 2010. The NCVF reserves discretion to change any rule at any time in order to promote the health, safety and welfare of participates or otherwise meet its corporate purposes.
2.6 NCVF Best Practices are intended to provide "how to" guidance for those engaged in various aspects of collegiate club volleyball competition administration.
2.7 In cooperation with the NCVF Advisory Council and NCVF Student Advisory Council, the NCVF reserves full discretion to interpret these rules and impose reasonable sanctions against any team or player that fails to comply with NCVF Rule requirements.
3. NCVF Team Eligibility Rules
3.1 To be an NCVF Eligible Team, a team must meet the following requirements in addition to other applicable NCVF Rules:
a. All participants listed on a team roster must meet individual player eligibility rules specified in the NCVF Player Eligibility Rules section.
b. All players listed on a team roster must be enrolled in the same 2-year or 4-year degree-granting college or university in order to be eligible to compete as a team. The NCVF reserves discretion to ascertain the accreditation or status of any degree-granting colleges or universities for team or player eligibility purposes.
c. Team rosters may only include (2) Former Varsity Player(s), as defined in NCVF Player Eligibility Rules section. Team rosters may not include any Current Year Varsity Player(s), as defined in the NCVF Player Eligibility Rules section.
d. A women's team roster may not include men’s players and a men’s team roster may not include women. No women players are allowed to compete as a player on a men’s team, and no men are allowed to compete as a player on a women’s team.
e. Teams must be registered in good standing on the NCVF website.
f. Teams must cooperate in the timely submission of all team information, including but not limited to roster information, school information, contact information, competition results and other information reasonably requested by the NCVF from time to time.
g. Teams that are not in good standing with an NCVF Recognized League or Conference or Division shall be presumed to not be in good standing with the NCVF.
h. Among other requirements, "good standing" shall include a team’s adherence to NCVF Code of Conduct requirements.
3.2 The following rules apply to the NCVF National Championship Tournament (as used in this section, the NCVF National Championship Tournament is referred to as the "event"):
a. Only NCVF Eligible Teams may participate in the NCVF National Championship Tournament.
b. All teams seeking entry to the event must be actively participating as an NCVF recognized representative volleyball club team from their school during the NCVF Competitive Season.
c. All teams must timely submit their current season schedule of competition and results to the respective NCVF men's and women's polling and seeding chairpersons, as specified from time to time on the NCVF website.
d. All teams must either be a Registered NCVF Team, as defined in Section 3, below, or fulfill the guidelines of an Independent Team, as defined in Section 3, below, in order to be eligible to participate in the event.
e. The NCVF retains discretion to recognize a school's representative sport club teams for purposes of admission to the event.
f. The NCVF reserves discretion to reject any competition results from any teams that fail to meet NCVF team or player eligibility requirements.
3.3 The following rules define NCVF Registered Teams and Independent Teams for purposes of NCVF benefits, NCVF Recognized Competitions and entry into the NCVF National Championship Tournament.
a. A NCVF Registered Team is an otherwise eligible team that competes in a recognized NCVF Conference, League or Women’s Division and has fulfilled the team registration requirements on the NCVF website.
b. An Independent Team is a team that does not satisfy the definition of an NCVF Registered Team but is otherwise eligible under NCVF Team Eligibility Rules above. To be eligible to participate in the NCVF national championship tournament, an Independent Team must show evidence of "active participation" during the current competitive season, as follows:
i. "Active participation" for men’s teams must involve a minimum of two scheduled events after January 1st of the current NCVF season that include competition against at least four or more teams from NCVF recognized conferences at each of those events.
ii. "Active participation" for women’s teams must involve a minimum of two scheduled events after January 1st of the current NCVF season, involving four or more similar competitive units (teams), with at least two matches being against two different collegiate club teams (not including “B” teams, i.e. a second team from a college or university).
iii. It is the sole responsibility of each Independent Team to ensure that their competition results are reported to the designated and applicable NCVF male or female seeding and poll chairpersons within 10 days following a competition or event. The NCVF reserves the right to accept or reject any reported competition results from any Independent Team for any reason.
iv. Independent Teams are not entitled to the NCVF benefits that are available to NCVF Registered Teams.
4. NCVF Player Eligibility Rules
4.1 Only NCVF Eligible Players may participate on NCVF Eligible Teams.
4.2 University Enrollment Criteria - To be an NCVF Eligible Player, participants must meet the following requirements:
4.2.1 Except as provided in section (4.24c) below, be an enrolled student with a minimum of 1/2 full-time enrollment as an undergraduate or minimum of six hours as a graduate student at a NCVF recognized 2-year or 4-year degree-granting college or university throughout the current NCVF Competitive Season. For purposes of this section, NCVF Registered teams shall be presumed to attending an NCVF recognized 2-year or 4-year degree-granting college or university.
a. Beginning in 2011, a participant must be an enrolled student with a minimum of 3/4 full-time enrollment as an undergraduate or minimum of six hours as a classified graduate student at a NCVF recognized 2-year or 4-year degree-granting college or university throughout the current NCVF Competitive Season.
