[Federated provision, FBS only]

17.1 General Playing-Season Regulations.

[17.1.1 through 17.1.6 unchanged.]

17.1.7 Time Limits for Athletically Related Activities. In all sports, the following time limitations shall apply:

[17.1.7.1 unchanged.]

17.1.7.2 Weekly Hour Limitations -- Outside of the Playing Season.

[17.1.7.2-(a) through 17.1.7.2-(c) unchanged.]

17.1.7.2.1 Institutional Vacation Period and Summer. A student-athlete may not participate in any countable athletically related activities outside the playing season during any institutional vacation period and/or summer. Strength and conditioning coaches who are not countable coaches in the student-athlete's sport may design and conduct specific workout programs for a student-athlete, provided such workouts are voluntary and conducted at the request of the student-athlete.

[17.1.7.2.1.1 through 17.1.7.2.1.5 unchanged.]

17.1.7.2.1.6 Summer Athletic Activities and Bowl Subdivision Football Athletic Activities After the Spring Term.

[17.1.7.2.1.6.1 unchanged.]

17.1.7.2.1.6.2 Championship Subdivision Football. In championship subdivision football, a student-athlete who is enrolled in summer school may engage in required weight-training, conditioning, review of practice and game film and noncontact skill-related instruction for up to eight weeks (not required to be consecutive weeks). A student-athlete who is enrolled in at least three degree-applicable (pursuant to Bylaw 14.4.3.1.7) credit hours in one summer term that is fewer than eight weeks in duration may engage in required weight-training, conditioning, review of practice and game film and noncontact skill-related instruction for up to eight weeks (not required to be consecutive weeks). Participation in such activities shall be limited to a maximum of eight hours per week with not more than two hours per week spent on film review and not more than two hours per week spent on noncontact skill-related instruction. During noncontact skill-related instruction, it is not permissible for student-athletes to wear any protective equipment (e.g., helmet, shoulder pads) or use any equipment related to the sport other than footballs.

17.1.7.2.1.6.2.1 Exception to Summer School Enrollment -- Academic Requirements for Student-Athletes Who Receive Athletically Related Financial Aid -- Championship Subdivision Football. In championship subdivision football, a student-athlete who received athletically related financial aid during the previous academic year may participate in required summer athletic activities for up to eight weeks (pursuant to Bylaw 17.1.7.2.1.6.2) without being enrolled in summer school, provided the student-athlete has achieved a cumulative minimum grade-point average of 2.200 (based on a maximum 4.000 and as computed pursuant to institutional policies applicable to all students) and has successfully completed the following academic requirements based on the applicable number of full-time terms of enrollment:

[17.1.7.2.1.6.2.1-(a) through 17.1.7.2.1.6.2.1-(l) unchanged.]

17.1.7.2.1.6.2.1.1 Application to Transfer Student-Athletes. The exception to summer school enrollment does not apply to a transfer student-athlete until the student-athlete has completed one academic year (two semesters or three quarters) of full-time enrollment at the certifying institution.

17.1.7.2.1.6.2.2 Academic Requirements for Student-Athletes Who Did Not Receive Athletically Related Financial Aid -- Championship Subdivision Football. In championship subdivision football, a student-athlete who did not receive athletically related financial aid during the previous academic year may participate in required summer athletic activities for up to eight weeks (pursuant to Bylaw 17.1.7.2.1.6.2) without being enrolled in summer school, provided the student-athlete meets all progress-toward-degree requirements to be eligible for competition in the ensuing fall term by the conclusion of the preceding spring term.

17.1.7.2.1.6.2.3 Institutions That Do Not Offer Summer School Courses -- Championship Subdivision Football. In championship subdivision football, an institution that does not offer summer school courses may designate eight weeks of the summer in which a student-athlete may participate in required summer athletic activities (pursuant to Bylaw 17.1.7.2.1.6.2), provided the student-athlete has satisfied progress-toward-degree requirements to be eligible for competition in the ensuing fall term by the conclusion of the preceding spring term.

17.1.7.2.1.6.3 Bowl Subdivision Football In bowl subdivision football, a student-athlete who is enrolled in summer school may engage in athletic activities after the conclusion of the spring term for the duration of the student-athlete's summer school courses.  A student-athlete who is enrolled in at least three degree-applicable (pursuant to Bylaw 14.4.3.1.7) credit hours in one summer term may engage in athletic activities occurring after the spring term, including after the summer course (or courses) has ended.

