University of Idaho Athletics

Playing & Practice Seasons - CARA

Sports Other than Football
The NCAA limits the length of playing and practice seasons as well as the countable athletically related activities (CARA) in which student-athletes may participate during various parts of the year. General rules for each part of the year include:

• The Playing Season
  A particular program's playing season (also called competition season) is determined by the coaching staff in accordance with the NCAA rules' parameters for playing season timing and length.
• During the playing season student-athletes are limited in the amount of CARA in which they may participate. Each student-athlete may participate in a maximum of four (4) CARA hours a day and twenty (20) CARA hours in a week (7-day period designated by the coaching staff of a particular sport). Each student-athlete must have  student-athlete must have one (1) day off from all CARA during the week designated by their coaching staff. CARA is all individual, so one student-athlete's off day may be different from another within the same program depending upon the circumstances.
   

Outside the Playing Season during the Academic Year

• During periods that are outside of the team's playing season, but within the academic year, CARA may not exceed eight (8) hours per week. No more than four (4) of these 8 hours can be dedicated to individual skill instruction Every student-athlete must have at least 2 days off per week.
• Programs must cease all CARA outside of the declared playing season during the week prior to finals week (dead week) and finals week of any semester. Only permissible voluntary activities may occur at this time.

Outside the Playing Season during the Vacation Periods

• During vacation periods outside of the playing season, student-athletes may use the University of Idaho's facilities to engage in voluntary workouts. Idaho's strength and conditioning coaches may design and conduct specific workout programs for returning student-athletes. These workouts must be strictly voluntary and must be conducted only at the request of student-athletes. It is impermissible for countable coaches to require strength and conditioning coaches and/or student athletes to report the results of these voluntary workouts. Additionally, it is impermissible for countable coaches to observe 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. Such workouts must be at the request of the student-athlete, and if conducted at a facility that charges a fee, the student-athlete is required to pay the fee.

Football
There many playing and practice season rules specific to football. relating specifically to football. While the playing season rules are the same as every other sport, football has different rules related to permissible activities outside the playing season during the academic year and permissible activities outside the playing season during the vacation period.

The Playing Season

• A particular program's playing season (also called competition season) is determined by the coaching staff in accordance with the NCAA rules' parameters for playing season timing and length.
• During the playing season student-athletes are limited in the amount of CARA in which they may participate. Each student-athlete may participate in a maximum of four (4) CARA hours a day and twenty (20) CARA hours in a week (7-day period designated by the coaching staff of a particular sport). Each student-athlete must have  student-athlete must have one (1) day off from all CARA during the week designated by their coaching staff. CARA is all individual, so one student-athlete's off day may be different from another within the same program depending upon the circumstances.

Outside the Playing Season during the Academic Year

• Outside of the playing season, student-athletes may be required to participate in up to eight (8) hours per week of required strength and conditioning activities, walkthroughs, and film review.
• 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 may occur for up to 4 hours per day on 15 designated practice dates. These practice days occur within 
• Student-athletes must be given two days off from required activities per week, even during spring practice.

Outside the Playing Season during Vacation Periods

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

Safety Exception

• The sports of swimming & diving and the field events for track & field have a safety exception for athletically related activities. These exceptions allow countable coaches to be present and provide safety and skill instruction when a student-athlete uses equipment related to the sport for a voluntary workout. More than one student-athlete may be present for this type of instruction. Although countable coaches may be present, and may provide safety and skill instruction, they should not plan or conduct such workouts.