MEN S LACROSSE MANUAL. National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, 1200 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO NAIA.

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1 MEN S LACROSSE MANUAL National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, 1200 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO NAIA.org

2 Table of Contents I. Important Dates... 5 II. Lacrosse Awards... 6 A. Conference/A.I.I./Unaffiliated Group & National Player of the Week... 6 B. NAIA All-Conference/A.I.I./Unaffiliated Group Teams... 6 C. NAIA All-America Teams... 6 D. Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete... 6 E. NAIA Scholar Team Award... 7 F. NAIA National Player-of-the-Year... 7 G. NAIA National Coach-of-the-Year... 7 H. National Invitational Championship Awards... 7 I. Ordering Awards... 7 III. NAIA National Awards... 7 IV. Ratings, Reporting Results and Statistics... 8 A. Ratings... 8 B. Ratings Timeline... 8 C. Statistics... 9 V. NAIA Policy Handbook Information... 9 VI. Sunday Play Policy... 9 VII. Playing Rules and Regulations... 9 A. Playing Rules... 9 B. Jurisdiction of Game Officials... 9 C. Season Records... 9 VIII. Conduct in Competition A. Ejections and suspensions Postseason Competition I. Responsibilities of Participating Institution A. Official Party/Postseason Roster B. Expenses C. Insurance D. Coaches Responsibility II. Affiliated Conference/ A.I.I./Unaffiliated Group National Qualifying Tournaments A. Dates and Sites B. Administration C. Finances III. National Invitational Championship A. Administration NAIA National Office 1200 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO NAIA Men s Lacrosse Coaches Manual / / page 3

3 B. Qualification of Teams C. Selection of At-Large Teams/Seeding of Championship Field D. Format E. Tournament Selection Appeals Process F. Housing G. Related Information IX. Coaches Association I NAIA-MLCA Standing Committees II. NAIA Men s Lacrosse Postseason Leadership Responsibilities and Competition Guidelines More information on NAIA Corporate Partners For National Invitational Championship Event Administration contact: Dustin Wilke, NAIA National Office dwilke@naia.org The NAIA Lacrosse Coaches Handbook is published annually by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. The name National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, initials NAIA, logo, and other NAIA symbols and insignia are registered in the United States patent and Trademarks Office. The name, initials, and marks are fully protected and are the exclusive property of the Association. Expressed, written approval by the NAIA President/CEO is required for the use of the NAIA initials, name or marks in connection with any items offered for commercial sale, awards, or promotion, including such use at NAIA events. NAIA National Office 1200 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO NAIA Men s Lacrosse Coaches Manual / / page 4

4 I. Important Dates January 29 th January 31 st March 6 March 7 Preseason conferences call for conference/group/national raters & national oversight committee. Preseason national rating - available after 5:00 p.m. (CST) at First weekly nominations for NAIA Men's Lacrosse National Player of the Week. Nominations from the conference/a.i.i./unaffiliated group information directors or their designated representative must be received by 12 p.m. (CST) Mondays, ending April 18 th. First national weekly ratings released - available after 5:00 P.M. (CST) at rating dates are Jan 31 (preseason), February 28, March 7, March 14, March 21, March 28, April 4, April 11, April 18, April 23 (Final rating) and May 9 (postseason rating). RELEASE player of the week after 5:00 p.m. (CST) each Tuesday through April 18 at April 10 National Ratings conference call for raters #1 April 22 DEADLINE for completing Affiliated Conference, A.I.I. and Unaffiliated group tournaments. April 22 RECEIPT DEADLINE for Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete nomination materials to NAIA. April 23 National Ratings conference call for raters #2 April 23 Release of Four (4) National Invitational Championship Opening Round pairings and official bracket for the 1st Annual NAIA Men s Lacrosse National Invitational Championship 2pm (CST). April 24 DEADLINE for sport chairs to submit All-Conference/A.I.I./Unaffiliated Group Team ballots. May 3-6 2nd ANNUAL NAIA MEN'S LACROSSE NATIONAL INVITATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP May 2 RELEASE of 2016 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete team. May 2 RELEASE of 2016 NAIA Men s Lacrosse All-America Teams, National Player of the Year, and National Coach of the Year May 9 RELEASE of 2016 NAIA Men s Lacrosse Postseason Rating. December 8-11 Intercollegiate Men s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IMLCA) Annual Meeting Baltimore, MD NAIA Men s Lacrosse Coaches Association Annual Business Meeting, NAIA National Office 1200 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO NAIA Men s Lacrosse Coaches Manual / / page 5

