BRIDGEPORT, Pa. -- To help fans making plans to attend the 2011 NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship at the University of Michigan's Canham Natatorium on May 13-15, the CWPA is posting a synopsis of what is known at this point.

The information below is derived from the 2011 NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship Participant Handbook, most recently updated on March 1, 2011. 

Date Formula
The National Collegiate Women’s Water Polo Championship will be held the second full weekend (Friday-Sunday) of May.

Dates and Sites
[Reference: Bylaw 31.1.3 in the NCAA Division I Manual.]
2011 Finals - May 13-15—Donald B. Canham Natatorium, University of Michigan, host
2012 Finals-May 11-13—Aztec Aquaplex, San Diego, California, San Diego State University, host
2013 Finals-May 10-12—McDonald’s Swim Stadium, Los Angeles, California, University of Southern California, host

Sports Committees
[Reference: Bylaws 31.1.1 and 31.1.2 in the NCAA Division I Manual.]
The National Collegiate Women’s Water Polo Championship is under the control, direction and supervision of the NCAA Women’s Water Polo Committee. Current members of the committee are:

• Matt Anderson, University of Michigan, chair
• Peg Hefferan, Wagner College
• Don Sherman, Gannon University
• John Tanner, Stanford University
• Thomas Whittemore, University of Redlands
• Barbara Kalbus, Secretary-Rules Editor
• Bob Corb, Water Polo Officiating Coordinator

Determination of Competing Institutions
Championship Structure
The 2011 National Collegiate Women’s Water Polo Championship will be a eight-team, single-elimination tournament with a bracket to determine all places (12 games). Automatic qualifiers will be provided by the Big West Conference, Collegiate Water Polo Association, Mountain Pacific Sports Federation and Western Water Polo Association. The conference representatives from the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference will participate in a play-in game, with the winner gaining the fifth and last automatic berth into the eight-team bracket, The remaining teams will be selected at large without geographical restrictions.

Play-in Game
The recipient of the automatic berth from the fifth and sixth ranked Rating Percentage Index (RPI) conferences (deemed as non-qualifying conferences) at the end of the prior year’s season will have a play-in game for the fifth spot into the current eight-team bracket. Play-in conferences are determined by the NCAA Women’s Water Polo Committee using the RPI from the most recently completed season. Conferences will be notified of the status (i.e., automatic qualifier or play-in team) before the start of the championship season.

Championship Selection
Bylaw 31.3.3.1 – Countable Competition
For NCAA team-championship selection purposes, competition is countable only when the teams played are varsity intercollegiate teams of four-year, degree-granting institutions that conduct a majority of their competition in that team sport against varsity intercollegiate teams (see Constitution 3.2.4.5) of United States four-year, degree-granting institution. Competition against service teams, professional teams, semiprofessional teams, amateur teams, two-year colleges, B teams, Junior Varsity Teams, and club teams shall be excluded.

Selection Criteria
The following criteria shall be employed by a governing sports committee in selecting participants for NCAA championships competition [Bylaw 31.3.3; Criteria for Selection of Participants]:

Primary Criteria

• Won-lost record
• Strength-of-schedule
• Head-to-head competition
• Results versus teams under consideration
• Secondary Criteria
• Results versus common opponents
• Late-season performance-defined as the last 10 games including conference championship tournaments (strength and results)
• Rating Percentage Index (RPI)
• Eligibility and availability of student-athletes for NCAA championships

As listed above, the Women’s Water Polo Committee will use the Rating Percentage Index (RPI) as a secondary criteria during the selection process. An institution’s RPI ranking consists of three factors that are weighted as follows:
Factor I - Winning Percentage - 25%
Factor II - Opponents’ average winning percentage - 50%
Factor III - Opponents’ opponents’ average winning percentage - 25%

Specifically the final number is calculated using the following formula:
Factor I: Take each team’s won-lost percentage and multiply that by 25%
Factor II: Take each opponent’s won-lost percentage (excluding the wins or losses against the team in question), then average these percentages and multiply that figure by 50%.
Factor III: Take each opponent’s opponent’s won-lost percentage (excluding the wins or
losses against the team in question), then average these percentages and multiply that
figure by 25%.

To calculate the final RPI, add all of the calculated figures.

Once the teams are selected, the NCAA Women’s Water Polo Committee will seed the eight teams using the criteria listed above.

