Athletic Directors Workshop New Athletic Directors Workshop CIAC Athletic Directors Workshop Part II CAAD Conference March 2008

Athletic Directors Workshop CIAC – In Season and Out-of-Season Rules CIAC – Rules Regarding Paid/Unpaid Coaches Transfer Rule Captains Practice Seasons Limitations/Sunday Play Questions/Answers from Audience (as time allows) Topics

Athletic Directors Workshop CIAC out of season questions Are volunteer coaches granted any special immunity with respect to out-of-season coaching rules? No. A volunteer coach is considered the same as all coaches on the coaching staff of a specific sport and must abide by all CIAC rules and regulations. In fact, according to the State Department of Education regulations, all volunteer coaches who coach or instruct athletes must be certified.

Athletic Directors Workshop CIAC out of season questions Can a coach call an out-of-season meeting of his/her players to provide off-season self-help suggestions or workout programs to help athletes improve their conditioning and/or skills? Yes, a meeting between coach and players for the purpose of providing off-season suggestions or workout programs is permitted. However, the meeting cannot be designed to offer coaches the opportunities to instruct athletes on improvement of skills.

Athletic Directors Workshop CIAC out of season questions Can CIAC member schools permit their coaches to inform their players, through announcements, posters, letters, of sports specific opportunities, such as camps, clinics, leagues, etc. Yes, but coaches cannot organize, supervise, coach or instruct member school athletes out-of-season except as provided for through exceptions to 2.1.b.

Athletic Directors Workshop CIAC out of season questions Can a coach (including a volunteer coach) call an out-of-season school team meeting for the purpose of organizing summertime practices or captains practices? No. Rule 2.1.c. states: Member schools may not organize or permit coaches to organize, supervise or operate athletic practices which includes captains practices.

Athletic Directors Workshop CIAC out of season questions Can a coach who has been hired by a school, but not yet coached in that school, coach and instruct athletes* from that school during the summer prior to assuming his/her coaching duties? *Defined as CIAC athletes whose names appear on the previous eligibility list and who have CIAC eligibility remaining in the sport. No, a new coach must comply with the CIAC out-of-season regulations. A new coach and a returning coach are treated the same.

Athletic Directors Workshop CIAC out of season questions Can a coach conduct an out-of-season non- mandatory workout, for members of his/her team where well designed aerobic, stretching, plyometrics, other physical fitness activities and interval training techniques are used? Yes, but the training techniques cannot be sports specific and must comply with regulation which in part states that the equipment of the sport cannot be used.

Athletic Directors Workshop CIAC out of season questions Can a coach mandate out-of-season conditioning for all their athletes? No, coaches are not allowed to mandate out-of-season conditioning or practices.

Athletic Directors Workshop CIAC out of season questions As a long time high school coach, can I organize and supervise a summer camp which consists of my athletes from last year as long as I do not coach or instruct them as an exclusive team unit and they dont exceed more than 10% of total number of participants? Yes, as long as he/she is not coaching or instructing any of those athletes as an exclusive team unit.

Athletic Directors Workshop CIAC out of season questions Can a member school coach coach one non-school team per year provided no more than the number of member school athletes specified in the chart (found in 2.1.b.3) are on the out-of-season team roster? Yes. However, the roster must remain fixed.

Athletic Directors Workshop CIAC out of season questions Sport Girls Teams # Reg Season # Out of Season Sport Boys Teams # Reg Season # Out of Season Field Hockey 116Football116 Soccer116Soccer116 Volleyball63Basketball53 53Ice Hockey63 Softball95Baseball95 Lacrosse126Lacrosse105 Volleyball63

Athletic Directors Workshop CIAC out of season questions With the new rule modifications can a basketball coach now coach three athletes out-of-season? No, it would be considered an out-of-season practice if the coach coached any of his athletes. In order for the coach to be in compliance with the regulation all coaching and instructing must in a non-school team setting.

