Below you will find definitions of each period in the NCAA recruiting calendar that are important to know:
- Evaluation period – During this period D1 & D2 coaches can watch a player in person or visit their school. Coaches can’t communicate face to face with the player while not on campus. They can talk to coaches, parents, visit schools, attend camps, etc. They CAN email, use twitter or call the player before or after their evaluation. This period lasts from April 15 through May 31 of this year, 2018. (this is also considered a quiet period, defined below)
- Contact period – During this time anything goes Coaches can text, direct message, email a prospect as long as it’s a permitted method of contact by the NCAA. Examples of this are in home, school, tournament visits. If you get a visit from a coach during this period, you know they are interested. Use this time to ask as many questions as possible. Not only does the coach get to know you personally, you get to know the coach outside of football. It’s a good tip to BE PREPARED at all times to get a visit from a coach. Dress/appearance is key. Be on time to school, know your current GPA and Core course load. Parents must remember, you are also being recruited. Let your athlete be the adult, don’t do all the talking. The contact period for 2018 has expired.
- Dead period – No in person contact or evaluation whether on campus or anywhere else. Players can still contact the coaches via text, direct message, email or any other method approved by the NCAA. The 2018 FBS dead period is from June 25 through July 24, 2018. FCS and D2 dead periods ended in Feb.
- Quiet period – During a quiet period, a college coach may only have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents on the college’s campus. A coach may not visit their high schools or watch student-athletes compete (unless a competition occurs on their college’s campus). Coaches may write or telephone college-bound student-athletes or their parents during this time. This year the quiet period is June 1 through July 31, 2018. *note – All Sundays are considered quiet periods.
**Division 3 schools do not have recruiting calendars and can contact/evaluate players throughout the year. Division 3 schools cannot offer athletic scholarship money, only academic help.
For more information, see NCAA RECRUITING CALENDARS
