Navigating NCAA Regulations: Understanding Countable Athletically Related Activities (CARA)

The landscape of collegiate athletics is governed by a complex web of rules and regulations designed to ensure fair competition, protect the well-being of student-athletes, and maintain the integrity of the NCAA. At the heart of these regulations lies the concept of Countable Athletically Related Activities (CARA), which dictates the amount of time student-athletes can dedicate to sport-specific training and activities throughout the year. Understanding CARA is crucial for student-athletes, coaches, and institutions alike, as it directly impacts practice schedules, training regimens, and ultimately, the student-athlete experience. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of CARA, drawing upon the guidelines set forth by the NCAA and contextualizing them within the framework of institutional compliance, as exemplified by Edward Waters University.

The Role of Compliance in NCAA Athletics

Institutions like Edward Waters University place a significant emphasis on athletic compliance. The compliance office at Edward Waters Tiger Athletics, for instance, is dedicated to facilitating a smooth progression for coaches and athletes into practice and competition by meticulously managing the rules and regulations established by the NCAA. This office endeavors to be consistently available to ensure adherence to rules, interpret complex regulations, and educate all individuals involved in or connected with Edward Waters Athletics. This commitment to compliance underscores the importance of understanding and adhering to all NCAA mandates, including those pertaining to CARA.

Defining Key Terms: Prospective Student-Athletes and Agents

To fully grasp CARA regulations, it's essential to define key terms. A prospective student-athlete is generally considered an individual between the 9th and 12th grades of high school, even if they do not intend to participate in college sports. Furthermore, the NCAA defines an "agent" broadly as anyone who markets an athlete's athletic ability or reputation. Crucially, regardless of how an individual identifies themselves, if they perform the functions of an agent under NCAA rules, they are legally considered an agent. This definition is vital for student-athletes to understand as they navigate potential endorsement opportunities and external relationships.

Countable Athletically Related Activities (CARA): The Core Principles

Countable Athletically Related Activities (CARA) encompass required activities that are restricted in their daily and weekly duration for each student-athlete. These regulations are in place to prevent overtraining, ensure adequate rest, and maintain a balance between athletic pursuits and academic responsibilities. The NCAA meticulously outlines these limitations, which vary depending on the time of year and the specific sport.

The Playing Season

During a particular program's designated playing season, also referred to as the competition season, student-athletes face specific CARA limitations. The coaching staff determines the playing season in accordance with NCAA parameters for timing and length. Within this period, each student-athlete is permitted to participate in a maximum of four (4) CARA hours per day and twenty (20) CARA hours per week. A seven-day period, designated by the coaching staff of the particular sport, serves as the weekly benchmark. Critically, each student-athlete must be afforded at least one (1) day off from all CARA during their designated week. It is important to note that CARA is an individual measure; therefore, one student-athlete's day off may differ from another's within the same program, depending on specific circumstances. A competition day itself is generally considered three (3) hours of activity, irrespective of the event's actual duration. This includes pre-game warm-ups and shoot-arounds. No countable activities are permitted to take place after a competition concludes.

Outside the Playing Season During the Academic Year

When a team is outside of its playing season but still within the academic year, CARA limitations are further restricted. During these periods, CARA cannot exceed eight (8) hours per week. Within these eight hours, no more than four (4) hours can be dedicated to individual skill instruction. A minimum of two (2) days off per week is mandatory for every student-athlete. Furthermore, programs must cease all CARA activities outside of the declared playing season during the week prior to finals week (often termed "dead week") and throughout finals week of any semester. Only permissible voluntary activities are allowed during this crucial academic period.

Outside the Playing Season During Vacation Periods

During vacation periods that fall outside of the playing season, student-athletes may have opportunities to engage in voluntary workouts. For instance, at institutions like the University of Idaho, student-athletes can utilize university facilities for such activities. Strength and conditioning coaches may design and conduct specific workout programs for returning student-athletes. However, these workouts must be strictly voluntary and conducted solely at the request of the student-athletes. It is impermissible for countable coaches to require strength and conditioning coaches or student-athletes to report the results of these voluntary workouts. Additionally, countable coaches are prohibited from observing these voluntary workouts.

In individual sports, which include cross country, track & field, golf, swimming & diving, and tennis, student-athletes may engage in voluntary one-on-one workouts conducted and supervised by an institution's coach. These workouts must be initiated at the student-athlete's request. If conducted at a facility that charges a fee, the student-athlete is responsible for covering that cost.

Specific Regulations for Football

Football, due to its popularity and unique demands, has a distinct set of playing and practice season rules. While the general playing season rules are consistent with those of other sports, football has specific regulations governing permissible activities outside the playing season during the academic year and during vacation periods.

Football: The Playing Season

Similar to other sports, a football program's playing season is determined by the coaching staff within NCAA parameters. During the playing season, student-athletes are limited to a maximum of four (4) CARA hours per day and twenty (20) CARA hours per week, with at least one (1) day off from all CARA.

Football: Outside the Playing Season During the Academic Year

Outside of the playing season, football student-athletes may be required to participate in up to eight (8) hours per week of strength and conditioning activities, walkthroughs, and film review. Crucially, no skill instruction is permitted outside of the playing season in football. However, walkthroughs and game film review may be required for up to two (2) hours per CARA week. Spring practice, a common element in football, may occur for up to 4 hours per day on 15 designated practice dates within a defined period. Student-athletes must still be granted two days off from required activities per week, even during spring practice.

