Introduction to Playing and Practice Seasons

1
Introduction to Playing and Practice Seasons

• Brandy Hataway and Doug Healey
• Academic and Membership Affairs

2
Overview

• General information.
• In-season hour limitations and permissible
  activities.
• Out-of-season hour limitations and permissible
  activities.
• Safety exception.
• Preseason practice dates and calendars.
• Resources.

3
General Information
4
Guiding Principle

• The time required of student-athletes (SAs) for
  participation in intercollegiate athletics shall
  be regulated to minimize interference with their
  opportunities for acquiring a quality education
  in a manner consistent with that afforded to the
  general student-body.
• NCAA Constitution 2.14

5
Countable Athletically Related Activities

• Any required activity with an athletics purpose.
• At the direction of, or supervised by, a coach.
• Includes strength and conditioning coaches.
• NCAA Bylaw 17.02.1

6
Countable Athletically Related Activities

• Exclusions
• Administrative meetings (e.g., compliance forms).
• Activities incidental to participation (e.g.,
  injury rehabilitation, ankle taping).
• Bylaw 17.02.1

7
Monitoring Strategies

• Real Time Information

• After the Fact Information

• Random polling of SAs.
• Comment box.
• Observe practices.

• Exit interviews.
• Open forums.
• Practice logs.
• Educational meetings.

8
Voluntary Athletically Related Activities

• Not required to report back.
• Includes athletics department staff members.
• e.g., strength coach, trainer, manager.
• Initiated and requested by the SA.
• Attendance and participation not recorded.
• No penalty for not participating.
• No recognition or incentives for participating.
• Bylaw 17.02.13

9
Playing Season

• Time between first official practice and last
  practice session or date of competition.
• Only permissible to conduct practice and
  competition during the playing season.
• Same playing season for varsity and subvarsity
  teams.
• Bylaw 17.1.1

10
Segments of Playing Season

• Sports other than football and basketball.
• Not more than two distinct segments.
• Championship segment.
• Nonchampionship segment.
• Bylaw 17.1.2
• Football and basketball.
• Start of preseason practice and end of regular
  playing season determined by NCAA legislation.
• Bylaws 17.3.1 and 17.9.1

11
(No Transcript)
12
Length of Playing Season

• Team sports 132 days.
• Individual sports 144 days.
• Women's rowing 156 days.
• Indoor and outdoor track and field 156 days.
• Bylaw 17._.1

13
General Regulations

• Makeup contests.
• NCAA or NAIA championship participation.
• Team sports.
• Individual sports.
• Post-NCAA championship participation.
• Conference championships.
• Non-NCAA postseason championships participation.
• Foreign tours.
• Bylaw 17.1.7

14
Declaration of Playing Season

• Institutions must declare the playing season for
  each sport.
• Kept on file in the athletics department.
• In writing.
• Prior to the beginning of playing season for that
  sport.
• Changes should be filed with the director of
  athletics' office.
• Bylaw 17.1.3

15
In-Season Daily and Weekly Hour Limitations
16
Definition of a Day/Week

• Day a calendar day (i.e., midnight (12 a.m.)
  through 1159 p.m.).
• Week as any seven consecutive days.
• Institutions may define their week (e.g., Monday
  through Sunday, Saturday through Friday, etc.).
• Week defined by sport not institution.
• Institutions may not change the seven-day period
  for the remainder of the segment.
• Bylaw 17.1.6.3

17
In-Season Hour Limitations

• Maximum of 20 hours per week.
• Maximum of four hours per day.
• Golf practice round exception.
• May exceed four hours but 20-hour limit still
  applicable.
• At tournament site day before tournament three
  hours.
• Multisport SAs.
• Limited to four hours per day and 20 hours per
  week.
• Competition day three hours.
• Includes any associated athletically related
  activities.
• Bylaws 17.1.6.1 and 17.1.6.3.2

18
In-Season Hour Limitations

• Practice after competition is prohibited
• Exception between contests, rounds or events
  during a multiday or multi-event competition.
• Countable athletically related activities are
  prohibited between midnight and 5 a.m.
• Exceptions
• Conference or NCAA championship.
• Contest that begins before but concludes after
  midnight.
• Promotional practice activity (e.g., first
  practice of season).
• Bylaw 17.1.6

19
In-Season Hour Limitations

• Must take one day off each week.
• Includes final exam periods.
• May use travel day as day off, provided no
  countable athletically related activities occur.
• Basketball exception.
• Bylaw 17.1.6

