Martez Edwards of Alabama is a football coach and father of 3. In the following article, Martez Edwards navigates the NCAA rules for football recruits, detailing each division’s requirements as well as the redshirt rule many may not be aware of.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association implemented rules that all members must follow when recruiting student-athletes for a range of sports. Centered around ensuring recruits’ health and wellbeing, coaches must follow them closely. However, such regulations can be confusing to understand for candidates and their families. But cutting through the convoluted wording eases the stress around waiting to hear from the school of their dreams.

Martez Edwards of Alabama says that from understanding the newly adopted redshirt rule to knowing when coaches will contact them, recruits can consider this an “NCAA rules and regulations made simple” guide.

Martez Edwards on the Benefits of Utilizing the NCAA Rules and Calendar as a Football Recruit

The NCAA recruiting calendar and rules are useful to families who want to ensure they’re on the right track with their recruiting efforts. For instance, if September 1 rolls around and the player isn’t receiving any emails or other communication from coaches, it’s time to step up their game.

Likewise, it can help coaches and hopeful candidates plan their recruiting activities during the correct timeframes. Athletes in their senior year, for example, should maximize coach contact and arrange campus visits in the middle of a contact period for best results.

Getting to Grips with the NCAA Student-Athlete Contact Regulations

Martez Edwards of Alabama explains that coach-to-athlete contact times in football recruiting vary based on the individual’s age and their division. Essentially, the higher the division, the more stringent the NCAA’s rules. Unsurprisingly, this is where the confusion comes from.

Note: It’s helpful to understand the NCAA rules as a recruit. However, it’s the coaches’ responsibility to ensure they comply with them. Student-athletes can email, DM, or call a coach at any time; the coach should double-check compliance before responding.

NCAA Division 1 Football Recruitment Rules

Martez Edwards of Alabama says that Division 1 coaches can send candidates camp brochures, recruiting questionnaires (filling this out is the first step on the collegiate football rung, allowing athletes to get their names on coaches’ databases), and non-athletic material throughout freshman and sophomore year. Any other type of contact can only start on September 1 of the student-athlete’s junior year.

Junior year looks like this:

• September 1 — Athletes receive private, electronic communication, including recruiting materials, texts, direct messages on social media, and emails.
• April 1 to June’s Sunday before the last Wednesday — Colleges can pay for a potential student-athlete and two of their relatives to visit the campus. After this date, colleges can only offer an expense-paid trip after September 1 of the recruit’s senior year.
• April 15 to May 31 — Coaches can call a prospective recruit once only during this timeframe.

Senior year looks like this:

• July (prior to senior year) — Coaches can get in touch with athletes off-campus, but only throughout the designated contact periods. But they must stick to a maximum of six off-campus visits per student-athlete.
• First day of classes — Athletes can go on as many visits as they like. However, they are limited to only one per school.
• September 1 — Following this date, coaches are permitted to call athletes once a week. On top of this, they are able to call recruits as many times as they need to during the contact periods.

Martez Edwards of Alabama explains that evaluation days happen in the fall and from April 15 to May 31. During these periods, coaches are allowed to evaluate each recruit three times — once in the fall, twice in April/May.

NCAA Division 2 Football Recruitment Rules

The NCAA relaxes their ultra-tight limitations in D2, allowing coaches more freedom than in Division 1. The rules found below can be applied to Division 2 across all sports.

• Whenever — Athletes can get recruiting questionnaires, camp brochures, and NCAA materials.
• June 15 (post sophomore year) — Athletes can take official visits, and coaches can send electronic communications. They’re also allowed to call them and conduct off-campus, in-person meetings.

As for evaluations, coaches aren’t limited in the number of times they can evaluate D2 student-athletes. However, they can only communicate with them after their competition or practice has finished.

NCAA Division 3 Football Recruitment Rules

Martez Edwards of Alabama explains that NAIA and Division 3 colleges craft their own recruiting schedules and rules. They don’t have any standardized coach contact limits, either. The only official rule is that coaches can’t meet with recruits/families off-campus until the candidate has finished sophomore year.

Understanding the NCAA’s Redshirt Rule

Martez Edwards of Alabama says that the much-needed rule change allows redshirt D1 footballers to compete in a maximum of four games in one season without losing a year of eligibility. This has changed coaches recruiting patterns, especially since many of these players redshirt their freshman year. Since the 2018-2019 season, coaches have adapted to look for recruits with promise of meaningful development throughout their first college year.