BUSA ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • Entrants for the BCA University Competition, and other BCA university specific divisions, must agree to comply with the eligibility requirements of the British Universities Sports Association by 1st May 2007.   This is a key requirement for BUSA recognition of the sport.   For Telford 2007 teams must declare non eligible competitors on their entry form.
  • This change only affects eligibility of team members.   The competition is run under BCA rules and safety guidelines as usual.   Teams not conforming to BUSA eligibility rules will still be free to enter non university specific BCA divisions. ie SRA, SCI, SDL etc.


    Extract from BUSA Regulations:
    REG 14.1 Eligible Participants: For a student to be eligible for BUSA Individual Championships or to represent his/her University in BUSA Team Championships and in BUSA Domestic Representative matches, he/she shall:
    REG 14.1.1 Be an internally registered[1] student at an institution of Higher Education[2] that holds current membership of the Association; and
    REG 14.1.2 Be registered on a credit rated course (e.g. MSc, Degree or HND)[3], and
    REG 14.1.3 Be undertaking a study programme equivalent to at least 60 credits per year, or in the case of a postgraduate student be undertaking a study programme of no less than 50% of the full time student programme. HE institutions that have FE students registered with them and undertaking a minimum of 225 Guided Learning Hours are eligible to compete in BUSA competitions as long as they fulfill their National Governing Body regulations on age, and
    REG 14.1.4 Be a player who is permitted by the Governing Body of the sport concerned to participate alongside amateur competition in that sport; and
    REG 14.1.5 Have paid the appropriate Union or Athletic Union subscription.
    REG 14.1.6 Students may only compete for the institution(s) with whom they are internally registered.
    [1] A student who is classified by the university Registrar as a student who is studying at the member institution or assigned campus in an internal classification.
    [2] On the merger of the previous organisations in 1994, and in the immediate period thereafter, seven HE/FE institutions were accepted into membership of BUSA. Thus the membership status of those institutions will not be affected by the above regulation, and for such institutions 7.1.1 shall read ‘be an internally registered student at an institution that holds current membership of the Association’.
    [3] That is a course that is registered under CATS (Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme).
     
    REG 14.2 Special Cases for Participation: The following persons are classified as eligible to participate in BUSA Individual Championships or to represent his/her University in BUSA Team Championships and in Domestic Representative matches:
    REG 14.2.1 A student who is fully registered as an internal student at more than one BUSA member institution (and is by BUSA regulations eligible to compete for each of those institutions) may choose, annually, on a sport-by-sport basis, from among the institutions which they are eligible, which of those member institutions to represent (noting REG 14.2.2 below).
    REG 14.2.2 No student may compete in the same sport for more than one institution in any one academic year.
    REG 14.2.3 A sabbatical officer of either a Students’ Union or an Athletic Union who has paid the appropriate Union or Athletic Union subscription.
    REG 14.2.4 A student satisfactorily finishing his/her course of study between December and March or later until the end of the academic year provided his/her Union or Athletic Union subscription has been paid.
    REG 14.2.5 A student embarking on a Sandwich Course and/or Year Abroad course provided all of the following:
    REG 14.2.6.1 The appropriate fee has been paid to their Athletic Union, and
    REG 14.2.6.2 Their Athletic Union has paid affiliation fees to BUSA on his/her behalf, and
    REG 14.2.6.3 The duration of the course in industry is less than one year.
    REG 14.2.6.4 Officers of Athletic Unions at Universities should in cases of doubt refer the circumstances to the BUSA Chief Executive.
     
    REG 14.3 Ineligible Participants: The following students are ineligible to participate:
    REG 14.3.1 Students at ‘franchised’ colleges unless recognised as fully registered internal students of the member institutions of the Association (and whose BUSA affiliation fee for the franchised college has been paid by the member institution).
    REG 14.3.2 Externally registered students, as determined by the University’s Registrar.
    REG 14.3.3 Students undertaking ‘foundation’ courses are only eligible if their institution’s Registry Office (or equivalent) deems them to fulfill these BUSA eligibility requirements; i.e. are internally registered students of the BUSA member institution and are studying an appropriate course as listed above.
    REG 14.4 Acceptable Governing Body: The Executive Board of the British Universities Sports Association shall determine, from time to time, which student organisations shall be acceptable as bodies equivalent to an Athletic Union and performing the function of such a body.
    REG 14.5 Team Selection: In team sports which incorporate competition below First Team level, each team should be selected as though the other teams would be playing in a match of equal importance at the same time. Individuals may not play or substitute (playing or non-playing) for different teams on the same date. Individuals may not play for different teams in the same round of the knockout stages, even if those rounds take place on different dates. Example1: a football 2nd XI playing on a day when its 1st XI is not playing (whether a scheduled or re-arranged date) must be selected as if the 1st XI were playing on that day. Example2: a rugby player who has played in the semi-finals of the Trophy knockout stages may not then compete in the semi-finals of the First Team Shield competition, even if those matches take place on different days. He/she would be eligible to be selected for the First Team Shield Final as it is both a separate round and a higher level competition.
    REG 14.6 Each University Club MUST observe the following procedures:
    REG 14.6.1 Whilst all teams within a particular sport entered by an institution remain in the Championship, team selection shall be a matter for that institution, provided that rule REG 14.5 is adhered to.
    REG 14.6.2 In all league matches and subsequent knockout round matches, the First Team or higher fixture must be given priority should an institution be unable to fulfill its complete programme within each sport. Matches played in contravention of this regulation will be awarded to the opposition, or in certain circumstances, be voided. For example, an institution may NOT concede a walkover at Second Team level, while continuing to field a lower team on the same day.
    REG 14.6.3 When a team is eliminated from a knockout competition (i.e. fails to qualify for a knockout round or lose a knockout round match) all members of that team playing in that match, excluding bench reserves or substitutes (even if they have entered the field of play) shall be excluded from further participation at any lower level. The final Conference league match and all knockout matches to be deemed as elimination matches for this purpose.
    REG 14.6.4 In Men’s and Women’s Hockey matches, all squad members (up to a maximum of 16) will be excluded from further participation under rule REG 14.6.3, regardless of whether they have entered the field of play.
    REG 14.6.5 Under no circumstances may a player be permitted to compete for a team of the opposite sex, with the exception of specific mixed sex Championships.