Dead Period, Contact Period, Quiet Period, Evaluation Period explained

Every high school athlete that is seeking an athletic scholarship should know what the NCAA recruiting periods are.  The definition for each recruiting period is below, and we encourage each recruit to look up the specific recruiting dates for their sport.  It is smart to know when a coach can and cannot be in contact with you.

Here is a link to the 2014-2015 NCAA Recruiting Calendars 

Contact:

A contact is classified as a face-to-face encounter between a college coach and the student athlete (or their legal guardians or relatives) where more than a greeting occurs. Anything beyond a hello is considered a contact. Another form of contact occurs when a college coach has any contact with you or your legal guardians at your high school, or any other location where you are competing or practicing.

Contact Period:

College coaches are allowed to have in-person contact with you or your legal guardians. This period means coaches can watch you compete anywhere, and the coach can write and make telephone calls.

Dead Period:

The college coach cannot make in-person contact with you or your legal guardians. This prevents the coach from making any evaluations of you whatsoever. However, the coach can make telephone calls to you or your legal guardians.

Evaluation:

This is the process where a coach watches you compete in a game or practice, and makes note on your athletic abilities.

Evaluation Period:

It is permissible for the college coach to evaluate your playing abilities at your high school or any other place where you are competing. During this period the coach cannot have off campus in-person contact with you or your legal guardians. The coach can still make telephone calls to you or your legal guardians, and you are allowed to make campus visits during this period.

Quiet Period:

During this time a college coach cannot watch you compete at any location. It is allowed for the college coach to make in-person contact with you or your legal guardians if it occurs on the coach's campus. The coach can still make telephone calls to you or your legal guardians, and you can make visits to college campuses during this time.

2014-2015 NCAA Softball Recruiting Calendar

NCAA Division I Softball Recruiting Calendar

August 1, 2014 through July 31, 2015

(See NCAA Division I Bylaw 13.17.7 for Softball Calendar Formula)

(a) August 1 through November 26, 2014 [except for (1) below]:* Contact Period

(1) November 10-13, 2014: Dead Period

(b) November 27, 2014 through January 1, 2015 [except for (1) below]: Quiet Period

 

(1) December 3 (12:01 a.m.) through December 7 (12:01 a.m.),

2014:**

Dead Period

(c) January 2 through July 31, 2015 [except for (1) and (2) below]: Contact Period

(1) April 13-16, 2015: Dead Period

(2) May 26 through June 3 (noon), 2015: Dead Period

(d) During high school regional and state championship competition

that does not occur during a dead period:

(e) The following state specific contact/evaluation periods are

permissible:

(1) In Hawaii, contacts and evaluations shall be permissible

between November 27, 2014, and January 1, 2015 [except for

(a) below].

(a) December 3 (12:01 a.m.) through December 7 (12:01 a.m.),

2014:**

(2) In those states that play high school softball season in the fall,

evaluations shall be permissible during those seasons, except

during dead periods.

* Each institution is limited to 50 evaluation days (August 1 through

July 31) per Bylaw 13.02.7.2, which do not include employment of

coaches in instructional camps/clinics or the observation of prospective

student-athletes participating in high school softball competition.

Evaluation Period

Dead Period

** Dates are based on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Convention

(December 3-6, 2014, in Las Vegas, Nevada).

Here are some very interesting facts about DI college softball.

Do you know how much financial aid NCAA Division I-A schools give to players on college softball teams? Last year NCAA Division I and II schools alone awarded $2 billion in undergraduate athletic scholarships. For many student athletes, a scholarship from a NCAA Division I-A school can make the difference between getting a college degree and having to put that goal on hold.

Here are some very interesting facts about college softball.

Sports Program & Athletic Scholarship Statistics for NCAA Division I-A Women's Softball

Detailed Breakdown	NCAA Division I-A	Nationwide
Average Number of Athletes	21	18
Total Number of Athletes	2,121	29,455
Average Operating Expenses Per Player	$9,867	$2,624
Average Operating Expenses Per Team	$201,002	$48,452
Total Full Time Head Coaches	71	395
Total Part Time Head Coaches	4	514
Total Full Time Assistant Coaches	141	356
Total Part Time Assistant Coaches	40	1,428
Average Total Revenue	$441,420	$177,493
Average Total Expenses	$873,395	$206,051

Utilize the NCAA Division I-A women's softball statistics above to decide whether or not this division provides you with the best athletic scholarship opportunities. The table below shows how NCAA Division I-A schools compare with the nation's averages.

