The NCAA Men's and Women's Soccer Rules Committee has amended a rules change it approved during its annual meeting in February.

The committee during its May 8 conference call decided not to implement a penalty-kick tiebreaker to decide regular-season contests that were deadlocked after regulation and overtime play. The committee in February had proposed shortening the overtimes in regular-season and postseason contests to two 15-minute sudden victory periods to two 10-minute periods. The proposal also stipulated that for games that remain tied, a penalty-kick tiebreaker would be used not only to determine advancement in tournament play, but to determine a winner in all games. Previously in soccer, penalty-kick tiebreakers had been used only to determine advancement in regular-season or postseason tournaments, and the game was recorded as a tie in both teams' records.

The committee now has determined it will continue to recommend shorter overtimes but not use the penalty-kick tiebreaker in in games where advancement is not necessary.

The proposal the group is forwarding to the appropriate governance bodies is as follows: During all regular-season games, two 45-minute halves followed by two 10-minute sudden victory overtimes will be played. During all play-in, conference tournament and NCAA tournament games, two 45-minute halves followed by two 10-minute sudden victory overtimes will be played. If necessary, penalty kicks will follow to determine not only advancement in those games, but also a winner. Thus, results from those games would be recorded as a win or a loss in team records, not as a tie.

Subject to approval from the Divisions I, II and III governance bodies, the amended rules change will become effective for the 2002 season. All other rules changes made by the committee in February (see the March 4 issue of The NCAA News) are in effect for the 2002 season. The 2002 soccer rules book is expected to be available in July.