5 II. Lacrosse Awards A. CONFERENCE/A.I.I./UNAFFILIATED GROUP & NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK 1. Conference/A.I.I./Unaffiliated Group Player of the Week All NAIA member institutions are encouraged to nominate candidates for Conference/Group Player of the Week honors for all sports in which they declare for NAIA postseason. 2. National Player of the Week All NAIA member institutions are permitted to nominate candidates for National Player of the Week for all sports in which they declare for NAIA postseason. National Players of the Week are selected from the pool of Conference/Group Players of the Week and are released on Tuesdays during the regular-season. B. NAIA ALL-CONFERENCE/A.I.I./UNAFFILIATED GROUP TEAMS These teams of thirteen players (one goalkeeper, three attack, three midfield, three defense, one LSM, one defensive midfield and one face off specialist) are selected by each affiliated conference, by the A.I.I., and by unaffiliated groups/conferences. Teams are selected in each of the groups (conference/a.i.i./unaffiliated) by a ballot of coaches in their respective group. All Lacrosse coaches shall forward their All-Conference/A.I.I./Unaffiliated Group nomination form/ballot (Appendix G) to their respective sport chair. Coaches vote for one goalkeeper, three attack, three midfield, three defense, one LSM, one defensive midfield and one face off specialist in their group only. C. NAIA ALL-AMERICA TEAMS All-America awards are annually bestowed on the most outstanding athletes in the NAIA. Criteria for the awards and the procedures for selection and implementation are established by the Awards & Statistics subcommittee of the National Administrative Council (NAC). Please note some sports recognize All-America status by order of finish, and others require submission of materials and selection at the conference/a.i.i./unaffiliated group levels. The NAIA Men s Lacrosse All-America teams are selected by the NAIA-MLCA Executive Committee. In addition to the NAIA-MLCA Executive Committee, four coaches (selected by the Executive Committee prior to the start of the season) also serve on the selection committee. It is recommended that the four additional selection committee members represent four different conferences. The All-America Committee shall select a first and second team consisting of one goalkeeper, three attack, three midfield, three defense, one LSM, one defensive midfield and one face-off specialist. D. DAKTRONICS-NAIA SCHOLAR-ATHLETE Student Athletes are eligible to receive the Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athlete award each year based on criteria set by the NAIA National Administrative Council. The criteria are: Nominee is junior or above in academic standing. Nominee has been in attendance at the nominating institution two full academic years as a non-transfer student or a minimum of one full academic year as a transfer student. Nominee has a minimum grade point average of 3.50 (on a 4.0 scale) at the time of the nomination deadline (for transfer students the GPA is only at current NAIA institution). Nominee has been certified as eligible and is listed on the eligibility certificate submitted to conference eligibility chair. Nomination form is complete and submitted through SIDHelp. All the above information is to be received by April 22, 2017 to be eligible for national press release/website, certificate and honors database. All criteria must be met by this date. NOTE: There are no statistical/playing requirements needed to receive this award. Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete nominations will be filled out via the SIDHelp admin website at You must have an account in order to fill out nomination forms as the forms are no longer available through coaches manuals. SIDHelp is the only way to NAIA National Office 1200 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO NAIA Men s Lacrosse Coaches Manual / / page 6

