PLAYING & PRACTICE SEASON POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

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1 I. Definition of Playing Season PLAYING & PRACTICE SEASON POLICIES AND PROCEDURES The playing season, i.e., both practice and competition, for a particular sport is the period of time between the date of an institution's first officially recognized practice session and the date of the institution's last date of competition. With the exception of weight-training and conditioning activities, the playing season is the only time within which institutions are permitted to conduct countable athletically-related activities. II. Declaration of Playing Season NCAA rules state that the first date of practice shall not be conducted prior to: Baseball Non-championship segment September 1 Championship segment the Friday that is three weeks prior to the first permissible contest date (January 28, 2011, January 27, 2012, January 25, 2013) Men s Basketball 5:00 pm on the Friday closest to October 15 (October 15, 2010, October 14, 2011, October 12, 2012) Women s Basketball 5:00 pm on the date that is 40 days before the date of the first regular-season contest; limited to 30 days of countable athletically related activities during the 40 days Cross Country Date that permits 21 practice opportunities prior to first contest Field Hockey Date that permits 21 practice opportunities prior to first contest Soccer Date that permits 21 practice opportunities prior to first contest Softball September 1 or the first day of classes Volleyball Date that permits 29 practice opportunities prior to first contest, or September 1, whichever is later 1

2 All other sports September 7 or the first day of classes NCAA rules also specify the length of a sport's playing season as follows: Each sport other than basketball may have two segments of allowable days during the playing season segment. Baseball Basketball See above through final contest Cross Country 144 Days Field Hockey Soccer Softball Swimming 144 Days Tennis 144 Days Track & Field (combined indoor & outdoor) 156 Days Volleyball Per NCAA bylaw , declaration of playing seasons for each sport will be done prior to the beginning of each playing season and will be kept on file. Each sport will work with the compliance office to establish the start/end dates for playing seasons. Any changes must be approved prior to the beginning of the segment. Competition schedules will be approved by Sport Supervisor in conjunction with the Associate Director of Athletics for Sport Administration and Compliance to ensure all NCAA rules regarding minimum and maximum contests/dates of competition have been met. Any changes to the schedule shall have prior approval. At the conclusion of the championship segment, a competition report will be generated by the Sports Information contact for each sport and shall be approved by the Head Coach and Director of Athletics (or designee). III. Countable Athletically Related Activities Per Bylaw , countable athletically related activities include any required activity with an athletics purpose involving student-athletes and at the direction of, or supervised by one or more of an institution s coaching staff (including strength and conditioning coaches) and must be counted within the weekly and daily limitations explained below. Examples of Countable Activities (Note: this is NOT a complete list): Practices (not more than four hours per day) 2

3 Athletics meetings with a coach initiated or required by a coach (e.g. end of season individual meetings) Competition all competition and associated activities on the day of competition count as three (3) hours regardless of the actual duration of these activities. Practice MAY NOT be conducted following competition except between contests, rounds or events during a multi day event competition (e.g., doubleheaders in softball or baseball). Warm up and cool down for practice Field, floor, or on-court activity On-court and on-field activities called by any member of the team and confined primarily to members of that team Required weight-training and conditioning activities Required participation in camps/clinics Physical rehabilitation WHEN it is conducted with a coaching staff member For cross-country visiting the competition site Participation outside the regular season in individual skill-related instructional activities with a member of the coaching staff Discussion or review of game films Athletically related activities that DO NOT meet the definition of voluntary as stated in NCAA Bylaw IV. Noncountable Athletically Related Activities The following activities are considered noncountable athletically related activities and are not counted in the weekly or daily time limitations: Voluntary athletically related activities (defined below) [NCAA Bylaw ] Training table or competition related meals. Physical rehabilitation, medical exams or treatment. Dressing, showering or taping Study table, tutoring session or meetings with academic advisors. Meetings with coaches on non-athletic matters. Travel to and from practice and competition. Public relations activities, e.g., media days. Serving as a student host or other recruiting activities. Voluntary individual workouts that are not required by coaching staff members. They may be monitored by the strength and conditioning staff. A coach may design a voluntary general workout program for a student-athlete (as opposed to a specific workout program for specific days). Individual consultation with a coach initiated voluntarily by the student athlete, provided the coach and the student-athlete do not engage in athletically related activities. Use of an institution's facilities provided the activities are not supervised or held at the direction of a coach. Facilities may be reserved for un-supervised athletic activity period during the regular academic year. 3