17.1.7.2.1.6.3.1 Exception to Enrollment After the Spring Term -- Academic Requirements for Student-Athletes Who Receive Athletically Related Financial Aid -- Bowl Subdivision Football. In bowl subdivision football, a student-athlete who received athletically related financial aid during the previous academic year may participate in athletic activities after the conclusion of the spring term, (pursuant to Bylaw 17.1.7.2.1.6.3) without being enrolled in summer school, provided the student-athlete has achieved a cumulative minimum grade-point average of 2.200 (based on a maximum 4.000 and as computed pursuant to institutional policies applicable to all students) and has successfully completed the following academic requirements based on the applicable number of full-time terms of enrollment: 

(a) After two semesters or three quarters: 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours;

(b) After four quarters: 60 quarter hours;

(c) After three semesters or five quarters: 45 semester hours or 75 quarter hours;

(d) After four semesters or six quarters: 50 percent of the course requirements in the student-athlete's specific degree program;

(e) After seven quarters: 58.33 percent of the course requirements in the student-athlete's specific degree program;

(f) After five semesters: 62.5 percent of the course requirements in the student-athlete's specific degree program;

(g) After eight quarters: 66.67 percent of the course requirements in the student-athlete's specific degree program;

(h) After six semesters or nine quarters: 75 percent of the course requirements in the student-athlete's specific degree program;

(i) After 10 quarters: 83.33 percent of the course requirements in the student-athlete's specific degree program;

(j) After seven semesters: 87.5 percent of the course requirements in the student-athlete's specific degree program;

(k) After 11 quarters: 91.67 percent of the course requirements in the student-athlete's specific degree program; or

(l) After eight semesters or 12 quarters: completion of the student-athlete's specific baccalaureate degree requirements (no minimum grade-point average required) or the institution certifies that the student-athlete is or will be enrolled in all remaining degree-applicable credit hours in the ensuing regular academic year.

17.1.7.2.1.6.3.1.1 Application to Transfer Student-Athletes. The exception to enrollment for participation in athletic activities after the spring term does not apply to a transfer student-athlete until the student-athlete has completed one academic year (two semesters or three quarters) of full-time enrollment at the certifying institution.

17.1.7.2.1.6.3.2 Academic Requirements for Student-Athletes Who Did Not Receive Athletically Related Financial Aid -- Bowl Subdivision Football In bowl subdivision football, a student-athlete who did not receive athletically related financial aid during the previous academic year may participate in athletic activities after the spring term without being enrolled (pursuant to Bylaw 17.1.7.2.1.6.3), provided the student-athlete meets all progress-toward-degree requirements to be eligible for competition in the ensuing fall term by the conclusion of the preceding spring term. 

[17.1.7.2.2 through 17.1.7.2.4 unchanged.]

[17.1.7.3 through 17.1.7.13 unchanged.]

[17.1.8 through 17.1.9 unchanged.]

[Federated provision, FBS only]

17.13 Football. Regulations for computing the football playing season are set forth in Bylaw 17.1. (See Figure 17-1 and Figure 17-2.)

[17.13.1 through 17.13.2 unchanged.]

17.13.3 Practice.

17.13.3.1 First Practice Date -- Bowl Subdivision. In bowl subdivision football, an institution shall not commence official preseason football practice sessions, for the varsity, junior varsity or freshman team, before 27 days before its first scheduled intercollegiate game. Before its first scheduled intercollegiate game, an institution may not engage in more than 21 on-field practices. 

17.13.3.1.1 Exception. An institution that has prohibitions against athletics activities during a specific day of the week due to religious reasons, may start official preseason football practice sessions one day earlier than the date determined pursuant to Bylaw 17.13.3.1.

17.13.3.12 First Practice Date -- Championship Subdivision. In championship subdivision football, an An institution shall not commence official preseason football practice sessions, for the varsity, junior varsity or freshman team, before 31 days before its first scheduled intercollegiate game. Before its first scheduled intercollegiate game, an institution may not engage in more than 25 on-field practices.

[17.13.3.1.1 renumbered as 17.13.3.2.1, unchanged.]

[17.13.3.2 through 17.13.3.4 renumbered as 17.13.3.3 through 17.13.3.5, unchanged.]

