PLAYING & PRACTICE SEASON POLICIES AND PROCEDURES I. Definition of Playing Season: 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: a. Practice: NCAA rules state that the first date of practice shall not be conducted prior to: i. Baseball: 1. Non-championship segment September 1 2. segment the Friday that is three weeks prior to the first permissible contest date (January 25, 2013; January 24, 2014; January 23, 2015). ii. Men s Basketball: 5:00 pm on the Friday closet to October 15 (October 12, ; October 18, 2013, October 17, 2014). iii. 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. iv. Cross County: s that permit 21 practice opportunities prior to the first contest. v. Field Hockey: s that permit 21 practice opportunities prior to the first contest. vi. Soccer: s that permit 21 practice opportunities prior to the first contest. vii. Softball: September 1 OR the first day of classes, whichever is later. viii. Volleyball: s that permit 29 practice opportunities prior to the first contest OR September 1, whichever is later. ix. All other sports: September 7 or the first day of classes, whichever occurs first. b. Length of Season: NCAA rules also specify the length of a sport s playing season as follows: i. Each sport other than basketball may have two segments of allowable days during the playing season segment 1. Baseball: 132 days 2. Basketball: time between preseason practice through final contest 3. Cross Country: 144 days 4. Field Hockey: 132 days 5. Soccer: 132 days 6. Swimming & Diving: 144 days 7. Tennis: 144 days 8. Track & Field (combined indoor & outdoor): 156 days 9. Volleyball: 132 days c. 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 1
to establish the start/end dates for playing seasons. Any changes must be approved prior to the beginning of the segment. d. Competition schedules will be approved by the Sport Supervisor in conjunction with the Associate Director of Athletics for Sports 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 or Director of Athletics (or designee). III. IV. Countable Athletically Related Activities a. 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. b. Examples of Countable Activities (Note: this is NOT a complete list) i. : Practices (not more than four hours per day) ii. Athletics meetings with a coach initiated or required by a coach (e.g. end of season individual meetings) iii. 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). iv. Warm up and cool down for practice v. Field, floor, or on-court activity vi. On-court and on-field activities called by any member of the team and confined primarily to members of that team vii. Required weight-training and conditioning activities viii. Required participation in camps/clinics ix. Physical rehabilitation WHEN it is conducted with a coaching staff member x. For cross-country visiting the competition site xi. Participation outside the regular season in individual skill-related instructional activities with a member of the coaching staff xii. Discussion or review of game films xiii. Athletically related activities that DO NOT meet the definition of voluntary Noncountable Athletically Related Activities: a. The following activities are considered noncountable athletically related activities and are not counted in the weekly or daily time limitations i. Voluntary athletically related activities (defined below). ii. Training table or competition related meals. iii. Physical rehabilitation, medical exams or treatment. iv. Dressing, showering or taping. v. Study table, tutoring session or meetings with academic advisors. vi. Meetings with coaches on non-athletic matters. vii. Travel to and from practice and competition. viii. Public relations activities, e.g., media days. 2
ix. Serving as a student host or other recruiting activities. x. 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). xi. 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. xii. 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. V. Voluntary Athletically Related Activities - The following conditions must be met: a. 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.] b. 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. c. 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. d. 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. VI. VII. Safety Exception A coach may 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. a. This exception applies to the following SLU sports: i. Swimming & Diving ii. Track & Field (Field events, jumping hurdles and jumping elements of the steeplechase) Time Limits for Countable Athletically Related Activities: a. Within the Declared Playing Season: i. A written record of countable athletically related activities for each studentathlete 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. 3
