Compliance Tip of the Week Required Day Off

Monday, October 21, 2013 Compliance Tip of the Week – Required Day Off

A “week” is defined as any seven consecutive days to be determined prior to the start of the academic year. Once the week is determined, it may not be changed.

During the playing season (20-hour weeks), all countable athletically related activities are prohibited during one calendar day per week. Countable athletically related activities include activities that are required by the coaching staff, voluntary activities that are observed by the coaching staff and voluntary activities that are reported back to the coaching staff.  Travel Day – A travel day may be considered a day off, provided no countable athletically related activities occur during that day. o Visit to the Site of Competition - A team, utilizing a travel day as its required day off during a particular week, may visit the site where the team will compete without such visit being considered a countable athletically related activity in sports other than golf and cross country. In the sports of golf and cross country a competitive advantage could result from viewing the competition site (e.g., walking the course) and, thus, such a visit would constitute a countable athletically related activity and may not occur during an institution's required day off.  Vacation Period – It is permissible to use a vacation day to satisfy the day-off-per-week requirement.  Canceled Competition – When a competition is canceled prior to the start of competition or canceled prior to the competition being considered a completed event, it is permissible to use that day as a required day off, provided student-athletes do not engage in further countable athletically related activities during that day.

A day off is not required in the following situations:  Participation in one conference and postseason championships;  Participation in a postseason bowl game;  Participation in a National Invitation Tournament;  Participation in NCAA championships;  During preseason practice prior to the first day of classes or the first scheduled contest, whichever is earlier; and  During an official vacation period as listed on the institution’s calendar. If the vacation period occurs during any part of a week in which classes are in session, student-athletes are subject to the daily and weekly hour limitations during the portion of the week when classes are in session.

In men’s and women’s basketball, if the team participates in three contests in a given week, the team is not subject to the one-day-off-per-week requirement, provided the student-athletes do not engage in any countable athletically related activities for two days during either the preceding or the following week.

Outside the playing season (8-hour weeks) during the academic year, all countable athletically related activities are prohibited during two calendar days per week.