Championship Selection
[Reference: Bylaws 31.01.2, 31.01.3 and 31.3 in the NCAA Division I Manual.]
Teams shall be selected by the Women’s Water Polo Committee Monday, May 2, and the bracket will be posted on www.NCAA.com that evening with an announcement time to be determined.

Automatic-Qualifying Conferences
[Reference: Bylaws 31.3.4 and 31.3.5 in the NCAA Division I Manual.]
Four conferences were granted automatic qualification to the 2011 championship:

• Big West Conference
• Collegiate Water Polo Association
• Mountain Pacific Sports Federation
• Western Water Polo Association

Certification of Eligibility/Availability
[Reference: Certification of Eligibility/Availability in the Division I General Section and Bylaws 3.2.4, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 in the NCAA Division I Manual.]
Only student-athletes eligible under Bylaws 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 may compete in NCAA championships. In accordance with Bylaw 3.2.4, member institutions are required to certify the eligibility of their student-athletes before the beginning of each academic year and to withhold ineligible student-athletes from all intercollegiate competition. Because of the provisions of this bylaw, the NCAA Executive Committee has eliminated the NCAA certification-of-eligibility/availability form. Member institutions are reminded to notify the NCAA national office before the selection date for each championship of any student-athlete who may have participated in regularseason competition but subsequently is determined to be ineligible or unavailable for NCAA championships competition.

Championship
Bench Area
Each team is permitted a maximum of 20 persons in the bench area, including the student-athletes in the pool. A total of 13 seats will be available in the bench area. The first violation of bench-area maximum is a warning. A second violation will result in a game ejection of the head coach. If a team is traveling with a trainer, that trainer should occupy one of the four non-athlete bench passes. However, if a team does not list the trainer as one of their four or does not travel with a trainer then that team will use the host training staff which will be positioned in close proximity to that respective team bench. An additional medical person may travel if the institution has the same coach for both men’s and women’s water polo.

Officials
Eight referees will be selected and assigned by the Women’s Water Polo Committee. Two goal judges will be required for each game. The goal judges will be assigned by the host institution’s local assigners.

A desk staff coordinator will be assigned by the committee. The coordinator will appoint the desk staff with the approval of the committee.

Practice and Training Facilities
The championship site will be available two days before the tournament for practice.

Pracitice times will be established by the women’s water polo committee.

Wednesday, May 11
11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Team practices (Open)
Each team is allotted one hour. Teams select practice times during May 3 participant teleconference; Seed #1 will have first choice. Pool will be available after 7 p.m. in the event of travel delays.

Thursday, May 12 Team practices (Closed)
Each team allotted one hour.
8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. Seed 7 (UC-San Diego)
9:35-10:35 a.m. Seed 2 (California)
10:40 a.m.-11:40 a.m Seed 6 (Indiana)
11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Seed 3 (UCLA)
12:50 p.m.-1:50 p.m. Seed 8 (Iona/Redlands)
1:55-2:55 p.m. Seed 1 (Stanford)
3-4 p.m. Seed 5 (UC-Irvine)
4:05-5:05 p.m. Seed 4 (USC)
6 p.m. Coaches/Administrators Meeting, Michigan Stadium, 3rd Roth Club Level Floor Jack
7 p.m. Championship Banquet, Michigan Stadium, 4th Roth Club Level Floor Jack

Friday, May 13 Team practices (Closed)
Each team alloted 45 minutes.
7:30-8:15 a.m. Seed 7 (UC-San Diego)
8:15-9 a.m. Seed 2 (California)
9-9:45 a.m. Seed 6 (Indiana)
9:45-10:30 a.m. Seed 3 (UCLA)
10:30-11:15 a.m. Seed 8 (Iona/Redlands)
11:15 a.m.-Noon Seed 1 (Stanford)
Noon-12:45 p.m. Seed 5 (UC-Irvine)
12:45-1:30 p.m. Seed 4 (USC)
10 a.m. Officials Meeting, Canham Natatorium
Games Times
Pool available at 2:25 p.m. for warm-up.
3 p.m. Seeds 2 vs. 7 (California vs. UC-San Diego)
4:30 p.m. Seeds 3 vs. 6 (UCLA vs. Indiana)
6 p.m. Seeds 1 vs. 8 (Stanford vs. Iona/Redlands)
7:30 p.m. Seeds 4 vs. 5 (USC vs. UC-Irvine)

