Coaches Educational Meeting: Playing & Practice Seasons/CARA/Recruiting Rules

Daily and Weekly Hour Limitations - Playing Season  The NCAA requires that a student-athlete's participation in countable athletically related activities shall be limited to a maximum of four hours per day and 20 hours per week.  In-season: 20 hours per week; 4 hours per day  Day of competition counts as 3 hours regardless  One day off per week (Sun-Sat)  Out-of-season: 8 hours per week; no more than 2 hours of skill instruction  Must have two days off per week  If classes are not in session - no CARA

Exception-Golf Practice Round  A practice round of golf may exceed the four-hours-per-day limitation, but the weekly limit of 20 hours shall remain in effect. A practice round played on the day prior to the start of a intercollegiate golf tournament at the tournament site shall count as three hours, regardless of the actual duration of the round.

Skill Instruction  Participation by student-athletes in skill-related instruction in sports other than baseball and football is permitted outside the institution's declared playing season, from the institution's first day of classes of the academic year or September 15, whichever occurs earlier, to one week prior to the beginning of the institution's final examination period at the conclusion of the academic year [see Bylaw (a)].  More than four student-athletes from the team may be involved in skill-related instruction with their coaches from September 15 through April 15.  Prior to September 15 and after April 15, not more than four student-athletes from the same team may be involved Skill-related instruction shall not be publicized and shall not be conducted in view of a general public audience.  In baseball, participation by student-athletes in skill-related instruction is permitted outside the institution's declared playing season, from the institution's first day of classes of the academic year or September 15, whichever occurs earlier, to one week prior to the beginning of the final examination period at the conclusion of the academic year. More than four student-athletes may be involved in skill-related instruction with their coaches from September 15 to one week prior to the final examination period for the fall term and from January 15 through April 15. Not more than four student-athletes may be involved in skill- related instruction with their coaches at any one time in any facility prior to September 15, from the opening day of classes of the institution's second academic term to January 15 (for those institutions that begin classes prior to January 15) and after April 15.

Voluntary activities  a) The student-athlete must not be required to report back to a coach or other athletics department staff member (e.g., strength coach, trainer, manager) any information related to the activity. In addition, no athletics department staff member who observes the activity (e.g., trainer, manager) may report back to the student-athlete's coach any information related to the activity;  (b) The activity must be initiated and requested solely by the student-athlete. Neither the institution nor any athletics department staff member may require the student-athlete to participate in the activity at any time. However, it is permissible for an athletics department staff member to provide information to student-athletes related to available opportunities for participating in voluntary activities (e.g., times when the strength and conditioning coach will be on duty in the weight room or on the track). In addition, for students who have initiated a request to engage in voluntary activities, the institution or an athletics department staff member may assign specific times for student-athletes to use institutional facilities for such purposes and inform the student-athletes of the time in advance;  (c) The student-athlete's attendance and participation in the activity (or lack thereof) may not be recorded for the purposes of reporting such information to coaching staff members or other student-athletes; and  (d) The student-athlete may not be subjected to penalty if he or she elects not to participate in the activity. In addition, neither the institution nor any athletics department staff member may provide recognition or incentives (e.g., awards) to a student-athlete based on his or her attendance or performance in the activity.

Basketball Practice Scrimmages  May be exempted from maximum contest limitations and played prior to first contest if:  Conducted in private;  No publicity;  No official scoring; and  Student-athletes do not miss class for contest or associated activities.  May exempt maximum of two-practice scrimmages each year.  One, if team plays exhibition contest.  May conduct at any time during the playing and practice season.

Basketball Practice Scrimmages  Who may attend?  No one from general public may view the contest.  Facility must be closed to general public.  Must ensure that general public does not enter the facility.  Athletics department staff may be present.  Other staff necessary to conduct the scrimmage may be present.  Prospective student-athletes (PSAs) and those accompanying PSAs on official or unofficial visits may be present.

Basketball Practice Scrimmages  Official Scoring and Publicity  No publicity prior to scrimmage.  No restrictions postscrimmage.  Institutional press releases including score and statistics (team and individual).  Interviews with media.  Videos.  Scores and statistics do not count toward official records.

