Bylaw 11
Session Overview
Coaching categories.
Limits on number of coaches.
Noncoaching staff members.
Recruiting coordination functions.
Off-campus recruiting at any one time.
NCAA Division I Recruiting and Athletics
Personnel Issues Cabinet update.
Coaching Categories
In order to coach (paid or unpaid), an
individual must be designated as one of
the following:
Head or assistant.
Graduate assistant (GA) coach (Bowl
Subdivision Football and rowing only).
Undergraduate student-assistant coach.
Volunteer coach.
Head or Assistant Coach
Designated to perform coaching duties
(paid or unpaid).
GA Coach
Permitted only in Bowl Subdivision Football
(2) and women’s rowing (1).
Must be enrolled in at least 50% of
institution’s regular graduate program.
Exception for final term – Proposal No. 2009-11.
Applies to all GA coaches regardless of
employment date.
Compensation cannot exceed full grant-in-
aid.
Two-year limit.
Exception for third year based on academic
requirements.
GA Coach
Replacement
Compensation charged against academic year.
Based on funds that have been provided to first
GA coach.
Midyear replacement – no 50% enrollment
requirement.
Must be accepted for enrollment for next
term.
GA Coach –
Bowl Subdivision Football Only
Proposal No. 2009-10.
Must be appointed within seven years of:
Receipt of first baccalaureate degree; or
Exhausted athletics eligibility.
Apply whatever standard occurred later.
Time limit is based on appointment date.
Effective April 29, 2010 for all new
appointments.
Undergraduate Student-
Assistant Coach
Must have exhausted eligibility or be
injured to the extent that he/she will not
participate again.
Enrolled at institution where SA most
recently participated in athletics.
Enrolled as full-time undergraduate in first
baccalaureate degree program.
Undergraduate Student-
Assistant Coach
No compensation other than the financial
aid that could be received as an SA.
Cannot recruit off campus.
Cannot scout opponents.
May receive bowl or similar awards.
Limited to same number as countable
coaches for sport.
Removes five-year eligibility time limit.
Proposal No. 2009-12-A.
Effective August 1, 2010
Volunteer Coach
One per sport.
Exceptions.
No compensation permitted.
May receive two complimentary tickets to
home contests in coach’s sport.
Cannot recruit off campus.
Cannot scout opponents.
May receive bowl or similar awards.
May receive complimentary meals
incidental to team’s activities or on official
visits.
Limits on Number of Coaches
Limits for number of coaches that may be
employed in each sport.
Limits for number of coaches who may
contact or evaluate prospective student-
athletes (PSAs) off campus.
Commonly referred to as countable
coaches.
Countable Coaches
Participates in coaching the team in any of
the following:
Practice, games, or organized activities directly
related to the sport.
Must count against coaching limitations as
soon as coaching occurs.
Replacement of countable coaches.
Exceptions to Coaching Limits
Commonly referred to as “noncountable
coaches.”
Strength and conditioning coaches.
May only conduct flexibility, warm-up and physical
conditioning activities.
No limit on number per sport.
Undergraduate student-assistant coaches.
Limited to number of countable coaches per sport.
Volunteer coaches.
Generally, limited to one per sport.
Exceptions.
Case Study No. 1
Orange County University’s women’s
basketball team has a head coach and two
assistant coaches.
Alexis is attending graduate school at OCU
and wants to help coach the team.
May OCU designate Alexis as a GA coach?
Case Study No. 1
No, GA coaches are only permitted in bowl
subdivision football and rowing.
However, since OCU only has three
countable coaches, Alexis may serve as an
assistant coach for the team.
Noncoaching Staff Members
Institutional staff involved in noncoaching
activities do not count provided:
Not identified as coaches;
Do not engage in any on-or off-field coaching
activities; and
Not involved in any off-campus recruitment of
PSAs or scouting of opponents.
Noncoaching Staff Members with
Sport Specific Responsibilities
Proposal No. 2009-15.
May participate in organized activities.
involving only coaching staff.
May have administrative duties.
May not participate in instructional activities
with SAs.
May not participate in any on-court or on-
field activities.
May not participate or observe SAs who are
engaged in nonorganized voluntary
athletically related activities.
Noncoaching Staff Members with
Sport Specific Responsibilities
May attend and participate in coaches
meetings.
May analyze video of institution’s or
opponent’s team.
May attend practice/competition.
May perform administrative duties during
practice/competition.
Noncoaching Staff Members with
Sport Specific Responsibilities
May not participate in practice or
competition, skill instruction or pregame
warm up activities.
May not perform recruiting coordination
functions.
Managers
Must perform traditional managerial duties.
Must be full-time student.
Exception for final term of enrollment.
May participate in limited on-court activities
during practice with SAs.
May not provide instruction to SAs.
May not participate in countable athletically
related activities as SAs or practice players
would typically participate.
In baseball, forfeits eligibility in sport at
institution.
Proposal Nos. 2009-14-A and B.
Effective August 1, 2010.
Managers
“Limited” – refers to the type of activities
performed, not the frequency of activities.
May perform limited activities on regular
basis.
Examples of limited activities:
Throwing bounce passes;
Throwing batting practice;
Shagging balls; and
Signaling in plays at direction of coaching staff.
Noncoaching Staff Members
Use of outside consultants.
Temporary training to coaching staff only.
No interaction with SAs permitted.
No involvement with on- or off- field coaching
activities.
May observe practice, but not participate.
Official Interpretations (7/2/03, 1/8/03)
25
Question and Answer No. 1
What individuals may signal in plays to SA
during a game?
Head/Assistant Coach
GA Coach
Undergraduate Student-Assistant Coach
Strength and Conditioning Coach
Director of Operations
Manager
Only at direction of coaching staff member
Question and Answer No. 1
What individuals may signal in plays to SA
during a game?
