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OPERATIONAL POLICIES FOR SPORTS

2007-2008
Executive Committee
Col. John Sullivan --Commissioner
Dr. Steve Condon -- President – Tennessee Wesleyan College
Dr. Donald Jeanes -- President -- Milligan College
Dr. Niel Nielson  --President –Covenant College
Dr. Dan Struble – President  - Montreat College

Officers/Agents

Vice President -- Dr. Sanford Zensen – Bryan College
Treasurer – Rachael Clay-Keohane – The University of Virginia’s College at Wise
Faculty Athletic Representative – David Walters – Montreat College
Sports Information Director – Will Stern – Covenant College
Registrar -- Rodney Miller – Covenant College
Secretary – Barb Robinson -- Montreat College

Eligibility Committee

 Jim Thompson, Chair -- Tennessee Wesleyan College
Dave Walters – Montreat College
Rodney Miller – Covenant College
Larry Inkster – Union College

Revised – August 2007

Table of Contents

I.      Standard Operating Procedures
II.     Sport Chair Responsibilities
Tournament Responsibilities
III.                                  Sports Information Director Responsibilities.
IV.                                  Champion of Character Awards
AAC Champion of Character Institutional Award
AAC Champion of Character Individual Award.
VI.   Operational Policies for Sports
A.                               Baseball
B.                                Men’s and Women’s Basketball
C.                               Men’s and Women’s Cross Country
D.                               Golf
E.                                Men’s and Women’s Soccer
F.                                Softball
G.                               Men’s and Women’s Tennis
H.                               Men’s and Women’s Track and Field
I.                                 Volleyball

Standard Operating Procedures

• Duard Walker All Sports Trophy Criteria: Points earned by place finish at completion of regular season and in conference tournament.

Baseball: 1=50 pts, 2=40 pts, 3=30 pts
Basketball: 1=50 pts, 2=40 pts, 3=30 pts (semifinalists in tournament receive 30 points each)
Cross Country: 1=50, 2=40, 3=30, 4=25 (team finish)
Golf: 1=50, 2=40, 3=30, 4=25 (team finish)
Soccer: 1=50, 2=40, 3=30 (semifinalists in tournament receive 30 points each)
Softball: 1=50, 2=40, 3=30, 4=25
Tennis: 1=50, 2=40 (team finish)
Track & Field: 1=50 pts, 2=40 pts, 3=30 pts, 4=25 pts (team finish)
Volleyball; 1=50, 2=40, 3=30, 4=25

• All-Academic Team Criteria: Students meeting all three criteria will be named to the All-Academic Team:
• 3.25 GPA or higher
• Sophomore status
• Must compete in at least 50% of competition.
• All nominees must have verification from the institutions’ registrar.

• Athletic training coverage (in-house or contract) will be provided by member institutions for all home events.
• All member institutions will use the NAIA eligibility software to prepare and submit eligibility forms to the Conference Eligibility Chair.
• Seating for visitors at home events will be behind the visitor’s bench or directly across from it when seating is confined to one side of the court/field.
• When two or more teams tie for the regular season championship in any sport, each will be designated as “Season Champion.”  Tournament winners will be designated “Tournament Champion.”
• The home team is responsible for reporting scores on the day a contest is played using the Conference website reporting system.  This will post the result on the Conference website, update the standings, and report the result to the national NAIA Scoreboard.  When a Conference member team plays a non-conference away opponent, the member is required to report the results as soon as practical.  Every week during their season, each team will web synch their entire DakStats by 12:00 noon on Monday.  Web synching immediately after each game is encouraged.
• Awards for each sport provided by the Conference will be: Tournament Champion, Tournament Runner-Up, Regular Season Champion (including ties if applicable), Champion of Character, and Coach of the Year, unless otherwise requested.  The Conference will also provide certificates for the All-Conference, All-Academic, and All-Freshman Teams.  The names of award winners must be submitted immediately to the Conference Commissioner by the applicable sport chair.
• When a Conference Tournament Championship generates a net profit, once all outstanding bills are paid, those funds will be distributed equally among the teams representing the Conference in that sport’s next level of post-season competition.
• The deadline for notification to member institutions of an intention to add a new sport will be the first date of the post-season tournament of that sport in the previous year.
• Individual teams or member institutions placed on probation by the NAIA National Conduct and Ethics Committee may not earn points in the affected sport(s) toward the All-Sports Trophy while on probation.

• Individual teams or member institutions placed on suspension by the NAIA National Conduct and Ethics Committee will not be eligible for Conference individual awards or earn points in the affected sport(s) toward the All-Sports Trophy while on suspension.

• Member institutions that decide to leave the Conference must so notify the Conference Commissioner in writing of their intention at least one year in advance of the next academic year in order to be eligible for postseason competition in their last year as a Conference member.

• If a member institution sponsors a sport they must participate in Conference competition within 3 years of their declaration of intent to participate with the NAIA.

• Teams participating in post-season tournaments/meets may not travel with or dress out more athletes than the maximum number allowed on the post-season roster for that sport.

• “Pass lists” to Conference contests will not be permitted.

• A Conference-wide Letter of Intent will be effective beginning with the 2006-2007 academic year.  Student-athletes who complete a Letter of Intent will be barred from subsequently competing at another AAC member institution during the first eligible collegiate academic year after the date of signing.  A copy of the Letter of Intent must be filed with the Conference Commissioner within 30 days of signing.

• Conference Raters for those sports that require them will be recommended by the Coaches’ Committees to their Sport Chair and appointed by the Commissioner for a two-year term.  Raters may be appointed to successive terms with the recommendation of the Sport Chair.  Raters will be guided by the policies in their Coach’s Manual.

• A coach who is ejected by an official during or following a contest shall be suspended from coaching his/her team’s next regularly scheduled contest.

Sport Chair Responsibilities

Overview.  The sport committees consist of the head coaches from member institutions that coach a specific sport.  The members will elect a Sport Chair who will serve for one year.  Sport chairs may be reelected.  Specific duties of the Sport Chair are defined below:

In accordance with the Conference By-Laws, the Sport Chair will:

1. Bring recommendations to the Conference at its annual meeting on the respective sport policies and tournament procedures (e.g., dates, qualification plans, site, etc.) (Article VI, Section 3);
2. File a complete written report of championship events including an accurate statement of income/expenses of the event to the secretary/treasurer within 14 days of the completion of the championship event (Article VI, Section 3);
3. Submit a request for awards to the Executive Committee prior to the annual meeting (Article X, Section 3);
4. Submit written reports of any athletic contest forfeitures to the Executive Committee for approval in accordance with NAIA governing procedures (Article XI).
5. Submit for signature or counter-signature of the President all contracts for sport product sponsorship (Article IV, 2).

Additionally, the respective Sport Chairs will:

6. Call and chair annual meetings of the sport committee.
7. Coordinate establishment of the sport Conference schedule.
8. Serve as liaison to the Regional Chair for the sport.
9. Chair a committee of coaches to rule on policy disputes between member institutions and forward a copy of any decisions to the Executive Committee.
10. Obtain nominations for and hold an election for a rater (if applicable).  Raters will serve a one-year term of office and may be reelected by a simple majority vote of the member coaches.  Current sport chairs are ineligible to serve simultaneously as raters.
11. Forward for resolution to the Executive Committee any disputes irresolvable at their level.
12. Make player-of-the-week selections (if applicable) and forward the names to the Conference SID.
13. Coordinate selection of the sport all-conference team (if applicable) and submit the All-Conference Team form for signature to the President in accordance with the NAIA deadline for each sport.

