Recap of NCAA/NFHS Rules Meetings

By Marty Maciaszek
NSGA Director of Communications and Team Dealer Division

and

Tom Van Jacobs

NSGA Marketing Coordinator and HDA Managing Director

Discussions of upcoming and potential rule changes in various sports by the NCAA and National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) were discussed by sports organizations and members of the sporting goods industry at the 20^th annual Team Sports Conference hosted by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) on April 27 in Indianapolis.

The National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) attended the meetings and has this recap. Some of the information has been previously shared by NSGA but is being shared as a reminder.

All NCAA Division I Sports – Commercial Logos on Uniforms

The expanded use of commercial logos on uniforms in all Division I sports for the non-championship season goes into effect August 1, 2026. All sports can have a maximum of two commercial or non-profit logos on the uniform in addition to the manufacturer’s logo. The size of the manufacturer’s logo has been increased to 4 square inches from 2½.

An additional logo can be added for conference tournament games/events. The NCAA said it is still working through what the rule will look like for championship competition and expects to have guidelines finalized this summer on what is allowable for NCAA championships. There is a thorough look at the issue on NCAA.org.

The rule book has identified where the logos can go and it’s basically in the same space, a pretty limited space, above uniform numbers. In the basketball meeting, it was shared that the women’s side has made an allowance to have the logo on the back of the jersey below the number to account for long hair and ponytails.

This is legislation and not a rule change. Divisions II and III are discussing following the Division I lead on additional logos but are moving more slowly from a philosophical standpoint. It is expected that Divisions II and III will address the size of the Division I manufacturer’s logo change since one size across all divisions will make uniform production easier.

Baseball

USA Baseball

• There will be an upcoming transition with the BBCOR bat standard and USA Baseball will take over management of the BBCOR .50 standard from the NCAA. The performance and specifications for the bat will not change and Washington State University will continue as the official bat testing lab, according to USA Baseball’s Russell Hartford.
  
  USA Baseball will manage all new BBCOR .50 certifications and establish a new certification category “USA BBCOR.” Approved bats will feature the new USA Baseball BBCOR Certified .50 certification mark. The updated mark is proposed and Hartford said they want to talk with manufacturers to get feedback so it is easily identifiable by umpires. USA Baseball will host a list of approved bats on its website.
  There will be a public program announcement in July 2026 that the current BBCOR certification process transfers to USA Baseball. In the Fall of 2026, the new USA BBCOR bats will become available for purchase and use in the 2027 season.
  
  In NCAA, USA Baseball BBCOR bats will be eligible for use in 2027. Previously stamped bats will be grandfathered in for use in 2027 and 2028. Work is ongoing between USA Baseball and the NFHS regarding the BBCOR certification process and the possibility of a wood-like standard at lighter bat weights that would be allowable for sub-varsity competition, according to Hartford.
  
  Bat cosmetics will be approved by USA Baseball and it will enable USA Baseball to provide bat certification services to a wider range of baseball leagues and governing organizations.

NFHS

• The school nickname, name, mascot and or players name will be permitted on uniforms in all sports, effective January 1, 2027.
• The rule requiring use of the double first base goes into effect January 1, 2027. NFHS’ Elliot Hopkins said Iowa has been requiring them for 40 years and Texas and Hawaii adopted its use for this season. Hopkins said a few states are pushing back on a national mandate and it will be discussed at the June baseball rules meeting.
• Some players have been attempting to use “bat wraps” that cover the top of bats, but also hides the required BBCOR mark as well as cracks and damages to the bat. The “bat wraps” are not allowed in high school baseball.
• There have been a few reports of pitchers trying to use a SpinGrip throwing glove on their pitching hand in games. Hopkins said umpires know it’s not supposed to be there and “we want you to use your natural ability to throw a ball and it’s not allowed in high school sports.”
• Several states are experimenting with coach to catcher and pitcher communication and the use is starting to pick up momentum.
• Some high schools have ball flight and performance tracking systems but NFHS is not convinced it’s for every high school in the United States. Some companies with the technology want to have it available to every high school in the US.

NCAA

• There may be a push for Divisions II and III to follow the Division I requirement of using a double first base in the postseason.

Little League

• Little League will be using a double first base at all World Series baseball and softball events. A lot of local leagues are using them because of the visibility they have gained.
• Use of pine tar on bats is allowed.

USSSA

• USSSA has new leadership and is developing a more in-depth bat licensing agreement, according to USSSA’s Craig Scriven. They want to be an industry leader and make sure participants remain safe.

Football/Flag Football

NFHS Football

• Players are allowed to wear playcards on their belts.
• It is not necessarily a rule change, but NFHS made an emphasis on keeping the knees covered for all athletes. NFHS asked manufacturers to make sure they are not altering the length of the pants when manufacturing them for high school football.
• Arm Sleeve Program Update: Effective for the 2027-28 season, NFHS will require all arm sleeve coverings to meet the SFIA certification requirements.