6 nominate student-athletes as a Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete. If you don t have an account, please sign up and create your own. Your access will be granted (usually) within 24 hours. Nominations will be processed entirely electronically. In order to complete a nomination, the student-athlete must have approved and signed a release of their cumulative grade point average for nominating purposes. If you or your sports information office does not have a signed release form from the nominated student-athlete on file, a blank document (PDF) will be available for download. This release form does not need to be turned into the NAIA National Office. You are asked to retain it for your institutional records. The administrator nominating the student-athlete will sign electronically. To be eligible for listing on website, honors database or receive a certificate; forms MUST BE SUBMITTED BY April 22. LATE nominations will be accepted through June 30th of each year, but will not be listed on the website, honors database or receive a certificate. NOMINATIONS MUST BE COMPLETED ELECTRONICALLY FOR CONSIDERATION. PAPER COPIES ARE NOT TO BE SENT TO THE NAIA NATIONAL OFFICE VIA , POSTAL MAIL OR FAX. E. NAIA SCHOLAR TEAM AWARD In recognition of academic achievement, the NAIA names a Scholar Team for all sports in which Scholar-Athletes are recognized. Based on a 3.0 annual GPA on a 4.0 scale (for the year of competition), all varsity members of the team who appear on the eligibility certificate will be included in the GPA compilation. Please refer to the online nomination form for award criteria/information. (NAIA.org, Membership Services, Official Forms, NAIA Scholar Team Award.) F. NAIA NATIONAL PLAYER-OF-THE-YEAR The All-American Selection Committee selects the NAIA National Player of the Year from the group of All-Conference/Group Players of the Year. G. NAIA NATIONAL COACH-OF-THE-YEAR The -NAIA Men's Lacrosse National Coach-of-the-Year is selected by a vote of the NAIA-MLCA membership from a ballot containing the names of the conference/group coaches of the year and/or coaches participating in the National Invitational Championship. Selection of the conference/group coach-of-the-year is coordinated by their respective chair. Ballots for national coach-of-the-year are ed to all coaches. The NAIA Men's Lacrosse National Coach-of-the-Year is announced at the NAIA Lacrosse Invitational Banquet. H. NATIONAL INVITATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AWARDS The NAIA maintains a standardized awards program for National Invitational Championships. Certificates of participation are presented to each participant in a National Invitational Championship. Team awards and the traditional championship banner are standard awards at NAIA National Invitational Championships, while individual awards and awards for outstanding play vary by sport. I. ORDERING AWARDS Official NAIA awards MUST be ordered from: Collegiate Awards, E. Trafficway St., Springfield, MO Contact: Matt Miller, mattm@collegiateawards.com, NAIA National Office Staff Awards Liaison Jamie Adams jadams@naia.org III. NAIA National Awards Nomination details and forms for the following national award can be found at IV. Ratings, Reporting Results and Statistics A. RATINGS A weekly national rating will be conducted for men s Lacrosse beginning with the Top 10 poll on February 28 th. The 2017 preseason poll will be released on January 31 st. The ratings are compiled from ballots submitted by national raters. Each conference/grouping will be allowed two raters to represent the conference/group in the weekly national rating. NAIA National Office 1200 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO NAIA Men s Lacrosse Coaches Manual / / page 7

7 The final rating (AFTER conference/group national qualifying tournaments) will still be referred to as the final rating; and the post-championship rating will be referred to as the postseason rating. The National Invitational Championship team MUST be the top-rated team in its conference/group; AND national raters MUST rate the National Invitational Championship team #1 on their postseason ballot/rating. Campaigning for ratings votes for one s own team or for votes for one s own players for postseason awards is inappropriate and unethical. Campaigning shall be construed as using fax, mail, or telephone to contact a coach or group of coaches to solicit support for one s team or players. Organized public relations campaigns dedicated to that same end shall also be deemed unethical. B. RATINGS TIMELINE A. Frequency of Ratings: The NAIA conducts a preseason poll to be released on February 2. NAIA Lacrosse ratings are conducted on a weekly basis. There will be a total of 10 national ratings (excluding the preseason rating). Rating Date Preseason January 31 (Tuesday) #1 February 28 #2 March 7 #3 March 145 #4 March 21 #5 March 28 #6 April 4 #7 April 11 #8 April 18 Final