17.13.3.6 Preseason Activities After Acclimatization Period -- Bowl Subdivision. In bowl subdivision football, the remaining 15 on-field preseason practice sessions after the acclimatization period shall be conducted as follows:

(a) General.

(1) Multiple on-field practice sessions shall not be conducted on the same day;

(2) Student-athletes shall not engage in more than three hours of on-field practice activities per day;

(3) A walk-through is not considered an on-field activity; however, if a walk-through is conducted on a day in which no other on-field activities occur, the walk-through must be included in the limit of 21 on-field practices in the preseason practice period; and

(4) Student-athletes must be provided with at least three continuous hours of recovery time between an on-field practice session and a walk-through. During this time, student-athletes may not engage in physical athletically related activities (e.g., weight lifting). Time spent in team meetings, film review, receiving medical treatment and eating meals may be included as part of the recovery time.

(b) Protective Equipment Restrictions.

(1) Up to seven on-field practice sessions may be conducted in full pads;

(2) During at least four on-field practice sessions, protective equipment is restricted to not more than helmets and spider pads;

(3) During the remaining on-field practice sessions, protective equipment is restricted to not more than helmets, spider pads and/or shoulder pads; and

(4) On-field practice sessions may be conducted in less protective equipment than the maximum restrictions noted above.

(c) Contact Restrictions.

(1) Full contact (tackling to the ground) is only permitted during an on-field practice session in full pads;

(2) An institution shall not conduct more than two consecutive days of full contact (tackling to the ground) practices. A full contact practice during the acclimatization period counts toward this limit;

(3) An institution shall not conduct more than a total of 75 minutes of full contact (tackling to the ground) within any one on-field practice session other than during the two permissible scrimmages; and

(4) An institution shall not conduct more than two scrimmages during the preseason practice period. A scrimmage is a practice devoted primarily (greater than 50 percent of practice time) to 11-on-11, full contact (tackling to the ground) activities. A scrimmage counts as one of the seven permissible practices in full pads and may include more than 75 minutes of full contact (tackling to the ground).

17.13.3.57 Preseason Activities After Acclimatization Period -- Championship Subdivision. In championship subdivision football, the The remaining 19 on-field preseason practice sessions after the acclimatization period shall be conducted as follows:

[17.13.3.5-(a) renumbered as 17.13.3.7-(a) unchanged.]

[17.13.3.5-(a)-(1) through 17.13.3.5-(a)-(2) renumbered as 17.13.3.7-(a)-(1) through 17.13.3.7-(a)-(2) unchanged.]

(3) A walk-through is not considered an on-field activity; however, if a walk-through is conducted on a day in which no other on-field activities occur, the walk-through must be included in the limit of 25 on-field practices in the preseason practice period. In championship subdivision football, on On-field walk-throughs shall not exceed a total of two hours per day; and

[17.13.3.5-(a)-(4) renumbered as 17.13.3.7-(a)-(4) unchanged.]

[17.13.3.5-(b) through 17.13.3.5-(c) renumbered as 17.13.3.7-(b) through 17.13.3.7-(c) unchanged.]

[17.13.4 through 17.13.9 unchanged.]

[Federated provision, FBS only]

17.13 Football. Regulations for computing the football playing season are set forth in Bylaw 17.1. (See Figure 17-1 and Figure 17-2.)

[17.13.1 through 17.13.6 unchanged.]

17.13.7 January 1 Until the Start of Preseason Practice -- Bowl Subdivision. In bowl subdivision football, between January 1 and the institution's preseason practice period, student-athletes shall not engage in athletically related activities outside the playing season, except as set forth in this bylaw (See Bylaw 17.1.7.2).

17.13.7.1 Discretionary Weeks. An institution shall designate nine weeks as student-athlete discretionary time (see Bylaw 17.02.17).  One discretionary week must occur between the end of the spring term or quarter and the start of the preseason practice period.  The designated nine weeks (each week must be seven consecutive calendar days designated as Monday through Sunday) must be placed on file in writing in the department of athletics prior to January 1.  An institution is permitted to designate institutional vacation periods (e.g., holiday break, spring break, summer vacation period) as student-athlete discretionary time.