Total Number of Athletes and Average Athletes Per Team: This tells you about how many female athletes are on NCAA Division I-A women's softball teams in the United States, which helps you determine how aggressive the recruiting process is, particularly if you do a comparison of it to the national average. Currently there are 2,121 women involved in softball at NCAA Division I-A schools.

Average Operating Expenses Per Player: This represents how much a NCAA Division I-A college is paying for each player on their women's softball team for things that are essential such as equipment and uniforms. How much a NCAA Division I-A school invests in you as a player will help signify how valuable they feel that you are to the softball team and the overall sports program as well as the amount of support they give each player.

Average Operating Expenses Per Team: This is what it cost on average for a NCAA Division I-A college to run the day-to-day operations that keep the softball program functioning. This will give student athletes a good idea of the quality of women's softball programs, facilities and training personnel at NCAA Division I-A schools across the nation. The more NCAA Division I-A colleges spend the better quality you should expect.

Total Full and Part Time Coaches: Coaches are vital to helping you refine your skills and help you stay on track athletically and academically so that you can keep your softball scholarship each year. The more NCAA Division I-A women's softball coaches there are, the more likely you are to get one-on-one training and attention you need to reach your goal of graduating from a college.

Average Total Revenue: The more money NCAA Division I-A colleges can make off their women's softball programs the more likely it is that they will expand them. When women's softball programs are more profitable and popular NCAA Division I-A colleges will commit more in their existing programs and other NCAA Division I-A colleges will establish new softball teams of their very own. More NCAA Division I-A softball teams means more athletic scholarship opportunities at this type of school.

Average Total Expenses: Is there a growing interest in promoting and expanding women's softball teams at NCAA Division I-A schools? Are NCAA Division I-A colleges aggressively recruiting women's softball players? The total expenses stat includes operating and recruiting expenses. This will give you a good idea of just how much NCAA Division I-A colleges around the country are spending on women's softball programs, thus whether or not softball scholarship opportunities are likely to grow, keep pace or weaken in this division.

If you would like to be a contender for one of the many NCAA Division I-A women's softball scholarships that are available it will take persistence and lots of research and planning. See how NCAA Division I-A schools in your state compare to NCAA Division I-A schools across the country. Choose a state below to obtain detailed sports program and athletic scholarship statistics.

10 Things to do on Your Official Visit

Going on an official visit is a great opportunity to see a school, meet the team, and get a sense of what going to that school might be like. It's important you get to see not only the athletic facilities but also what life is like for a student. Here are some tips for making sure you get the most out of your official visit.

1. Eat at the Cafeteria on Campus

You get a lot of perks as a student athlete, but one of the things you will have in common with all of the students is where you eat on campus. Try the cafeteria and see if it is food you like.

2. See the on Campus and Off-Campus Housing

Most official visits include a tour of the on-campus dorms, but make sure to go and see where athletes live once they move off campus. Also, think about how you will get back and forth from school and home.

3. Go to the Library and Study Hall

You probably won't spend as much time here as the rest of the students on campus but make sure to see the academic facilities. If a program has a good tutoring area it is a good sign they support their athletes academically as well.

4. Meet the Training Staff

Be sure to take time and meet the staff in the athletic department and training rooms. These people are critical to the success of a team and a happy athletic staff is the sign of a well-run athletic program.

5. Schedule Time to Meet With an Academic Adviser

Showing the initiative and seeking to meet with an academic adviser on a visit can pay off in the long run. You may find out that the major you want to study won't actually work with your team's practice schedule. Better to find out now rather than after you have committed.

6. Just Hang Out on Campus

Take some time to just sit on campus and see how students utilize the campus. Are people out enjoying the campus, or is everyone just going to and from class? Having a campus where people enjoy spending time will make a big difference in how much fun you will have over four years.

7. Sit in On a Class

Maybe the last thing you want to do on a visit is go to class, but learning how classes are run and seeing what the classrooms are like will give you a better overall picture of what the school is like.