iii. One day off required per week (except during NCAA s, 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 seven consecutive days, determined at the institution s discretion. 1. Exception: Basketball If a basketball team participates in three contests in one week, they are not required to have a day off that week if the team does not engage in any countable athletically related activities for two days during either the preceding 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, except when conducted between contests, rounds or events during a multi-day event competition (i.e. doubleheader 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 or participation in promotional practice activities (i.e. first practice of the season). viii. Daily and weekly hour limitations do not apply during preseason 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 daily and weekly hours 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 studentathlete. 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 (i.e. swimmers may not condition in the pool). b. EXCEPT: In Track & Field 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 (i.e. starting blocks, batons, hurdles, etc.). 2. Skill instruction, limited in the following ways: a. For all sports other than Baseball: Between September 15 and 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 4
skill instruction is limited to no more than four (4) studentathletes 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) studentathletes. Prior to September 15, from the opening day of classes of the second 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 or participation in promotional practice activities (i.e. first practice of the season). vi. No class time may be missed VIII. Men s Basketball Summer Access a. In men s basketball, student-athlete who is enrolled in summer school may engage in required weight-training, conditioning and skill-related instruction for up to eight weeks (not required to be consecutive weeks). b. Participation is limited to eight (8) hours per week with not more than two (2) hours spent on skill-related instruction. c. A student-athlete not eligible to use the summer school exception may only participate during the period of the institution s summer term or terms (opening day of classes through the last day of final exams) that he is enrolled. d. Exception to Summer School Enrollment: Academic Requirements i. After 2 full-time semesters: 2.20 gpa & 30 hours completed ii. After 3 full-time semesters: 2.20 gpa & 45 hours completed iii. After 4 full-time semesters: 2.20 gpa & 50% degree completed iv. After 5 full-time semesters: 2.20 gpa & 62.5% degree completed v. After 6 full-time semesters: 2.20 gpa & 75% degree completed vi. After 7 full-time semesters: 2.20 gpa & 87.5% degree completed vii. After 8 full-time semesters: Graduated e. Application to Transfer s: The exception to summer school does NOT apply to a transfer student-athlete until he has completed one academic year of full time enrollment 5
SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT WEEKLY PLAYING AND PRACTICE HOURS IN SEASON SPORT: Week of: Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday TOTAL HOURS PER WEEK INSTRUCTIONS: Include all countable athletically related activities per 17.02.1. Total weekly hours must not exceed 20. Maximum of 4 hours/day. Must have one calendar day off each week. Competition counts as 3 hours. NO CARA can occur before 5:00 am OR following a competition. CODE: C-Competition, P-Practice, W/C-Wt. Training/Conditioning, M-Meetings, F-Film, C/C-Camps/clinics, X-Required Day Off, O-Other(describe) COACH'S STATEMENT: The information on this form is true, correct, and complete. Submit completed forms to the Compliance office after each weekly period. Staff Signature
SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT WEEKLY PLAYING AND PRACTICE HOURS IN SEASON SPORT: Week of: Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday TOTAL HOURS PER WEEK INSTRUCTIONS: Include all countable athletically related activities per 17.02.1. Total weekly hours must not exceed 20. Maximum of 4 hours/day. Must have one calendar day off each week. Competition counts as 3 hours. NO CARA can occur before 5:00 am OR following a competition. CODE: C-Competition, P-Practice, W/C-Wt. Training/Conditioning, M-Meetings, F-Film, C/C-Camps/clinics, X-Required Day Off, O-Other(describe) COACH'S STATEMENT: The information on this form is true, correct, and complete. Submit completed forms to the Compliance office after each weekly period. Staff Signature
