MSU OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE SERVICES

COUNTABLE ATHLETICALLY RELATED ACTIVITIES

A countable athletically related activity is any required activity with an athletics that occurs at the direction of, or supervised by, one or more of an institution’s coaching staff including strength and conditioning coaches. A voluntary activity becomes countable if a coaching staff member is present, regardless of whether the student-athlete requests the instruction. During the time in which a team is in-season, participation in countable athletically related activities is limited to a maximum of 4 hours per day and 20 hours per week. The time period in which the student-athlete is required to be at the activity begins the “countable” portion of the activity. The day of a competition counts as 3 hours regardless of the length of the competition. A team’s week is predetermined by the coaching staff. It can be any seven consecutive day period but once the week is established it cannot be changed during the season! Did you know that practice may not be conducted at any time following competition, except between contests, rounds or events during a multiday or multi event competition (e.g., doubleheaders in softball and baseball)? There are times during the year when daily and weekly hour limitations do not apply.

o Preseason practice prior to the first day of classes or the first scheduled contest, whichever is earlier; and

o Official vacation periods during the academic year (e.g., Christmas break, spring break) as listed in MSU’s official calendar and during the academic year between terms when classes are in session. If a vacation period occurs during any part of a week in which classes are in session, daily and weekly hour limitations apply to that portion of the week when classes are in session and student-athletes must receive one day off which may be a vacation day.

Student-athletes must receive one day off per week from all countable athletically related activities. A day off is not required during vacation periods, preseason practice, participation in one conference and postseason championship, postseason licensed bowl games, National Invitation Tournaments or during participation in NCAA championships.

o Basketball Exception – If a team participates in three contests in a given week, the team is not subject to the one-day-off-per-week requirement. However, student-athletes must receive two days off from all countable athletically related activities during either the preceding or the following week.

In general, countable athletically related activities may not occur between midnight and 5:00 a.m.. Did you know that the only time you may miss class for practice is when the practice is associated with an away-from-home contest? Fore! A practice round of golf may exceed the four-hour-per-day limitation, but the weekly limit of 20 hours remains in effect. If the practice round exceeds four hours or more, no other countable

MSU Athletic Compliance & NCAA Rules Education Page No. 2 athletically related activities may occur on the same day. A practice round played on the day prior to the start of a collegiate golf tournament at the tournament site shall count as three hours, regardless of the actual duration of the round. If a practice round occurs at the tournament site on the day prior to the start of the tournament, the institution may require up to one hour of additional countable activities on that day.

Countable Athletically Related Activities Noncountable Athletically Related Activities No CARA between midnight and 5:00 a.m. Compliance meetings. Practice. No more than 4 hours per day. [Golf practice round exception]

Meetings with a coach initiated by the student-athlete [as long as no countable activities occur (e.g., film session)].

Athletics meetings with a coach initiated or required by a coach (e.g., end of season individual meetings).

Drug/alcohol educational meetings or CHAMPS/Life Skills meetings.

Competition and associated activities, regardless of their length, counts as 3 hours. Countable athletically related activities are prohibited after competition.

Study hall, tutoring or academic meetings.

Field, floor or on-court activity. Student-athlete advisory committee meetings. Setting up offensive and defensive alignments. Voluntary weight training not conducted by a coach or

staff member. On-court or on-field activities called by any member of the team and confined primarily to members of that team.

Voluntary sport-related activities (e.g., initiated by student-athlete, no attendance taken, no coach present).

Required weight training and conditioning activities. Traveling to/from site of competition (as long as no countable activities occur).

Required participation in camps/clinics. Training room activities (e.g., treatment, taping, rehabilitation) and medical examinations.

Punishment (e.g., morning runs, lifting) Recruiting activities (e.g., student host). Participation in voluntary activities with coaching staff.

Training table meals.

Discussion or review of game film. Attending banquets (e.g., awards or post-season banquets).

Participation in a physical activity class for student-athletes only and taught by a member of the athletics staff (e.g., coach).

Fund-raising activities or public relations/promotional activities and community service projects.

