Division I Introduction to Playing and Practice Seasons

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Division I Introduction to Playing and Practice
Seasons

• Steve Clar
• Alex Smith

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Overview

• Definitions.
• In-season activities and limitations.
• Out-of-season activities and limitations.
• Safety exception.
• Preseason practice calendars.
• Monitoring strategies.

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• Guiding Principle
• Participation should be regulated to minimize
  interference with academics.
• NCAA Constitution 2.14

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Definitions
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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

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Countable Athletically Related Activities

• Exclusions
• Administrative meetings (e.g., compliance forms).
  
• Activities incidental to participation (e.g.,
  injury rehab, ankle taping).
• Bylaw 17.02.1
• Involvement in competition under Bylaw 16.8.1.3.
• Bylaw 17.1.1.1
• Educational Column 5/1/08

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Voluntary Athletically Related Activities

• No reporting back.
• Initiated/requested solely by the SA.
• Attendance/participation not recorded.
• No penalty for electing not to participate.
• No recognition for participation.
• Bylaw 17.02.13

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Voluntary Athletically Related ActivitiesExample
of Impermissible Activity

• Outside of the declared playing season, including
  summer.
• May not require SAs to report on progress of
  voluntary workout program.
• Cannot provide expenses (e.g., prepaid phone
  card, postage) for this purpose.
• Official Interpretation 10/21/93

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The Playing Season

• First official practice to last practice or
  competition.
• Practice/competition may only occur during this
  time.
• Institution must declare and keep on file.
• Bylaws 17.1.1 and 17.1.3

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The Playing SeasonSegments

• Sports other than football and basketball
• Championship segment.
• Nonchampionship segment.
• Bylaw 17.1.2
• Football and basketball
• Playing and practice seasons are determined by
  the NCAA.

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The Playing Season

• Length of playing season
• Team sports 132 days.
• Individual sports 144 days.
• Womens rowing, indoor and outdoor track and
  field 156 days.
• Bylaw 17. __. 1

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The Playing Season

• Calculation of playing season
• Must be through last contest.
• Includes conference championship.
• NCAA championships.
• Team sports.
• Individual sports.
• Bylaws 17.1.7, 17.1.7(b), 17.1.7(c)

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The Playing SeasonExample No. 1 - Womens Soccer

• Championship segment
• Begins on August 7.
• Concludes on November 9 with conference title
  game.
• 82 days, excluding required one day off per week.
• Bylaw 17.20.1

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The Playing SeasonExample No. 1 - Womens Soccer

• Nonchampionship segment
• Begins February 1.
• Concludes April 6.
• 50 days, excludes required one day off per week.
• Excludes spring vacation period (week of March
  15).

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The Playing Season Example No. 2 Mens Golf

• Nonchampionship segment
• September 6 through November 7.
• Total of 47 days, excluding
• Required one day off per week.
• Labor Day holiday.
• Institutions fall vacation period (week of
  October 19).
• Bylaw 17.12.1

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The Playing Season Example No. 2 Mens Golf

• Championship segment
• Begins January 5.
• Concludes April 29 with conference championship.
• 97 days, excluding required one day off per week.

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The Playing Season

• More considerations
• Definition of a day.
• Bylaw 17.1.6.3.1
• Definition of a week.
• Bylaw 17.1.6.3.3
• Practice after competition is prohibited.
• Exception for softball/baseball doubleheaders.
• Bylaw 17.1.6.3.2.1

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Practice After CompetitionCase Study

• Basketball team loses home game, 75-51.
• Game concludes at 10 p.m.
• Team members report to the track at 1130 p.m.
• Spend one hour hauling old tires around the track.

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Practice After CompetitionCase Study

• Is this activity permissible?
• No.
• May the team report at 1201 a.m.?

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Daily and Weekly Hour Limitations

• In Season

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In-Season Hour Limitations

• Maximum of 20 hours per week.
• Maximum of four hours per day.
• Golf practice rounds.
• Multisport SAs.
• Competition day three hours.
• Bylaws 17.1.6.1 and 17.1.6.3.2

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In-Season Hour Limitations

• Must take one day off each week.
• Includes final exam periods.
• Bylaw 17.1.6.4
• May use travel day as day off, provided no
  countable athletically related activities occur.
• Bylaw 17.1.6.4.1
• Exceptions.

