Playing and Practice Seasons
Practice Log - During the playing season.
Per NCAA Bylaw 17.1.5 there is a time limit on Countable Athletically Related Activities (CARA) that may be conducted during the playing Season. The playing season is the period of time between the date of an institution's first officially recognized practice session and the date of the last practice session or date of competition, whichever occurs later.
The total hours in a seven day cycle must not exceed twenty
(20) hours. One off day per week cycle is required and no more than four
(4) hours of CARA are permitted in a day. A date of competition is three (3) hours.
Practice Log - Out of playing season during the academic year.
A student-athlete's participation is allowable only in the countable athletically related activities (at the direction of a coaching staff member) for a total of eight hours in a week:
required weight training and conditioning activities held at the direction of or supervised by an institutional staff member.
A student-athlete's participation in CARA is prohibited two days per week; however a coaching staff member is permitted to require a student-athlete to participate in individual skill instruction while limiting such instruction to two hours within the limit of eight hours of athletically related activities per week. No more than four student-athletes may participate in skill instruction with a coaching staff member.
ALL SPORTS: all athletically related activities outside the playing season are prohibited one week prior to the beginning of the final examination period through the conclusion of each student-athlete's final exams; further, to specify that more than four student-athletes from the same team may be involved in skill-related instruction with their coaches from September 15 through April 15 and that no more than four student-athletes from the same team may be involved in skill-related instruction with their coaches at any one time in any facility during the remainder of the academic year.
Countable Athletically Related Activities (CARA):
Practice and Competition
Required weight training and conditioning activities held at the direction of or supervised by an institutional staff member
Participation in a physical-fitness class conducted by a member of the athletics staff
Participation outside the institution's declared playing season in individual skill-related instructional activities with a member of the coaching staff and that occur at the request of the student-athlete
Film or videotape reviews of athletics practices or contests required, supervised or monitored by institutional staff members
Required participation in camps, clinics or workshops
Meetings initiated by coaches or other institutional staff
Summer volunteer workouts
A strength and conditioning coach who performs department wide duties (i.e. the strength and conditioning coach for university teams) can design and conduct voluntary workout programs for student-athlete during vacation periods (summer), without such workouts being considered as a countable athletically related activity.
Declaration of Season Record.
Sports other than Basketball, Men and Women's Cross Country/Track and Women's Rowing. These team sports are limited to a 132 day season, which may consist of two segments (each consisting of consecutive days) and which may exclude only the time between segments, required days off per 17.1.6.4 and official vacation, holiday and final-examination periods during which no practice or competition shall occur.
Cross Country / Track and Field. Limited to a 156 day season.
Women's Rowing. Limited to a 156 day season.
Men and Women's Tennis. Limited to a 144 day season.
Summer Competition: Limitations exist for team sports on the number of student-athletes from the same member institution who may participate on an outside team during the summer. Before you compete or participate in out-of-season competition, please discuss the participation with your coach. This will ensure that your eligibility will not be affected.
In individual sports, there are no limits on the number of student-athletes from the same member institution who may participate on an outside team during the summer.
Please note the following regulations:
Baseball:
A maximum of four student-athletes may participate on the same summer league team
Basketball:
No All-Star game of any kind shall be permitted.
League play shall be within 100 miles of the city limits of the student-athlete's official residence at the end of the previous academic year or the institution the student-athlete last attended.
No more than two players with eligibility remaining permitted on any one team.
All players must limit their competition to one team in one league.
The student-athlete must receive written permission from the Director of Athletics.
The Summer League must be an NCAA Certified League and must be completed prior to the first day of classes or August 31.
Field Hockey:
Student-athletes in the sport of field hockey are permitted to compete on an outside team during the spring term outside the institution's playing and practice season as long as:
the participation occurs no earlier than May 1
the number of student-athletes from any one institution does not exceed five
the competition is approved by the Director of Athletics, and
No class time is missed for practice activities for competition.
PLEASE NOTE:
Student-athletes are not permitted to participate on outside teams during the academic year, except during any official vacation period published in the institution's catalog.
The participation on outside teams includes competition in tournaments, exhibition games, or other activities.
If a student-athlete has a question regarding "outside competition", contact the Director of Compliance.