April 23 (Sunday) Postseason May 9 (Tuesday) C. STATISTICS B. Total Number of Raters: The ratings committee is comprised of 8 raters. Each affiliated conference/a.i.i./unaffiliated group has two raters. C. Rating Procedure: Each rater submits their conference/a.i.i./unaffiliated rating from which national raters use to compile a Top 15 ballot to produce a top 10 national rating and a list of other teams receiving votes. Raters can rate any team (and any number of teams) that merit top 10 national rating consideration from their respective group. D. Ongoing Weekly Ratings Deadlines Weekly Rating Schedule (all times are Central) By Monday, 12 p.m. Submit conference/a.i.i./unaffiliated group ballots Monday 12-2 p.m. Raters, conference oversight and sport manager can send concerns to national oversight committee By Tuesday 12 p.m. National ballots due to GoogleDoc Tuesday 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. National oversight committee reviews grid Tuesday 1p.m-2 p.m. Raters available for rationale requests raters should have access to during this timeframe By Tuesday 5 p.m. Release of national rating online at E. Reporting Period: All varsity contests/competition played Monday through Monday F. Only contests against varsity opponents should be considered when submitting ratings ballots each week. The institution must be accredited by one of the six recognized regional accrediting bodies in the U.S., or Universities Canada (National Christian College Athletic Association membership also satisfies this requirement). b. The institution must be a four-year (or upper-level two-year) degree-granting institution; and c. The team must be a varsity program. NAIA National Office 1200 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO NAIA Men s Lacrosse Coaches Manual / / page 8

8 It is strongly recommended that the host institution be responsible for both teams official statistics. The home team must notify opposing team at least 72 hours prior to contest if official statistics will not be provided. The opposing team can file an appeal if they feel an error was made in the official statistics up to 72 hours after the conclusion of the contest. The appeal must be filed with the home team and both teams must amend the statistics if the appeal is accepted. The institution must be accredited by one of the six recognized regional accrediting bodies in the U.S., or Universities Canada (National Christian College Athletic Association membership also satisfies this requirement). b. The institution must be a four-year (or upper-level two-year) degree-granting institution; and c. The team must be a varsity program. It is vital that sport records maintain a level of integrity and accuracy. The NAIA urges the official statistician for every sport to become familiar and have a working knowledge of the statistical manual. For men s Lacrosse, please refer to To access the statistician s manual link, go to the men s Lacrosse page on the NCAA website. The free booklet can be downloaded in PDF format. V. NAIA Policy Handbook Information The NAIA POLICY HANDBOOK can be found at Please refer directly to the NAIA policy handbook for the following: Competition: A. Declaration of Intent to Participate Bylaws, Article I, Section L B. Frequency of Play and Scheduling Bylaws, Article I, Section F C. Criteria for Countable Contests National Administrative Council, Article XXV, Section A, Item 12 D. Reporting Results National Administrative Council, Article XXV, Section A E. Forfeits National Administrative Council, Article XI F. Conduct in Competition Guidelines National Administrative Council, Article IV G. Ejection Policy Bylaws, Article VI Section 7 Eligibility: A. Definitions for Eligibility Bylaws, Article V, Section B B. Eligibility Requirements Bylaws, Article V, Section C C. Transfer Rules Bylaws, Article V, Sections F-H D. Amateur Rules and Reinstatement Bylaws, Article VII Recruiting & Financial Aid A. Recruitment Bylaws, Article II, Section D B. Campus Visitations and Tryouts of Prospective Students Bylaws, Article II, Section C C. Financial Aid Rules Bylaws, Article II, Section B D. Financial Aid Limits Council of Presidents, Article XI VI. Sunday Play Policy As a matter of policy, NAIA national qualifying and National Invitational Championship competition will not be scheduled on Sunday. See NAIA Policy Handbook for additional information. VII. Playing Rules and Regulations A. PLAYING RULES NCAA Lacrosse Rules govern all NAIA regular season and postseason play. Rulebooks may be purchased by contacting: NCAA Publishing, P.O Box , Indianapolis, Indiana or by visiting their website at NAC policy: A suspended person cannot be in the competitive venue the day of the contest or communicate with any team personnel or game officials the day of the contest. The student-athlete/coach will be normally removed from the venue during a suspension. However, the game manager will use their best discretion on what is appropriate to risk management procedures regarding their venue. This policy supersedes any sport rule. B. JURISDICTION OF GAME OFFICIALS NAIA National Office 1200 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO NAIA Men s Lacrosse Coaches Manual / / page 9