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In-Season Hour LimitationsExceptions

• Daily/weekly hour limitations do not apply
  during
• Postseason events.
• Preseason before first day of class or
  competition.
• Institutional vacation periods.
• Basketball exception.
• Bylaws 17.1.6.4, 17.1.6.4.3, 17.1.6.4.4 and
  17.1.6.4.7

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Missed Class Time

• SAs may not miss class for practice.
• Bylaw 17.1.6.6
• Exceptions
• Conference or NCAA championship.
• Away from home contest.
• Home contest at a site outside institutions
  locale.
• Staff Interpretation 2/10/99

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Daily and Weekly Hour Limitations

• Out of Season

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Out-of-Season Hour Limitations

• Out of season, during the academic year
• Must take two days off each week.
• Bylaw 17.1.6.5
• Limited to eight hours each week.
• Bylaw 17.1.6.2
• No athletically related activities one week prior
  to final exams through the conclusion of each
  SAs exams.
• Bylaw 17.1.6.2(a)

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Out-of-Season Hour Limitations

• Permissible activities
• Weight training.
• Conditioning.
• In football, film review.
• Limited to two hours each week.
• In sports other than football, skill instruction.
• Limited to two hours each week.
• Bylaws 17.1.6.2 (a),(b) and (c)

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Skill Instruction Sports Other than Football
and Baseball

• No limit on number of SAs
• Between September 15 and April 15.
• No more than four SAs
• During academic year and prior to September 15.
• Between April 16 and one week prior to final
  exams.
• At any one time, in any facility.
• If classes start after September 15, SAs may
  report on September 15.

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Skill Instruction Baseball

• No limit on number of SAs
• Between September 15 and one week prior to fall
  final exams.
• Between January 15 and April 15.
• No more than four SAs
• During academic year and prior to September 15.
• Between opening of second semester and January
  15.
• Between April 16 and one week prior to final
  exams.
• At any one time, in any facility.
• If classes start after September 15, SAs may
  report on September 15.

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Out-of-Season Hour LimitationsFootball Bowl
Subdivision

• FBS football
• Between last contest and January 1.
• Limited to weight training, conditioning and film
  review.
• No more than eight hours each week.
• No more than two hours each week on film review.
• Bylaw 17.1.6.2(b)

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Out-of-Season Hour Limitations Football Bowl
Subdivision

• Between January 1 and summer conditioning.
• Eight weeks of SA discretionary time.
• Conditioning, weight training, film review.
• Spring practice.
• Days not otherwise designated are SA
  discretionary time.
• Bylaw 17.11.6

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Out-of-Season Hour Limitations Football Bowl
Subdivision

• Summer conditioning.
• Nine weeks prior to permissible reporting date.
• One week of SA discretionary time.
• Eight weeks of nonmandatory conditioning.
• Bylaw 17.11.6(a)(2)

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Out-of-Season Hour LimitationsFootball
Championship Subdivision

• FCS football
• Between last contest and summer conditioning.
• Limited to weight training, conditioning and film
  review.
• No more than eight hours each week.
• No more than two hours each week on film review.
• Bylaw 17.1.6.2(c)

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Out-of-Season Hour LimitationsAll Sports -
Conditioning Drills

• May simulate game activities.
• May not set up offenses or defenses.
• May not use sport-related equipment.
• Exceptions for ice hockey and swimming.
• Bylaw 17.1.6.2.4

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Out-of-Season Vacation PeriodsAll Sports

• No countable athletically related activities
  during out-of-season vacation periods.
• Includes summer.
• Individual sport SAs may have voluntary summer
  workouts.
• Institutions may pay associated fees (e.g.,
  facility rental).
• Bylaw 17.___.6.1

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Out-of-Season Vacation PeriodsAll Sports

• Strength and conditioning coaches.
• May design and conduct specific workout programs.
• Workouts must be voluntary.
• Workouts must be at the SAs request.
• Bylaw 17.1.6.2.1

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Safety Exception
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Safety Exception

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

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Safety Exception - Applicable Sports
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Preseason Practice

• Dates and Calendars

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Counting Practice Units

• One each day beginning with opening day of
  term.
• 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

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Counting Practice UnitsFootball Example

• Football
• Date that permits 40 practice units.
• Before the first scheduled contest.
• Maximum of 29 on-field sessions.
• Bylaw 17.11.2.1

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Determining Start of Preseason Practice
(2)
(2)
Start of Practice
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
26 (1)
28 (1)
First Contest
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Counting Practice UnitsWomens Volleyball Example

• Womens volleyball
• Date that permits 29 practice units.
• Prior to 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
  to the first scheduled competition.
• Then, use practice-unit formula.
• Bylaws 17.02.11 and 17.28.2

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Monitoring Strategies

• Record countable hours on a daily basis.
• Required per Bylaw 17.1.6.3.4.
• Any individual or group countable athletically
  related activities must be counted.
• Time limitations are not applicable to SAs who do
  not participate in the activity.

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Monitoring Strategies

• Real time information.
• Random polling of SAs.
• Comment box.
• Observe practices.
• Accurate documentation provided to SAs.

• After the fact information.
• Exit interviews.
• Open forums.
• Educational meetings.
• NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory
  Committee meetings.
• Practice logs.

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Summary

• Definitions.
• In-season activities.
• Out-of-season activities.
• Safety exception.
• Preseason practice calendars.
• Monitoring strategies.

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Questions?

• Thank you for attending.