NCAA Rules on Offseason Workouts

The National Collegiate Athletic Association, or NCAA, is the governing body for most college sports in the United States. NCAA rules that limit the length and types of workouts that college student-athletes may perform are designed “to minimize interference with the academic programs of its student-athletes,” according to the NCAA bylaws. NCAA rules provide for limited mandatory workout time in the offseason, although individuals may work out on their own whenever they wish.

  1. Countable Hours

    • NCAA limitations on offseason workouts only apply to “athletically related activities.” These activities are typically mandatory and are supervised by at least one coach. Countable activities include practices and required weight-training sessions. Noncountable physical activities include medical exams and rehabilitation sessions, attending physical education classes that are open to all students, plus any voluntary workouts. A team’s strength and conditioning coach can typically supervise student-athletes’ voluntary workouts for safety purposes only.

    Voluntary Workouts

    • The NCAA considers an offseason workout voluntary if the activity is “initiated and requested” by one or more student-athletes. No report regarding the workout can be made to an athlete’s coach. The athlete’s participation may not be recorded. Student-athletes participating in offseason workouts cannot be rewarded for doing so, nor may an athlete’s teammates be disciplined for failing to participate. Workouts can range from an individual’s strength-training session to a full-team scrimmage game, as long as each individual participates voluntarily and no coaches witness the game.

    School-Year Workouts

    • Student-athletes are limited to eight hours per week of countable athletic activities, including mandatory workouts, during any part of the non-summer school year that’s outside of his team’s playing season. The playing season includes organized preseason team practice. Only two of those eight hours can involve skill-related workouts with coaches. For football players, no more than two hours per week can be spent viewing game or practice film. No countable activities are permitted during the school’s final exam period, beginning one week before the first exam. Student-athletes must receive two full days off, with no countable activities, during each offseason week. Football teams are specifically permitted to practice 15 times during the offseason, before the school’s final exam period. Countable activities during spring football practice may not exceed four hours per day or 20 hours per week. Only 12 of the 15 practices may involve contact.

    Summer

    • With a few exceptions, student-athletes may only participate in voluntary workouts during the school’s summer vacation period. Men’s basketball players who attend summer classes may participate in eight hours of countable workouts for per week for eight weeks, with no more two hours per week of skill instruction. Students in individual sports may request summer workout sessions with his team’s coach.