17.13.7.2 Practice Periods. A maximum of 21 practice sessions [including intrasquad scrimmages and the spring game permitted in Bylaw 17.13.6.2-(a)] are permissible beginning February 1. An institution is not required to count as one of its 21 designated days any day during which countable athletically related activities are limited solely to required conditioning activities, review of game film and/or walk-throughs (see Bylaw 17.02.22). For a student-athlete to participate in a practice session after the conclusion of the institution's spring term, the student-athlete must satisfy the requirements of Bylaw 17.1.7.2.1.6.3. Practice sessions must meet the following conditions:

(a) The practice periods shall be divided into two periods of not more than five consecutive weeks for each period, and not more than seven weeks total in duration between the two periods.

(b) A minimum of one week of student-athlete discretionary time must occur between the last on-field practice (contact and noncontact) and the start of the preseason practice period.

(c) A practice session held during a vacation day may not be of longer duration than those normally held when academic classes are in session.

(d) A maximum of 12 contact practices may occur, and contact shall not occur prior to the third practice session, in each practice period. Contact practice sessions may not occur in July.

(e) During noncontact practice sessions, protective equipment is restricted to helmets and spider pads.

(f) Of the 12 permissible contact sessions, eight sessions may involve tackling, and not more than three of the eight tackling sessions may be devoted primarily (greater than 50 percent of practice time) to 11-on-11 scrimmages.

(g) An institution shall not conduct full contact (tackling to the ground) practices on consecutive calendar days.

(h) An institution shall not conduct more than a total of 75 minutes of full contact (tackling to the ground) within any one on-field practice session other than the three tackling sessions devoted primarily to 11-on-11 scrimmages.

(i) Tackling shall be prohibited in four of the 12 contact sessions. An institution has the discretion to determine the practice activities (other than tackling) that may occur during the four contact nontackling sessions as well as the protective equipment to be worn.

(j) If an institution conducts a "spring game" per Bylaw 17.13.6.2-(a), the game shall be counted as one of the three sessions that may be devoted primarily to 11-on-11 scrimmages.

(k) The amount of time that a student-athlete may be involved in countable athletically related activities shall be limited to a maximum of four hours per day and 20 hours per week.

17.13.7.3 Out-of-Season Activities. Conditioning, weight-training activities, review of game film and walk-throughs (see Bylaw 17.02.22) are permissible from January 1 until the start of the preseason practice. Noncontact skill instruction is permissible beginning February 1 through the start of preseason practice. All out-of-season activities must be conducted outside the nine weeks designated as student-athlete discretionary time and designated practice periods. A student-athlete's participation in such activities is limited to a maximum of eight hours per week. For a student-athlete to participate in a practice session after the conclusion of the institution's spring term, the student-athlete must satisfy the requirements of Bylaw 17.1.7.2.1.6.3

17.13.7.4 Strength and Conditioning Coach First Aid/CPR Certification and Authority of Sports Medicine Staff.  A strength and conditioning coach who conducts voluntary weight training or conditioning activities is required to maintain certification in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. In addition, a member of the institution's sports medicine staff (e.g., athletic trainer, physician) must be present during all voluntary conditioning activities (running, not lifting) conducted by the institution's strength coach. The sports medicine staff member must be empowered to have the unchallengeable authority to cancel or modify the workout for health and safety reasons, as the staff member deems appropriate. 

17.13.7.5 Postseason Practice Session.  An institution may conduct one postseason practice session before the end of the institution’s academic year for the purpose of conducting a professional tryout or workout activity, subject to the following conditions: 

(a) A student-athlete may not miss class to participate;

(b) The session shall be conducted on the institution’s campus or in facilities regularly used by the institution for practice or competition;

(c) The session shall not involve contact and student-athletes shall not wear protective equipment (e.g. helmet, shoulder pads, spider pads, padded undergarments); and

(d) The amount of time that a student-athlete is involved in such countable athletically related activities shall be limited to a maximum of four hours.

17.13.78 Out-of-Season Athletically Related Activities -- Championship Subdivision. In championship subdivision football, sStudent-athletes and members of the coaching staff shall not engage in countable athletically related activities outside the playing season, except as set forth in this bylaw (see Bylaw 17.1.7.2):

[17.13.7.2 through 17.13.7.6 renumbered as 17.13.8.1 through 17.13.8.5, unchanged.]

[17.13.8 through 17.13.9 renumbered as 17.13.9 through 17.13.10, unchanged.]