Article I, Section H

A maximum of two contests against teams from foreign countries (excluding Canada and Mexico) played in the United States and/or Canada/Mexico will be permitted without counting against the frequency of play limits. Contests held in a foreign country (except Canada and Mexico) will not apply to the limitation. Conditions set forth in Article II, Section E of the NAIA Bylaws must be met.

International Travel and Competition - NAIA Guidelines

General Rules:

• Eligibility: Student-athletes must be certified eligible for competitions between August 1 and May 15 if representing an NAIA institution in competition. Non-certified students may still travel and practice with the team.
• Frequency of Play: Contests against foreign teams (excluding Canada and Mexico) in the United States, Canada, or Mexico do not count towards play limits. A maximum of two contests held abroad do not count towards a team’s frequency of play limits or 24-week season.
• Notification: The NAIA must be notified in advance of any international competition using the International Competition Notification form on the NAIA website.

Team Travel FAQs:

1. Travel Restrictions: Teams can compete internationally any time during the year.
2. Frequency of Play: Foreign competitions do not count towards frequency of play limits, except for competitions held in American territories, which are considered U.S. soil.
3. Practice and Competitions: Summer practices and competitions (May 16 - July 31) are not regulated and do not count towards limits. From August 1 to May 15, they do count.
4. Statistics: Games held overseas do not count towards win-loss records or player statistics.
5. Expenses: Institutions can cover food, transportation, housing, and competition-related expenses.
6. Fundraising: Teams can fundraise, but funds must go to the institution or a third-party organizer, not directly to students.

Individual Travel FAQs:

1. Mission Trips: Participation in athletic contests as part of a mission trip does not affect eligibility as long as the outside competitive experience is not considered semi-professional or professional.
2. Part-Time Students: Part-time students or those not charged a season of competition may be affected by participating in international contests. Consult with a faculty athletics representative or the national office.
3. Fundraising: Individual fundraising is allowed if donations are given to a third-party organization. Direct donations are only permitted from immediate family or guardians.
4. Amateur Rules: NAIA amateur rules apply internationally. No cash prizes or awards are allowed, and only competition-related expenses can be covered.

Interpretations and Examples:

• Two NAIA Teams Abroad: Competitions between two NAIA teams held internationally (e.g., a tournament in Portugal) count towards their frequency of play limits and 24-week season if held between August 1 and May 15.
• Example Scenario: If two NAIA women’s volleyball teams travel to Portugal and compete in a tournament, their match against each other will count towards their frequency of play limits and 24-week season.

These guidelines ensure that international competitions and mission trips are conducted within NAIA rules, maintaining eligibility and proper record-keeping for student-athletes and institutions.

Did You Know? Helpful Casebook Examples: 

International Travel and Mission Trips – FAQs

International Competition - American Territories

Two NAIA Teams Competing Internationally

 

• Maximum 24-week practice and competition season per sport, set by each member institution.
• Applicable period: August 1 to May 15 (with applicable start dates).
• Frequency of play, practice, and scheduling policies apply only within this period.
• Start date is the earliest possible date for any activity considered a practice or competition; teams may choose a later date.
• Scrimmages and exhibitions are excluded from the start date for competitions.
• Outside the August 1 to May 15 period, play, practice, and scheduling are governed by each member institution and not regulated by the NAIA.
• No more than three break periods during the 24 weeks.
• NAIA-approved postseason participation is not counted as part of the 24-week period.
• A week is defined as Monday (12:00 a.m.) to Sunday (11:59 p.m.).
• Any practice or competition within this week constitutes one of the 24 permitted weeks.

Definition of Practice (bylaw)

Practice is defined as an activity organized and/or directed by a member of the coaching staff in which appropriate equipment is used, or instruction and/or evaluation of the athlete takes place. This includes activities where coaches are present, organizing, or evaluating athletes.

• The definition of practice has two components: an activity organized or directed by a coach; and involving equipment or evaluation in that sport.

• The bylaw itself does not articulate the entire spectrum of events that could occur that would be incorporated in what is considered “organized” or “directed,” and how they should be treated. For those activities that possibly implicate the practice definition but are not entirely obvious, we rely on the standard Webster definition of the particular words used and past interpretations.

  • Organize:  to arrange and plan; to create an administrative structure; to arrange by systematic planning and united effort.

  • Direct: to regulate the activities or course; to carry out the organizing and supervising of; to determine the course of.

Conditioning

Approved Ruling: Conditioning and weight-training activities that do not utilize equipment associated with a sport will not be considered practice in that sport. 

A coach can require a team to condition on the playing field and it will not count towards the practice definition. However, at the point that a coach brings out sport equipment and provides guidance or direction, this will count as a practice. 

Example: A soccer coach can take his athletes to the soccer field for conditioning drills. However, if the coach brings out a soccer ball and provides direction through a drill, this will automatically be considered a practice. 

