As Division I deliberates over a legislative proposal that would change the way playing rules are approved and implemented, the Playing Rules Oversight Panel (PROP) will rely on the process it used last year to determine how playing rules will be reviewed and approved for the 2005-06 season.

PROP, which is composed of members of the various championships committees in the NCAA governance structure, will review all rules proposals that receive rules committee endorsement. All rules changes that PROP approves will be implemented immediately for the 2005-06 season. If PROP flags a rules proposal, though, that item will be forwarded for review by the governance structure, including the Division I Championship/Competition Cabinet and the Divisions II and III Championships Committees, Management Councils and Presidents Councils. The time required for that review, however, means that flagged items will not be included in the 2005-06 rules books.

PROP will conduct a conference call February 24 to review rules changes for the 2005 fall season, and coaches will be notified of the complete list of rules changes immediately after that call in a memorandum from the committee.

Division I Proposal No. 04-41 currently is in the comment period of the 2004-05 legislative cycle and will be voted upon by the Management Council and Board of Directors in April. This proposal would give PROP final authority to determine if playing rules changes are accepted or denied and would not require review by any other committee. Divisions II and III already have approved the legislative changes.

If Division I approves the proposal, the new legislation would become effective August 1, 2005.

Under the proposed structure, PROP, which reports directly to the Executive Committee, would be responsible for all research and communication pertaining to the administration of playing rules, including the responsibility to advance budgetary recommendations from the playing-rules committees and to ensure consistency among different sports, when appropriate (for example, policies controlling fighting or abusive language).

PROP members would meet three times annually to review proposed changes after the playing-rules meetings for each season are complete. A recommendation from any rules committees would be considered to be valid unless PROP determines that the recommendation harms the image of the game, creates an unsafe environment for student-athletes or places an unreasonable financial burden on the membership.

Any division may ask PROP to exempt it from applying or delaying implementation of a playing rule for financial reasons (the Executive Committee currently holds this authority). Decisions on actions taken by PROP would be reported to the Executive Committee on an informational basis. The Executive Committee has the right to act on informational items if it chooses.

2005-06 Playing Rules Schedule

Following is the schedule for approval and implementation of playing rules for the 2005-06 season.

• Rules-change recommendations from the following committees go to PROP February 24:

Volleyball (January 25-28 meeting)

Football (February 6-9 meeting)

Water polo (February 7 meeting)

Soccer (February 15-18 meeting)

• Rules-change recommendations from the following committees go to PROP May 17:

Rifle (April 12-15 meeting)

Skiing (April 12-13 meeting)

Wrestling (April 13-17 meeting)

Men's basketball (May 2-4 meeting)

Women's basketball (May 2-4 meeting)

• Rules-change recommendations from the following committees go to PROP in August:

Ice hockey (June 6-9 meeting)

Track and field (June 24-28 meeting)

Softball (July 5-8 meeting)

Baseball (July 11-15 meeting)

Swimming and diving (July 26-28 meeting)

Lacrosse (August 7-10 meeting)