Bylaw: Article I, Section H, Item 3
“In those sports where scrimmages are allowed, an institution that does not schedule or participate in the maximum number of allowable varsity games, meets, or playing dates may conduct additional scrimmages up to the NAIA limits. In no case can the combined number of scheduled contests and scrimmages exceed the maximum number listed in Article I, Section H of the NAIA Bylaws.”
Interpretation
An institution may compete in more than the allotted number of additional scrimmages for a particular sport (found in Article I, Section H, Item 2) if the maximum number of contests or dates for that sport has not been exceeded per Article I, Section H, Item 1.
Background and Intent
An institution should not be restricted in its ability to schedule scrimmages if it prefers to schedule a scrimmage rather than a game or match. The competitive advantage comes from an institution that schedules an excessive number of games, not one that schedules scrimmages instead of games. If anything, an institution choosing to schedule scrimmages instead of games is receiving less competitive benefit from the scrimmages as it relates to ratings and win/loss record, and therefore should not be prevented from doing so if it chooses.
Example
If a volleyball team is scheduled to compete in 25 dates of the allotted 28 dates per the limits in Article I, Section H, Item 1, they can fill the remaining three dates with scrimmages in addition to the additional two scrimmage dates allotted in Article I, Section H, Item 2. If the volleyball team used 27 dates for competition, it would have one additional date as a scrimmage, plus the two allotted scrimmages in Item 2.
