Club season is in full swing and during a given tournament weekend, the courts are crowded with players, parents and college coaches. Everyone is constantly intermingling throughout the tournament. In order to assist junior volleyball athletes and families with understanding what is permissible and non-permissible in terms of face to face communication, let’s review the NCAA Rules related to prospective student athletes and communication with college coaches during a tournament.

If an athlete crosses paths with a college coach during a tournament and exchanges greetings, this would be considered an incidental contact by the NCAA and is not an infraction against the athlete or college due to it being a pass by. However, there is a point that this incidental contact becomes a violation of NCAA rules for Division I,II,III.  DI, DII and DIII coaches are not allowed to talk to athletes until the completion of the event for the day and their coach has released them as well. This includes passing notes and any conversation further than a “hello”. Athletes that are juniors or seniors have the option to talk with college coaches at the completion of each day. Sophomores cannot have contact until after June 15 at the completion of their sophomore year.

These rules have been approved for the benefit of the athlete. Athletes should be focused more on their team and playing volleyball than the college coaches that are standing around the court. Also, college coaches talking to athletes during events could possibly give them an advantage in the process. Many college coaches understand the rules and will not approach the athlete. The ones that do approach and have a conversation may mislead the athlete to believe that they are more interested in recruiting that athlete than others.

If an illegal face to face interaction is reported against the college coach, he/she could face a recruiting infraction/violation and there is the possibility that the college program can no longer continue recruiting that athlete. Knowing the landscape of the recruiting process with the current COVID waiver and the Transfer Portal, athletes’ lists are limited. This is a result that can be prevented by following the rules set forth by the NCAA.

Some volleyball clubs have their own rules related to college coaches approaching players during the tournament. For instance, a club may enforce no communication until the end of tournament unless the college coach is not going to be in attendance on the final day of competition. The college coach should first and foremost approach the coach/recruiting coordinator before approaching the athlete to see if the athlete is able to talk that day. Note: DII and DIII college coaches are permitted to talk to parents during tournaments.

As a club, you want your athlete in the best situation for them to have success when talking with college coaches and sometimes there are circumstances that may not create that environment.

Recruiting Coordinator and Coaches should review these rules with your athletes:

Division: I – website
Legislative Cite: 13.1.6.2.1
Title: Sports Other Than Basketball. Text:

13.1.6.2.1 Sports Other Than Basketball. In sports other than basketball, in-person contact may not be made with a prospective student-athlete at any site prior to any athletics competition (including a non-institutional, private camp or clinic, but not an institutional camp or clinic) in which the prospective student-athlete is a participant on a day of competition, even if the prospective student-athlete is on an official or unofficial visit. In-person contact may occur after the prospective student-athlete’s competition concludes for the day and the prospective student-athlete has been released by the appropriate authority (e.g., coach). (Adopted: 5/1/19, Revised: 7/17/20)

Division: II – website
Legislative Cite: 13.1.6.1
Title: Contact With Prospective Student-Athletes Involved in Competition. Text:

13.1.6.1 Contact With Prospective Student-Athletes Involved in Competition. Recruiting contact may not be made with a prospective student-athlete at any site prior to any athletics competition (including a noninstitutional, private camp or clinic, but not an institutional camp or clinic) in which the prospective student-athlete is a participant on a day of competition, even if the prospective student-athlete is on an official or unofficial visit. Contact includes the passing of notes or orally relaying information to a prospective student-athlete by a third party on behalf of an institutional staff member. Contact may occur after the prospective student-athlete’s competition concludes for the day and the prospective student-athlete has been released by the appropriate authority (e.g., coach). [D] (Revised: 1/11/89, 1/10/91, 1/11/94, 1/9/96 effective 7/1/96, 6/22/11, 1/18/14, 10/22/19)

Division: III – website

Proposal Number: I-2009-2

Title: RECRUITING — CONTACTS AND EVALUATIONS — CONTACT RESTRICTIONS AT PRACTICE OR COMPETITION SITE — CONTACT WITH PROSPECTIVE STUDENT-ATHLETE DURING A TOURNAMENT OR ON AN EXTENDED ROAD TRIP

Convention Year: 2009
Date Submitted: September 2, 2008
Status: Adopted Final
Effective Date: Immediate
IPOPL Number:
SPOPL Number:
Source: NCAA Division III Management Council (Interpretations and Legislation Committee). Category: Incorporation
Topical Area: Recruiting
Intent:
Bylaws: Amend 13.1.4.2, as follows:

13.1.4.2 Practice or Competition Site. Recruiting contact may not be made with a prospective student- athlete before any athletics competition in which the prospective student-athlete is a participant during the day or days of competition, even if the prospective student-athlete is on an official or unofficial visit. Such contact shall be governed by the following:

[13.1.4.2-(a) through 13.1.4.2-(d) unchanged.]

13.1.4.2.1 Contact with Prospective Student-Athlete during Tournament or Extended Road Trip. Recruiting contact may be made with a prospective student-athlete during a tournament that is not conducted on consecutive days, provided the prospective student-athlete has been released by the appropriate institutional authority and the contact occurs on a day in which there is no further competition. Additionally, during an extended road trip, recruiting contact may be made with a prospective student-athlete at the conclusion of a competition and prior to the team traveling to the next competition, provided he or she has been released by the appropriate institutional authority and has departed the dressing and meeting facility.

Additional recruiting education

 

About the Author

Glenna Bianchin is the JVA Recruiting Education Chair and Recruiting Coordinator for Carolina Union Volleyball Club a JVA member club located in Charlotte, North Carolina.