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Softball Recruiting Calendar

The NCAA places different recruiting rules on sports, and it’s important for prospective collegiate athletes to understand and keep track of the rules. If you break a rule, you ruin your eligibility. If you don’t take advantage of the rules and get as much contact as possible with your favorite coaches, you may not get a place on the team.

Here is a chart of the types of contact you’re allowed to receive from college coaches off of their campuses. If you go to their campus, the only time you can’t talk to the coach is during a dead period (see the second chart).

Allowed Off-Campus Recruiting Contact by Year in High School

High School Year	Division I	Division II	Division III
Freshman	Recruiting Materials: You are only allowed to receive questionnaires and camp brochures.	Recruiting Materials: You are only allowed to receive questionnaires and camp brochures.	Recruiting Materials: Permissible Telephone Calls: No limitations
Sophomore	Recruiting Materials: You are only allowed to receive questionnaires and camp brochures.	Recruiting Materials: You are only allowed to receive questionnaires and camp brochures.	Recruiting Materials: Permissible Telephone Calls: No limitations
Junior	Recruiting Materials: You may start receiving printed recruiting materials on September 1st. Telephone Calls: You may receive one call per week July 1st after your Junior year. Off-campus contact: You may begin receiving off-campus contacts July 1st after your Junior year.	Recruiting Materials: You may start receiving athletics recruiting materials September 1st. Off-campus contact: You may begin receiving off-campus contact on June 15th, but you may receive no more than 3 off-campus contacts.	Recruiting Materials: Permissible Telephone Calls: No limitations Off-campus contact: Permissible after the conclusion of the Junior year.
Senior	Telephone Calls: You may receive one phone call a week Off Campus Contact: You may begin having off-campus contacts on July 1st. You may have no more than 3 off-campus contacts. Official Visit: You may make an official visit to a college beginning the opening day of your classes.	Telephone calls: Beginning on June 15th, you may start receiving one telephone call a week. Official Visit: You may make an official visit to a college beginning the opening day of your classes.	Recruiting Materials: Permissible Telephone Calls: No limitations Off-campus contact: Permissible Official visits: May begin the opening day of classes.

Even during the years in high school when students are allowed to be contacted by college coaches, the coaches are limited in how they are allowed to contact the students they’re interested. The NCAA created contact periods of different types, and the types of contact allowed during each period must be followed to maintain eligibility.

Assuming your academics are good enough to make you eligible for college sports, it’s important to understand the NCAA’s Recruiting Terms. (Contact Period, Dead Period, Evaluation Period and Quiet Period).

Division I Softball Recruiting Calendar 2008 - 2009 School Year

Dates	Periods (Terms)
August 1 through September 1, 2008 *	Contact Period
September 2 through November 27, 2008 (with the exceptions of 1 and 2 below)	Contact Period
(1) October 10 through November 2, 2008	Contact Period
(2) November 10 - 13, 2008	Dead Period
November 28, 2008 through January 1, 2009 * (with the exceptions of 1 below)	Quiet Period
(1) December 9 (12:01 a.m.) through December 14, 2008 (12:01 a.m.) **	Dead Period
January 2 through July 31, 2009 (with the exceptions of 1 and 2 below)	Contact Period
(1) April 6 - 9, 2009	Dead Period
(2) May 26 to noon June4, 2009	Dead Period
During School regional and state championship competition that does not occur during a dead period:	Evaluation Period
The following state specific contact / evaluation periods are permissible: 1 and 2 below
(1) In Hawaii, contacts and evaluations shall be permissible between November 28, 2008, and January 1, 2009, except for 12:01 a.m. on the day of registration for the national convention of the National Fast pitch Coaches Association December 9, 2008, (12:01 a.m.) to on the day after adjournment of the convention December 14, 2008, (12:01 a.m.)
(2) In those states that play high school softball season in the fall, evaluations shall be permissible during those seasons, except during dead periods.

*Each institution is limited to 50 evaluation days (August 1 - July 31) per Bylaw 13.02.6.2, which do not include employment of coaches in instructional camps/clinics or the observation of prospects participating in high school softball competition.

**Dates are based on the National Fast pitch Coaches Association Convention.
December 9 – Registration
December 10-13, 2008 – convention dates


Division II Softball Recruiting Calendar 2008 - 2009 School Year

Division II Softball has two dead periods:

November 10 (7 a.m.) through November 12, 2008, (7 a.m.)
During the 48-hours prior to 7 a.m. on the initial date for the fall signing of the National Letter of Intent.

April 6 (7 a.m.) through April 8, 2009, (7 a.m.)
During the 48-hours prior to 7 a.m. on the initial date for the spring signing of the National Letter of Intent.

There are no specific contact or evaluation periods.

Division III Softball Recruiting Calendar 2008 - 2009 School Year

Division III Softball has no dead periods, quiet periods, evaluation periods or contact periods.


Related Recruiting Calendar articles:

Men's Basketball - Updated 12/11/08
Women's Basketball - Updated 12/11/08
Men's Lacrosse - Updated 12/11/08
Women's Lacrosse - Updated 12/11/08
Men's Soccer - Updated 12/11/08
Women's Soccer - NEW!!
Women's Field Hockey - NEW!!
Football - NEW!!
Baseball - NEW!!
Softball - NEW!!
Women's Volleyball– Coming Soon!!

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