October 8th: Conducting Tryouts

The Ocean State University and James River Institute women’s basketball teams have lost a few players to injuries during the off-season, so the coaches would like to conduct tryouts.  Is it permissible to conduct tryouts?  If so, are there any limitations?

Yes it is permissible to conduct tryouts.

Yes there are parameters to be followed with regard to tryouts.

Division I NCAA Bylaw 17.02.17 states that a tryout of an enrolled student may occur, provided the student is eligible for practice and the tryout only involves activities that are permissible at the time they occur (e.g., practice in season, skill-related instruction or conditioning outside the season). (Adopted: 8/21/13)

Division I NCAA Educational Column- 9/4/13- Enrolled Student Tryouts (I)- provides further clarification on the parameters associated with conducting tryouts.  NCAA Division I institutions should note that a tryout of an enrolled student may occur, provided the student is eligible for practice and the tryout involves activities that are permissible at the time they occur. The following questions and answers are intended to assist the membership as it relates to the specific parameters for enrolled student tryouts during and outside the playing and practice season. In addition, other opportunities to observe enrolled students are noted.

Question No. 1: Does a student need to be certified as eligible for practice to engage in a tryout?

Answer: The student must be registered as a full-time degree-seeking student, or meet a legislated exception, and be otherwise eligible to engage in countable athletically related activities. However, to the extent that eligibility has not been determined (e.g., the student has not registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center, a final Eligibility Center initial-eligibility determination has not been rendered, the student is a two-year college transfer) the student may still engage in countable athletically related activities for a 45-day period while certification is pending. This 45-day period would not be applicable for a student who is clearly ineligible (e.g., a freshman student who has never taken the SAT or ACT) and only one temporary certification period is available per student.

Question No. 2: Does a student need to fill out the Drug-Testing Consent Form and be added to the squad list to engage in a tryout?

Answer: A student who is trying out for a team is not required to fill out the Drug-Testing Consent Form and the institution is not required to add such a student to the squad list form for 14 days from the first date the student engages in countable athletically related activities or until the institution’s first competition, whichever occurs earlier.

Question No. 3: What types of activities may a student engage in as part of the tryout?

Answer: The student may engage in any activities in which it would be permissible for student-athletes to engage, subject to the same in-season or out-of-season weekly and daily hour limitations applicable to student-athletes. For purposes of skill-related instruction restrictions, each student involved in the activity must be included in the limit of four participants, if applicable.

Question No. 4: May a tryout be advertised? May it be viewed by the general public?

Answer: A tryout may be advertised unless it occurs outside of the playing and practice season and will include skill-related instruction in addition to conditioning activities. Skill-related instruction outside of the playing and practice season may not be publicized or conducted in view of the general public.

Question No. 5: Are there other observation opportunities or restrictions for the coaching staff?

Answer: NCAA playing and practice session legislation does not preclude a coach from attending or observing organized competition involving enrolled students and/or student-athletes, provided the coach does not direct or supervise the organized activity.

However, a coach is not permitted to observe enrolled students or student-athletes in nonorganized sport-specific competition (e.g., “pick-up” basketball games) outside the playing season.

[References: NCAA Division I Bylaws 12.1.1.1.3.1 (temporary certification), 14.1.4.3 (exception — 14-day grace period), 14.3.5.1 (participation prior to certification), 14.5.4.5.7 (participation prior to certification), 17.02.1.1 (countable athletically related activities), 17.02.12 (tryouts — enrolled students), and 17.1.6 (time limits for athletically related activities); and staff interpretations (02/04/04, Item No. 1 and 04/26/13, Item No. c)]

Division II NCAA Bylaw 17.02.15 states that a member institution may conduct a tryout of a full-time student currently enrolled at the institution only on its campus or at a site at which the institution normally conducts practice or competition during the regular academic year. (See Bylaw 13.11.2.1 for tryout regulations of a prospective student-athlete.) The following conditions shall apply to a tryout of an enrolled student: (Adopted: 1/13/98 effective 8/1/98, Revised: 1/14/02, 5/13/11, 7/23/13, 4/15/14)

(a) One-Tryout Limitation. Not more than one tryout per student per sport shall be permitted during any academic year;

(b) Health and Safety Requirements — Medical Examination and Sickle Cell Solubility Test (SST). Prior to participation in a tryout, a student is required to undergo a medical examination or evaluation administered or supervised by a physician (e.g., family physician, team physician). The examination or evaluation shall include a sickle cell solubility test (SST), unless documented results of a prior test are provided to the institution or the student declines the test and signs a written release. The examination or evaluation must be administered within six months prior to participation in the tryout. The medical examination or evaluation may be conducted by an institution’s regular team physician or other designated physician as a part of the tryout; (Revised: 7/24/07 effective 8/1/07, 1/14/12 effective 8/1/12)

(c) Length of Tryout. The time of the tryout activities (other than the physical examination) shall be limited to 14 consecutive calendar days from the first date the student engages in countable athletically related activities;

(d) Time Limits for Tryout. During the 14-consecutive-calendar-day period of a tryout, an enrolled student shall not exceed the daily and weekly hour limitations as set forth in Bylaws 17.1.6.1 and 17.1.6.3;

(e) Competition During Tryout. Competition against the member institution’s team (e.g., scrimmage) is permissible, provided such competition occurs during the academic year and is considered a countable athletically related activity per Bylaw 17.02.1; and (Adopted: 1/14/02)

(f) Issuance of Equipment and Clothing. The institution may provide equipment and clothing on an issuance-and-retrieval basis to a student during the period of the tryout.

Division II NCAA Official Interpretation- 1/10/13- Tryouts Involving Prospective Student-Athletes and Enrolled Student-Athletes Outside the Playing Season (II)- states that currently enrolled student-athletes may participate in no more than two hours per week of competition (e.g., scrimmage) against prospective student-athletes and/or current full-time students involved in tryouts outside the declared playing and practice season, provided such activities are counted within the weekly hour limitations for out-of-season skill instruction or team activities. Under such circumstances, an unlimited number of currently enrolled student-athletes may participate in the tryouts. It is not permissible for current student-athletes to participate in tryouts of prospective student-athletes during a time period when out-of-season activities are not permissible. [References: Bylaws 13.11.2.1 (tryouts), 17.02.1 (countable athletically related activities), 17.02.14 (tryouts — enrolled student) and 17.1.6.2 (weekly hour limitations — outside of playing season) and a staff interpretation (01/21/04, Item No. 1-a, which has now been archived)]