9 The outcome of all games is under the jurisdiction of game officials. Decisions of game officials are final and are not subject to appeal. The only instance in which a game can be protested is when a referee has misapplied a rule (not a judgment call). In that case, the NCAA rule book provides specific guidelines on lodging a protest. C. SEASON RECORDS Won-loss records for all member institutions participating in men's Lacrosse shall include ONLY those games played against upper-level, degree-granting institutions, and SHALL NOT include games against junior colleges, foreign (Canada excluded), military, or club teams. VIII. Conduct in Competition A. EJECTIONS AND SUSPENSIONS An ejection is an action enforced in conjunction with competition by a game official consistent with the playing rules in that sport. A suspension is required by NAIA bylaws (Article 6, Section B, Item 7) as an additional consequence related to ejections in conjunction with competition. Ejections are not subject to appeal. Some sport rules allow protests through an official process outlined in each sport rule book. Suspensions may be appealed starting with the Conference/Association of Independent Institutions. An institution must submit an appeal to their conference within 72 hours of the completion of contest. The conference will submit a recommendation to the national office within 72 hours of receiving the appeal from the institution. The Conduct and Ethics Committee is responsible for all appeals related to suspensions due to ejections of a coach and/or student-athlete. Once an appeal with appropriate signatures has been submitted to the conference, the student-athlete/coach may continue to participate through the appeal process. If the appeal is not approved, then the student-athlete/coach must sit out of the next scheduled contest(s). A suspended person cannot be in the competitive venue the day of the contest or communicate with any team personnel or game officials the day of the contest. The student-athlete/coach will be normally removed from the venue during a suspension. However, the game manager will use their best discretion on what is appropriate to risk management procedures regarding their venue. Ejection reports must be completed by the NAIA game official ejecting a student-athlete or coach and the athletic director of the ejected student-athlete or coach. The form must be submitted to the NAIA within 48 hours after the completion of the contest. Postseason Competition I. Responsibilities of Participating Institution A. OFFICIAL PARTY/POSTSEASON ROSTER The official party for each team participating in postseason play is 39. No more than 35 players are allowed in uniform. At the National Invitational Championship, a maximum of 41 persons (including up to 2 athletic trainers) will be allowed on the sideline. Official Postseason Roster forms must be filled out via the SIDHelp admin website at and sent to the NAIA national office. If you do not have a log-in account, please go to the link and sign up. You must have an account in order to fill out the roster forms. Once you login, please follow these instructions: 1. Start at 2. There will be a section titled Forms and Rosters. Click on the link Official Postseason Rosters. 3. Fill out the roster form. NAIA National Office 1200 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO NAIA Men s Lacrosse Coaches Manual / / page 10