4.2.2 All quarter-school participants must meet the eligibility requirements for both the winter and spring quarters.
4.2.3 Participants must be listed on the roster of a team that meets the NCVF Team Eligibility Rules.
4.2.4 The following additional participant eligibility criteria apply to all players seeking entry into the NCVF National Championship Tournament :
a. If the NCVF National Championship Tournament occurs during an academic break, the preceding semester/quarter will be used to determine eligibility.
b. Players must be enrolled for the minimum number of credit hours at least 45 days prior to the start of the NCVF National Championship Tournament.
c. Players who are graduating seniors during the semester/quarter of the NCVF National Championship Tournament and are taking less than the required hours to fulfill their graduation requirements, must submit a letter from the school Registrar along with all other required NCVF registration materials stating that the player will be graduating during the same semester/quarter as the NCVF National Championship Tournament. For quarter schools, graduating seniors who have completed graduation requirements during the winter quarter of the current NCVF Competitive Season shall be given a hardship priority allowing them to compete in the NCVF National Championship Tournament so long as they follow the NCVF Appeal Process.
4.3 Current Year Varsity Players – Current year varsity players are not eligible to participate as roster members of an otherwise NCVF Eligible Team. A Current Year Varsity Player is defined as any player that is listed on the same gender Squad List of a school's varsity volleyball team during the same academic year as the NCVF National Championship Tournament.
4.3.1 The term "Squad List" includes any player listed on the school's same gender NCAA or other applicable varsity clearinghouse list of players for the sport of volleyball for more then three weeks during the same academic year as the NCVF National Championship Tournament.
a. Any such player shall be presumed ineligible for all NCVF Recognized Competitions, including the NCVF National Championship Tournament, for the entirety of the corresponding NCVF Competitive Season.
b. Any player listed on a Squad List during any academic year other than the academic year of the NCVF National Championship Tournament shall be presumed to be a Former Varsity Player, as defined below.
4.4 Former Varsity Players - Former varsity players are eligible to participate on an otherwise NCVF Eligible Team so long as the player meets all NCVF Eligible Player rules. Provided, however that otherwise NCVF Eligible Teams may only include a maximum of two (2) former varsity players on their roster for the entire NCVF Competitive Season, including the NCVF National Championship Tournament.
4.4.1 A former varsity player is defined as any player that is listed on the same gender Squad List of a school's varsity volleyball team for more then three weeks during any academic year other then the academic year of the NCVF National Championship Tournament.
a. The term "Squad List" includes any player listed on the school's same gender NCAA or other applicable varsity clearinghouse list of players for the sport of volleyball or more then three weeks during any academic year other then the academic year of the NCVF National Championship Tournament.
b. Any such player shall be presumed to be a former varsity player and may compete in NCVF Recognized Competitions, including the NCVF National Championship Tournament so long as there they otherwise meet all NCVF Player Eligibility requirements for the entirety of the corresponding NCVF Competitive Season.
4.4.2 Timely appeals from teams or players seeking exceptions to the current and former varsity player rules will be considered on a case by case basis by the NCVF, pursuant to the NCVF Appeal Process.
4.5 Professional Players - A professional indoor volleyball player is not eligible to participate as a roster member of an otherwise NCVF Eligible Team.
4.5.1 The term "professional indoor volleyball player" is defined as any one or more of the following:
a. Any volleyball player that has been declared a professional indoor volleyball player by a recognized professional indoor volleyball team or league;
b. Any volleyball player that has received a salary, wage or regular and periodic payments, directly or indirectly as consideration for playing on an indoor volleyball team.
4.5.2 The NCVF reserves discretion to determine when or if a player has become a professional indoor volleyball player within the meaning of this section.
4.6 Consecutive Years - NCVF Eligible Players are limited to six consecutive years of participation in NCVF Recognized Competitions, including the NCVF National Championship Tournament or other previous national collegiate club volleyball championship tournaments. Year one begins the first year that an NCVF Eligible Player's name appears on a NCVF Eligible Team roster, previous national collegiate club volleyball championship tournament team roster, OR the first year their name was listed on a "Squad List" of any 2-year or 4-year college varsity team.
4.6.1 The term "Squad List" includes any player listed on the school's same gender NCAA or other applicable varsity clearinghouse list of players for the sport of volleyball for more then three weeks during any academic year.
4.6.2 Exceptions to the six year consecutive participation rule may be granted by the NCVF for military, medical, religious service, or other extraordinary circumstances, pursuant to the NCVF Appeal Process.
*NCVF reserves the right to make clarifications to the rules from time to time as needed.