2011 NCAA Division I Rules Primer for Men's Basketball Summer Certified Events

Please note:  all bylaw citations are from the 2010-11 NCAA Division I Manual.

Prohibited Contact [Bylaw 13.1.6.2.2 (b)]

 During a certified event, Division I coaches are prohibited from having contact at any location with:

• Prospects;
• Family members of prospects;
• Prospect's coaches (nonscholastic and scholastic); and
• Anyone associated with a prospect.

NOTE:

• There is no pre-existing relationship exception to the no-contact rule.
• The fact that a PSA has signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) does not make it permissible for contact to occur while the PSA is participating in an event. 
• If the event operator is also a coach or person associated with a PSA, Division I coaches may discuss administrative details concerning the event (e.g., gym locations, game time, etc.) but they are prohibited from any discussion related to recruiting.
• Unofficial visits are prohibited during July so there should be no in-person contact with prospects during the month of July.

Coaches should educate all prospects and involved persons on the no contact restrictions prior to the start of the July evaluation period. 

“During a certified event” defined [Bylaw 13.1.6.2]:

Contact is prohibited from the time the prospective student-athlete reports for competition until he/she has been released from competition by the appropriate authority.

• For prospects traveling with teams, prohibition starts from the point the team meets for initial travel and until completion of the team’s final competition of the road trip and the team returns home or until the prospect is released to travel separately from his team. 

Definition of a “contact” [Bylaw 13.02.4]:

Any face-to-face contact by a Division I coach will constitute an impermissible contact during the July evaluation period if the encounter is prearranged or if the coach positions himself in a location where contact is possible (e.g., near gym entrances, designated paths for prospects, etc.).  A coach, who is innocently approached by a prospect, parent or someone associated with the prospect, will not be charged with a violation of the contact rule provided the encounter is not prearranged, the coach does not engage in any dialogue in excess of a greeting and the coach takes appropriate steps to immediately end the encounter.

Division I coaches are expected to sit in designated sections reserved for NCAA coaches.  Any face-to-face  encounter that occurs after a coach has placed himself in a location where contact with a prospect is possible will be deemed to be an impermissible contact or "bump" regardless of whether conversation occurs.

One telephone call in July [Bylaw 13.1.3.1.3]):

During the month of July, Division I coaches are allowed one telephone call to a prospect (or his parents or legal guardians) who have completed his sophomore or junior year, but the call cannot be made while the prospect is participating in certified events.  [Note:  Please see the definition of “during a certified event” for guidance on the duration of the prohibition.]