The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved rule-change recommendations from the women’s volleyball rules committee and the men’s and women’s water polo rules subcommittee during the panel’s February 27 teleconference.

PROP approved a scoring format modification in women’s volleyball that changes the winning score for games one through four from 30 points to 25, which will be more consistent with national and international match formats. The 25-point format is used in all rule codes, including the National Federation of State High Schools. The fifth game, if necessary, will still be to 15 points.

Also new for the 2008 season is a change in terminology – from “game” to “set” – and a reduction in substitutions from 15 to 12, primarily because of the change to 25-point sets. The format for media timeouts will remain the same.

In water polo, the major change is an increase in the 20-second timeout to 30 seconds.

PROP also approved changes in field hockey, including separating procedures for penalizing coaches and student-athletes in order to administer the fouls more appropriately.

The panel will convene again April 2 when it will consider rules proposals in football.