The NCAA has released the results of a survey on the use of male practice players by women’s teams. The association has been investigating the issue since late 2004, when its Committee on Women’s Athletics said the presence of men at practice, primarily to mimic opponents, limited the participation opportunities of female reserve players.

According to a report on the survey, which was released last week, 66 percent of Division I, 35 percent of Division II, and 40 percent of Division III institutions have at least one women’s team that uses male practice players. They are most common in basketball, volleyball, and soccer. Most institutions reported no change in how female bench players were used in practice when men were present instead of absent. Only two of the 906 NCAA institutions surveyed said they had recruited fewer female players or provided fewer scholarships because of their use of male practice players, according to the report.

The survey was meant to gather data that athletics officials could use to decide whether to regulate the use of male practice players. In January, Division III voted to defer consideration of a proposal to limit them, but all divisions continue to examine the issue. The Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet will take it up at a meeting next month and may propose new rules then.

“I think it’s still too early to have a gauge on whether or not this is likely to result in legislation,” said Carolyn Campbell-McGovern, senior associate director of the Ivy League. The data released by the NCAA do not show “whether or not there are some schools that need to be reined in by rules,” she said.

But a lawyer who specializes in gender equity saw the findings as hopeful for many coaches who have defended the current practice. “The NCAA is less likely to ban male practice players now,” said Daniel A. Cohen, an associate in the Atlanta-based firm of Rogers & Hardin. —Sara Lipka