SPORT: SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT WEEKLY PLAYING AND PRACTICE HOURS OUT OF SEASON Week of: Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday TOTAL HOURS PER WEEK INSTRUCTIONS: Only weight training, conditioning activities, individual skill instruction and other specified activities(bylaws 17.02.1) are permissible. Total weekly hours must not exceed 8, of which no more than 2 may be on court/field with equipment. Student-athletes must be given at least 2 days off a week during out of season time. CODE: W/C-Wt. Training/Conditioning, I-Small Group Skill Instr. (8/27-9/14, 4/16-5/6),P-entire team (allowable 9/15-4/15);O-Other (describe - required meeting, film, etc.) NOTE: ALL COUNTABLE ACTIVITIES MUST CEASE ONE WEEK PRIOR TO FINALS, December 5 in Fall & May 1 in Spring. COACH'S STATEMENT: The information on this form is true, correct, and complete. Submit completed forms to the Compliance office after each weekly period. Staff Signature
SPORT: SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT WEEKLY PLAYING AND PRACTICE HOURS OUT OF SEASON Week of: Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday TOTAL HOURS PER WEEK INSTRUCTIONS: Only weight training, conditioning activities, individual skill instruction and other specified activities(bylaws 17.02.1) are permissible. Total weekly hours must not exceed 8, of which no more than 2 may be on court/field with equipment. Student-athletes must be given at least 2 days off a week during out of season time. CODE: W/C-Wt. Training/Conditioning, I-Small Group Skill Instr. (8/27-9/14, 4/16-5/6),P-entire team (allowable 9/15-4/15);O-Other (describe - required meeting, film, etc.) NOTE: ALL COUNTABLE ACTIVITIES MUST CEASE ONE WEEK PRIOR TO FINALS, December 5 in Fall & May 1 in Spring. COACH'S STATEMENT: The information on this form is true, correct, and complete. Submit completed forms to the Compliance office after each weekly period. Staff Signature
Playing & Practice Season Declaration Sport: Academic Year: Designated administrator/coach responsible for daily/weekly logs: First date of conditioning (8-hour weeks): First date of practice (20-hour weeks): First date of competition: (Champ.) Week designation: Begins on (day) (Other) and ends on (day) Beginning date Ending date Number of countable days Number of countable contests Number of countable dates of competition CHAMPIONSHIP SEGMENT OTHER SEGMENT Total number of countable days, contests and/or competitions: Please attach: 1) Copy of your current competition schedule 2) Playing and practice season calendar 3) Tentative schedule of practice times I certify that to the best of my knowledge, the above named sport is in compliance with applicable NCAA Playing and Practice Season regulations for the corresponding academic year. Coaches signature Compliance Athletic Director Designee
2013 Playing & Practice Season Chart Playing & Practice Season Chart Earliest Report First Practice First Competition End of Season Length of Season Number of Contests s of Competition Baseball January 24, 2013 January 25, 2013 February 13, 2013 NCAA Div. I 132 days 56 N/A Men s Basketball Women s Basketball ^ Residence hall Residence hall Residence hall ^ September 1, October 12, after 5 pm October 1, after 5 pm ^ September 1, November 9, November 9, ^ November 30, NCAA Div. I NCAA Div. I Cross Country August 7, August 8, August 24, Last day of final exams for the academic year Field Hockey August 7, August 8, August 24, Last day of final exams for the academic year Men s Soccer August 7, August 8, August 24, Last day of final exams for the academic year Women s Soccer July 31, August 1, August 17, Last day of final exams for the academic year Softball Residence hall ^ Residence hall Volleyball August 10, ^ December 31, September 1, ^ September 1, August 11, February 7, 2013 ^ September 1, August 24, NCAA Div. I ^ same as above NCAA Div. I ^ January 1, 2013 ^ January 1, 2013 ^ Last day of final exams for the academic year ^ (45 consec. days period during Sept, Oct & Nov) ^ Above is the total per year ^ N/A N/A 27 or 29 N/A N/A 27 or 29 N/A 144 days N/A 7 132 days 20 (Champ seg) 5 (Other seg) 132 days 20 (Champ seg) 5 (Other seg) 132 days 20 (Champ seg) 5 (Other seg) 132 days total 56 N/A ^ (45 consec. ^ 8 ^ N/A days) 132 days N/A 28 ^ N/A ^ N/A ^ 4 1
Swimming & Diving Residence hall August 27, August 27, Last day of final exams for the academic year 144 days N/A 20 Tennis Residence hall August 27, August 27, NCAA Div. I 144 days N/A 25 (overall) 7 (Indiv sing &/or doubles tournament) Track & Field Residence hall August 27, August 27, NCAA Div. I 156 days N/A 18 = segment ^ = Other segment Residence hall : Fall: Spring: Summer: New international students: 08/19/12 New international students: 01/07/13 All students: 05/11/13 Approved first year students: 08/22-23/12 Returning students: 01/11/13 Residence & apartments for returning students: 08/24/12