THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, September 2, 1995 TAG: 9509020523
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAVID REED, ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: LYNCHBURG LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
The NCAA left football players some leeway Friday for end zone prayers, prompting Liberty University to drop a lawsuit alleging the organization was discriminating against religious players.
In a ``clarification'' of its unsportsmanlike conduct rule, the NCAA told coaches and game officials that players may momentarily pray at the end of a play if it does not draw attention to themselves.
Liberty, a Christian college founded by Jerry Falwell, had alleged in its lawsuit that barring players from celebrating touchdowns with prayer violated the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
``Praying has always been and remains permissible under the rules,'' former University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley, chairman of the NCAA Football Rules Committee, wrote in a memo mailed Friday.
``However, overt acts which may be associated with prayer, such as kneeling, may not be done in a way that is delayed, excessive or prolonged in an attempt to draw attention to oneself,'' Dooley wrote.
``Players may pray or cross themselves without drawing attention to themselves. It is also permissible for them to kneel momentarily at the conclusion of play if, in the judgment of the official, the act is spontaneous and not in the nature of a pose.''
Dooley said the NCAA was concerned about the perception that it had banned prayer from football. ``It is not the intent of the Football Rules Committee to prohibit prayer on or off the playing field.''
``I think they just goofed up,'' Falwell said in a Friday afternoon news conference. ``I think they're good men who made a mistake, and like most good men, they have had a hard time admitting they made a mistake.''
Liberty spokesman Mark DeMoss said the university got what it wanted, even though parts of the clarified rule ``are still fairly subjective and leave some things up to interpretation.''
``This memo, which I assume is in response to the suit we filed, permits what we have always done and what was asked for in the suit,'' DeMoss said. ``Liberty will be watching closely to see how the rule is applied by officials.''
U.S. District Judge James Turk issued a one-line order Friday declaring Liberty's motion for a temporary restraining order against the NCAA moot.
The Flames open their season tonight in Lynchburg against West Virginia Tech.
The NCAA denied that it was backing off tough enforcement of the rule intended to curb in-your-face gloating and showboating by players as it pertains to religion.
``There is no change in the rule and there is no change in the enforcement,'' said Kathryn Reith, a spokeswoman at the NCAA's headquarters in Overland Park, Kan. ``We clarified the rule and explained to them (Liberty) what the interpretation has always been.''
``We still believe that too much celebration is wrong, and that taunting is wrong,'' Falwell said.
Liberty coach Sam Rutigliano and four players said in the lawsuit that the rule targeted them for discrimination because of their religious beliefs. He said Thursday his players had his blessing to defy the rule and pray despite the 15-yard penalty on the ensuing kickoff.
``I feel it's my right and it's my opportunity to give thanks to God,'' said quarterback Antwan Chiles, who kneels in the end zone after running touchdowns. ``I want the kids across America to look at me and know that I have a higher power, and that's God.'' by CNB