Athletic Directors Workshop CIAC out of season questions After the date of the schools first contest for a given sport, can a freshman, JV, or varsity team member practice or play with an outside team, participate in a camp, student clinic, tryout, showcase, or audition for a college or professional team in the same branch of athletics? No, after the date of the schools first contest participation in any of these activities would constitute a violation. However, there are some exceptions to the rule for students that participate unattached in the individual sports of golf, gymnastics, swimming, tennis, indoor track and outdoor track. Please refer to the exception to Rule 1.1.a. for select sports only on page 26 in the CIAC Handbook. Unattached means that the student cannot represent their school and must comply with weekly limitations. Refer to 4.6.J in the CIAC Handbook for the complete definition of unattached status.

Athletic Directors Workshop CIAC out of season questions A student opts to play junior hockey rather than play for the high school team. In January he leaves the junior team and wants to join the high school team. Is this permissible under CIAC eligibility rules? No, after the date of the schools first contest in the high school hockey season, a student who practices or plays with an outside team cannot join the high school team.

Athletic Directors Workshop CIAC out of season questions During the season, can an athlete obtain individual lessons in the skills of his or her sport (i.e. pitching lessons)? Yes, lessons are permissible.

Athletic Directors Workshop CIAC out of season questions In the off season, can a coach give individual lessons in the skills of the sport that he/she coaches to one or more of his/her member school athletes? No, coaches are permitted to give lessons, but not to members of his or her team.

Athletic Directors Workshop CIAC out of season questions Can an open gym be conducted for only those students that plan to tryout for the basketball team? No, an open gym cannot be held for a select group of athletes. For an open gym to be an allowable activity, it must be open to all students and no coaching or instructing is permitted.

Athletic Directors Workshop Seasons Limitations/Sunday Play Sunday Prohibition – No regular season game can be played on a Sunday in any sport on any level. What are the only exceptions to the Sunday rule? In varsity football only, a Saturday postponement as a result of severe weather. A CIAC tournament postponement in any sport for the finals only.

Athletic Directors Workshop Seasons Limitations/Sunday Play What are the only exceptions to the Sunday rule? A league tournament postponement in any sport, but Sunday play must be approved by the league and this exception can be used only once per sport in any tournament. No Sunday postponement can start earlier than 12:30 p.m.

Athletic Directors Workshop Seasons Limitations/Sunday Play When does the season end for the student-athlete and when can he/she begin to play with an outside team? The season officially ends with the state championship in that sport or the New England Championships if the student-athlete qualifies. However, when the student-athletes season is over and their team does not advance to the tournament the student-athlete can play/practice with their outside team without violation.

Athletic Directors Workshop Seasons Limitations/Sunday Play When does the season end for the student-athlete and when can he/she begin to play with an outside team? Also, if the student-athlete is not included on the tournament roster they may play/practice with their outside team and not be in violation as long as they do not play in any CIAC contest for the remainder of the season.

Athletic Directors Workshop When is a transfer student eligible to participate? (Note: These responses assume the student athlete meets all other eligibility requirements – scholarship, age, number of seasons played, etc.) Immediately when the student-athlete has a legal change of address in the new school district or service area and is residing with parent or legal guardian. Immediately if the student transfers as a ninth grader. Immediately if the student is transferring in or out of a state authorized school of choice. Transfer Rules

Athletic Directors Workshop When is a transfer student eligible to participate? Immediately if the student-athlete meets one of the eighteen (18) exceptions in Rule IIC – Student Eligibility. Immediately if the student-athlete has not played the sport in his/her previous school in grades 10, 11 or 12. Transfer Rules

Athletic Directors Workshop When is a transfer student eligible to participate? After a thirty (30) day wait in the affected sport if the student-athlete does not meet one of the eighteen exceptions and the sending and receiving principals have signed a transfer waiver form attesting that the transfer is not for athletic reasons. After 365 days of enrollment if the transfer is for athletic reasons. Transfer Rules

Athletic Directors Workshop Teams of One DQ Rule 8 Semester/3 Season Rule Parent and Coach calls to CIAC Jamboree Regulations Sportsmanship Ratings Week Other Topics if Time Allows