10 All postseason rosters will be processed entirely electronically. The administrator completing the postseason roster will sign electronically. Do not send postseason rosters via or fax to the national office. You are still required to carry a copy of your roster to the site of the conference/a.i.i./unaffiliated group and national tournaments, and presented to the tournament supervisor prior to that institution s participation in the tournament. If you have trouble with the on-line nomination form, please contact the NAIA Sports Information Department at cwaller@naia.org. Any other general questions related to the official postseason rosters, please contact the Sport Manager. The deadline for certifying the official roster of 38 players is prior to the first game of any tournament (affiliated conference/group, National Invitational Championship opening round or National Invitational Championship). Once the tournament begins, no player may play that is not on the official roster. Official tournament rosters may change from conference to opening round and from opening round to national levels. For unaffiliated group qualifying tournaments that include preliminary conference/group qualifying contests in the qualification plan; roster changes cannot be made between rounds. Unaffiliated group tournaments will follow the same roster change policies used for affiliated conference/a.i.i. tournaments. For the National Invitational Championship, roster changes are permissible between the opening rounds and the start of the final site competition only in the event of injury, illness or family emergency. Replacements are permitted from among eligible athletes only. Roster changes can be made up to 30 minutes prior to the team's first respective tournament game. Coaches must bring a copy of the institution's NAIA Official Eligibility Certificate to the site in order to verify the eligibility of any players added to the roster. NOTE A player cannot be credited with serving a suspension if he is NOT listed on the official roster for that game. Uniform policy Teams MUST have both light and dark colored uniforms available. Home teams wear light colored uniforms and visitors wear dark. It is MANDATORY that numbers are easily distinguishable from the predominant background color(s) and pattern. Numbers MUST be displayed on front and back of each player's jersey. B. EXPENSES Each team shall be responsible for its own expenses en route to, during and from all postseason events. C. INSURANCE Each participating team shall provide its own medical, hospitalization, travel and accident insurance for all members of its official party. D. COACHES RESPONSIBILITY The coach or other designated person for each participating team must be in attendance and responsible for his team at all times while at the site of the tournament (including the hotel). This person shall accept the responsibility for the conduct of his student-athletes at the tournament site during the tournament and at all activities connected with the team's tournament participation. In case of property damage, the offending institution shall be held financially responsible. II. Affiliated Conference/ A.I.I./Unaffiliated Group National Qualifying Tournaments The conference/group national qualifying tournaments are planned and administered by their respective group committees under the leadership of the conference/group Lacrosse chairs and subject to approval by their executive committee. Conference/group national qualifying tournament plans must be submitted to the NAIA National Office no later than February 1. A. DATES AND SITES The dates and sites of the conference/group qualifying tournaments shall be determined by their respective executive committees. The deadline for completion of the 2016 NAIA Men s Lacrosse Conference/A.I.I./Unaffiliated Group National qualifying tournaments is Saturday, April 22. B. ADMINISTRATION If available, the conference/group Lacrosse chairs will serve as site supervisors for their respective national qualifying tournament in cooperation with the host site athletics director. All national qualifying tournament games must determine a winner. Games tied after regulation must utilize the tie breaker procedures outlined in the NCAA rules book. C. FINANCES NAIA National Office 1200 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO NAIA Men s Lacrosse Coaches Manual / / page 11

11 The host site for all conference/group national qualifying tournament games is responsible for the following: 1. Compensating game officials. 2. Ordering/purchasing conference/group awards, if applicable. 3. Administrative expenses, security, ticket personnel, PA announcer, scorer, timer, etc. III. National Invitational Championship A. ADMINISTRATION The NAIA Men's Lacrosse National Invitational Championship is under the direct control and supervision of the NAIA-MLCA National Tournament Games Committee. The tournament committee is responsible for the management of tournament games and the general welfare of participating teams and coaches. NAIA Site Supervisors and the Tournament Committee conduct a pre-tournament coaches meeting, work with the Supervisor of Officials, and coordinate both pre- and post-tournament ceremonies. The National Tournament Games Committee is made up of the officers (Executive Committee) of