CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
For the full version please visit cccaasports.org.
1.8 ILLNESS OR INJURY
1.8.1 A student athlete may have a year of collegiate competition reinstated for reasons of medical hardship. Medical hardship is defined as an incapacity resulting from injury or illness that has occurred under certain specific conditions. A FORM 4, Injury/Illness Waiver Request, is filed with the conference commissioner of the conference in which the injury or illness occurred. The conference commissioner may approve the waiver based on the following criteria: (Adopted & effective 10/17/08)
A. There must have been an incapacitating injury or illness that caused the athlete to become unable to complete the season. It is not necessary for the injury or illness to be the direct result of the institution’s practice or game competition.
B. The incapacitating injury or illness must be specifically defined and validated by the licensed physician who treated the athlete at the time of the injury or illness, and the supporting documentation must be contemporaneous and completed at the time of the diagnosis and/or treatment of the injury or illness. Statements written subsequent to or not from the treating medical personnel will not be acceptable. (Adopted & effective 10/17/08)
C. The injury or illness must have occurred prior to the beginning of the contest or date of competition that begins the second half of the playing season in that sport as measured by the number of completed contests or dates of competition in that sport, excluding postconference competition. The institution’s sport schedule must accompany the FORM 4. For each tournament on the schedule, the institution must indicate how many contests were played. The institution must also indicate any scheduled contests or dates of competition that did not occur. (Adopted & effective 11/2/12)
An athlete who is injured in the first half of the season, attempts to return in thesecond half, and is unable to compete further as a result of aggravating the original injury does not qualify for the injury/illness waiver.
D. The injury or illness must have occurred before the student participated in more than 30 percent (20% if it occurred before July 1, 2016) of the institution’s completed contests in that sport, or competition dates, but it is not permissible to combine the two (2) methods of calculation, excluding postconference competition. The sport schedule that accompanies the FORM 4 must indicate the contests in which the athlete competed. PC andor bowl game contests shall not be counted in the injury illness number of contests. (Adopted & effective 11/2/12) (Revised 3/31/16 effective 7/1/16) (Revised & effective 6/28/16)
E. The following are to be used in determining the percent calculation under these “medical hardship waiver” provisions:
1. Any computation of the percent limitation that results in a fractional portion of an event shall be rounded to the next whole number (e.g., 30 percent of a 31- game basketball schedule, 9.3 games, shall be considered 10 games) (e.g., 20 percent of a 31-game basketball schedule, 6.2 games, shall be considered 7 games). (Revised 3/31/16 effective 7/1/16) (Revised & effective 6/28/16)
2. The denominator shall be the institution’s completed contests in that sport, using the counting method outlined in Bylaw 1.8.1.D. (Adopted and effective 6/19/14)
F. Participation in scrimmages shall not count as contests in the administration of the “medical hardship waiver.
G. Conference championship events shall be counted as one (1) contest in determining the institution’s completed events in that sport, regardless of the number of days or games involved.
H. Tournaments and multiple-team events—For the purposes of the injury/illness waiver rule only, tournaments and multiple team versus team events will be counted as follows:
1. Individual sports: Any competition involving participants from more than two (2) institutions, conducted and organized as one (1) event at one (1) location on one (1) calendar day; (e.g., triple-dual meet in wrestling, team invitation in track or swim meet) shall count as one (1) contest, even though team scores against all participating institutions are kept separately, or the athlete competes against more than one (1) opponent.
2. In individual sports, each day of an individual’s competition in a tournament or meet shall count as one (1) contest.
3. In team sports, an institution’s participation against another institution in each contest in a tournament, doubleheader, or multiple-team engagement shall count as one (1) contest; (e.g., a four (4)-game baseball tournament will count as four (4) contests, and three (3) games in a double-elimination basketball tournament will count as three (3) contests. (Adopted & effective 11/1/13)
I. REINSTATEMENT OF SEASON OF SPORT:
1. The reinstatement of a season of sport shall be treated as if the partial season of competition never existed for athletic purposes.
2. For academic purposes, if the reinstatement occurred in the first year of competition, that period will not affect eligibility. If the reinstatement is in the second year of competition, all rules of eligibility shall apply.
1.8.2 EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES
The criteria used when considering this type of appeal shall be those applied in Bylaw 1.8 (Injury/Illness). Extenuating circumstances include, but are not limited to, the following:
A. The student athlete failed to complete the entire season of competition at the institution as a result of a life-threatening injury or illness suffered by a member of the student athlete’s immediate family, that clearly is supported by contemporaneous medical documentation;
B. The student athlete failed to complete the entire season of competition at the institution as a result of extreme financial difficulties as a result of a specific event (e.g., layoff, death in family) experienced by the student athlete or an individual upon whom the student athlete is legally dependent and prohibited the student athlete from participating in intercollegiate athletics. These circumstances must be clearly supported by objective documentation (e.g., decree of bankruptcy, proof of termination) and must be beyond the control of the student athlete or the individual upon whom the student athlete is legally dependent.
1.8.2.1 Review Authority: The extenuating circumstances waiver request shall follow the appeals process as outlined in Article 7 of the Constitution and Bylaws utilizing the above criteria. In cases where a student athlete does not meet the extenuating circumstances listed, following and only after review by the conference, the CCCAA Appeals Board shall have authority to review based on additional documented extenuating circumstances. (Adopted & effective 10/17/08)