Recruiting Calendar and Miscellaneous Topics (1/13/2003)

Questions from AVCA

Concerning Recruiting Calendar....

Question: Can you recruit in Mexico or Canada in a dead period and does the Winter High School exemption apply to countries outside of the United States.

Answer: No. The Winter High School exemption only applies only to schools participating in the United States.
 

Question: In those states with Winter High School exemptions, can you have face-to-face contact with student-athletes and parents.

Answer: Yes, but only for current high school seniors.
 

Question: Can current student-athletes coach club teams during a dead or quiet period? If they can, do they count against the 80 day limit?

Answer: There are specific guidelines governing permissible recruitment activities for enrolled student-athletes and the assumption is that coaches are not directing student-athlete involvement in off-campus recruiting. Having said that, the recruiting calendar legislation does not apply to student-athletes. So the dead/quiet periods would not be relevant. However, student-athlete employment legislation is contained in Bylaw 12.4 and you also need to consider financial aid issues related to employment during the academic year
 

Question: Can student-athletes that have exhausted their athletic eligibility coach club teams during dead and quiet periods?

Answer: As indicated above, the quiet and dead periods are not relevant in this issue, depending on when the activity occurs you may have financial aid issues.
 

Question: Can an NCAA Division I institution host a high school or club tournament in their facility during a quiet or dead period? If so, what involvement can the college coaching staff have?

Answer: An institution may host a high school or club tournament during a quiet or dead period provided one of the tryout exceptions listed in Bylaw 13.12.3 is met. These tryout exceptions permit varying levels of institutional coaching staff involvement. However, there is an official interpretation dated 3/27/02 that indicates that it is not permissible for an institution's coaching staff members and/or individuals with sport-specific responsibilities to be involved in any manner in the conduct or administration of a campus event involving prospects during a dead period.
 

Question: Can a volunteer college coach be a coach of a club team? If so, can they coach during a quiet or dead period and do the contact days count toward the 80 day limit?

Answer: A volunteer coach may coach a local club team pursuant to NCAA Bylaw 13.12.2.3. Any activities that occur outside of the contact/evaluation period (i.e., during a dead period) would count toward the 80-day limit.
 

Question: Can "volleyball operations administrators" be a club coach? If so, do they count toward the 80 day limit when they are coaching during a dead or quiet period?

Answer: The rule is specific to coaching staff members. Athletics department staff members who are not included in the institution's coaching limitations (e.g., director of athletics, academic advisor, director of volleyball operations) may be involved with a local sports club located in the institution's home community that includes prospects participating in any sport regardless of whether those prospects live within a 50-mile radius of the institution. The subcommittee noted that it is not permissible for these noncoaching staff members to engage in any recruiting activities on behalf of the institution while participating in any activities with a local sports club team. Such involvement would not count against the 80-day limit.
 

Question: If a college coach is employed by a local club as an advisor or administrator can he/she have contact with PSA's during a quiet or dead period? If so, would those contact days count towards the 80 day limit?

Answer: Jim we need to discuss this one a bit further.. Generally our staff has agreed that the coach who is serving in an administrative capacity should not have contact with prospects outside the contact evaluation period. We're currently discussing how 13.1.8.8 should apply in terms of these individuals involvement with local sports clubs. A literal reading of the legislation indicates that any involvement outside the contact/evaluation period would count toward the 80-day limit. I'll get back to you on this one... not sure if it will be before Tuesday..
 

Question: Does the recruiting calendar apply to junior college/community college prospects? Can you recruit them during dead and quiet periods?

Answer: The recruiting calendar applies to all prospective student-athletes which would include high school students, two year college students and four year college transfer students.
 

Other areas.....

Question: How can 5th and 6th year student-athletes that have exhausted their athletic eligibility practice with the team?

Answer: 5th year student-athletes may practice if they are enrolled in a full-time program of studies and are within their five year period of enrollment (five year rule)... 6th year students would not be able to practice under these conditions.
 

Question: Who is allowed to practice with a team? (former student-athletes?, men's team student-athletes?, men's club team members?, local recreation league players, etc.)

Answer: The legislation indicates that in order to be eligible for practice a student-athlete must be enrolled in a full-time program of studies leading to a baccalaureate or equivalent degree and have eligibility remaining under the five-year rule. There are specific exceptions that allow a former student-athlete to practice with the team on an occasional basis. Additionally, male students who practice with a women's team on an occasional basis must be enrolled in a full-time program of studies leading to a baccalaureate or equivalent degree and must have eligibility remaining under the five-year rule. Male students who practice on a regular basis with the women's team must be certified in accordance with all applicable NCAA, institutional and conference regulations. Further male practice players may not receive athletics aid for the purpose of practicing with the women's team and may not otherwise be counters in a male sport

Question: Does a team manager have to be enrolled at the institution that they are helping? What limits exist on them as far as activities at practices, games, etc? Can they run drills in practice at during pre-match warm up?

Answer: A manager does not have to be included in the institution's limitations on countable coaches, provided the individual is a student who performs traditional managerial duties. It is not permissible to employ or utilize a manager for the purpose of being involved only in on-court or on-field activities (e.g., pitching batting practice) without including such an individual in the institution's coaching limitations in that sport.