8. Talk to Student-Athletes From Other Teams

On visits, you get plenty of opportunities to meet the team, but be sure to talk to some athletes from other sports teams. Getting a sense of how happy other athletes are will let you know more about the athletic program as a whole.

9. Go Out With The Team Members

Take time and see what athletes do during their time off. Besides getting to know your potential teammates better, you get to see what life is like when you aren't studying, practicing, or competing.

10. Don't Be Afraid to Say No

It can be intimidating on a visit to speak up if you aren't comfortable, but remember this is your recruiting process. You don't have to go along with a team member or do something just to impress someone.

What is an Official Visit?

According to the NCAA, an official visit is when a prospective student-athlete visits a college campus paid for by the school. This includes travel/transportation to and from the school, room, meals, and entertainment expenses (three admissions to a home game). However, the school is not allowed to pay for your parents' visit too. All expenses are for the student-athlete. Prospective student-athletes are only allowed to take five official visits total to different colleges.

Official visits occur during a student-athlete's senior year. If a coach hasn't offered you an official visit, it doesn't mean that they aren't interested, but you should always discuss this with the coach before you take a trip on your own there. Some schools don't have large enough recruiting budgets to host many prospective athletes.

Strategies to Help You Get Early Scholarship Offers

Obviously top recruits go through a slightly different process than the rest of potential college prospects. Recruits of all abilities should learn the ins and outs of college recruiting, and the best  way to show you this is by telling you what you see and hear all the time and help you to apply it to your own recruitment.

Every day there are reports and articles published about top recruits including, where they plan to attend college, how they are staying on track with NCAA eligibility requirements, and which college coaches are expressing interest in them. Depending on how you look at it you may think top recruits have an easier time finding the right college because they are being bombarded with interests from top schools across the nation, but in reality they are going to have to make the same decision as you- which college should I attend?

Want to Know How They Are Making Their Decision?

Most top recruits today want to get signed as soon as possible, they want to have their senior year set aside for all the fun stuff; ending their high school season, senior days, prom and SAT's. Recruits have started making "unofficial visits" a top priority in their recruitment to help them finish the recruiting process earlier. Recruits, with the help and support from their parents are able to plan and finance trips to colleges with the purpose of finding the right one and committing when they feel their decision is made.

Want to Know Why the Nation's Top Recruits are Relying So Heavily on Unofficial Visits?

It's because the NCAA does not need to regulate unofficial visits- they do not need to keep track of the amount of unofficial visits you take and you do not need to have your NCAA eligibility information
completed before you are able to take an unofficial visit. Plus there is no time frame- you are allowed to stay as long as you want (official visits are limited to 48 hours each visit) this will allow you and your family to ask the questions and get the answers so you can make the most informed decision when it's time to choose the right college for you.

Take the Lead From the Top 150

There are many top recruits who are unofficially visiting a school up to five times to make sure they are making the right decision. You should be doing the exact same thing. Even though you may not be a top recruit, it does not mean you should not work as hard as they do; get your name out there, reach out to college coaches now, make college opportunities happen for you. You are the only link to making sure coaches know who you are and what you are capable of doing on the field.

How should I respond to a coach’s email inviting me to camp if I can’t attend?

First off, take a moment to reply back and thank them for the invite! Tell them you have a conflict and are unable to attend. If you have some interest in the program (doesn't necessarily have to be your first choice), it'd be a good idea to also include a link to your online film/highlights and a copy of your most updated Student-Athlete Profile. If they reply, and keep the conversation going, this will show you if they have a more sincere interest in you as a possible recruit.

 

Coaches host camps for two reasons—to make money and to work closer with prospects they may have early interest in. Sometimes a camp invite is for them to get you to campus for an Unofficial Visit, and to get to know you better and see your size and skills in person. Other times, they are trying to fill the camp and increase their bottom line, and they invite everyone in their database with contact info.

Explanation of the National Letter of Intent, NLI

This page explains each section of the National Letter of Intent in detail. The NLI is a legally binding contract and should not be signed until you have a full understanding of what it is. If you want to see an example of what the NLI looks like, you can see that here.

The document should be sent to you with the appropriate signing period checked. If the NLI has been sent to you before the signing period begins, you must wait until 7am of the first date of the signing period before signing it.