the NAIA-MLCA. Should a member of the games committee have a team qualify for the national tournament, the NAIA Sport Manager will appoint an alternate on the committee and the Past President serves as the first alternate on the committee. B. QUALIFICATION OF TEAMS The NAIA Men's Lacrosse National Invitational Championship is an 8-team single-elimination tournament consisting of four National Invitational Championship opening round matches. The eight teams that will compete in the 2017 national invitational championship opening round matches will be determined using the following qualification plan (to be approved by the NAC): 4 automatic berths for conferences/groups 4 at-large berths At-large berths will be adjusted if unaffiliated groups do not have a qualifying tournament or are without a rated team in the final top 10 rating. There are no limits on the number of at-large berths an affiliated conference or the Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.) may receive. Conferences with less than 6 teams are considered unaffiliated and grouped geographically by the National Administrative Council (NAC). Each grouping of six or more teams may qualify for an automatic berth through a national qualifying tournament. If a tournament is not played, the top-rated team is eligible for an automatic berth only if it is ranked in the top 10 in the final rating. Unaffiliated groups that drop below five teams can qualify for the National Invitational Championship only as at-large teams. NOTE: To be eligible to qualify for the National Invitational, an institution must compete in a minimum of seven (7) games against an NAIA opponent (varsity). C. SELECTION OF AT-LARGE TEAMS/SEEDING OF CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD NAIA men s Lacrosse will use the final NAIA rating (APRIL 23) to select the National Invitational Championship at-large teams. The highest-rated teams that do not qualify automatically will receive at-large berths until all at-large bids have been allotted. The 8-team field will be seeded based upon the final NAIA rating. Once the 8-team field is set, the Championship Committee, the NAIA Sport Manager and the NAC liaison for Men s Lacrosse will convene via conference call to approve the National Invitational Championship bracket. D. FORMAT The NAIA National Invitational Championship will include a field of 8 teams. The 2017 final site dates will be May 3-6, E. CHAMPIONSHIP SELECTION APPEALS PROCESS If there is misapplication of NAIA policy and procedures regarding championship selection, an institution may appeal to the national office of the NAIA. Criteria for filing an appeal NAIA National Office 1200 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO NAIA Men s Lacrosse Coaches Manual / / page 12

12 1. A written appeal citing the specific NAIA policies and/or procedures that have been misapplied must be submitted to the NAIA National Office - Department of Championships within 24 hours (or noon (Central) of the next business day if the end of the 24 hour period falls on a non-business day) from the time the tournament field has been released. 2. Once an appeal is submitted a response will be provided within 24 hours from receipt of appeal. 3. Appeals MUST be submitted and signed by the Athletics Director and President of the institution. NOTE: The National Administrative Council (NAC) sport liaison will be on the tournament conference call to listen to the discussion of tournament selection. The liaison will report any concerns to the National office immediately following the conclusion of the conference call. The ratings oversight committee will review ratings to prevent any ratings process violations or unethical use of the ratings process as it pertains to ratings. F. HOUSING All participating teams MUST stay at designated hotel. Failure to comply could jeopardize an institution s eligibility to compete in the national tournament. G. RELATED INFORMATION 1. *National Invitational Gathering Prior to the start of national Invitational championship competition, there will be a special gathering (including a meal function) to recognize the participating teams. All teams are required to be in attendance and dressed appropriately. 2. *Meetings The NAIA Championship Committee will conduct pre-match meetings with head coaches and officials. Head coaches are required to attend. 