20
In-Season Hour Limitations Exceptions

• Daily and weekly hour limitations do not apply
  during
• Preseason practice before first day of class or
  competition, whichever is earlier.
• Institutional vacation periods.
• Daily and weekly hour limitations do apply during
  final exam periods.
• Bylaw 17.1.6.4

21
Missed Class Time

• SAs may not miss class to attend practice.
• Regular academic term, mini term or summer term.
• Exceptions practice in conjunction with
• Away-from-home contest.
• Conference or NCAA championship.
• Practice activities after reporting for home
  contest.
• Associated pregame activities necessary for the
  contest.
• May 22, 1991, staff interpretation.
• Bylaw 17.1.6.6.1

22
Missed Class Time

• Exceptions
• On-campus practice prior to departing to
  away-from-home contest.
• Practice activities must occur on day of
  departure.
• February 20, 1991, staff interpretation.
• Home contest at site (other than the
  institutions regular home facility) located
  outside institutions locale.
• February 10, 1999, staff interpretation.
• Bylaw 17.1.6.6.1

23
Case Study 1

• Mens basketball team loses home game to its
  in-state rival, 101-69. Game ends at 930 p.m.
• Coach wants to have practice and conditioning
  after the fans and media have cleared the arena.
• Is this permissible?
• No. Countable athletically related activities
  (CARA) after competition is prohibited unless
  between contests, rounds or events during
  multi-day or multi-event competition.
• Bylaw 17.1.6.3.2.1
• What if the players report back to the arena at
  1201 a.m.?
• No. CARA is prohibited between midnight and 5
  a.m. unless (1) Conference/NCAA championship,
  (2) Competition begins before but concludes after
  12 a.m. or (3) Promotional practice activity.
• Bylaw 17.1.6.6.2

24
Case Study 2

• Volleyball team is leaving for away-from-home
  contest at 3 p.m.
• Coach wants to have practice from 1230 to 230
  p.m. before the team departs.
• Can SAs miss class to attend practice?
• Yes. May miss class to attend on-campus practice
  prior to departing to away-from-home contest.
• February 20, 1991, staff interpretation

25
Out of Season Daily and Weekly Hour Limitations
26
Out-of-Season Hour Limitations

• Limited to eight hours per week.
• Required two days off per week.
• Countable athletically related activities
  prohibited one week prior to final exams through
  conclusion of each SAs exams.
• Bylaws 17.1.6.2 and 17.1.6.5

27
Out-of-Season Hour Limitations

• Permissible activities
• Weight training.
• Conditioning.
• Football film review.
• Maximum of two hours per week.
• Sports other than football - skill instruction.
• Maximum of two hours per week.
• Bylaw 17.1.6.2

28
Out-of-Season Hour Limitations

• Conditioning drills all sports
• May simulate game activities provided
• No offensive or defensive alignments are set up
  and
• No equipment related to the sport is used.
• Exceptions Ice hockey (skates for on-ice
  conditioning) and swimming and diving (e.g.,
  starting blocks, kickboards and pull buoys).
• Bylaw 17.1.6.2.4

29
Out-of-Season Hour Limitations

• Skill instruction sports other than
  football/baseball.
• No limit on number of SAs.
• September 15 - April 15.
• Limited to four SAs.
• First day of classes to September 15 and
• April 15 until week prior to final exams.
• At any one time in any facility.
• Bylaw 17.1.6.2.2

30
Out-of-Season Hour Limitations

• Skill instruction - baseball only.
• No limit on number of SAs.
• September 15 until one week prior to fall final
  exams.
• January 15 - April 15.
• Limited to four SAs .
• First day of classes until September 15.
• First day of classes for second term until
  January 15.
• For institutions that begin classes prior to
  January 15.
• April 16 until one week prior to final exam
  period.
• At any one time in any facility.
• Bylaw 17.1.6.2.3

31
Out-of-Season Hour Limitations Skill
Instruction Publicity

• Skill-related instruction
• Shall not be publicized and
• Shall not be conducted in view of a general
  public audience.
• Bylaws 17.1.6.2.2 and 17.1.6.2.3

32
Out-of-Season Hour Limitations Football

• Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
• Activities between last contest and January 1
• Weight training, conditioning and film review.
• January 1 and the start of preseason practice
• Weight training, conditioning and film review.
• Eight weeks designated as SA discretionary time
  (on file).
• No required workouts and no recommendations to
  engage in strength and conditioning training.
• Strength and conditioning coach may monitor
  facility for health and safety purposes.
• Limited to eight hours per week, with not more
  than two hours spent on film review.
• Bylaws 17.1.6.2 and 17.9.6