Tournament Responsibilities

If the sport championship tournament is held at member institutions, the Sport Chair will:

1. Coordinate the playoff schedule and location.
2. Coordinate assignment of officials.
3. Arrange for a Tournament Director, Tournament Sports Information Director, and a committee, with the approval of the sport coaches and the Executive Committee. 
4. Coordinate with the host member institution’s Athletics Director regarding site preparation and contest support including webcasting facilities (broadband Internet).
5. Complete and return to the Conference Commissioner for signature the NAIA All-Conference Team Form prior to its stated deadline.  (This applies to all team sports.  Normally, the Commissioner will send the form to you.)
6. Arrange for awards presentation to tournament champions, runner up, champion of character, and coach of the year, as applicable.
7. FAX or email the NAIA Conference Championship Results Form to the Conference Commissioner, Regional Chair, and the NAIA National Office within 48 hours of tournament completion.  (Available on the NAIA website: http://naia.cstv.com/member-services/pubs/ChampionshipsForms.htm

If the tournament is held at a non-member institution’s facility, the Sport Chair will:

1. Coordinate with the facility/agency regarding tournament dates and expectations including webcasting facilities (broadband Internet).
2. Submit for signature or counter-signature of the Commissioner all contracts for Conference sponsored contests (Article IV, 2).
3. Coordinate commercial sponsorship (if applicable).
4. Coordinate assignment of officials.
5. Arrange for a Tournament Director, Tournament Sports Information Director, and a committee, with the approval of the sport coaches and the Executive Committee.  If the Tournament Director is assigned by the host facility/agency, the tournament committee will assist the Director as needed.

8. Complete and return to the Conference Commissioner for signature the NAIA All-Conference Team Form prior to its stated deadline.  (This applies to all team sports.  Normally, the form will be sent to you by the Commissioner.)

6. Arrange for awards presentation to tournament champions, runner up, champion of character, and coach of the year, as applicable.

9. FAX or email the NAIA Conference Championship Results Form to the Conference Commissioner, Regional Chair, and the NAIA National Office within 48 hours of tournament completion.  (Available on the NAIA website: http://naia.cstv.com/member-services/pubs/ChampionshipsForms.htm.)

Sports Information Director Responsibilities

The Conference Sports Information Director will be the primary point of contact between the Conference and the NAIA Sports Information Office.  Specific duties will include:

• Coordinate the timely reporting of scores, results and Players of the Week with member institution’s SIDs
• Make reports to the NAIA National Office of results, scores, and standings for volleyball, soccer, basketball, softball, baseball and other sports as required by the NAIA
• Maintain the Conference website up-to-date with current information and standings
• Coordinate with Tournament SIDs to publicize conference tournaments.

A Tournament Sports Information Director will be responsible for coordinating media relations, press releases and reporting of scores and results to the Conference SID and the NAIA.  The Tournament SID will normally be the host site SID unless the tournament is held at a neutral site.  In that case, the Commissioner will appoint a Tournament SID from a nearby member institution.

Champion of Character Awards

Overview.  Nominations for the Champion of Character Institutional Award and the Male and Female Individual Awards will be submitted by member institutions to the Chair of the Awards Nominating Committee by March 15.  Nominations will be reviewed by the Committee and the top 2-3 nomination packages in each category will be sent to the member CEOs by April 10.  CEOs may vote for one nominee in each category.  All votes must be received by the Chair of the Awards Nominating Committee by May 1 to be considered.  Award winners will be announced at the Annual Meeting in May.

AAC Champion of Character Institutional Award

• Nomination Procedure

• Any AAC member institution in good standing may submit a nomination package to the Chair of the Awards Nominating Committee.
• Complete nomination packages must be signed by the Chief Executive Officer and postmarked no later than March 15 each year.
• The required supporting materials must include:
• How the institution intentionally implements the Champion of Character philosophy in the intercollegiate athletic program.
• A listing of the on-campus and community leadership and involvement efforts of student-athletes and staff.
• Any supporting letters from off-campus entities.

• Criteria for Selection

• The nominee demonstrates clearly outstanding results in character development of its student-athletes and coaches by embracing the true spirit of competition through the five core values of respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership, and sportsmanship.
• The nominee demonstrates outstanding involvement in the community, which results in positive character development through sport.

• Selection Procedures

• Nominations should be sent to the Chair, Awards Nominating Committee no later than March 15.
• The Awards Nominating Committee will review all nominations and choose the three most outstanding packages.
• The top three nominations will be sent to the Chief Executive Officers for review and selection.
• Each CEO will have one vote for the award winner.
• The deadline for voting by CEOs will be May 1.
• The AAC Champion of Character Institutional Award winner will be announced at the Annual Meeting of the Conference the third week in May.

• Nature of Award

• The recipient will receive a perpetual plaque with the institution’s name engraved upon it as that year’s award winner.
• The plaque will remain at the institution until the following year’s Annual Meeting.

AAC Champion of Character Individual Award

• Nomination Procedure

• Any AAC member institution in good standing may submit a nomination package for one male and one female student-athlete to the Chair of the Awards Nominating Committee.
• Complete nomination packages must be signed by the Chief Executive Officer and postmarked no later than March 15 each year.
• The required supporting materials must include:
• How the student-athlete demonstrates the Champion of Character core values on and off the campus.
• A description of the leadership role(s) played by the nominee in the campus athletic program and in the community.
• Any supporting letters from on- or off-campus entities.

• Criteria for Selection

• The nominee demonstrates clearly the true spirit of competition by living out the five core values of respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership, and sportsmanship.
• The nominee demonstrates outstanding involvement in the community, which results in positive character development through sport.

• Selection Procedures

• Nominations should be sent to the Chair, Awards Nominating Committee no later than March 15.
• The Awards Nominating Committee will review all nominations and choose the most outstanding male and female packages.
• The top nominations will be sent to the Chief Executive Officers for review and selection.
• Each CEO will have one vote for each award winner.
• The deadline for voting by CEOs will be May 1.
• The AAC Champion of Character Individual Award winners will be announced at the Annual Meeting of the Conference the third week in May.

• Nature of Award

• The recipient will receive a plaque with his or her name engraved upon it as that year’s award winner.

VI.   Operational Policies for Sports

Baseball

• Chair: Darin Wilson – Union College

Rater: Travis Little – Montreat College

• Roster: A minimum of nine players shall constitute a team.  Maximum team size shall be determined by NAIA rules.       
• Scheduling
• The season will begin the first week of March.  Each Conference team will play every other Conference team in a 2-game series double header on Saturday with a make-up on Sunday or Monday.  Make-up games for the following members will not be scheduled on Sunday: King College, Bluefield College, Bryan College, Covenant College and Virginia Intermont College. Make-ups must be scheduled on the first available Sunday or Monday.  Coaches unable to agree upon an acceptable make-up date are to contact the Sport Chair for resolution.  Allowed exceptions are as follows:
• Dates may not be moved due to spring break dates
• Dates may be moved due to school-mandated policies such as exams, graduation, Easter, and the Bristol race weekend.
• The Conference Sport Chair, pending coach’s approval, will establish the AAC Conference Scheduling Matrix for two-year periods.
• Home and Home Switching- In order to play the games as schedule but also to not give any team an advantage in the schedule, switching of home games will be permissible only under the following conditions:
• Conditions on the home field that would make the game(s) hazardous to play such as:  water break, wind damage to fencing etc… playing surface damage or construction, and scheduling problems with the field that is used for home games.
• Switching of home dates are permitted where coaches involved agree to the switch.
• The Sport Chair will resolve any scheduling conflicts where coaches are unable to agree.
• Cancellations, Forfeits, and Make-ups

1. Conference games take precedence over non-conference games and all Conference games must be played.
2. If the scheduled double-header on Saturday is rained out, a double-header will be played on Sunday or Monday, as per paragraph 3, above.  If that is rained out, the double-header must be scheduled for the next mutual open date.  Scheduled non-conference games will be cancelled, if necessary to create an open date.  All Conference games must be played before Monday, April 28, 2008.  If games are not completed by then they will count as two loses to both teams for seeding purposes. 
1. Officials
1. The Baseball Chair will serve as the associate supervisor of officials.  The visiting team has the right to have an umpire excluded from a game by written request to the home team Head Coach at least two weeks before the game in question.
2. Equipment/ Site Criteria
1. Rawlings is the new Conference official ball.  Teams not using the Rawlings official ball must forfeit the conference games.  Teams may play the games but they will not count in Conference standings.  Contract renewed with Rawlings for five years. (Starting in 2005).

