🚩Rules Compliance / Adjudication

6.1 National Commissioner

The NCWA National Commissioner is responsible for:

1. authoring NCWA rules and policies including adoption of the rules of competition

2. upholding the bylaws and rules of the NCWA

3. presiding over official meetings of Conference Commissioners and the NCWA Rules Committee.

4. be accountable for oversight of all national team-point earning competitions including National Duals, Regional Duals, and National Championships in collaboration with the NCWA Board of Directors.

   This position shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the NCWA Board of Directors.

   The National Commissioner can be reached at [e-mail] .

6.2 National Compliance Officer

The NCWA National Compliance Officer is responsible for:

1. upholding the bylaws and rules of the NCWA.

2. investigating reported rule infractions

3. presenting findings to the NCWA Judicial Council

4. informing the involved parties of the Board's decision and resolutions of the problem

   The National Compliance Officer is to inform any offender of their violation. All national level violations will be fined accordingly, and all monies will be deposited in the NCWA treasury.

   This position shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the NCWA Board of Directors.

   The National Compliance Officer can be reached at [e-mail] .

6.3 NCWA Judicial Council

The NCWA Judicial Council will consist of the following five (5) voting members:

• Chairman: NCWA National Compliance Officer

• Vice-Chairman: NCWA National Commissioner

• Member: Current or retired Wrestling Official (Appointed) *

• Member: NCWA Conference Chairman (Appointed) *

• Member: NCWA Coach (Appointed) *

*Appointees to be nominated by the National Compliance Officer.

Persons appointed membership on the Judicial Council shall be nominated by the National Compliance Officer confirmed unanimously by the NCWA Board of Directors, and shall serve for a period of one season, ending at the conclusion of the NCWA National Championships, or upon resignation or removal, whichever happens first.

If a unanimous confirmation is not received, the NCWA Board of Directors shall offer a new appointment nomination for confirmation.

The Judicial Council shall render advisory opinions, which shall be made public and posted on the secure area of the NCWA website for all questions of interpretation received outside of official proceedings. All advisory opinions are to be non-binding on the Judicial Council in any official proceedings.

Committee Note: Advisory opinions are non-binding as the Judicial Council may not have access to details and facts that would be required to render an official ruling on the interpretation or application of a rule. As such, advisory opinions merely offer guidance on the interpretation or application of a rule, and nothing more. The NCWA Judicial Council, along with the NCWA Board of Directors, has the authority to remove or suspend any program, coach, or wrestler that it deems to be detrimental to the NCWA.

6.4 Team Fines / Penalties

Conference boards can enforce conference fines and penalties that can be appealed to the National Judicial Council. The Judicial Council sets its own fines and penalties. The following are recommended fines, but not all-encompassing of applicable fines and/or penalties. All fines levied may be adjudicated by the Judicial Council.

Offense	1st Offense	2nd Offense	3rd Offense	4th Offense
Use of Non-Registered Official	$50	$100	$200	Disqualified
Wrestling a Non-Registered Athlete	$50	$100	Disqualified	------------
Inaccurate contact info on NCWA website	Warning	$50	$50	$100

6.5 Coaches’ Reprimands & Disciplinary Actions

When it has been alleged that a team or coach is in violation of the NCWA rules, the offending party shall be notified of the allegations and will be given 10-days to provide an appeal. If it is ultimately ruled that a violation did occur, notification shall be sent to the school’s administration. Notice of the offense will be posted on the secured section of the NCWA website as an Article 6.4 Violation.

6.6 Notification of Non-Compliance or Violation

When it has been alleged that a team, coach, wrestler, or member institution is in violation of the NCWA rules, the offending party (hereafter “offender”) shall be notified of the allegations in writing by the Conference Commissioner or the National Compliance Officer and will be given 10-days to provide a written response to the allegations as set forth in Article 6.7.

The Conference Commissioner or National Compliance Officer shall notify the offender of their rights under this section to respond to the allegations. All monetary fines may be levied on offenders without initiating of the processes set forth in this Section. Article 6.11 may still be utilized by offenders.

A team that has been formally assessed a fine may file an appeal no later than 14-days after issuance. In any case, no fine may be appealed later than the day of the Conference Championship tournament regardless of the date of the assessment.

6.7 Written Response to Allegations

Any offender (or their representative), responding in writing to the allegations as set forth in Article 6.6 shall include the following:

1. A recitation of facts underlying the allegations or defense to the allegations.

2. Contact information for witnesses who may confirm the facts as set forth.

3. Documents or other physical evidence supporting any defense or request for leniency or exception to the rule alleged to have been violated.

4. A dated signature of the party or team representative, verifying the facts to be true and accurate to their knowledge.

   The Conference Board, Conference Commissioner or NCWA National Compliance Officer may require further information be provided in the written response. The Conference Board, Conference Commissioner or NCWA National Compliance Officer shall provide a notice to the offender if no written response is received, or if the information required in a written response is missing within five (5) days of the deadline to submit said information. The offender shall have two (2) days from the date of notice to provide the missing response or information. On the third day following notice, failure to provide a response or required information will represent an admission that no such information is available, or that the offender is guilty of the alleged conduct.

6.8 Involvement of Legal Counsel

All teams, coaches, wrestlers, and member institutions shall be afforded the right to obtain and employ legal counsel to represent them in any proceedings herein. Should legal counsel be employed to represent an offender, all proceedings shall cease immediately, and the matter forwarded to the NCWA General Counsel, or any other legal representative engaged by the NCWA. All matters recommended to the NCWA General Counsel or legal representative shall be heard within 90 days of the close of the current wrestling season.

6.9 When Legal Counsel Is Involved

The team, coach, wrestler, or member institution shall forfeit their right to compete effective as of the date of the legal actions and for the remainder of the season, or until the matter is resolved to ensure no further liability arises for either the NCWA or the offender.

