NCAA restricts schools penalizing volleyball players for not playing during pandemic

College men’s volleyball players will have additional protections amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

The NCAA’s Division I Board of Directors voted Friday to approve a series of recommendations restricting schools from requiring student-athletes to give up certain legal rights or financially penalizing them for not playing.

Schools are now prohibited from mandating players have to waive any legal rights regarding the coronavirus in order to compete in practices or matches.

Along with this policy, schools can no longer cancel or reduce a player’s scholarship if the student-athlete opts not to play this season because of the coronavirus.

The Division I Council recommended both of these policies to the Board of Directors. In addition, the protections will immediately go into effect and will apply to players in all NCAA sports.

Among the other recommendations the Board of Directors approved included moving the NCAA Tournaments for women’s volleyball and other fall sports to the spring for this school year.