NFHS Flag Football

• Rule 1-5-3d states that the pants, shorts or skirts must be a single solid color that clearly contrasts with the color of the flag and flag belt.
• Effective for the 2028 season, all footballs used need the NFHS Authenticating Mark. 

Volleyball

NFHS

• Libero uniform bottoms may be any color and are no longer required to match the team uniform bottoms. The two liberos do not have to match each other but colors have to contrast.
• Each libero may wear a different uniform, as long as that uniform clearly contrasts from non-libero teammates.
• For the boys season only, starting in the 2026-27 season, states may adopt the use of a textured ball. States will have to approve its use but the NFHS does not.
• Two number reminders:
  • All leading zero numbers have to come off in the 2028-29 season (no numbers 00, 01, 02, 03, etc… are allowed)
  • Numbers on the jersey need to be centered and not in the corner for the 2029 season.

NCAA Women

• An experimental rule for the fall 2026 season will allow for live video use on the bench.

Lacrosse

NFHS

• The rules meeting for both boys and girls will be in June with a press release in July or August.
• There is a possibility of a proposed rule in regard to sticks and protrusions but no confirmation yet until the meetings.

NCAA Men

• The following rules will need final approval in June at the meeting, but they have confidence that both will pass.
  • The requirement that the game ball needs to be a brighter color such as fluorescent (green/yellow)
  • The requirement that the goal netting needs to be black in color

Basketball

NCAA

• Men’s basketball would like to return to making untucked jerseys legal so officials no longer have to be “fashion police.” Untucked jerseys were allowed in women’s basketball starting with the 2025-26 season. The untucked jerseys also create potential opportunities for logo use.
• It is not a rule change year, but the NCAA is also discussing the men’s game potentially switching from two 20-minute halves to four 10-minute quarters.

NFHS

• The NFHS is also looking at the possibility of allowing the jersey to be untucked for boys and girls basketball.
• A question was asked if there was any consideration of allowing numbers that go above the use of 5, which would give the option of numbers such as 28, 77, 89, etc…). Monica Maxwell of NFHS said she has not heard any interest from states wanting to make that change.
• Maxwell said NFHS is also looking into participation decreases of 6,028 in the 2023-24 season and 11,044 in the 2024-25 season. Girls wrestling and club volleyball may be part of the reason and Maxwell said NFHS “doesn’t think kids are leaving the sport altogether, they’re just going to another sport.”
• Five states are adding the shot clock in 2026-27 (Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Oklahoma, Wyoming). Two are adding it in 2027-28 (Kansas, Kentucky) and Pennsylvania may add it in 2028-29. Indiana rejected a shot clock proposal recently.
• Rules updates are expected around June 1.

Softball

NFHS

• The school nickname, name, mascot and or players name will be permitted on uniforms in all sports, effective January 1, 2027.
• Heather gray slacks will no longer be permitted for umpire’s uniform.
• No transmission of audio or video by player from the playing surface will be allowed.
• NFHS’ Sandy Searcy said there has been a lot of discussion about mandating a double first base. Currently the rule is permissive and Searcy said they will see if the proposal appears on the June rules meeting agenda.
• There hasn’t been an appetite for additional coach to player communication technology beyond coach to catcher defensive communication but consideration is expected to grow over next couple of years. 

USA Softball

• USA Softball is looking at a standard for slow-pitch to allow USSSA bats in USA Softball games. USA Softball’s Kevin Ryan said there are still bats allowed in USA Softball that aren’t allowed in USSSA. All required testing has been finished and it’s not a rule change so it could be done for the upcoming 2027 season.

Track and Field

NCAA

• Related to the use of logos, student-athlete equipment may have one commercial logo on one piece of equipment (throwing implements such as the shot put, discus, hammer throw and javelin or a pole vault pole) for non-NCAA championship competition. For throwing implements the additional logo must meet and pass all certification requirements.
  
  The logo must be “uniform” throughout the team and it can be used on one implement only. If a shot put has a logo, then a discus or other throwing implement cannot have a logo.
  
  Indoor track and field is considered a separate entity from outdoor and men’s and women’s track and field are considered separate entities when it comes to the use of logos on equipment.

NFHS

NFHS’ Julie Cochran said there a few significant issues across the nation.

• Wavelight pacing technology is a pacing light across the track and is not legal and the only pacing allowed is an actual athlete in the field. There is some general confusion as to what the rule is out there and the technology has been in Olympics for more than a decade.
• Electronic starting devices are becoming a huge conversation because there are state meets on college campuses that can’t use starting pistols. Some schools and state associations are moving more toward electronic starting devices and Cochran said every year more and more people are looking at them. Ohio starts mandating their use in 2027.
• Wearing Meta AI Glasses with any kind of recording device during an event or trial is not permitted.
• NFHS is not going to any type of shoe requirement at the high school level such as the NCAA with World Athletics. Cochran said it’s “very difficult to officiate in the high school space.”