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Defining Countable Athletically Related Activities
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What are the daily and
weekly time limitations on countable athletically related activities?
Student-athletes may not
participate in countable athletically related activities for more than:
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In-Season: |
Out-of-Season (during
the academic year): |
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• 4
hours per day |
• 2
hours per day |
|
•
20 hours per week |
• 8
hours per week |
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§
At
least ONE day off each week
(Exceptions:
1. During participation in one conference and postseason
championship and any certified bowl games or NIT’s, and during
participation in NCAA championships; and 2. During preseason practice
before the first contest or first day of classes and during vacation
periods.
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§
At least TWO days off each week |
The daily and weekly hour
limitations DO NOT apply to the following time periods:
-
During preseason practice prior to the first day of
classes or the first scheduled contest, which ever is earlier.
-
During an institution's term-time official vacation
(e.g., Thanksgiving, spring break), as listed in the institution's official
calendar, and during the academic year between terms when classes are not in
session (winter break).
Below are partial
lists of common activities that count and do not count against your daily and
weekly time limits:
|
Countable* |
Non-countable |
|
Athletically Related
Activities |
Athletically Related
Activities |
|
Practices (not more than 4 hours per day). |
Compliance meetings. |
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Athletics meetings initiated by a coach or required by a coach (e.g. end
of season individual meetings). |
Meetings with a coach initiated by the student-athlete. |
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Competition (and associated activities), regardless of their length,
count as 3 hours. However, no countable athletically related activities
may occur after the competition. |
Drug/Alcohol educational meetings, Academic Meetings (with coach or
advisor), Compliance meetings, sport psychology or CHAMPS/Life Skills
meetings. |
|
On-court or on-field activities called by any member of the team and
confined primarily to members of that team. |
Voluntary weight training not conducted by a coach or staff member. |
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Required weight-training and conditioning activities. |
Voluntary sport-related activities (e.g., initiated by student-athlete,
no attendance taken, no coach present). |
|
Participation outside the regular season in individual skill-related
instructional activities with a member of the coaching staff. |
Recruiting activities (e.g., student host). |
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Discussion or review of game films. |
Training table meals. |
* There may be additional
rules that are applicable only to certain sports. Also, conferences and
institutions may adopt more restrictive rules. Please feel free to contact the
Compliance Office via email at
NCAACompliance@uconn.edu or via telephone at (860) 486-1211 if you have
questions or would like additional information.
Participation in Countable Athletically Related Activities Out of Season
What is the difference between in-season and out-of-season?
In-season (20 Hours)
-
Time between the team's first officially recognized
practice session and the last practice session or competition, which ever
occurs later.
-
Sports other than football and basketball may have their
seasons separated into two distinct segments: non-championship and
championship segment.
-
During the in-season period (i.e., championship and
non-championship segments), a student-athlete may participate in a maximum
of 20 hours per week of countable athletically related activities.
Out-of-season (Eight Hours)
-
The remaining days during the academic year not included
in the in-season period.
-
A student-athlete may participate in a maximum of eight
hours per week of countable athletically related activities.
Outside the playing season
(during the academic year), student-athletes are limited to not more than eight
(8) hours per week of certain countable athletically related activities. Those
activities are shown below:
|
Permissible Countable
Athletically Related |
Non-permissible
Activities |
|
Activities During the
Out-of-Season Period |
During the Out-of-Season
Period |
|
Required weight training and conditioning activities supervised by an
athletics department staff member. |
Conditioning drills per Bylaw 17.1.5.2 that may simulate game activities
are permissible, provided no offensive or defensive alignments are set
up and no equipment related to the sport is used. In ice hockey, a
student-athlete may be involved in on-ice conditioning activities,
provided no equipment other than skates is used. In swimming and
diving, a student-athlete may be involved in in-pool conditioning
activities and swim-specific equipment (e.g., starting blocks,
kickboards, pull buoys) may be used. |
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In sports other than football, as of August 1, 2006, for sports other than
football, 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, no more than
four student-athletes from the same team may be involved in
skill-related instruction with their coach (es) at any one time in any
facility. (8/2 hr. rule above still applies) |
Bylaw 17.1.5.2.3 prohibits an institution from using equipment related
to the sport when conducting conditioning activities outside the playing
season. In July 2003, Hot Topic #11 clarified that blocking sleds were
football-related equipment and could not be used for out-of-season
conditioning drills. It further explained that, regardless of how a
blocking sled is promoted, it is an apparatus that is intended to teach
blocking and tackling technique. After further review of different types
of conditioning equipment, the membership services staff agreed that
each institution is in the best position to determine if an apparatus
being used for conditioning drills is related to the particular sport in
question. However, it remains impermissible to use equipment clearly
related to a sport (e.g., blocking sled in football), even if the
apparatus is not used during the conditioning drills to teach technique. |
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In sports other than football,
within the 8 hour
allotment, no more than 6 hours may consist of strength and conditioning
and no more than 2 hours may consist of individual skill instruction. In
football, participation in up to 2 hours per week of watching and
reviewing films. |
Required participation in any countable athletically related activities
during any institutional vacation period (e.g., winter break, summer)
that occur outside the declared playing and practice season (i.e.,
in-season). |
|
Participation in a physical fitness class conducted by a member of the
athletics department staff. |
Any
other countable athletically related activity that may have been
permissible during the in-season period. |
|
The
NCAA Division I Management Council determined that an ergometer (i.e., a
rowing machine) is not considered equipment related to the sport of
rowing. Therefore, in the sport of rowing, any use of an ergometer
during required conditioning activities that may occur during the
academic year outside the playing and practice season is not limited to
the two hours of permissible skill-instruction activities. |
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Any
voluntary athletically related activity in which the student-athlete
chooses to participate (does not count in the 8 hours) (e.g., initiated
by student-athlete, no attendance taken, and no coach present). |
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NOTE: Student-athletes may
be involved in any non-countable athletically related activity during the
off-season period (e.g., workouts using the safety exception, voluntary
workouts, other non-countable activities permitted during the in-season period).
Voluntary Activities
What is a "voluntary" activity?
To be considered a "voluntary" activity, all of the following must be met:
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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,
non-coaching athletics department staff members who observe the activity
(e.g., strength coach, trainer, manager) may not report back to the
student-athlete's coach any information related to the activity. [NOTE:
Coaches may not observe voluntary activities. However, coaching staff
members must be present during permissible skill-related instruction
requested by the student-athlete pursuant to NCAA Bylaw 17.1.5.2.2.]
-
The activity must be initiated and requested solely by
the student-athlete. Neither the institution nor any athletics department
staff members 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;
-
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
-
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.
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