Provision 1 – Initial Enrollment in a Four Year University

This section simply states that you are enrolling in a four year university for the first time. For all athletes signing an NLI directly out of high school you will meet this requirement. The exceptions to this rule are made for 4-2-4 transfers and mid-year junior college transfers in football.

Provision 2 – Financial Aid Requirement

This section ensures that your NLI is accompanied by an athletic aid/athletic scholarship agreement. If you are planning on walking-on or will not be receiving a scholarship you will not need to sign an NLI. To learn more about the athletic aid agreements go here.

Provision 3 – Provisions of Letter Met

This section explains how you will meet the requirements of your NLI. In order to satisfy the terms of an NLI you will need to attend the university for one full year. For junior college athletes you need to attend the four university for one full year or have graduated from the two year college.

Provision 4 – Basic Penalty

If you sign an NLI and do not attend the school you may not go to another school and play for that school for one full year. You may receive a scholarship, but generally schools will not offer you a scholarship until you are eligible to play. In addition, you will lose one full year of eligibility in all sports. There are some cases where you can play right away with a release from the school you signed with; there is more on that process below.

Provision 5 – Early Signing Period Penalties

This section only applies to football players who are being recruited in other sports. If you want to receive a football scholarship, you are not allowed to sign an NLI for another sport during the early signing period for that sport. If you do, you will not be eligible to play your first year of football.

Provision 6 – Release Request and Appeal Process

If you have signed an NLI and would like to break that contract in order to sign with another university, it is known as asking for a 4-4 transfer.  

 

Provision 7 – Declaring Your NLI Null and Void

This is a list of reasons your NLI could be not accepted by the University you have signed with. It is important to remember, 95% of the time this will not be an issue, but just encase it is important you understand how to avoid these issues.

1. You do not gain admissions into the university – If you do not get accepted by the university, you will not be receiving your scholarship. Remember, by meeting the NCAA eligibility requirements, you are not guaranteed admission into the school you choose.
   
2. You are a NCAA non-qualifier – You will be signing your NLI before you get your final eligibility status with the NCAA. If at the end of the year you are declared a non-qualifier, you will not be receiving your athletic scholarship.
   
3. One-Year Absence – If you sign an NLI and do not attend any school for one year you would then be allowed to attend another university if you file for a release with that schools conference office. Your athletic department at the school you will be attending can help you with that process.
   
4. Joining the Military or Church Mission – If you join the military or going on a church mission for 12 months or more after signing an NLI, you will be allowed to sign with another school without penalty.
   
5. Discontinued Sport – If the school cuts the program for the sport you signed for after you have signed, you will be allowed to sign with another school without penalty.
   
6. Recruiting Rules Violations – If it is determined there were recruiting rules violations after you have signed an NLI you will have the choice to continue with your NLI or get a release once you have been reinstated. This process will be handled by the athletic department of your university.
   

Provision 8 – Recruiting Ban After Signing

Once you sign your NLI all other coaches and universities are prohibited from continuing to recruit you. This means the recruiting process is finished for you.

Provision 9 – 14-day Signing Deadline

You have 14 days from the date you received the NLI to sign it. This does not apply however if you received the NLI with less than 14 days remaining in the signing period. You can check the dates at the top of the NLI document to see if you have the full 14 days remaining to sign.

Provision 10 – Statute of Limitations

This section says the entire contract is void after four years if you do nothing. Do not worry about the section; there are several appeals, releases or penalties that can be served in order to get passed the NLI before a four year period.

Provision 11 – Coaching Changes

You are signing your NLI and athletic aid agreement with the University, not the coach. If the coach leaves, you are still required to go to that school for at least one year. There are opportunities for releases but they are generally not granted. Make sure you want to attend that school and not just play for that coach.

Provision 12 – Coaching Contact Prohibited at Time of Signing

The coach of the university you are signing for is not allowed to be present at the time of signing of your NLI and athletic aid agreement. Additionally, they are not allowed to hand deliver the NLI. The only permissible way to receive your NLI is by fax, email or facsimile.

The Final Page of the NLI

The university you are signing with must have completed the top half of the final page of the NLI. If this information is not complete, you are not signing a valid NLI and you will need to go through the process again. As a recruit you are only responsible for signing the bottom half of the last page. For all recruits under the age of 21 you will need to have your parent or legal guardian sign the document as well.

