Greco Roman Wrestling

Bylaw: Article V, Section B, Item 23

โ€œVarsity Intercollegiate Sport: A sport that has been accorded that status by the institutionโ€™s chief executive officer or committee responsible for intercollegiate athletics policy and satisfies all of the following conditions:

a. It is a sport that is administered by the department of intercollegiate athletics;

b. It is a sport for which the eligibility of the student is reviewed and certified by the institutionโ€™s faculty athletics representative or designated eligibility representative; and

c. It is a sport in which qualified participants receive the institutionโ€™s official varsity awardsโ€.

Interpretation

Greco roman wrestling and intercollegiate wrestling are viewed as separate sports for purpose of competitive experience and seasons of competition. Greco roman wrestling is not considered to be a varsity intercollegiate sport in the NAIA. Therefore, students who compete in greco roman wrestling are not required to be certified under NAIA rules, they will not be charged seasons of competition in the sport of wrestling, and their competitions will not count towards the frequency of play limits.

While freestyle wrestling is also considered different than intercollegiate wrestling, it can be qualified as elite-level competition that may effect season of competition. If a student-athlete competes in freestyle wrestling, their competitive experience must be evaluated under the elite-level criteria and applied to the student’s season of competition accordingly.

Application

NAIA students could participate in greco roman wrestling that would otherwise be considered โ€œcountableโ€ elite-level competition, and that participation is not subject to the competitive experience rule, or an NAIA wrestling teamโ€™s frequency of play or eligibility certification requirements.

If students identified with your varsity wrestling program are practicing for greco roman wrestling and are using sport-specific equipment with coach instruction, this will initiate the definition of practice and thus the 24-week season for intercollegiate (i.e. freestyle) wrestling.ย We cannot differentiate wrestling activity (using mats) and coach instruction between greco roman wrestling and intercollegiate wrestling, as the students and coaches involved are members of an NAIA sport.ย It would be best to try to coordinate the 24-week season so that activity in the traditional intercollegiate wrestling season and greco roman wrestling can all fit within the 24-week season.

Example

If an NAIA wrestling team wishes to compete in a non-intercollegiate greco roman wrestling league, they may do so. However, if the team wishes to practice in their home wrestling facility with their NAIA wrestling coach providing instruction, this will implicate the 24-week season as a practice is taking place per the NAIA definition of a practice. Regardless of whether the competition the team is training for is a greco roman wrestling event, the team would be using one of its weeks within the 24-week season.

Related Bylaws

Article I, Section H, Item 1

Article I, Section H, Item 5

Article V, Section B, Item 19

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NEC Interp – Creation date unknown. Current as of: May 2015