During the time a team is out-of-season the following rules apply. Sports Other than Football In sports other than football and baseball, only participation in required weight training,

conditioning and individual skill instruction is permitted. Individual skill instruction may be voluntary or required.

o Participation is limited to a maximum of 4 hours per day and 8 hours per week. No more than two hours per week may be spent on individual skill workouts. Student-athletes must receive two days off per week from all countable athletically related

activities. All athletically related activities are prohibited one week prior to the beginning of the final

exam period through the conclusion of each student-athlete’s final exams. No more than 4 student-athletes from the same team may be involved in skill related instruction

with their coaches at any one time in any facility from: o First day of classes to September 14. o April 16 to one week prior to the beginning of the final exam period at the conclusion of

the academic year.

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o Baseball only - First day of classes spring semester to January 14. More than 4 student-athletes may be involved in skill related instruction from:

o September 15 to one week prior to the beginning of the final exam period at the conclusion of the fall semester.

o First day of classes spring semester to April 15. o Baseball only – January 15 to April 15.

Skill related instruction may not be publicized and may not be conducted in view of a general public audience.

Football In football, only participation in required weight training, conditioning and review of game film

is permitted between the last game and January 1. Participation is limited to a maximum of 4 hours per day and 8 hours per week. No more than two hours per week may be spent watching game film. Student-athletes must receive two days off per week from all countable athletically related

activities. All athletically related activities are prohibited one week prior to the beginning of the final

exam period through the conclusion of each student-athlete’s final exams. Institutional Vacation Periods and Summer Participation in countable athletically related activities outside the playing season is prohibited during institutional vacation periods and/or summer. Strength and conditioning staff may design and conduct specific workout programs for student-athletes, provided such workouts are voluntary and conducted at the request of the student-athlete.

Permissible Countable Athletically Related Activities During the Out-of-Season Period

Nonpermissible Activities During the Out-of-Season Period

Required weight training and conditioning activities supervised by an athletics department staff member.

All athletically related activities are prohibited one week prior to the beginning of final exams through the conclusion of each student-athlete’s final exams.

In sports other than football, skill instruction. No required participation in any countable athletically related activities during an institutional vacation period (e.g., Christmas break, summer) that occur outside the declared playing and practice season (i.e., in-season).

In football, participation (voluntary or required) in up to 2 hours per week of watching and reviewing film.

Any voluntary athletically related activity in which the student-athlete chooses to participate does not count in the 8 hours (e.g., initiated by the student-athlete, no attendance taken, no coach present).

MBA, WFH, MSO, WSO, WSB, WVB – No class time may be missed in conjunction with nonchampionship segment competition, including activities associated with such competition (e.g., travel, program/postgame activities).

Voluntary Activities To be considered a “voluntary” activity, all of the following conditions must be met: Coaching and noncoaching staff members may not observe the workout. If a coaching staff

member observes the workout the activity because countable, regardless of whether the student-athlete requests the instruction.

The student-athlete must not be required to report back to a coach or other athletics department staff members (e.g., strength coach, trainer, manager) any information related to the activity. In addition, no athletics department staff member who observes the activity (e.g., strength coach,

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trainer, manager) may report back to the student-athlete’s coach any information related to the activity. A noncoaching staff member with sport-specific responsibilities may not participate with or observe student-athletes in the staff member's sport who are engaged in nonorganized voluntary athletically related activities (e.g., pick-up games).

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. It is permissible for an athletics department staff member to provide information to student-athletes related to available opportunities for participating in voluntary activities (e.g., times when the strength and conditioning coach will be on duty in the weight room or on the track). In addition, for students who have initiated a request to engage in voluntary activities, the institution or an athletics department staff member may assign specific times for student-athletes to use institutional facilities for such purposes and inform the student-athletes of the time in advance;

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; and

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 to a student-athlete based on his or her attendance or performance in the activity.

NOTE: A voluntary activity becomes countable when done in the presence of a coach. [17.02.8] Safety Exception The safety exception is applicable to gymnastics, rowing, swimming and diving, track and field (field events, jumping hurdles and jumping element of the steeplechase) and wrestling. 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.

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