Head/Assistant Coach
GA Coach
Undergraduate Student-Assistant
Coach
Strength and Conditioning Coach
Director of Operations
Manager
Only at direction of coaching staff member
Question and Answer No. 2
What individuals may participate in pre-
game warm ups with SA?
Head/Assistant Coach
GA Coach
Undergraduate Student-Assistant Coach
Strength and Conditioning Coach
Director of Operations
Manager
Only in limited activities
Question and Answer No. 2
What individuals may participate in pre-
game warm ups with SA?
Head/Assistant Coach
GA Coach
Undergraduate Student-Assistant
Coach
Strength and Conditioning Coach
Director of Operations
Manager
Only in limited activities
Question and Answer No. 3
What individuals may participate in
coaches meetings?
Head/Assistant Coach
GA Coach
Undergraduate Student-Assistant Coach
Strength and Conditioning Coach
Director of Operations
Manager
Question and Answer No. 3
What individuals may participate in
coaches meetings?
Head/Assistant Coach
GA Coach
Undergraduate Student-Assistant
Coach
Strength and Conditioning Coach
Director of Operations
Manager
Recruiting Coordination Functions
Specific functions (except routine clerical
tasks) must be performed by head or
assistant coaches:
Activities involving athletics evaluations and
or selection of PSAs; and
Telephone calls to/from PSAs.
Recruiting Coordination Functions -
Exception
GA Coaches
May perform on-campus athletics
evaluations.
May make or receive calls to/from PSAs if
coach has passed coaches certification test.
Recruiting Coordination Functions -
Exception
After PSA signs NLI or other written
commitment* or on/after May 1 of PSA’s
senior year in high school if institution has
received financial deposit.
Noncoaching staff members and noncountable
coaches may make/receive telephone calls to/from
PSAs.
*For institutions not using the NLI or for a PSA
who is not eligible to sign a NLI.
Modification of Wording 2010-3
Recruiting Coordination
Functions - Exception
Noncoaching staff members and noncountable
coaches may make/receive telephone calls
to/from PSA (or individuals accompanying PSA)
during official visit transportation and official
visit.
Athletics staff may make unlimited calls to PSAs
(or individuals accompanying PSA) during official
visit transportation and official visit.
Proposal No. 2009-18
Effective August 1, 2010
Recruiting Coordination
Functions – Camp and Clinic
Any institutional staff member may call or e-
mail PSAs in regard to camp/clinic logistical
issues.
May not include any recruiting conversation
or language.
May not solicit camp/clinic attendance.
No limit on number of calls or e-mails.
Can initiate or receive calls or e-mails to/from
PSAs.
Official Interpretation (10/2/2009)
Educational Column (5/7/2009)
Off-Campus Recruiting At Any
One Time
One coach may leave campus before
another coach returns, provided the total
number of coaches recruiting at any one
time does not exceed the permissible
number.
Replaced coach must complete recruiting
activities before another coach may begin.
Replaced coach must return to campus
before additional recruiting occurs.
Off- Campus Recruiting At Any One
Time – Basketball Exception
During July evaluation period only.
Replaced coach not required to return to
campus prior to engaging in additional off-
campus recruiting activities.
Limit of three coaches engaged in off-campus
recruiting activities each day.
General rule or exception may be used at
anytime during July evaluation period.
Staff Determination (7/1/09)
Question and Answer No. 4
May four basketball coaches engage in
off-campus recruiting on one day during
the July evaluation period?
Yes, provided the replaced coach returns
to campus prior to engaging in additional
off-campus recruiting activities.
Question and Answer No. 5
During the July evaluation period, what is
the maximum number of coaches that
may recruit off-campus on any one day
without requiring that at least one coach
return to campus before additional
recruiting occurs?
A maximum of three coaches can engage
in off-campus recruiting on any one day
without requiring that at least one coach
return to campus.
Off-campus Recruiting At Any One
Time – Women’s Basketball
Coach who attends on-campus athletics event
that involves PSAs is considered an off-
campus recruiter.
May only attend on-campus athletics events
during permissible evaluation periods.
Must be included in limit of three off-campus
recruiters at any one time.
Applies to any athletics event in which PSAs
participate, not only basketball events.
Proposal No. 2009-20
Effective August 1, 2010
Off-Campus Recruiting At Any One
Time - Football
10 coaches may evaluate PSAs at any one
time during one week (seven day period) of
fall evaluation period.
Week must occur when no regular season
competition is scheduled.
Week must be declared in writing prior to
first contest.
May occur only one time during the season.
Proposal No. 2009-16-B
Effective August 1, 2010
Cabinet Update
Limit on number of noncoaching staff with
sport specific responsibilities.
Survey conducted January 2010.
76% response rate.
In football, 61% employ one-six noncoaching staff.
In men’s and women’s basketball, 71% employ
one-three noncoaching staff.
80% favor a limit on the number of noncoaching
staff.
Cabinet Update
March/April 2010: Surveyed athletics
directors and coaches associations.
April 16: Survey responses due.
June 8-9: Cabinet meets.
Cabinet Update
Legislative concepts:
Men’s and Women’s Basketball
Limit of one or two noncoaching staff.
Limit of six total staff.
Bowl Subdivision Football
Limit of four or six noncoaching staff.
Limit of 16 total staff.
Championship Subdivision Football
Limit of two or four noncoaching staff.
Limit of 14 total staff.
Cabinet Update
For survey results and more information
visit the cabinet’s Web site.
www.ncaa.org
Legislation and Governance /Committees /
/Division I/Recruiting and Athletics
Personnel Issues Cabinet