Saturday, May 14 Team practices (Open)
Teams alloted one hour shared time.
8-9 a.m. Games 5 and 6 low seeds
9-10 a.m. Games 5 and 6 high seeds
10-11 a.m. Games 7 and 8 low seeds
11-Noon Games 7 and 8 high seeds
Game Times
Pool available at 12:55 p.m. for warm-up.
1:30 p.m. Game 5: Loser Game 2 vs. Loser Game 1
3 p.m. Game 6: Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4
4:30 p.m. Game 7: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4
6 p.m. Game 8: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 1

Sunday, May 15 Team practices (Open)
Each team alloted 30 minutes.
7-7:30 a.m. Game 9 low seed
7:30-8 a.m. Game 9 high seed
8-8:30 a.m. Game 10 low seed
8:30-9 a.m. Game 10 high seed
9-9:30 a.m. Game 11 low seed
9:30-10 a.m. Game 11 high seed
10-10:30 a.m. Game 12 low seed
10:30-11 a.m. Game 12 high seed
Game Times
Pool available at 11:25 a.m. for warm-up.
Noon 7th Place Game - Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6
1:30 p.m. 5th Place Game - Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6
3 p.m. 3rd Place Game - Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8
4:30 p.m. Championship Game - Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8
Practice times subject to change.

Rules
Per NCAA Bylaw 17.32, member institutions shall conduct all of their intercollegiate competition in accordance with the playing rules of the Association in all sports for which the NCAA develops playing rules. For those sports where the Association follows rules developed by other governing bodies and modified by the governing sports committee, the adopted playing rules shall be used. The governing sports committee will not consider any results for selection purposes not played in accordance with the NCAA rules books. The official NCAA Water Polo Rules shall be followed.

The officiating coordinator for men’s and women’s water polo will work closely with the secretary rules editor, rules and sport committees, and the officiating and coaching membership. This individual will assist the sport committees in official assignments for the championships, assist conference assignors in leading clinics throughout the regular seasons, conduct evaluations of officials throughout the year and assist in the creation of a rules test and supplemental educational materials for officials and coaches on the current rules and areas of emphasis for the year.

Squad Size
[Reference: Bylaw 31.1.5 in the NCAA Division I Manual.]
Participating teams are limited to a maximum of 16 players in uniform. An institution that is advised it is in violation of this regulation and does not promptly conform to it automatically shall forfeit the competition. There shall be no inordinate delay of the competition to allow an institution to conform to the rule. The 16 players must be designated at the mandatory coaches meeting Thursday night by submitting the official roster form. Player changes can be made up to 60 minutes before the start of your first game of the tournament. After that time, the roster cannot be changed for any reason during the duration of the championship. The roster must have the correct cap number and spelling of the names.

Tickets
[Reference: Tickets in the Division I General Section and Bylaw: 31.1.13 in the NCAA Division I Manual.]
Minimum prices for a 3-day pass for adults will be $35 and for youth, senior citizens and students will be $20. Single day passes will only be sold on the day of competition for $20 for adults and $12 for youth, senior citizens and students. Each participating team will be offered a minimum of 50 tickets. It is the responsibility of the participating teams to notify the host institution of the number of tickets that are needed. All financial arrangements are to be made upon arrival and are the responsibility of the participating institutions. If a “Pass & Gate List” will be used for student-athletes’ guests, it must be operated per the guidelines of NCAA Bylaw 16.2.

Tickets for the NCAA Championship are available for sale online at MGoBlue.com/tickets, in person at the U-M Athletic Ticket Office or by calling (734) 764-0247 or toll-free at (866) 296-MTIX (6849).  Fans can also access the Michigan ticket page by clicking here.

Uniforms
Each team shall supply light and dark water polo caps, complete with protective ear guards as specified in the NCAA Water Polo Rules. The higher-seeded team in the bracket will wear dark caps. If teams do not want the option to flip a coin for ends dark caps will sit on the right end of the pool. (as determined if you were sitting at the desk facing the benches) The coin flip for the first day will be conducted at the coaches/administrators meeting Thursday night, by a committee representative and in the presence of both coaches. Then the rest of the weekend if teams would like the options of ends, teams should flip a coin 60 minutes before the start of the game with the referees, in the presence of a committee member and both coaches.