NCAA legislation limits the number of hours that student-athletes can engage in “countable athletically related activities” (CARAs) during the academic year. Any athletically related activity is countable if it is not “voluntary,” as that term is defined under NCAA legislation. For an activity to be voluntary (and not countable), all of the following conditions must be met:

• The activity must be initiated and requested solely by the student-athlete.

• Countable coaches, student assistant coaches, and other sport-specific noncoaching staff members (e.g., directors of operation) cannot be in attendance.

   

• There can be no required reporting of any information related to the activity back to a coach or other athletics department staff member.

   

• Attendance and participation in the activity may not be recorded for the purposes of reporting such information to coaching staff members or other student-athletes.
• Lack of participation in the activity cannot be penalized, nor can attendance be incentivized.

NCAA practice hours rules
NCAA Bylaw 17 contains legislation relating to “playing and practice seasons,” including all of the limits on practice hours. Much of the legislation is sport-specific and there are numerous exceptions to the general rules, which are explained below. 

Practice hour limits depend on whether a team is in its declared playing season. The Compliance Office submits and maintains declarations of playing seasons. 

During the declared playing season

• No more than 20 hours of CARAs in a week;
• No more than four hours of CARAs in a day;
• Must have one calendar day off from CARAs and RARAs each week and
• No CARAs after a competition (e.g., student-athletes cannot be required to run or watch film after a loss).

Outside the declared playing season, during the academic year

• No more than eight hours of countable athletically related activities each week. Whether an activity is permissible depends on the sport:

   

  • In football: Weight training, conditioning and film review.
  • In sports other than football: Weight training, conditioning and skill instruction.
• No more than four hours of skill instruction (all sports but football) or two hours of film review (football) in a week.
• Must have two calendar days off from CARAs and RARAs each week.
• CARAs and RARAs are prohibited one week before the beginning of final exams until their conclusion.