NCAA Hardship Waiver Bylaw

Division II (GNAC Hardship Waiver Form)

14.2.5 Hardship Waiver.

A student-athlete may be granted an additional year of competition by the conference or the Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement for reasons of "hardship." Hardship is defined as an incapacity resulting from an injury or illness that has occurred under all of the following conditions: (Revised: 1/14/02 effective 8/1/02)

(a) The incapacitating injury or illness occurs in one of the four seasons of intercollegiate competition at any two-year or four-year collegiate institution; (Revised: 1/10/92 effective 8/1/92)

(b) The injury or illness results in an incapacity to compete for the remainder of that playing season; and (Revised: 1/14/97 effective 8/1/97, 1/14/02 effective 8/1/02, 1/13/03 effective 8/1/03 for any injury or illness occurring on or after 8/1/03)

(c) The injury or illness occurs when the student-athlete has not participated in more than two contests or dates of competition (whichever is applicable to that sport) or 20 percent (whichever number is greater) of the institution's scheduled or completed contests or dates of competition in his or her sport. Only scheduled or completed competition (excluding scrimmages and exhibition contests per Bylaw 17.1.9.2) against outside participants during the playing season that concludes with the NCAA championship, or, if so designated, during the official NCAA championship playing season in that sport (e.g., spring baseball, fall soccer), shall be countable under this limitation in calculating both the number of contests or dates of competition in which the student-athlete has participated and the number of scheduled or completed contests or dates of competition during that season in the sport. (Revised: 1/10/92, 1/14/97 effective 8/1/97, 1/14/02 effective 8/1/02, 4/29/04, 1/10/05 for any competition occurring on or after 8/1/04)

Division I

14.2.4 Hardship Waiver.

A student-athlete may be granted an additional year of competition by the conference or the Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet for reasons of "hardship." Hardship is defined as an incapacity resulting from an injury or illness that has occurred under all of the following conditions: (Revised: 8/8/02)

(a) The incapacitating injury or illness occurs in one of the four seasons of intercollegiate competition at any two-year or four-year collegiate institutions or occurs after the first day of classes in the student-athlete's senior year in high school; (Revised: 1/10/92 effective 8/1/92, 11/01/01, 8/8/02)

(b) The injury or illness occurs prior to the completion of the first half of the playing season that concludes with the NCAA championship in that sport (measured by the number of scheduled contests or dates of competition not exceeding the maximum limitations in each sport as set forth in Bylaw 17 as set prior to the first scheduled contest or date of competition of the designated official NCAA championship playing season in the applicable sport or the number of completed contests or dates of competition) and results in incapacity to compete for the remainder of that playing season; and (Revised: 1/14/97 effective 8/1/97, 4/26/01 effective 8/1/01, 4/3/02)

(c) The injury or illness occurs when the student-athlete has not participated in more than three contests or dates of competition (whichever is applicable to that sport) or 30 percent (whichever number is greater) of the institution's scheduled or completed contests or dates of competition in his or her sport. Only scheduled or completed competition (including exempted events but excluding scrimmages and exhibition contests identified as such in the legislation) against outside participants during the playing season that concludes with the NCAA championship, or, if so designated, during the official NCAA championship playing season in that sport (e.g., spring baseball, fall soccer), shall be countable under this limitation in calculating both the number of contests or dates of competition in which the student-athlete has participated and the number of scheduled or completed contests or dates of competition during that season in the sport. (Revised: 1/10/92, 1/14/97 effective 8/1/97, 4/26/01 effective 8/1/01, 3/10/04, 5/11/05, 8/4/05, 4/26/07 applicable to student-athletes who initially enrolled full time in a collegiate institution on or after August 1, 2003)