The NLI is the final step in the recruiting process. These are only sent to recruits who have been recruited and evaluated by coaches for several months or years. If you are not getting recruited you need to take steps to be proactive.

The National Letter of Intent/NLI

Commonly referred to as the NLI, this document commits an athlete to a university and signifies the end of the recruiting process. This is a legal contract that should be fully understood before you sign it. It is important to remember, the coach and university you are going to be signing with are going to be helping you through this process.

Letter of Intent Example

The university or coach will email or fax you a copy of the NLI and athletic aid agreement from that university and it should be ready for you to sign. A national letter of intent is not the scholarship agreement. That should come separately as an athletic aid agreement which will outline how much athletic aid you will be receiving. Once you receive your copy of the NLI and aid agreement, you will sign it with your parent/ legal guardian and email or fax it back to the coach/athletic department of the school you are signing with.

Here is an example of what an NLI will looks like.

It will be very clear if you will be receiving a scholarship and NLI offer from a particular university. If you are not sure if you are going to be getting a scholarship offer, which means you will not be getting an offer. If you are not in contact with a coach and getting evaluated you need to start.

National Signing Periods

The signing period for the 2013/14 school year is listed below. You will only be allowed to sign your NLI during these time periods.

Basketball

• Early Signing Period (11/14/2012 – 11/21/2012)
  
• Regular Signing Period (4/17/2013 – 5/15/2013 D1 or 8/1/2013 D2)
  

Football

• Mid Year JC Period (12/19/2012 – 1/15/2013)
  
• Regular Signing Period (2/6/2013 – 4/1/2013)
  

Soccer, Track and Field, Cross Country, Men's Water Polo, Field Hockey

• Regular Signing Period (2/6/2013 – 8/1/2013)
  

All Other Sports

• Early Signing Period (11/14/2012 – 11/21/2012)
  
• Regular Signing Period (4/17/2013 – 8/1/2013)
  

 

You Do Not Sign an NLI as a Walk-on or Recruited Walk-on

You will only be signing an NLI and an athletic aid agreement if you will be receiving a scholarship from the university. If you are planning on walking-on or are known as a recruited walk-on you will not sign an NLI.

Who Can Help with the NLI Process?

The process is not very complex, but many parents and athletes are worried about messing up and costing themselves a scholarship. If you are being offered an NLI from a school, you will not lose your scholarship because of a mistake you might make filling it out. It is important you have open communication with the coaches who will be offering you a scholarship and have contacts within the athletic department of each of the schools recruiting you. Don't count on your high school athletic department or high school coach to just take care of it for you. This process is too important for you to just leave it up to other people.

All NLI's should be accompanied by an Athletic Aid Agreement with the details of your scholarship. We will cover this in a later post.

When is the signing period?

A signing period is a time when a potential collegiate student-athlete can sign a National Letter of Intent and officially commit to a school.

A high school student-athlete can sign with an NAIA institution at any time. The most common signing time for NAIA athletes is during their senior year because coaches usually don't know what kind of financial package they will be able to offer an athlete prior to their senior year.

The NCAA's signing rules are considerably more complex. The NCAA breaks up signing dates by sport. They group certain sports together which can make it even more difficult to understand.

All sports offer an early signing period except for field hockey, soccer, track and field, cross country and men's water polo. The regular signing period for the aforementioned sports occurs from February 1 to August 12. Football's early signing period (only for junior college transfers) runs from December 21 to January 15. The early signing period for all other sports besides those listed above usually occurs in mid-November. The regular signing period for football happens between February 1 and April 1. The regular period for all sports other sports is April 11.

There are no signing dates for NCAA Division III schools because they do not offer athletic scholarships.

Signing Dates for the NCAA

Sport	Initial Signing Date	Final Signing Date
Basketball (Early Period)	Nov. 14	Nov. 21
All Other Sports Not Listed (Early Period)	Nov. 14	Nov. 21
Football (Midyear JC Transfer)	Dec. 19	Jan. 15
Football (Regular Period)	Feb. 6	April 1
Field Hockey, Soccer, Track and Field, Cross Country, Men's Water Polo	Feb. 6	Aug. 1
Basketball (Regular Period)	April 17	Division I: May 15 Division II: Aug. 1
All Other Sports Not Listed (Regular Period)	April 17	Aug. 1