Illinois: Coach Hadnott Breaks Down NCAA “Periods”
Let me try to clarify something regarding the various NCAA “periods.” This is long read but very informative for the athletes looking to play football at the next level. So here goes nothing.
First of all, the NCAA makes it tough for college coaches to evaluate prospects. The following things are limited by the NCAA at various times of the year:
- Prospects visiting a college campus (officially or unofficially)
- Coaches visiting a prospect’s school
- Coaches visiting a prospect’s home
- Written communication and electronic communication.
So when these Pop Up 7v7 programs are selling exposure with their offseason training events you will have a better understanding of how the process works and save yourself some money.
Contact period
The most wide-open time. During this time, coaches can visit with prospects and families regardless of location. In-person contact is permitted once per week. Note: A coach cannot visit a school multiple times in one week if it has more than one prospect. Electronic and written communications are also permitted. This is when tales of coaches praising Mama’s cooking are born, during in-home visits.
Evaluation period
Much more restrictive than the contact period in one key way. Off campus face-to-face contact is not permitted. That means no home visits. Coaches can still visit a prospect’s school. Visits to schools are ostensibly for the purpose of evaluation. Prospects can visit colleges and receive written and electronic communication. Many scholarship offers go out in this period.
Quiet period
The quiet period tightens things a bit more, preventing any off-campus contact or viewing. Visits to the college’s campus and written or electronic communications are still permitted. Coaches often try to have prospects visit campus unofficially during this time in the spring and early summer so that they can become familiar with campus.
Dead period
The dead period is the most restrictive. No in-person contact is allowed, even if a prospect makes a visit to the college campus. Written and electronic communications are still permitted. And yet, prospects still do decide to commit to schools in late December and early January, often because they’ve considered all their options, taken all their visits, and are ready to pull the trigger.
So there you have it this what the recruiting process is as it relates to the different periods involved with evaluating players and recruits.
As always if you have any questions, please contact your coaching staff or local scout.
Jonathan Hadnott
Elite Scouting Services — Midwest
