NOTE: Changes to rules and regulations in Sections 1 through 5 and 7 through 9 must adhere to published rule change procedures. Remaining sections may be altered by vote of the USAR Board of Directors*. Changes to rules and regulations in Sections 6, 10, 11, and 12 are subject to their own governing body’s approval procedures.
(a) Rule change proposals must be submitted in writing to the USAR National Office by June 1st.
(b) A preferred format involves citing the current rule (or that none exists), offering a reason for adding, deleting, or changing a rule, and then proposing a specific wording of the added or changed rule.
(c) The National Rules Committee will make recommendations to the USAR Board of Directors as to which proposals seem viable.
(d) The USAR Board of Directors will review all proposals referred by the committee at its Fall board meeting and determine which will be further considered.
(e) Selected proposals will be made publicly available as soon as possible after the Fall board meeting for polling and comment by the general membership. If practical, an on-line voting method can be used, and its availability will be announced to the general membership via email.
(f) After reviewing membership input and the subsequent recommendations presented by the National Rules Committee and National Rules Commissioner, the proposals are discussed and voted upon at the Board of Directors Annual Meeting usually held in May.
(g) Changes approved at the Board of Directors Annual Meeting become effective on September 1st of the same year. Exception: changes in equipment specifications become effective on September 1st of the year following their approval at the Annual Meeting following.
(h) Proposed rules considered for adoption in one year but are not approved by the Board of Directors at the Board of Directors Annual Meeting of that year, will not be considered for adoption the following year. However, a proposed rule that is tabled at the Board of Directors Annual Meeting for additional discussion or review, must be adjudicated by the Board of Directors by July 1 of the same year or else they will be automatically reconsidered at the Board of Directors Annual Meeting of the following year.
* The following policies & procedures segments are subject to stated rule change procedures outlined in E.1:
A.6 Round Robin Scoring
A.9 Tournament Conduct
B.5 (d-g) Forfeitures, Defaults
B.6 Line Judges
B.7 Appeals
B.8 Outcome of Appeals
Joshua Jones, National Rules Commissioner
Email: rulescommissioner@usaracquetball.com