1. Home team makes the call on field conditions.  Each Head Coach is encouraged to do everything in their power to see that games are played including working on their own field.  Each team must have drying compound or hardener available.

1. All teams must furnish a bullpen mound for visitors.

1. Batting practice should be available for the visiting team at the scheduled time, if field conditions allow.

1. All Conference teams should have a full infield tarp.
1. Forms and Reports.
1. The home team is responsible for reporting scores on the day a contest is played using the Conference website reporting system.  This will post the result on the Conference website, update the standings, and report the result to the national NAIA Scoreboard.  When a Conference member team plays a non-conference away opponent, the member is required to report the results as soon as practical. 
2. Every week during the season, each team will web synch their entire DakStats by 12:00 noon on Monday.  Web synching immediately after each game is encouraged.
2. Coaches Meetings: An All-Conference Coaches meeting will be called prior to the AAC Tournament for selection of All-Conference honors in accordance with NAIA guidelines.  Any team not represented by its coach at the meeting will not be eligible for Conference honors.
3. Awards
1. Coach of the Year
2. Player of the Year
3. Pitcher of the Year
4. True Freshman of the Year
5. All-Conference Team – Shall nominate-rate-grade by position.

1. Conference Champion and Tournament

1. The Tournament will take place at Hunter-Wright Stadium, Kingsport, TN, on April 30- May 3, 2008.  The format will be an 8-team tournament with the top 8 teams from the regular season qualifying.  The tiebreaker for the regular season finish will be:  winning percentage, head-to-head, and record against rest of Conference teams in order of finish.

1. The Conference Tournament will be seeded according to final Conference standings.  The Regular Season Champion and the Tournament Champion will receive the first and second automatic berths to the NAIA Region XII Tournament.  The third berth will be determined by ranking.

1. NAIA rules are to be used in all Conference play.

1. All protests will be submitted first to the Sport Chair then, if not satisfactorily resolved, to the Conference Commissioner.

1. Other policies will be governed by NAIA rules.

1. Only the players listed on the 24-man roster will be permitted to dress and play, including the post-season.

1. The stipend payable to the Sport Chair will be $100 per institution.

Men’s and Women’s Basketball

1. Men’s Chair: Bill Robinson – Montreat College

      Women’s Chair: Rich Aubrey – Milligan College
      Men’s Rater – Bill Robinson – Montreat College
      Women’s Rater –– Tim Curry – Union College

1. Roster – Five players shall constitute a team.
2. Scheduling
1. The scheduling format for Conference play will consist of a double round robin.  Weekday game times will begin at 5:30 p.m. for women and 7:30 p.m. for men.  Saturday game times may be changed with the agreement of all coaches involved.
2. If a double-header (women and men) is scheduled and the first game ends more than 20 minutes before the contracted time for the second game to begin, both coaches must agree to an early start for the second game.
3. The perpetual rotating game schedule, which began in 2004-05, consists of the following requirements:
1. Teams will play all opponents once before beginning a second round of games in the same order.
2. Teams will play no more than two AAC games in any one-week.
4. By mutual agreement of the coaches involved, teams may move scheduled games within their window (e.g., Tuesday games may be moved within the window of Sunday to Friday of that same week.  Saturday games may be moved from Wednesday to Monday of that same six-day period.)
3. Cancellations, Forfeits, and Make-ups
1. Conference games may not be canceled.
2. If a game is postponed due to:

1. Severe weather- a make-up date is determined by:
2. Mutual consent of all coaches,
3. If coaches are unable to agree, by the Sport Chair,
4. If agreement cannot be reached, the Conference Commissioner will make final resolution.
5. Postponement precipitated by one team due to extenuating circumstances such as illness- a make-up date will be determined by:
1. Mutual consent of coaches
2. Selection of date by opposing coach.
1. Officials
1. The Supervisor of Officials shall be charged with the responsibility for assigning officials for all conference games.  The assignor’s fee will be $200.
2. The Supervisor of Officials will notify the appropriate Athletic Directors of any changes in officials at least 24 hours prior to game time.
3. The Supervisor of Officials will observe each official’s performance during at least one Conference game each season, and will submit a written report to the Conference Commissioner within six weeks of the observation.
4. The Supervisor of Officials are to develop an evaluation form to be used by each head coach for the purpose of evaluating each assigned official for each game.  The Supervisor of Officials will use the evaluation as the basis for selecting officials for the post-season tournament.  The Supervisor of Officials will summarize results of the coaches’ evaluations of each official and send same to the Conference Commissioner at the close of the season.
5. The Supervisor of Officials will recommend to the Conference Commissioner an Associate Supervisor for that sport.
6. The approved pay plan for Basketball Officials is as follows:

Women:                                           Men:

1.     3@ $115.00                        2005-06     3@ $135.00
2. 3@ $120.00                       2006-07     3@ $140.00

2007-08    3@ $125.00                        2007-08     3@ $140.00

1. Each team will pay for officials and assignor’s fee by submitting one check at the beginning of the season.  The check will be sent to the assignor who will be responsible for paying officials for games worked during the season.

h. Women’s Basketball only:  Each coach will be able to scratch one official.  The name will be submitted at the beginning of the season.  Individual officials will not be privy to this information.

1. Equipment/ Site Criteria
1. The Rawlings Wide-Seam Composite (“Vision”) ball is the official basketball for all women’s conference regular season and tournament play.  Teams will be fined $100.00 for not having the official ball.
2. The Rawlings Composite ball is the official ball for conference and post season tournament play for men’s basketball.  Teams will be fined $100.00 for not having the official ball.
3. The warm-up period for the visiting team will be one hour prior to game time for the first game and for 30 minutes prior to a 2nd game.
4. Practice time may be provided upon request of the visiting coach.
5. A minimum of 6 official balls shall be made available by the home team to each visiting team for warm-ups.  By agreement of the coaches, teams do not need to provide 6 official balls for warm-ups for the 2007-2008 season.  This is a special one-year provision to give teams time to transition to the new official ball.
6. The NCAA scorebook will be used showing the running time for baskets made in the last minute of play.  A seat must be provided for the visiting scorekeeper next to the home scorekeeper.
7. A telephone must be made available to the visiting team immediately after each game.
8. The home team will assist in lining up post-game meals, upon request.
9. Noisemakers cannot be used during live ball situations, which include free throws.  A brief statement on proper conduct and sportsmanship, such as provided by the NAIA Champions of Character, will be read over the public address system prior to each game.
10. No Conference game may begin with an administrative (book) technical foul being assessed against either team. 
11. The home team shall provide film and filming for all Conference games.
12. Each Conference member team in both men’s and women’s basketball shall provide, upon request, one game film of the opponent’s choice, on or before November 1st.  Film must be sent within 48 hours of the completion of the contest.  Failure to comply with film exchange policies will result in a $100.00 fine, per violation.  Violations will be reported to the Commissioner, whose responsibility it will be to investigate and enforce penalties as necessary.
13. No Conference member shall provide videotape or scouting reports, either written or verbal, to any non-conference opponent.
2. Forms and Reports
1. The home team is responsible for reporting scores on the day a contest is played using the Conference website reporting system.  This will post the result on the Conference website, update the standings, and report the result to the national NAIA Scoreboard.  When a Conference member team plays a non-conference away opponent, the member is required to report the results as soon as practical.  Every week during the season, each team will web synch their entire DakStats by 12:00 noon on Monday.  Web synching immediately after each game is encouraged.
2. Information packets consisting of COSIDA Fact Sheet schedule and numerical rosters will be sent to each conference coach by October 15th.  Failure to provide this information will count as a missed statistical report.  
3. Coaches Meetings: The meeting of the men’s and women’s basketball coaches will be held prior to the annual meeting of the Conference in May and will include confirmation of the perpetual rotating game schedule.
4. Awards

a. Coach of the Year

1. Use 3-2-1 format with points accordingly
2. Use last two Sundays of season to nominate and vote

b. Player of the Year

1. Will be the top vote getter in the All-Conference selection.

1. All Freshman Team
1. Consist of seven women, seven men with top vote getter designated as Freshman-of –the Year.
2. Use same format as All-conference selection

1. All-Defensive Team

(1) Consist of five players for both men and women with the top vote getter named the Defensive Player of the year.