Similarly, should a lawsuit be threatened or filed against the NCWA, its volunteers, officers, members, other representative, or similar person or entity by any wrestler, coach or institution, that wrestler’s, coach and / or institution’s membership shall be suspended immediately, unless and until such lawsuit or matter underlying the threatened lawsuit is terminated and a waiver of all claims is signed by the wrestler, coach and/or institution, or until such claim has been adjudicated by the proper judicial authority.

6.10 Findings / Ruling

The Conference Board or NCWA Judicial Council shall render a finding of fact and render sanctions, if appropriate, in writing, within 15 days of receiving a response from an offender (or following the failure of an offender to provide a response as set forth in Article 6.6). Copies of the findings of fact shall be sent to the party identified in the written allegations, the team coach, the NCWA Executive Director (for the Men’s or Women’s Division), and the NCWA National Compliance Officer. If it is ultimately ruled that a violation did occur, notification shall be sent to the school’s administration. Notice of the specific rule number violated, and the school of the offender will be posted on the secured section of the NCWA website as a Rules Violation. All findings shall be confidential unless fines are levied, or actions are required by any NCWA Board or Committee (e.g., the forfeiting of a wrestler’s matches, disqualification of a wrestler or team, etc.). Only such information required to be disclosed to take appropriate actions shall be made available to the public.

The findings of a Conference Board shall be enforced until up to 48 hours after an appeal is submitted and may be continued as set forth in Section 6 or as determined by the Judicial Council or NCWA National Compliance Officer.

6.11 Appeals

The findings of the Judicial Council may not be appealed for any reason and are final upon the Article findings having been issued. The findings of a Conference Board of Directors shall be appealable to the NCWA Judicial Council for up to no more than ten days of the Article 6.10 findings having been issued. On the eleventh day, any rights to appeal the decision of the Conference Board of Directors shall be forfeited, and the findings upheld.

The Judicial Council shall within 48-hours, make two decisions:

1. Whether the appeal is to be heard.

2. If the appeal is to be heard, whether the findings/rulings of the Conference Board of Directors shall be enforced or suspended until the conclusion of the appeal.

   The NCWA Judicial Council may hear an appeal at the request of a member of the Judicial Council, even if the findings/ruling is not appealed by the offender. The NCWA Judicial Council may refuse a request for appeal upon a review of the Conference Board written Article 6.10 – Findings / Rulings and upon a unanimous vote of the Judicial Council. When the Judicial Council either denies hearing an appeal or upholds the findings of the Conference Board after conducting the appeal, the findings of the Conference Board shall be confirmed.

6.12 Written Appeal

Any offender (or their representative), requesting, in writing, an appeal of the Article 6.10 - Findings -Ruling of a Conference Board of Directors shall include the following:

1. A comprehensive explanation of the offender’s basis for appealing the Article 6.10 - Findings / Ruling.

2. Information not provided to the Conference Board and an explanation of why said information was not provided.

3. Documents or other physical evidence not provided to the Conference Board and an explanation of why said documents or physical evidence was not provided; and

4. A dated signature of the party or team representative, verifying the facts to be true and accurate to their knowledge.

The written appeal must be sent via online email to the following persons:

1. National Compliance Officer

2. National Commissioner

3. National Executive Director (Men’s or Women’s Division)

4. Conference Chairman of the related Conference

5. Conference Commissioner of the related Conference

   The Judicial Council may require further items be required in the written appeal or may request a follow-up statement from the offender after the submission of the written appeal.

6.13 Appeal Findings / Ruling

The NCWA Judicial Council shall either uphold or reverse the finding of fact and/or sanctions rendered by the Conference Board, in writing, within 20 days of receiving an Article 6.12 written request for appeal and any further items the NCWA Judicial Council requests from an offender.

Copies of the ruling shall be sent to the offender, the team coach, the NCWA Executive Director, the NCWA National Compliance Officer and sent to the school administration if it is ultimately ruled the violation did not occur. If it is ultimately ruled that a violation did occur, notification shall be sent to the school’s administration. After an appeal, a notice of the violation will be posted on the secured section of the NCWA website. Confidentiality is waived after an appeal is requested and a finding issued to ensure precedent is maintained in all future appeals.

6.14 Lawsuits and Litigation

The NCWA recognizes a wrestler’s, a coach’s, or an institution’s right to engage both legal counsel and the justice system for alleged violations of the law. The NCWA takes all threats of litigation seriously. As such, for the protection of the NCWA, its member wrestlers, coaches, institutions, and its volunteers, should any legal proceeding or lawsuit be threatened or filed against the NCWA, its volunteers, officers, members, other representatives, or similar person or entity by any wrestler, coach, or institution, challenging the NCWA’s Rules and Regulations, in any manner whatsoever, that wrestler’s coach’s and/or institution’s membership shall be suspended immediately.

Unless and until such lawsuit or matter underlying the threatened lawsuit is terminated and a waiver of all claims is signed by the wrestler, coach and/or institution, or until such claim has been adjudicated by the proper judicial authority.

For the sake of clarity, this provision and the resulting suspension are not intended to include any legal proceeding or court action brought against any individual NCWA agent or employee whose purported actions are outside the scope or capacity of their employ or engagement.

Any member wrestler or institution that chooses to threaten or file a lawsuit waives their right to compete, host, or participate at any NCWA team or organization hosted practice or event until the litigation concludes, or a waiver of claims is signed by the member.

A suspension under this section shall render the wrestler unable to practice with any member institution or engage in NCWA hosted competition.

It is the duty of all individuals associated with the NCWA to report to the NCWA Board of Directors and the organization’s legal counsel if any threat or filing of any lawsuit falling within the terms of this section.