33
Out-of-Season Hour Limitations Football

• NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
• Last contest and the start of summer
  conditioning
• Weight training, conditioning and film review.
• Limited to eight hours per week, with not more
  than two hours spent on film review.
• Bylaw 17.1.6.2
• Summer conditioning (FBS/FCS).
• Nine consecutive weeks between end of year and
  first permissible reporting date.
• One week of SA discretionary time and eight weeks
  of nonmandatory weightlifting and conditioning.
• Spring practice (FBS/FCS).
• Bylaws 17.9.6.1, 17.9.6.2 and 17.9.6.4

34
Out-of-Season Vacation Periods

• CARA is prohibited outside the playing season
  during a vacation period.
• Includes summer vacation.
• Bylaw 17.1.6.2.1
• In individual sports, coaches may participate in
  individual workout sessions with SAs from their
  team.
• SA must initiate/request the assistance.

35
Out-of-Season Vacation Periods

• Department-wide strength and conditioning coaches
  may design and conduct specific workout programs
  for SAs, provided such workouts
• Are voluntary and
• Are conducted at the request of the SA.
• In FCS football, certified strength and
  conditioning coaches may also be countable
  coaches.
• Bylaw 17.1.6.2.1

36
Case Study 3

• FBS football coach wants to focus on his teams
  football IQ during the off-season.
• Coach plans to have his SAs spend four hours per
  week doing weight training and four hours per
  week watching film.
• Is this permissible?
• No maximum of two hours per week out of season
  doing film review.
• Bylaw 17.1.6.2

37
Case Study 4

• Mens basketball team loses in the conference
  championship game March 12.
• Not selected for NCAA Tournament or NIT.
• Coach plans skill instruction before the NCAA
  championship game, which is scheduled for April
  4.
• Is this permissible?
• Yes. Out-of-season skill instruction is
  permissible before conclusion of NCAA
  championship.
• Is the skill instruction limited to four SAs?
• No. No limit September 15 to April 15.
• Bylaw 17.1.6.2

38
Safety Exception
39
Safety Exception

• Coach may be present
• During voluntary individual workouts.
• In the institutions regular practice facility.
• Involving use of sport-specific equipment.
• Coach may provide safety or skill instruction but
  cannot conduct the individuals workout.
• Bylaw 17._.7

40
Safety Exception - Applicable Sports
41
Preseason Practice

• Dates and Calendars

42
Preseason Practice Start Dates

• NCAA fall championship sports (other than
  football/volleyball)
• 21 practice units prior to first contest.
• Football
• 40 practice units prior to first contest.
• Not more than 29 on-field practices.
• Womens volleyball
• 29 practice units prior to the first contest or
  September 1 (whichever is later).
• Mens basketball
• Not earlier than 5 p.m. of the Friday nearest to
  October 15 (e.g., October 14, 2011).
• Womens basketball
• Not earlier than 5 p.m. on the date that is 40
  days prior to the first regular contest (no more
  than 30 days of countable athletically related
  activities ).
• All other sports
• September 7 or the first day of classes
  (whichever is earlier).

43
Formula for Determining Preseason Practice

• One each day beginning with the opening day of
  classes.
• One during week of first scheduled contest,
  each day classes are not in session.
• Two other days in the preseason practice
  period.
• Exclude Sundays.
• Bylaw 17.02.11

44
Mens Water Polo - First Practice Date

• Date that permits 21 practice units.
• Before the first scheduled contest.
• Shall not occur prior to the first Saturday in
  September.
• Bylaw 17.26.2-(a)

45
Mens Water Polo - First Practice Date
1
46
Mens Water Polo - First Practice Date
1
47
Mens Water Polo - First Practice Date
1
48
Womens Volleyball First Date of Practice

• Date that permits 29 practice units.
• Before the first contest or September 1,
  whichever is later.
• If first competition is before September 1, use
  one practice unit for each day from September 1
  first scheduled competition.
• Then, use practice-unit formula.
• Bylaws 17.25.2 and 17.02.11

49
Womens Volleyball- First Practice Date
1
50
Womens Volleyball- First Practice Date
1
51
Womens Volleyball- First Practice Date
1
52
Womens Volleyball- First Practice Date
1
53
Resources

• Compliance assistant.
• Academic and membership affairs.
• Interpretations phone line.
• Conference contact program.
• Coaches/peers.

54
Summary

• General information.
• In-season activities.
• Out-of-season activities.
• Safety exception.
• Preseason practice calendars.
• Resources.

55
Questions?

• Thanks for participating!