1. All Conference Team
1. Shall consist of fifteen players from men and women.  Top five will be 1st team, next five = 2nd team and next five = 3rd team (with the top vote getter named Player of the Year)
2. Selection process is as follows:
1. Nomination ballot mailed out the first week in Feb. to include player name, height, stats, pertinent comment section.
2. An institution may nominate no more than three players.
3. Nomination to be returned by Feb. 15th.
4. Compilation sent to coaches a week before the first tournament game.
5. Players will be voted on in descending order with points given accordingly
6. A coach may not vote for his or her own player.
7. Copies of ballots are to be mailed to Conference Commissioner.
8. The Sport Chairs will be responsible for the rating of players for All-American purposes for the Conference.
1. Player of the Week – Stan Harrison will choose the Players of the Week for both Men’s and Women’s Basketball for the 2007-2008 season.
1.  Conference Championship and Tournament

a. A single Regular Season Champion will automatically be awarded the first berth to the Men’s and Women’s National Basketball Championship Tournament.  The Conference Tournament Champion will be awarded the second berth.  If the Conference Tournament Champion is also the Regular Season Champion, then the Regular Season Runner-Up will be awarded the second automatic berth to the National Basketball Tournaments.
b.   Regular Season Tie- Breaker System

      For all ties other than for first place the following system will be followed:

#1  Conference record
#2  Head-to-head
#3  Common conference opponents – broken from the top-down
#4  Conference road wins
#5  2nd half conference record

            For first place ties and the bid to the National Tournament the following     system will be followed:

       #1  Conference record
       #2  Head-to-head
       #3  Play off game at a neutral conference site, to be agreed upon by coaches; to be played on the Monday after the regular season has ended.

       In the event of a three-way tie, the normal tie-breaker system would be used to eliminate one team and determine the two teams that will play in the play-off game.

       When using the tie breaking system the above criteria are applied in order with the process ending when the tie is first broken.  A tie occurring in more than one position requires that the highest tie be broken first.

1. Tournament Playoff Policies
1. The Conference has adopted NAIA policies for reimbursement to traveling teams.
2. All conference schools are eligible to host tournament games.
3. Payment to officials, both men’s and women’s, will be $140 per game per official.  Selection to be determined by the Sport Chairs and Supervisors of Officials using the coaches’ ratings.
4. Ticket prices will be: $7 for adults, $5 for all students.
5. Only official NAIA Membership Cards will be honored for free admission at tournament games.  All others will be required to pay full price.
6. Game expenses shall not exceed $250 per game paid to support personnel and a maximum of $500 per date paid for facility rental of a neutral site.
7. Host teams shall make a minimum of 20% of capacity seating available to the visiting teams.
8. The host institution/Tournament Director will file with the Conference Commissioner a Conference Income/Expense form within 7 days following the completion of the tournament or the NAIA Basketball Tournament Financial Summary, as appropriate.
1. Tournament Playoff Format
9. The Men’s and Women’s Championship Tournament for the 2007-2008 season will be held at the Viking Hall Civic Center, Bristol, VA, in conjunction with Bristol Parks and Recreation and the Bristol Chamber of Commerce, February 27- March 1.
10. The top 6 teams will qualify automatically.  Teams 7-10 will have first round games on February 27, 2008.
11. The tournament brackets shall be:
1. 1st game – 3 vs. 6
2. 2nd game – 2 vs. 7
3. 3rd game – 1 vs. 8
4. 4th game – 4 vs. 5
12. An awards ceremony will be held Wednesday evening, February 21st, immediately following the second game at the tournament site.  Funds previously supplied by King, VIC, UVA at Wise, and Milligan College ($1,250 per school), shall be paid to the conference and used toward costs of men’s and women’s officials for the tournament.  The remaining balance will be paid equally by the remaining 6 institutions.
13. UVA- Wise men and women will not play in the 1st time slot in the tournament during the first two days of competition.

1. Wednesday game times will begin at 1:00pm and follow at 3:00, 6:00, and 8:00pm.

1. Thursday’s games begin at 8:30 a.m. (1:45 intervals)

1. Friday’s semi-finals are at 2:00, 4:00, 6:00, and 8:00 p.m.

1. Saturday’s finals are at 4:00 and 6:00 p.m., or thirty minutes after the preceding game, whichever is later.

1. Starting Thursday, games will be played in blocks of two men and two women.

1. The number one seeds play at 4:00 p.m. or later (W-odd years; M-even years)

1. There will be ten-minute halftimes, and a minimum ten minutes between games.

1. The court will be available for shooting at halftime of the previous game.

1. The on-site committee to administer the tournament will include the Athletic Directors or their designees from Virginia Intermont and King.

1. The Tournament Committee will provide plaques for 5 All-Tournament Players and 1 MVP for Men’s and Women’s All- Tournament Teams.

Men’s and Women’s Cross Country

1. Chair: Rodney Stoker – Bryan College
2. Roster: A scoring team consists of a minimum of five eligible runners.  While more than seven eligible runners may compete in a race, only a maximum of the first seven runners from a single team may be scored.
3. Scheduling: Coaches will meet at the Conference Tournament meet to schedule the following year.
4. Cancellations, Forfeits, and Make-ups
1. Should an institution declare its intent to participate in the NAIA Men’s and Women’s Cross-Country National Championship it must honor that commitment if the team qualifies through the Conference Championship Meet.  If the institution does not honor its declaration of intent commitment, it shall be automatically suspended in that sport for the next academic year. 
2. The official NAIA Handbook for coaches will be used as the guidelines for conducting all meets of the Conference and individual member schools.
5. Officials: meet officials will comply with and enforce all NAIA rules and regulations.
6. Equipment/ Site Criteria
1. The men’s course must be 5 miles or 8 km, and must be clearly marked or mapped.
2. The women’s course must be 3.1 miles or 5km, and must be clearly marked or mapped.
7. Forms and Reports

a. Coaches shall post race results or highlights on the Conference website following each meet.  Reports should include: team place, individual places and times, course rating, 1-5 gap, 1-7 gap, and if possible- team time (1-5) and team average time.
b. Sport Chairs shall complete the Conference Tournament Results form and FAX/mail it to the Conference Commissioner within 48 hours of completion of the Conference Championship Meet.
c. Sport Chairs shall file a complete Conference Income/Expense form within 14 days of the tournament with the Conference Commissioner.
d. Sport Chairs will attend and report all recommended changes in sport policies and tournament details at the Conference Annual Meeting.

1. Coaches Meetings – Annual meeting will be held in conjunction with the Conference Championship Meet.
2. Awards
1. Coach of the Year: Will be the coach of the Championship team.

1. All Conference Team: The top 10 male and top 10 female Conference finishers at the Conference Meet.

1. Conference Championship: Will be determined by the best team finish at the Conference/Regional Championship Meet.

1. Runner of the Week: Shall be named for each division by the rater/SID based on each week’s results.

1. Most Outstanding Athlete: voted on by coaches for both men and women.  Each coach may submit one name for each award, men and women.  The Sport Chair will send out the list of nominees for voting to the coaches.  Each coach has one vote in his/her sport.

1. Men’s and Women’s Team Champion

1. Men’s and Women’s Individual Champion

1. All-Academic – Athletes must also finish in the top 7 in at least one meet.

1. Conference Championship Meet

1. The Conference Championship Meet will be held in conjunction with the Region XII Championship Meet at Sycamore Shoals State Park in Elizabethton, TN on November 3, 2007.  Milligan College will serve as the host institution.

1. The official NAIA Handbook for Coaches will be used as the guidelines for conducting all meets of the conference and individual member schools.