4 Supervision of weight training and assisting in conditioning by the strength and conditioning staff. This staff must perform these duties on a department-wide basis. A coach may provide a videotape to a student-athlete that includes a personalized message and athletically related information, e.g., discussion of plays, general workout programs, lecture on strategy relating to the sport, without such activity constituting athletically related activity, providing the viewing of the videotape is voluntary. Medical examination or treatments Fund-raising activities Visiting the competition site in sports other than cross country For an activity to be considered voluntary the following conditions must be met: 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.] The activity must be initiated and requested solely by the student-athlete. Neither the institution nor any athletics department staff member may require the student-athlete to participate in the activity at any time. 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. 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. Safety Exception: A coach may be present during voluntary individual workouts in the institution s regular practice facility (without the workouts being considered as countable athletically related activities) when the student-athlete uses equipment in that sport. The coach may provide safety or skill instruction but may not conduct the individual s workouts. The safety exception is applicable to the following SLU sports: Swimming & Diving Track & Field (Field events, jumping hurdles, and jumping element of the steeplechase) V. Time Limits for Countable Athletically Related Activities: a. Within the Declared Playing Season: 4

5 i. A written record of countable athletically related activities for each student-athlete is required on a weekly basis and must include a verification signature of the student-athlete. ii. A maximum of four (4) hours per day and 20 hours per week of countable athletic related activities (except during preseason practice and an official vacation period) are allowed. iii. One day off required per week (except during NCAA Championships and preseason and vacation period practices). The required day off may occur any day of the week and may change from week to week. A week is defined as any seven consecutive days, determined at the institution s discretion. Exception Basketball: If a basketball team participates in three contests in one week, they are not required to have one day off that week if the team does not engage in any countable athletically related activities for two days during either the preceding week or the following week. iv. All competition and any activities associated with the competition count as three (3) hours, regardless of the actual duration of the activities. v. Practice may never be conducted following competition, unless following competition except between contests, rounds or events during a multi day event competition (e.g., doubleheaders in softball or baseball). vi. No class time is ever to be missed for practice activities unless in conjunction with out of town competition. vii. Countable athletically related activities shall not occur between Midnight and 5:00 am except during participation in conference or NCAA championships, participation in a competition that begins before midnight but concludes after midnight or participation in promotional practice activities (e.g. first practice of the season) viii. Daily and weekly hour limitations do not apply during pre-season practice prior to the first day of classes or during an institution's official vacation period. If such vacation periods occur during any part of a week in which classes are in session, then the daily and weekly hour limitations must be observed during the portion of the week and a day off must be provided. b. Outside the Declared Playing Season (during the academic year): i. A written record of out-of-season activities for each student-athlete is required on a weekly basis and must include a verification signature of the student-athlete. ii. Coaches may require up to eight (8) hours per week made up of the following countable activities only: 1. Weight-training and conditioning, limited in the following ways: a. Other than weight training and running, it is not permissible for a student-athlete to be involved in conditioning activities in the student-athlete s sport held at the direction of or supervised by a coaching staff member (e.g., swimmers may not condition in the pool). 5

6 Except in track and cross country, conditioning activities (other than weight training) are limited to normal running activities and may not include any equipment related to the sport (e.g., starting blocks, batons, hurdles, etc.) 2. Skill Instruction, limited in the following ways: a. For all sports other than Baseball Between September 15 through April 15, participation in up to two (2) hours per week of skill instruction with no limit on the number of student-athletes who may participate at any one time. Prior to September 15 and after April 15, participation in up to two (2) hours per week of skill instruction is limited to no more than four (4) student-athletes involved at any one time in any facility. b. For Baseball From September 15 through one week prior to exams in the fall term and from January 15 through April 15, skill instruction may include more than four (4) student-athletes. Prior to September 15, from the opening day of classes of the second academic term to January 15 (for those institution s starting classes prior to January 15), and after April 15, skill instruction is limited to four (4) student-athletes at any one time in any facility. c. Skill instruction CANNOT be publicized and cannot be conducted in view of a general public audience. iii. Two (2) days off are required, per week. iv. All required countable athletically related activities are prohibited one week prior to the beginning of final exams through the conclusion of final exams v. Countable athletically related activities shall not occur between Midnight and 5:00 am except during participation in conference or NCAA championships, participation in a competition that begins before midnight but concludes after midnight or participation in promotional practice activities (e.g. first practice of the season). vi. No class time may be missed. 6