Coach Presence and Open Gyms

Coach attendance at an open gym is considered a practice and must be included in the 24-week season. The presence of a coach, whether observing or directing, provides an opportunity for evaluation, thus meeting the criteria for a practice. If a coach directs an open gym or arranges for athletes to participate, it counts as a practice, regardless of whether the coach is physically present.

Volunteered Guidance

Coaches are allowed to give guidance relating to drills or conditioning as requested by players as long as it is voluntary and they are not held accountable to the activity.  A coach can provide this type of informal guidance, as long as the coach is not leading, directing, or organizing, regardless of the coaching staff being present. 

Legitimate Alternative Roles

If a coach has a legitimate alternative role (e.g., lifeguard, facilities manager) requiring their presence during an open gym, this does not automatically constitute a practice. The coach must limit their involvement to their alternative role and avoid engaging in or observing the athletes' activities to the extent possible.

Tryouts and Practices

If a coach organizes for potential student-athletes to participate with current athletes in an open gym, this constitutes a tryout and must adhere to tryout regulations. Tryouts are not included in the 24-week season.

There is no such thing as a joint practice!

• Any time sport-specific activities are performed between or against competitors of the same sport not identified with the institution, it must be considered a competition of some sort, be it a scrimmage, exhibition, or a contest. Teams from different schools cannot practice together. In the NAIA, there is no such thing as combined or joint practices.

• The only exception to this is that an alumni event 

FAQs and Clarifications

• Facility Supervision Role: If a coach's employment requires them to supervise the facility and they limit their involvement to this role, it is not a practice. However, if the coach observes or evaluates the athletes beyond their supervisory role, it becomes a practice.

• Gym Schedule Arrangement: Organizing gym time specifically for the team with the expressed instruction to attend, even without being present, counts as a practice. If the gym time is open to all students and not specific to the team, then it is not a practice.

• Lifeguard Duty: If a coach also serves as a lifeguard and does not direct or instruct the athletes, it is not a practice. Their presence is for safety, not evaluation.

• Video Review Sessions: Video sessions for evaluating athletes count as practice time and must be included in the 24-week season.

• Captain-Led Activities: Activities organized or directed by team captains without coach involvement are not considered practices. However, if the coaching staff provides practice instructions, it becomes a practice.

Guidelines for Voluntary Activities

• Do not organize the activity.
• Do not supervise the activity.
• Do not observe and evaluate athletes if your presence is for a legitimate purpose.

These guidelines ensure that voluntary activities remain distinct from official practices, allowing for compliance with the 24-week season rule.

How Non-NAIA Activity Can Still Count as Practice

Any time student-athletes engage in sport-specific activity and receive coaching or instruction, it constitutes a practice under NAIA rules—even if the setting or event is not officially recognized or sanctioned by the NAIA.

This includes activities such as:

• Greco-Roman or freestyle wrestling exhibitions

• Indoor soccer or futsal competitions

• Off-season dance or cheer events like hip-hop or pom solo routines

• Unattached track or swim meets where the athlete enters independently

If a coach is involved—offering guidance, overseeing training, or using sport-specific equipment or space (like mats, nets, courts)—those actions count as practice time. We cannot distinguish between NAIA and non-NAIA contexts if the athletes and coaches involved are members of an NAIA sport.

Check out these articles on Joint Practice, Definition of Practice, Open Gym and Football Acclimatization Period

Each institution must establish a written policy providing every student-athlete with one day off per week from athletic participation. Institutions have the autonomy to determine how such policies are defined, implemented and enforced. Each institution’s policy must be published in its student-athlete handbook and on its athletics webpage, and shall also be provided to the conference. Each institution’s policy must include an identified process or point of contact at the institution or conference for student-athletes or other individuals who believe their institutional policy is being violated. (bylaw)

 

Further information on the Day-Off Policy can be found here. 

 

All-Star Competitions (bylaw):

• Eligibility: Student-athletes can represent their NAIA institution in all-star competitions if they are eligible during the term of the event or if the event occurs in the academic year or summer following their final season/term of attendance.
• Participation Limits: Students can participate in up to two all-star events from August 1st to May 15th, with no limits from May 16th to July 31st.
• Expenses: Travel, meals, and lodging can be covered by the student-athlete, their NAIA institution, conference, or the event host.
• Impact on Team Limits: All-star contests in baseball, basketball, competitive cheer, competitive dance, football, lacrosse, soccer, softball, and volleyball do not count toward team or individual contest limits. Practices for these events, if held within five days before the competition, also do not count toward the 24-week season.
• Other Sports: All-star contests in other sports count against frequency of play and scheduling limits.
• Coaching Activities: NAIA coaches can conduct all-star practices and games involving athletes from other institutions without violating recruiting or tryout regulations.
• Trademark Use: All-star competitions cannot use NAIA or Champions of Character trademarks without prior approval.