1. Conference Championship officials will be provided by the host coach or race director.

1. In order to solidify commitments, a host and site for the following year shall be agreed upon at the Fall Coaches Meeting at the Conference Championship Meet.  Written bids from potential host sites should be received no later than March 1 of the following year.  The recommendation of the coaches’ committee for a host site will be presented at the Conference Annual Meeting in May.

Golf

1. Men’s Chair: Chris Wyrick --Union College

Women’s Chair:  David Pennell – Montreat College           

1. Roster
1. There will be no minimum number of participants necessary for a team to compete for medalist and All-Conference awards.  However, if a team chooses to participate with less than four team members due to financial and or participation reasons, it is recommended by the NAIA that institutions have on file with the NAIA their letter of Intent to Participate.
2. Scheduling

All schools are encouraged to have their schedules prepared by the time of the conference tournament, especially if they are going to be hosting an event the following year.
Fall Conference Play – Montreat – Sept. 17-18, 2007
Spring Conference Play – UVA – Wise – April ??

1. Cancellations, Forfeits, and Make-ups
1. Inclement Weather Policy: In case of inclement weather, at least 18 holes must be played for a champion to be crowned.  The local club pro or a committee of three coaches will be responsible for halting and restarting play.  When necessary to appoint a committee the golf chair will perform the duty.
1. Options regarding suspension of play due to inclement weather (to be determined prior to the beginning the match):
1. Round 1 will be completed prior to round 2 starting.  If play is interrupted, the golfer chooses to spot the ball or complete the hole (if there is lightening, play does not continue).  When play is interrupted in the final day, the 9 holes, which all participants finished in Day 2, will be counted.  If there are not 9 holes which all have completed, scores are counted from Day 1.
2. If all participants complete the same 9 holes on Day 1, scores are counted for the 9 holes.  If Day 1 is completely rained out, the coaches will vote to decide the number of holes to be played (18, 27, or 36) on Day 2.
1. Officials
1. USGA rules govern all play.  For interpretation of these rules the golf chair will request that the local club pro act alone as the interpreter.  If this arrangement is not made, the chair will appoint three coaches to form a rules committee to act in this capacity.  This decision will be made prior to play.
2. A rules sheet should be at all events and all rules need to be enforced.  All tobacco products are off limits.
2. Equipment/ Site Criteria / Scoring
1. Team Ties
2. In the case of a team tie for first place, a sudden death playoff will occur.  Play will begin on hole #1 with the 5 players of the participating teams.  The sum of the four lowest scores will be used to determine a champion.  It the tie still exists, play continues in the same fashion on the next hole and continues until the tie is broken.  All other team ties will be decided by the 5th man score on the last day.  If the tie still remains, go back to the first day scores.
3. In the case that there is a team tie for 1st place and the tie cannot be broken by sudden death playoff due to darkness or inclement weather, the following sequence will be used to resolve the issue.  The format will follow the order of the sequence listed below until the tie is broken. 
1. Score of the 5th player on the last day of competition
2. Score of the 5th player on the first day of competition
3. Scorecard play-off adding the total strokes on all 5 players beginning with the 18th hole and continuing backward.

1. Individual Ties: Sudden death playoff starting on the first hole until the tie is broken.  If a Co-Medalist situation occurs and one is from the winning team and one is not, the Medalist from the losing team would represent the Conference at the National Tournament.
1. Forms and Reports: The Conference Tournament Director must register the tournament with Golfstat and furnish them with the complete order of team finish.  He/she must also notify the NAIA National Office of the top four teams in order of finish.
2. Coaches will report all matches played on the Conference website with results and individual statistics.
3. Coaches Meeting: Held in conjunction with the final round of the Conference/Regional Tournament.  The Conference and Region XII Tournament Directors and the rater for Region XII will be elected by a vote of the coaches present.
4. Awards
1. Coach of the Year- Is awarded to the coach of the winning team of the Conference Golf Tournament.
2. All-Conference Team
1. The award will be based upon one designated, rotating tournament in the Fall and one in the Spring.  For 2007-08, these two tournaments will be Montreat’s in the Fall and UVA-Wise’s in the spring.  The player with the lowest stroke average in those two events will be named “ Player of the Year”.  The next 5 lowest players stroke averages will earn “All-Conference.”  The team with the lowest scores from those two tournaments will be the Regular Season Conference Champion.  In the event of a tie, the 5th man breaks the tie..
2. A sudden death playoff will be necessary if there is a tie for medalist honors.
3. USGA rules will govern the tiebreaker.
4. If there is a tie after weather has halted play and there is no option of sudden death play, the Conference will recognize the tied players as Co-Medalists.
1. Conference Champion and Tournament
1. The Men’s Conference Champion will be determined by a 36-hole tournament open to all teams in conjunction with the Regional XII Tournament, scheduled for April 12-14, 2008, at the London Country Club, London, KY.

The Women’s Conference and Region Tournament open to all teams will be held at Bagby State Park, Ft. Gaines, GA, on April 27-29, 2008.      

1. The winner of the Region and the medalist of the tournament will advance to the NAIA National Tournament.
2. Bids for hosting Spring Tournaments must be submitted to David Pennell by September 28, 2007.

Men’s and Women’s Soccer

1. Men’s Chair- Sandy Zensen – Bryan College

      Women’s Chair – Dave Dixon – Milligan College      

• Roster - All rosters are to be exchanged at conference matches and posted on the AAC website.  Rosters must include the following: Players name, Players #, Players year in terms of eligibility, # and dates of cautions, # and dates of suspensions, and dates of served suspensions.
• Scheduling
1. The use of the scheduling matrix is suggested, with double-headers encouraged.  Specific play dates will be determined by mutual agreement.
2. Each team must play every other team in the Conference once.
3. If a team plays a Conference opponent more than once, only the first game will count towards the Conference record.  This rule excludes any games played in a pre-season or season tournament..
4. Coaches are required to complete their ’08 AAC schedule by the end of September ’07.  Conference games are to be scheduled prior to non-conference games
5. Start time for all matches will be determined by the home team.  Coaches are encouraged to consider travel distance, day of the week, facilities, number of matches (men/women) and institutional traditions.
6. No scouting reports are to be given to non-Conference schools.
7. The last conference game that will be counted to conference standings must be played on or before October 20, 2007, 3 days prior to the AAC Tournament play-in date (Oct. 23, 2007).  Any exception must be approved by the Chair and the Executive Committee.  Exemptions may be made for make-up games or other scheduling conflicts and unforeseen conflicts that may arise.  Conference games will take precedent over non-conference games in any decision or change.
• Cancellations, Forfeits, and Make-ups
• If a match is cancelled for reasons other than inclement weather and it cannot be made up, it will be recorded as a forfeit to the team responsible for the cancellation.
• Matches canceled for inclement weather, must be re-scheduled at the earliest available date, as agreed upon by both teams involved.

 

1. Officials
1. Each host team will schedule its own NISOA certified officials for regular season games.
2. The home team will be responsible for the cost of the officials.
2. Equipment/ Site Criteria
1. Minimum field dimensions are: (65 yds x 110 yds) NAIA standard.
2. Maximum field dimensions are: (80 yds x 120 yds) NAIA standard.
3. The NAIA Soccer Handbook and the NCAA Soccer Rules shall guide other policies not specified by the conference.
3. Forms and Reports

a.   The home team is responsible for reporting scores on the day a contest is played using the Conference website reporting system.  This will post the result on the Conference website, update the standings, and report the result to the national NAIA Scoreboard.  When a Conference member team plays a non-conference away opponent, the member is required to report the results as soon as practical. Every week during their season, each team will web synch their entire DakStats by 12:00 noon on Monday.  Web synching immediately after each game is encouraged.