Football: Outside the Playing Season During Vacation Periods

The coaching staff in football designates a nine (9) week period where student-athletes can engage in voluntary weight training and conditioning activities. During eight (8) of these weeks, student-athletes may participate in required summer athletic activities for up to eight (8) hours per week. These activities can include strength/conditioning, film review, and non-contact skill instruction. No more than 2 hours per week can be allocated to film review, and similarly, no more than 2 hours per week can be dedicated to non-contact skill instruction. During these skill instruction sessions, no protective equipment can be worn, although a football may be used for drills. The remaining week of the nine-week summer period is designated as discretionary time, during which student-athletes may voluntarily participate in workouts. Strength and conditioning coaches can be present during these workouts for health and safety purposes.

Safety Exceptions

Certain sports, like swimming & diving and the field events in track & field, have specific safety exceptions related to athletically related activities. These exceptions allow countable coaches to be present and provide safety and skill instruction when a student-athlete is using equipment related to the sport during a voluntary workout. More than one student-athlete can be present for this type of instruction. While countable coaches can be present and offer guidance, they are not permitted to plan or conduct these voluntary workouts.

Activities Considered CARA vs. Not Considered CARA

To further clarify what constitutes CARA, the NCAA provides specific examples:

Activities Considered To Be CARA:

Practices
Competition and associated activities
Field, floor, or on-court activities
Setting up offensive or defensive alignments
On-court or on-field activities called by any member of the team and confined primarily to members of that team that are considered as requisite for participation on the team
Required weight training and conditioning activities
Required participation as a demonstrator in camps and/or clinics
Traveling to or from the site of competition, so long as no countable activities occur during the travel
Visiting the competition site

Activities Not Considered To Be CARA:

Administrative Meetings (e.g., compliance education, SASS meetings, green dot trainings, etc.)
Athletically related meetings with a coach initiated/required by a coach
Meetings with coaches initiated by student-athletes (no CARA can occur)
Drug & alcohol educational meetings or life skills meetings (initiated by coaches or department staff)
Study hall and tutoring sessions
SAAC meetings
Voluntary weight training not conducted by a coach
Voluntary athletically related activities. Managers can be present, but not coaching staffs.
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. 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. However, it is permissible for an athletics department staff member to provide information to student-athletes related to available opportunities for participating in voluntary activities (e.g., times when the strength and conditioning coach will be on duty in the weight room or on the track). The student-athlete may not be subjected to penalty if he or she elects not to participate in the activity.
Days where no CARA or RARA may occur.

The Importance of Tracking and Reporting CARA

Coaches are mandated to track their team's weekly playing and practice hours through systems like ARMS and report these hours to the Office of Compliance every Monday. This meticulous tracking is essential for ensuring that the institution remains in compliance with NCAA regulations and that student-athletes are not exceeding their allotted CARA limits. Voluntary activities, while not counting towards the limitations, must still be carefully managed, as any activity at which a coach is present must count against daily and weekly hour limits, with the exception of meetings initiated by student-athletes where no other countable activities take place.

Read also: Your Guide to Volunteer Hours

CARA encompasses any required activity with an athletics purpose involving student-athletes and conducted at the direction of, or supervised by, one or more of an institution's coaching staff, including strength and conditioning coaches. These activities must be accounted for within the weekly and daily limitations.

Extra Benefits and Amateurism

Beyond CARA, the NCAA also strictly regulates "extra benefits." An extra benefit is any special arrangement provided by the institution, its staff, or its boosters to student-athletes or their friends and family. While certain items, under specific circumstances, may not automatically constitute a violation, the area of extra benefits is exceptionally complex. Student-athletes must exercise extreme caution to avoid inadvertently accepting items that could jeopardize their eligibility. Maintaining amateur status is a cornerstone of NCAA athletics, and understanding what constitutes an extra benefit is paramount.

The National Letter of Intent (NLI) Program

Institutions like Edward Waters University are members of the National Letter of Intent (NLI) program. Prospective student-athletes offered athletically related financial aid can sign an NLI, which binds them to attending the institution for two semesters. In turn, the institution is committed to providing one academic year of athletically related financial aid. Failing to fulfill the terms of a signed NLI can result in penalties for the prospect.

Recruiting Periods and Contact

NCAA rules divide each calendar year into different recruiting periods: contact periods, evaluation periods, quiet periods, and dead periods. During an evaluation period, authorized athletics department staff can engage in off-campus activities to assess the academic qualifications and playing ability of prospective student-athletes. In a quiet period, coaches can only make in-person recruiting contacts on their institution's campus. During a dead period, coaches are prohibited from making any in-person recruiting contacts or evaluations, on or off campus, and cannot permit official or unofficial visits by prospective student-athletes. While prospective student-athletes can contact coaches at their own expense and on their own initiative at any time, coaches may be restricted from recruiting them during certain periods.

Representatives of Athletics Interest (Boosters)

Individuals identified as Representatives of Athletics Interest, or boosters, are bound by NCAA and institutional rules. Once identified as a booster, this status is permanent. Boosters have a responsibility to notify the Athletic Compliance Office of any potential rules violations.

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