3. *Opening Ceremonies An opening ceremony will be conducted at all national invitational championship tournament site. * - Per NAC guidelines, teams failing to attend required meetings/functions (or failing to submit Champion of Character individual player nominations) are subject to a $1,500 fine. 4. Officials - The NAIA Division of Championships, in consultation with the NAIA-MLCA, shall arrange for a sufficient number of game officials to work the tournament utilizing a three-person crew and a CBO. Only registered, nationally-certified officials will be considered for assignment. IX. Coaches Association I NAIA-MLCA Standing Committees NAIA-MLCA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (One-year terms) President: Kevin Parker, Tennessee Wesleyan 1st Vice-President: Chair AA Committee 2nd Vice-President: Chair Poll Committee 3 rd Vice President Chair Allied Organizations Committee Secretary: Will McMinn, Montreat Andy Joly, Missouri Baptist Pete Campbell, Cumberlands Doug Seites, Aquinas Past President: AJ Stevens, Ottawa NAIA National Office 1200 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO NAIA Men s Lacrosse Coaches Manual / / page 13

13 STANDING COMMITTEES Honors (one per conference) Chair: Members: Ratings Committee Chair: Members: Ratings Oversight Chair: Members: Past Presidents Chair: Members: All National Raters NAC Liaison All past presidents at current NAIA member institutions 2017 Men's Lacrosse Conference/Independent/Unaffiliated National Raters Conference/Group Rater Institution Phone Appalachian Athletic Jon Wilson St. Andrews University Appalachian Athletic Kevin Parker Tennessee Wesleyan College Kansas Collegiate Matt Kimsey University of Saint Mary Kansas Collegiate AJ Stevens Ottawa University Wolverine-Hoosier Pat Yannerelli Lourdes Wolverine-Hoosier Terry Nichter Indiana Tech Unaffiliated Dan Mertzlufft Lindenwood Belleville University NATIONAL Rating Oversight Committee:,, All-America Selection Committee: see Appendix F for additional members Scholar-Athlete Coordinator: IWLCA liaison: NAC Liaison: NAIA National Office 1200 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO NAIA Men s Lacrosse Coaches Manual / / page 14

14 II. NAIA Men s Lacrosse Postseason Leadership Responsibilities and Competition Guidelines A. AFFILIATED CONFERENCE/INDEPENDENT/UNAFFILIATED GROUP LACROSSE CHAIRS/RATERS 1. Serves as lacrosse liaison between affiliated conference/group and the national office (NAIA Sport Manager). 2. Serves as chief administrator of the affiliated conference/group lacrosse committee in the coordination of the lacrosse playoff plan and the lacrosse tournament. 3. Compiles the affiliated conference/group rating for respective group and submits a top-15 national ballot on behalf of the affiliated conference/group. 4. Coordinates the selection of the All-Conference/Group team and coach of the year from their representative group. Receives and tabulates All- Conference/Group ballots from all coaches in the group and forwards the team to the NAIA National Office. 5. Communicates with the officers of the NAIA-Men s Lacrosse Coaches Association (NAIA-MLCA) on any matter relative to the administration of lacrosse at the affiliated conference/group and national levels. 6. Serves as a national championship opening round site supervisor if another team in his conference/group is hosting an opening round contest. 7. REVIEW MEN S LACROSSE RATINGS MANUAL IN APPENDIX C OF THIS MANUAL FOR COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES. B. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES COMMITTEE 1. Supervises the competing teams at the national championship by greeting upon arrival, preparing informational material, coordinating practice times, conducting the pre-tournament coaches' meeting, and assisting the participating coaches with local information and arrangements. 2. Works as liaisons with the championship game officials by greeting upon arrival, coordinating game assignments and informing of all meetings, official functions, special interpretations and evaluations. 3. Supervise all games of the tournament from the sideline (between the benches). Other duties include field inspection, preparation of the sidelines, pre-game lineups, player/coach conduct, liaison to the game officials and all other items related to game administration. 4. Arbitrates and determines decisions involving player/coach conduct and matters beyond the jurisdiction of the game officials. 5. Coordinates voting for tournament awards and conducts award ceremonies. 6. Serve as the NAIA All-American Team Selection Committee (along with four conferencecoaches). 7. Assists the NAIA Championship Event Manager and the host-site coordinator on all other matters related to the administration of the national championship. NAIA National Office 1200 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO NAIA Men s Lacrosse Coaches Manual / / page 15