1. Coaches Meetings
1. The official men’s and women’s soccer coaches’ meeting will be held during the Conference tournament.
2. Additional meetings may be called by the Chair, and as the need arises.  All coaches will be notified a minimum of 2 weeks in advance of any duly called official meeting.
2. Awards
1. Coach of the Year- will be voted on in the same ballot with Player of the Year.
2. Regular Season Champion.
3. Tournament Champion
4. Player of the Year- A ballot will be made from the All-Conference 1st Team and will be voted on within one week of the Conference Tournament.
5. Freshman of the Year – Nominations will be received by the Chair from coaches.  A ballot will be distributed among the coaches for voting which will take place within one week of the Conference Tournament.
6. Player of the Week-Coaches make nominations directly on the NAIA website by 1:00 p.m. on Mondays.  The Sport Chairs then make the selection for POW by 3:00 p.m. Mondays.  If the Sport Chairs do not make their selection within the stipulated time frame, the selection is made by the Conference SID.
7. All conference awards will be presented at the Tournament Banquet.  Members of the All-Conference and All-Academic teams shall receive certificates; the Coach of the Year, a plaque; and the Player of the Year, a plaque.  The Regular Season Champion and the Tournament Champion shall be awarded either a trophy of a plaque.
8. All-Conference Team
1. First Team all-conference selections will be made be vote of the conference coaches.  Each coach will nominate their respective players.  A ballot of nominations will be distributed among the conference coaches for voting.  The number of selections will follow the NAIA Region format.  Conference goalkeepers will be nominated separately and placed on a ballot.  A vote will be taken to determine the 1st team GK.
2. A slotting system will be used to determine the 2nd and 3rd All-Conference Teams.
1. Each coach will select his own players and determine their placing.
2. The number of selections for the 2nd and 3rd teams will be determined by the final seeding of the regular season.  Criteria listed below.
3. Any coach may waive nominations.  Any waived nomination will be open to a vote.  The nomination is one week prior to the start of the Conference Tournament.
3. Selection Criteria:

Seeding                                                    2nd Team                3rd Team
#1 (Regular Season Champs)                  2  selections              2  selections
#2 (Runner-Up)                                       2  selections              2  selections
#3                                                            2  selections               2  selections
#4                                                            1  selection               1  selection
#5                                                            1  selection               1  selection
#6                                                            1  selection               1  selection
#7                                                            1  selection                1  selection
#8                                                            1  selection                1  selection
#9                                                            1 selection                 1 selection

 

1. All conference awards (except Player of the Year) will be presented at the Tournament Banquet.  The All-Conference and All-Academic teams shall receive certificates, the Coach of the Year a plaque, and the Player of the Year a plaque, the Freshman of the year a plaque.  The Regular Season Champion and the Tournament Champion will be awarded either a trophy and/ or a plaque. 
1. Conference Champion and Tournament
1. The men’s and women’s combined Conference Championship Tournament will be held at Osborne Stadium, Camp Jordan Park in Chattanooga, TN on Oct. 26-27, 2007.  First round games will be held on October 23, at the higher seed.
2. The top 8 teams will advance to the Conference Tournament.   
3. The Conference Regular Season Champion will be decided upon by seeding the teams after all Conference games have been played.
4. NAIA Regional Tournament – The AAC Regular Season Champion shall represent the AAC in NAIA Region XII Tournament, as well as the AAC Tournament Champion.  If the regular season champion also wins the AAC tournament, then the 2nd place regular season finisher will advance to the Region XII Tournament.
5. Each team will be assessed $300, payable to the Sport Chairs, by Aug. 31st to pay for officials for the semi-final and final matches and meet other tournament expenses.
6. Tournament responsibilities and expense responsibilities:
1. The expenses for the first round matches will be paid by the host school of each match.
2. Referee expenses for first round games (USSF National): paid by the host school
3. Referee expenses for semi-finals and final (USSF National): will be paid from the $300 per team assessment ($2000)
4. Other expenses incurred over and above $2000 will be paid from the $1000 guarantee provided by the Chattanooga Sports Committee.
5. Banquet expenses: Ticket price paid by those attending
6. The head coach at Covenant College will be designated the Tournament Director for the Chattanooga site.  He will secure the services of 3 ball boys per game, a scorekeeper, security, ticket collectors, and parking attendants.  A public address announcer is encouraged but not required.
7. The Chair will arrange for an Awards Banquet on the Thursday evening proceeding the semi-finals and finals.  Bryan College will host the Awards Banquet.
8. The host school will provide game balls for the semi-finals and finals.
9. The Sport Chairs will arrange for the purchase of awards and presentations.
10. The Sport Chairs will communicate the tournament schedule to all coaches.
11. All ticket revenues may be used by the host school to offset any remaining expenses.
1. Criteria for Conference standings and system for tie-breakers within the Conference are as follows:
1. Win/loss Record – Points will be awarded for each Conference game played.

Win = 3 points, Tie = 1 point, Loss = 0 points

1. Head-to-head competition within the Conference.
2. Goal differential within the Conference (4 goal max. per match)
3. Longo Rating System - as described in the NAIA handbook.
1. Conference Tournament Games

 

1. Four neutral officials are required at the playoff site(s) by the host school(s) and /or host site.
2. The Soccer Chair and an official (non-coach) from each participating institution is required to attend the Conference Semi-finals and Championship.
3. The host school or site must provide security for each post-season game.
4. The Conference official, Sport Chair, and the non-coach official representative from each participating institution shall be responsible for the awards presentation if the Conference Commissioner is not present.
1. Succession of Men’s Soccer Chair:

 

1. Appointed annually by vote of the conference coaches.
2. Appointment is a one-year term.
3. The Chair may serve consecutive terms, but must be elected annually.
4. Nominations will be received at the annual meeting of the conference coaches held during the conference tournament.
5. Nominations may be received by letter or e-mail from those not attending the annual conference tournament meeting.
6. In the event the Conference Chair resigns or leaves the AAC during the one-year term, and interim will be assigned by the Conference Commissioner to fill the vacancy until the term has expired.
7. The Conference Chair will delegate various tasks to the individual conference coaches in order to insure that all conference responsibilities are fulfilled.
8. Each coach is expected to take an active, cooperative role with the Chair in the operation of conference policy and procedures.



Softball

1. Chair: Jeff Rice –TWC

      Softball Rater Wes Holly –

1. Roster: A team consists of a minimum of nine players.
2. Scheduling
1. Scheduling format will consist of all Conference teams using the matrix schedule.  Each team will play the other member institutions in a double-header one date per year.
2. All games must be played.  If a team travels and the games are not played, the home school must make up the trip as an away game.
3. The international tiebreaker will be used in all regular season Conference games.  This will start in the eighth inning.
3. Cancellations, Forfeits, and Make-ups.
1.  The last date to complete Conference games is April 27, 2008.  No Conference game will be originally scheduled after April 19, 2008.  If games are not completed by then they will count as loses to both teams for seeding purposes.
4. Officials
1. The Conference will use the KEN-TEN and the Foothills Umpire Associations as the Conference softball officials.
5. Equipment/ Site Criteria
1. All Conference schools must play with an outfield fence not less than 200 ft. and not to exceed 230 ft. in distance from home plate.
2. The official Conference softball shall be the Diamond RFP 47 per our contract with Diamond Sports.
6. Forms and Reports
1. The home team is responsible for reporting scores on the day a contest is played using the Conference website reporting system.  This will post the result on the Conference website, update the standings, and report the result to the national NAIA Scoreboard.  When a Conference member team plays a non-conference away opponent, the member is required to report the results as soon as practical.  Every week during their season, each team will web synch their entire DakStats by 12:00 noon on Monday.  Web synching immediately after each game is encouraged.
2. All conference teams must report win/loss record to the sport chair on or before April 27, 2008.
3. The stipend payable to the Sport Chair will be $100 per institution.
1. Coaches Meetings – April 29, 2008 at the site of the Conference Tournament.
2. Awards
1. Coach of the Year- Will be voted on at the Conference Tournament.
2. Player of the Year – Will be voted on before the Conference Tournament.
3. All-Conference Team- Will be selected at the end of the season before the Conference Tournament.  Only conference Stats will be used.  Every player making All-Conference will be nominated for All-Region honors.  A player must make All-Conference to make All-Region.
4. Honorable Mention All-Conference Team – Selected by coaches.
3. Conference Champion and Tournament
1. The Conference Tournament will be held at Bristol’s Whitetop Creek Park and Sports Complex, April 30-May 2, 2008.
2. The tournament will be an 8-team double elimination tournament.  There will be no international tiebreaker used in tournament games.  No team may dress more than the NAIA allows for post-season play.
3. Local schools will be responsible for meeting the expenses of the tournament.  The host Virginia Intermont will provide expense reports to the Conference and to the other schools.  If there is a net loss for the tournament, the first $200 is paid by Virginia Intermont, next $200 from King College, next $100 from Milligan College, and the next $100 from UVA- Wise.
4. Tie-breaker for seeding purposes will be as follows:
1. Winning percentage
2. Head-to-head
3. Fewest runs allowed among teams tied
4. Results versus Conference opponents starting at the top
5. Coin toss
5. The Region Qualifying Plans:

If three teams qualify – The top teams during the regular season and the two highest finishers in the Conference Tournament, other than the top teams in the regular season.  The tournament winner will be the number 1 seed to the Region Tournament.  The Regular Season Champion will receive the second seed.  The third seed will go to the team receiving the second bid from the Conference Tournament.
If two teams qualify – The winner of the regular season and the winner of the tournament will qualify.  If this is the same team, then the tournament runner-up will qualify.  The number 1 seed will go to the Tournament Champion.
If one team qualifies – The Tournament Champion will qualify.

1. Other policies will follow the current NCAA rulebook with NAIA modifications.



Men’s and Women’s Tennis

1. Chair:  Marvin Glover – Milligan College

 

1. Roster – A match shall consist of six to eight players and nine matches (6 single matches, 3 doubles matches).  Less than six players may be used only if a player is injured or sick.
1. Scheduling – Coaches of each team are responsible for contacting one another to agree on home and away matches.  One of these is to be designated for “Standing and Seeding.”

 

1. Cancellations, Forfeits and Make-ups
1. If a team travels to the site of a match and the match must be cancelled because of weather, a make-up must be agreed upon if it is the “Standings and Seedings” match.  The non-designated match may serve as the make-up.  Otherwise, there will be no make-up unless agreed to by both coaches.  Coaches must communicate before travel.
2. If a team wishes to seek a forfeit of a cancelled match because of what they deem as the lack of honest effort on the part of the opponents to reschedule, a request must be made in writing to the NAIA National Office within 10 days of the originally scheduled match date.  Notice must also be given to the Conference Commissioner.

 

1. Equipment / Site Criteria / Scoring

a. Regular Season Match Play: Scoring
1. 9-point matches, (6 singles, 3 doubles each counting one point) playing doubles     first, and play 8-game pro sets for doubles.
        2.  Singles, best of 3 sets.
3.  Regular Add scoring, 12 point tie-breaker at 6-all in singles and 8-all in doubles.

b. Coaches Responsibilities
1.  Written contracts for all matches.
2.  Coach and a designated person may coach.
3.  Coaching allowed at all times while the ball is not in play, not to disrupt the flow of the match.
4.  Follow ITA “Code” except where differences provided in writing by the coaches’ committee.
5.  Home coach shall provide the visiting team with at least two practice courts 30 minutes before the match time.  Other warm-ups should be limited to 10 minutes.
6.  Singles and doubles line-up are to be exchanged simultaneously prior to the match.  The line-ups are to be “fair” with the strongest player at number one, and so on.

c.  Equipment
            1.  Use ball adopted by the NAIA.
2.  The home team will provide 3 new balls for each match.  New balls will be used for a third set if both coaches are in agreement.

1. Conduct

 

1. It is the responsibility of the coaches to set standards for his/her team and take appropriate disciplinary action when these standards are violated.
2.  The conduct warning will be given during the introduction of the line-ups.  After that, coaches or assistant coaches may issue a point penalty, followed by game, then match o subsequent violations.

1. Officials

 

a.   It is the responsibility of the home team to have available qualified volunteers for line judges or foot fault judges, if such is requested.  Play may be suspended a maximum of five minutes while and official is sought.
b.  After a coach’s warning for a foot-faulting, a line judge may be requested by a coach only.

1. Forms and Reports – Regular Season Champion, Tournament team and individual results plus All-Conference, Academic All-Conference, and Sportsmanship awards are to be faxed to the Conference, Region, and NAIA National offices within 48 hours of the tournaments completion.

 

8.  Coaches are to report match results using the Conference website reporting system weekly including team and individual results.

1. Coaches Meetings – Coaches will meet at the Conference Tournament to decide on the next year’s schedule.

 

1. Awards

a. Coach of the Year – Will be determined by a vote from the head coaches at the tournament meeting.

b.  Singles, Player of the Year.

   c. Team Champion and Runner-Up and Champion of Character.

1. All-Conference Team – Each coach at the seeding meeting will nominate players of their choosing for All-Conference then vote for 10.  The top 10 vote getters will be named to the All-Conference Team and the remaining vote getters will be awarded and Honorable Mention.
2. Duard Walker Sportsmanship Award- Each team will nominate a player to be voted on by coaches for the Sportsman of the Year.  The remaining nominees will comprise the AAC Sportsmanship Team.  This will be done for both men and women.

 

11. Conference Champion and Tournament

a. The Conference Men’s and Women’s Tournament will take place at the Liberty Bell Tennis Complex, Johnson City, TN, April 18-20, 2008.

b. The Conference Champions will be determined at Conference Tournament with all member institutions eligible.

c. Tournament Committee is appointed annually to work out the details such as: dates (preferably 3rd of 4th week of April), site director, expenses, local housing, possible corporate sponsorship, possible indoor facilities, and seeding meetings.

d. Seeding – determined by the team record for the “designated” conference matches.

e. Schedule:  Day 1 – Quarter and Semi-finals, Day 2 – Finals, Day 3 – Rain day

1. Scoring:

 
1. Best of 3 sets for singles.
2. 8-game pro sets for doubles; 12-point tiebreaker if needed.  Best of 3 sets in the finals.
3. After a team has scored 5 points the match is complete.  Play is halted for all other matches underway.
                   4. Add scoring will be used in all matches.

1. Format / Other Criteria

 

1. Format- see paragraph 10.
1. Tourney fee is $110 for each team, men and women counting as two teams to be submitted to the Tournament Director before the seedings meeting, which is the night prior to the first day of the tournament.  Fee will cover the cost of officials, facilities, and Tournament Director.

 

1. Milligan, Virginia Intermont, and King will each provide one case of tennis balls
1. New balls for each match.

 

1. Coaching is allowed at all times when the ball is not in play, not interrupting the flow of the match.  Coaches may sit on the court, outside the doubles alley near the net post.  Each team may have a maximum of 2 coaches, designated in writing to the director before play begins.
1. Warm-up is limited to 10 minutes, including practice serves..  Players are to avoid returning practice serves.

 

1. Default time:  Teams/players failing to report for a match 10 minutes after the match is called will forfeit the match.
1. Teams/players may have 30 minutes rest period between matches.

 

1. Winning players report scores and return used balls immediately to the director.
1. ITA rules to be followed.  English shall be the spoken language on the courts.

 

1. Injury time out is 3 minutes and the player must stay on the court.  Only 2 injury time outs per match.
1. If the Conference is allowed more than two representatives to the NAIA Region XII Tournament, the two automatic bids will be the Regular Season Champion and the highest finishing tournament team other than the Regular Season Champion.  The additional team(s) will be determined by order of finish in the conference tournament using regular season results as a tiebreak if necessary.  This will be dependent on the relative strength of the KIAC and Region independents and at the discretion of the Region Director and conference chairs.