Tryouts of Enrolled Student Athletes  Bylaw Tryouts -- Enrolled Students.  A tryout of an enrolled student may occur, provided the student is eligible for practice and the tryout only involves activities that are permissible at the time they occur (e.g., practice in season, skill- related instruction or conditioning outside the season).  Need a Sickle Cell, Physical, & Insurance information  See the Tryout form on ARMS  A coaching staff member may not observe enrolled students or SAs in nonorganized athletically related activities outside the season, (e.g., "pick-up" basketball games).

Non-coaching duties/ Undergraduate Student Assistant Coach  An undergraduate student assistant coach is any coach who is a student- athlete who has exhausted his or her eligibility in the sport or has become injured to the point that he or she is unable to practice or compete ever again, and who meets the following additional criteria :  (a) Is enrolled at the institution at which he or she most recently participated in intercollegiate athletics;  (b) Is enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student in his or her first baccalaureate degree program (see Bylaw ), except that during his or her final semester or quarter of the baccalaureate degree program, he or she may be enrolled in less than a full-time degree program of studies, provided he or she is carrying (for credit) the courses necessary to complete the degree requirements;  (c) Is receiving no compensation or remuneration for coaching duties from the institution other than the financial aid that could be received as a student- athlete and expenses incurred on road trips that are received by individual team members; and  (d) Is not involved in contacting and evaluating prospective student-athletes off campus or scouting opponents off campus and does not perform recruiting coordination functions

Volunteer Coach  In sports other than football and basketball, a volunteer coach is any coach who does not receive compensation or remuneration from the institution's athletics department or any organization funded in whole or in part by the athletics department or that is involved primarily in the promotion of the institution's athletics program (e.g., booster club, athletics foundation association). The following provisions shall apply:  (a) The individual is prohibited from contacting and evaluating prospective student-athletes off campus or from scouting opponents off campus and may not perform recruiting coordination functions (see Bylaw ).  (b) The individual may receive a maximum of two complimentary tickets to home athletics contests in the coach's sport.  (c) The individual may receive complimentary meals incidental to organized team activities (e.g., pre- or postgame meals, occasional meals, but not training table meals) or meals provided during a prospective student-athlete's official visit, provided the individual dines with the prospective student-athlete.

Manager  A manager is an individual who performs traditional managerial duties (e.g., equipment, laundry, hydration) and meets the following additional criteria:  (a) The individual shall be a full-time undergraduate or graduate student (see Bylaws and ), except that during his or her final semester or quarter of a degree program, he or she may be enrolled in less than a full-time program of studies, provided he or she is carrying (for credit) the courses necessary to complete the degree requirements;  (b) The individual may participate in limited on-court or on-field activities during practice (e.g., assist with drills, throw batting practice) or competition (e.g., assist with warm-up activities) involving student-athletes on a regular basis;  (c) The individual shall not provide instruction to student-athletes;  (d) The individual shall not participate in countable athletically related activities (e.g., practice player) except as permitted in Bylaw (b); and  (e) In baseball, the individual shall forfeit any remaining eligibility in the sport at the institution at which the individual serves as a manager.

Director of Ops/ Administrative Assistant  A noncoaching staff member with sport-specific responsibilities (e.g., director of operations, administrative assistant) is prohibited from participating in on-court or on-field activities (e.g., assist with drills, throw batting practice, signal plays) and is prohibited from participating with or observing student-athletes in the staff member's sport who are engaged in nonorganized voluntary athletically related activities (e.g., pick-up games).

Recruiting Materials  An institution shall not provide recruiting materials, including general correspondence related to athletics, or send electronic correspondence to an individual (or his or her parents or legal guardians) until September 1 at the beginning of his or her junior year in high school.  Exception : In men’s basketball, an institution shall not provide recruiting materials, including general correspondence related to athletics, to an individual (or his parents or legal guardians) until June 15 at the conclusion of his sophomore year in high school.

Link to the CARA Website  managing-countable-activities