DEPARTMENT OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
and IUPUI
GUIDE TO RULES COMPLIANCE

 
    Section 6 - PLAYING AND PRACTICE SEASONS

6.1 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.

6.2 Declaration of Playing Season

NCAA rules state that the first date of practice shall not be conducted prior to:

Volleyball
Date that permits 29 practice opportunities prior to first contest

Cross Country
Date that permits 21 practice opportunities prior to first contest

Soccer
Date that permits 21 practice opportunities prior to first contest

Basketball
After 7 p.m. on the Friday nearest October 15

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.

Basketball See above through final contest
Cross Country 144 Days
Golf 144 Days
Soccer 132 Days
Softball 132 Days
Swimming 144 Days
Tennis 144 Days
Volleyball 132 Days

6.3 Time Limits for Countable Athletically Related Activities

(1) Within the Declared Playing Season

(a) A written record of countable athletically related activities for each student-athlete is required, i.e., IUPUI Practice Log-In Season or ARA Log.

(b) A maximum of four (4) hours per day and 20 hours per week (except during preseason practice and an official vacation period). .

(c) One day off required per week (except during NCAA Championships and preseason practice).

(d) All competition and any activities associated with the competition count as three (3) hours, regardless of the actual duration of the activities.

(e) Practice may never be conducted following competition.

(f) No class time is ever to be missed for practice activities.

(g) 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.

(2) Outside the Declared Playing Season (during the academic year)

(a) A written record of out-of-season activities for each student-athlete is required, i.e., IUPUI Practice Log-Out of Season or ARA Log.

(b) Coaches may require up to eight (8) hours per week of the following countable activities only:

1. Weight-training and conditioning, and
2. Up to (2) hours of skill-related instruction, provided no more than four (4) student-athletes from the same team are involved in any one activity at the same time and the student-athlete requests the activity.
3.
In basketball, more than 4 student-athletes can participate in activity at the same time
4.
In women’s basketball student-athletes can participate in a max 4 hours of individual skill instruction with coach(es); in men’s basketball they can only participate in a max of 2 hours of individual skill instruction

Note:No other countable activities may be engaged outside of the declared playing/practice season.

(c) During weight-training and conditioning activities, it is not permissible for a student-athlete to be involved in conditioning activities, other than weight training and running, 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, with the exception of indoor/outdoor track and cross country. 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.

6.4 Countable Athletically Related Activities

Countable athletically-related activities have been grouped into seven (7) categories to simplify the recording and monitoring process. These seven categories are listed on the IUPUI Practice Log-In Season submitted by the coaches or the ARA Logs each student-athlete may be required to keep during the academic year. The following are countable athletically-related activities and may be conducted only within the institution's playing season (except for weight training and conditioning activities as indicated above):

(1) Practice

(a) Team conditioning or physical fitness activities.

(b) Field, floor or on-court activity.

(c) Setting up offensive or defensive alignments.

(d) Activities utilizing equipment relating to the sport.

(e) Individual workouts required or supervised by a member of the coaching staff (except as permitted by Bylaws 17.1.5.1 and 17.1.5.2).

(f) Visiting the competition site in the sports of cross country and golf.

(2) Competition

(a) All competition and any associated activities on the day of competition count as three (3) hours regardless of the actual duration of these activities.

(b) Practice may never be conducted following competition.

(3) Weights/Conditioning

(a) Required weight-training and conditioning activities held at the direction of or supervised by an institutional staff member.

(b) Participation in a physical fitness class conducted by a member of the athletics staff.

(c) Activities conducted under the guise of physical education class work.

(4) Films/Videos

(a) Film or videotape reviews of athletics practices or contests required, supervised or monitored by institutional staff members.

(b) Discussions or review of game films, motion pictures or videotapes relating to the sport.

(5) Participation - Camps/Clinics/Workshops/Community Service

(a) Required participation in camps, clinics, workshops or community service.

(6) Meetings - Athletically-Related Activities

(a) Meetings initiated by coaches or other institutional staff members on athletically related matters.

(b) Chalk talks.

(c) Lectures on or discussion of strategy relating to the sport.

(7) Athletically-Related Activities Arranged by Team Members

(a) On-court or on-field activities called by any member of a team and confined primarily to members of that team that are considered as requisite for participation in the sport, e.g., captain's practices.

[NOTE: No class time may be missed for any of the above countable athletically related activities except for those activities associated with competition.]

6.5 Noncountable Athletically Related Activities

The following activities are considered noncountable athletically related activities and are not counted in the weekly or daily time limitations:

(1) Training table or competition related meals.

(2) Physical rehabilitation, medical exams or treatment.

(3) Dressing, showering or taping

(4) Study table, tutoring session or meetings with academic advisors.

(5) Meetings with coaches on non-athletic matters.

(6) Travel to and from practice and competition or visiting the practice site in sports other than cross country and golf.

(7) Public relations activities, e.g., media days.

(8) Serving as a student host or other recruiting activities.

(9) 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).

(10) 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.

(11) Use of an institution's facilities provided the activities are not supervised or held at the direction of a coach. Facilities may NOT be reserved specifically for the use of student-athletes during the summer. Facilities may be reserved for un-supervised athletic activity period during the regular academic year.

(12) 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.

(13) 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.

6.6 Playing and Practice Season Forms

FORM 6A - Declaration of Playing and Practice Season Worksheet

To be completed by the coach each year and submitted to the Compliance Coordinator by July 1 each year.

FORM 6B - ARA LOG

See attached for description.

** Coaches are required to turn in ARA logs for all team members to the Compliance Coordinator upon request.

 
   
 

Athletics Contact: Bret Shambaugh
Web Contact:
iupuireg@iupui.edu

   

INDIANA UNIVERSITY PURDUE UNIVERSITY   INDIANAPOLIS
Athletics Department
250 University Blvd. - Room 250; Indianapolis, IN 46202
Phone  (317) 278-JAGS