Men’s and Women’s Track and Field

 

                  1. Chair – Rodney Stoker - Bryan College
                  2. Roster – There is no minimum roster to constitute a team.
                  3.  Scheduling
         a. All teams that sponsor track and field must compete in the Conference Championship.
                  4.  Cancellations, Forfeits, and Make-ups.
    a.  Should an institution declare its intent to participate in the NAIA Men’s and Women’s Track National Championship, it must honor that commitment if the team qualifies through the Conference Championship meet.  If the institution does not honor its declaration of intent commitment, it shall be automatically suspended in that sport for the next academic year
      b. The official NAIA handbook for coaches will be used as the guidelines for conducting all meets of the Conference and individual member schools.
5.  Officials
            a. Officials for the Conference Championship will be provided by the host institution.
6.  Equipment/ Site Criteria
            a. To be determined annually by coaches in the fall.
7.  Forms and Reports

1. National qualifying marks are to be reported to the NAIA through the POP system.
2. Coaches will report meet results using the Conference website reporting system including team and individual results.

8.  Coaches’ Meeting
      a. The annual coaches’ meeting will be held at the Cross-country Championship or at the Track Championship.
9.  Awards
            a. Coach of the Year – will be coach of the Championship Team.
      b. All- Conference team – The top 3 male and the top 3 female Conference finishers in each event at the Conference Championship meet.
      c. Conference Champion – will be the winning team at the Conference Championship meet.
      d. Most Outstanding Athlete – to be voted on by the coaches for both men and      women.
            e. Men’s and Women’s Team Champion
            f. All-Academic.
10.  Conference Championship Meet
      a. The combined meet will be held April 18-19, 2008 in Banner Elk, NC.




Volleyball

1. Chair: David Nicholson –Union College

 

1. Roster: A team must have a minimum of six players and maximum of 14 players on their official roster each game.  More players may dress out and play during regular season matches, but no more than 14 during the Conference Tournament.
2. Scheduling
1. Coaches will meet in August (first Tuesday) to schedule home and away matches for the following season, with every team playing every Conference team at home and away.
3. Cancellations, Forfeits, and Make-ups
1. Coaches will make the decision whether to play or reschedule.
2. The host school must pay the visiting team the officials’ fee if the officials fail to show.  The host team must travel to the visiting team to make-up and pay for the officials.  If the host team chooses not to travel to play again, the host team must take a forfeit.
4. Officials
1. Each coach selects the officials for their home matches.  Regular season and tournament officials must be USA or PAVO rated officials.  Regular season officials are selected by the host school.
2. Certified high school officials can be used as down officials when a USA or PAVO official cannot be secured or in an emergency situation.
5. Equipment/ Site Criteria
1. The Tachikara is the official NAIA volleyball.  The Tachikara S5W Gold white ball or the Red/White/Blue balls are the official balls to be used by the Conference.  The Red/White/Blue ball will be used for post-season play.
2. Conference fee of $10.00 should be paid to the Sport Chair on or before September 15th. 
3. All Conference schools must provide at least 12 (good) balls for the opponents to use during their warm-up for matches.
4. The home team will provide water, cups, and ice for all matches.
5. The host school must provide a trainer for all home matches.  If the visiting team needs a trainer, the home team should be advised in advance of the match.
6. Forms and Reports

The home team is responsible for reporting scores on the day a contest is played using the Conference website reporting system.  This will post the result on the Conference website, update the standings, and report the result to the national NAIA Scoreboard.  When a Conference member team plays a non-conference away opponent, the member is required to report the results as soon as practical. 
Every week during their season, each team will web synch their entire DakStats by 12:00 noon on Monday.  Web synching immediately after each game is encouraged.

1. The coach must be present at the meeting in order to nominate his/her players for the All-Conference and Freshman of the Year awards.
2. Coaches may nominate Player of the Week, Setter of the Week, and Libero of the Week by using the web-based form on the NAIA website by noon on Mondays.  The sport chair or Conference SID will make the final selection based on weekly nominations.
1. Coaches Meetings
1. Meetings for Conference coaches will be held twice a year: in August (first Tuesday) and in November at the Conference Volleyball Tournament.  All volleyball coaches should attend both meetings.
2. Awards
1. Coach of the Year – voted on by all Conference coaches at the Conference Tournament.
2. Player of the Year – The player receiving the most votes of the coaches in the All-Conference selections and confirmed by verbal affirmation of the coaches (see paragraph e., below) is the POY.  If there is a tie, both players will be recognized as Co-Players of the Year.
3. Libero of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and a Six-Player All- Freshman Team, and the Champion of Character (Team Award) will be voted on by the coaches at the November meeting.
4. All-Conference Team – Players are nominated by their coach and voted on by all coaches, with each coach not voting for his or her own players.  Each coach must vote for twelve players.  Voting is based on power ranking with the first player on the ballot receiving twelve points, the second player receiving eleven points, etc.  There will be a twelve member First Team and a six member Second Team.
5. All-Academic Team – Nominations must comply with the requirements outlined in Section I., Standard Operating Procedures, paragraph 1. B.  Nominations must be received by the Sport Chair by the Monday before the Conference Tournament.  An official transcript or Registrar’s official form must accompany each nomination.  Voting to confirm the nominations will be by the coaches at the Tournament.
6. All-Tournament Team.  Each coach of the final four teams chooses two players for the team.  An additional player from the Championship team will be chosen as the MVP.
7. Nominations and supporting statistics for the above awards must be sent to each Conference volleyball coach by the nominating coach by 5:00 p.m. on the Sunday prior to the Conference Tournament.  Voting forms (provided by Conference Chair) must be submitted to the Conference Chair by 5pm on the Wednesday before the Conference Tournament.
8.  Players will not be eligible for Conference Awards if the coach fails to report weekly statistics more than two times during the season.  The coach must be present at the coaches’ meeting in order to nominate his/her players.
9. Coaches may nominate a Player of the Week directly on the NAIA website by 2:00 p.m. on Mondays.  Three positions are available for POW nominations.  The Sport Chair, or if he/she is not available, the Conference SID will select the POW by 3:00 p.m. Mondays.
3. Conference Champion and Tournament
1. The AAC Volleyball Tournament site selection is based on a bid process.  Conference schools desiring to host the tournament will submit a bid at the August meeting in order to host the tournament the following year.  A bid process listing all of the requirements has been established and is available from the Conference Chair.
2. The 2007 Conference Championship Tournament will be hosted by King College November 8-10.  The banquet will be held the evening of November 8 and the Tournament will begin November 9th.  All conference teams participate in the conference tournament.
3. The Conference Champion will be determined by a Conference Tournament.  This Conference Tournament Champion will represent the Conference in the Regional Tournament.  If a second automatic berth is given, it will be given to the Regular Season Champion.  If the Season Champion and the Tournament Champion are the same, the Tournament Runner-up will advance to the Regional.   If a third automatic berth is given, it will be given to the next highest finisher in the Conference Tournament.
4. The Regular Season Champion will be selected on the basis of win/loss record of Conference matches (just the home and away matches).  The Regular Season Champion will have the option to host the Conference tournament and will receive an automatic first seed.  If the season winner chooses not to host the tournament, the second place finisher will next have the option, etc.  A tie for the Regular Season Champion will be decided by:
1. Head-to-head
2. Head-to-head in the number of games won and lost against each other
3. Total points scored against
4. Coin toss by a neutral coach

If there is three-way tie, #2 above would involve a win/loss percentage of games between the three teams.

1. Tournament seeding will be based on the Conference win/loss record.  In case of a tie, the following procedure will be followed:
1. Head-to-head in their matches between themselves
2. Head-to-head in the number of games won and lost against each other
3. Total points scored against
4. Coin toss by a neutral coach

 

1. If the tournament host chooses, she/he may use another gym in their area as long as the host school assumes any rental cost incurred and as long as the gym meets all of the necessary requirements.
1. Entry fee is $90.00 and is due to the host school on or before the team’s first tournament match.

 

• Tournament Officials: The Conference Volleyball Chair, after talking with the coaches, will secure the tournament officials.  An attempt will be made to secure officials form various geographic areas.  The host school will pay them for travel, lodging, and meals in addition to the appropriate match fee.  Coaches of Conference teams should tell the chair if she/he does not want a particular official to call at the tournament  (with valid reason).  All officials should be National or Jr. National officials, or the best officials that the Chair can secure.  Priority will be given to officials who do not call matches regularly for teams in the Conference.