Oklahoma State University Athletics
Defining Countable Athletically Related Activities
Defining Countable Athletically Related Activities
What are the daily and weekly time limitations on countable athletically related activities?
Student-athletes may not participate in countable athletically related activities for more than:
In-Season Out-of-Season (during the academic year) . 4 hours per day . 8 hours per week . 20 hours per week The daily and weekly hour limitations DO NOT apply to the following time periods:
- During preseason practice prior to the first day of classes or the first scheduled contest, whichever is earlier.
- During an institution's term-time official vacation period (e.g., Thanksgiving, spring break), as listed in the institution's official calendar, and during the academic year between terms when classes are not in session.
Are student-athletes required to have a day off from countable athletically related activities?
During the academic year, student-athletes shall not engage in any countable athletically related activities on one day per week during the playing season and two days per week outside the playing season. The required day(s) off may occur on any day of the week and may change from week to week. A "week" is defined as any seven consecutive days, determined at the institution's discretion.
Below are partial lists of common activities that count and do not count against daily and weekly time limits:
Countable*
Athletically Related ActivitiesNoncountable
Athletically Related ActivitiesPractices (not more than 4 hours per day). Compliance meetings. Athletics meetings with a coach initiated or required by a coach (e.g., end of season individual meetings). Meetings with a coach initiated by the student-athlete (as long as no countable activities occur). Competition (and associated activities, regardless of their length, count as 3 hours). Note: No countable athletically related activities may occur after the competition. Drug/alcohol educational meetings or CHAMPS/Life Skills meetings. Field, floor or on-court activity. Study hall, tutoring or academic meetings. Setting up offensive and defensive alignment. Student-athlete advisory committee/Captain's Council meetings. On-court or on-field activities called by any member of the team and confined primarily to members of that team. Voluntary weight training not conducted by a coach or staff member. Required weight-training and conditioning activities. Voluntary sport-related activities (e.g., initiated by student-athlete, no attendance taken, no coach present). Required participation in camps/clinics. Traveling to/from the site of competition (as long as no countable activities occur). Visiting the competition site in the sports of cross country, golf and skiing. Training room activities (e.g., treatment, taping), rehabilitation activities and medical examinations. Participation outside the regular season in individual skill-related instructional activities with a member of the coaching staff. Recruiting activities (e.g., student host). Discussion or review of game films. Training table meals. Participation in a physical activity class for student-athletes only and taught by a member of the athletics staff (e.g., coach). Attending banquets (e.g., awards or post-season banquets). Fund-raising activities or public relations/promotional activities and community service projects. * There may be additional rules applicable only to certain sports. Also, conferences and institutions may adopt more restrictive rules. Contact the institution's compliance officer for answers to questions or for additional information.
Participation in Countable Athletically Related Activities Out of the Season
What is the difference between in-season and out-of-season?
In-season (20 Hours)
- Time between the team's first officially recognized practice session and the last practice session or competition, whichever occurs later.
- Sports other than football and basketball may have their seasons separated into two distinct segments: championship segment and nonchampionship segment.
- During the in-season period (i.e., championship and nonchampionship segments), a student-athlete may participate in a maximum of 20 hours per week of countable athletically related activities.
Out-of-season (Eight Hours)
- The remaining days during the academic year not included in the in-season period.
- A student-athlete may participate in a maximum of eight (8) hours per week of countable athletically related activities and may not participate in any countable athletically related activities on two days per week during the out-of-season period.
- Participation in up to two (2) hours of required or voluntary individual skill instruction, or four (4) hours for women's basketball student-athletes, is permissible. In football, skill-instruction activities are limited to review of game film.
Outside the playing season (during the academic year), student-athletes are limited to not more than eight (8) hours per week of certain countable athletically related activities. Those activities are shown below:
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. Conditioning drills may not simulate offensive or defensive alignments. In sports other than basketball and football, participation in up to 2 hours per week of skill-related instruction (voluntary or required), provided not more than four (4) student-athletes from the same team are involved at any one time in any facility. No equipment related to the sport may be used during conditioning activities. In the sport of ice hockey, a student-athlete may be involved in on-ice conditioning activities, provided no equipment other than skates is used. In men's basketball, participation in up to 2 hours per week, and in women's basketball up to 4 hours per week, of skill-related instruction (voluntary or required), with no limit on the number of student-athletes from the team involved at any one time in any facility. No required participation in any countable athletically related activities during any 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 films. No participation in any other countable athletically related activity that may have been permissible during the in-season period. Any voluntary athletically related activity in which the student-athlete chooses to participate (does not count in the 8 hours) (e.g., initiated by student-athlete, no attendance taken, no coach present). Participation in a physical fitness class conducted by a member of the athletics department staff. NOTE: Student-athletes may be involved in any noncountable athletically related activity during the off-season period (e.g., workouts using the safety exception, voluntary workouts, other noncountable activities permitted during the in-season period).
Voluntary Activities and the Safety Exception
What is a "voluntary" activity?
To be considered a "voluntary" activity, all the following conditions must be met:
- The student-athlete must not be required to report back to a coach or other athletics department staff member (e.g., strength coach, trainer, manager) any information related to the activity. In addition, noncoaching athletics department staff members who observe the activity (e.g., strength coach, trainer, manager) may not report back to the student-athlete's coach any information related to the activity; [NOTE: Coaches may not observe voluntary activities.]
- 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;
- 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 (e.g., awards) to a student-athlete based on his or her attendance or performance in the activity.
What is the safety exception?
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.
The safety exception is applicable to the following sports:
Archery
Equestrian
Fencing
Gymnastics
Rifle
Rowing
Skiing
Swimming and Diving
