NCAA 2-77 Suspension

Suspension

SECTION 77. The prohibition of a player or coach from participating in a future contest(s). A game must be played to its completion before it counts toward a suspension. A game that is scheduled, but not played due to weather, power failure, etc., shall not be used to satisfy a suspension(s). If the penalty is not satisfied during the current season, it shall be assessed at the beginning of the next official NCAA spring season.

A suspended person must follow the same penalties as those in an ejection (e.g., removed from sight and sound of the contest). Additionally, a suspended person cannot:

a. Be dressed in game uniform;

b. Communicate with any team personnel or umpires;

c. Take part in any pregame activities at the site of competition; and

d. Be in the stadium or on the field once pregame activities have started.

Note: See Appendix D for additional information.

e. Procedures for enforcing penalties are as follows:

(1) After an ejection and suspension, the offending individual must leave the field and dugout area immediately and is not allowed to communicate with team members or the umpires.

(2) Suspended personnel shall not be in uniform, allowed in any team area or perform any team duty while serving their suspensions.

(3) It is the responsibility of the institution’s head coach and director of athletics to administer and enforce the suspension penalty. If a suspended player or coach is found to have participated in a game during the prescribed suspension, the game will be forfeited by the offending team.

(4) When a penalty occurs during the team’s last game of the season, the penalty will be assessed at the beginning of the next official NCAA spring season.

(5) An umpire has jurisdiction to impose penalties for fighting from the beginning of the game until the umpires have left the playing area (stadium) after the final game of the day.

(6) The ejecting umpire must file a suspension-report form with the secretary rules editor, the offending team’s athletics director, and a conference administrator, if applicable.

(7) Conferences and institutions may choose to implement additional penalties for fighting or physical abuse.

(8) Suspended game personnel shall serve the suspension penalties immediately. There shall be no appeal of the penalty.

    Note 1: When applying the suspension rule, penalties shall be served for the team’s next previously scheduled and completed contest(s). If a previously scheduled game has been postponed or halted, that make-up game against the originally scheduled opponent shall count as a regularly scheduled contest. If the next scheduled competition is the completion of a halted game from earlier in the season for which the individual was eligible, they may participate in the completion of the halted game and will serve the suspension during the next previously scheduled complete game(s). Games may not be added after the incident in order to fulfill the requirements of this rule.

     Note 2: If serving multiple suspensions from a fight would cause a school difficulty in fielding a team for its next game or games, the institution may request that the suspensions be staggered by the conference office. If the team is an independent, the secretary-rules editor may be contacted for this purpose.