What are the rules for college teams in the fall? Don't they have something like 15 practice days? Does that depend on D-I, D-II, etc.? Do most teams publish any scrimmage games they might have with another school? Seems like this would be a good time for a recruit to watch a practice or game.
Fall practice for college teams
- Thread starter CoogansBluff
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- Oct 10, 2011
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A friend of ours said their daughter can practice 16 times and play in one tournament for fall in D3
If you do go, keep in mind that the coaches at the games will use their best players sparingly. You might see a lot of second and third string players.
- Jul 15, 2015
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My oldest will be a freshman this year and I believe this is how the coach explained it to us as well. Her school will also hold tryouts during these open fall days.
Good point, although in our case, it would be to watch how the coaches run their team, sorta like an unofficial recruiting visit.
When she was playing NJCAA there were few if any rules and they practiced and played a pretty full season in the Fall. She has been on campus at SC since before the 4th of July weekend. Although nothing really scheduled, the trainers and facilities are available and she has kept pretty busy. 
The NCAA rules vary by Division and are covered in their manuals under Bylaws 17.02 Definitions, 17.1 General Playing-Season Regulations and 17.20 Softball.
Div I refers to softball's fall season as the "Nonchampionship Segment" and covers much of it in Bylaw 17.20.
17.20.1.2 Nonchampionship Segment. An institution’s nonchampionship segment shall be conducted within a period of 45 consecutive days during the months of September, October and November under the following conditions: (Adopted: 1/14/08 effective 8/1/08)
(a) Days used for practice or competition must be counted toward the 132-day season, but are not required to be consecutive;
(b) Days during which countable athletically related activities are limited solely to required conditioning activities and/or skill-related instruction are not required to count toward the 132-day season;
(c) During any week in which practice or competition occurs, a student-athlete’s involvement in countable athletically related activities shall be limited to a maximum of four hours per day and 20 hours per week and all countable athletically related activities are prohibited during one calendar day per week; and
(d) Any week in which practice or competition does not occur shall be considered outside the playing season (see Bylaw 17.1.7.2).
17.20.5.1 Maximum Limitations—Institutional. A member institution shall limit its total playing schedule with outside competition in softball during the institution’s softball playing season to 56 contests (games and scrimmages) during the segment in which the NCAA championship is conducted and eight contests (games and scrimmages) during the nonchampionship segment, except for those contests excluded under Bylaws 17.20.5.3 and 17.20.5.4. Travel to competition in the nonchampionship segment shall be restricted to ground transportation, unless there are no Division I institutions that sponsor the sport located within 400 miles of the institution.
Div III goes by the general rules except for number of contests, which is 1 date for the "nontraditional" fall season. The 1 date of competition counts against the 16 day limit of "athletically related activity."
17.1.4.4 Nontraditional Segment Limitations for Baseball, Field Hockey, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball and Volleyball. The nontraditional segment shall be subject to the following limitations: (Revised: 4/11/11 effective 8/1/11)
(a) All practice and competition shall be limited to a maximum of five weeks;
(b) A maximum of 16 days of athletically related activity with not more than four days of athletically related activity in any one week shall be permitted;
(c) Any athletically related activity (see Bylaw 17.02.1.1) by any member of the applicable team shall constitute the use of a day;
(d) One date of competition may occur and shall be counted as one of the 16 permissible days of athletically related activity; and
(e) A maximum of eight hours of athletically related activity may occur on the one date of competition for all participants. Further, competition activity on the one date must be included in the eight-hour maximum and is also limited to the following:
- (5) Softball. Three regulation softball games or 21 regulation innings (e.g., three outs per inning, three strikes per out).
Div I refers to softball's fall season as the "Nonchampionship Segment" and covers much of it in Bylaw 17.20.
17.20.1.2 Nonchampionship Segment. An institution’s nonchampionship segment shall be conducted within a period of 45 consecutive days during the months of September, October and November under the following conditions: (Adopted: 1/14/08 effective 8/1/08)
(a) Days used for practice or competition must be counted toward the 132-day season, but are not required to be consecutive;
(b) Days during which countable athletically related activities are limited solely to required conditioning activities and/or skill-related instruction are not required to count toward the 132-day season;
(c) During any week in which practice or competition occurs, a student-athlete’s involvement in countable athletically related activities shall be limited to a maximum of four hours per day and 20 hours per week and all countable athletically related activities are prohibited during one calendar day per week; and
(d) Any week in which practice or competition does not occur shall be considered outside the playing season (see Bylaw 17.1.7.2).
17.20.5.1 Maximum Limitations—Institutional. A member institution shall limit its total playing schedule with outside competition in softball during the institution’s softball playing season to 56 contests (games and scrimmages) during the segment in which the NCAA championship is conducted and eight contests (games and scrimmages) during the nonchampionship segment, except for those contests excluded under Bylaws 17.20.5.3 and 17.20.5.4. Travel to competition in the nonchampionship segment shall be restricted to ground transportation, unless there are no Division I institutions that sponsor the sport located within 400 miles of the institution.
Div III goes by the general rules except for number of contests, which is 1 date for the "nontraditional" fall season. The 1 date of competition counts against the 16 day limit of "athletically related activity."
17.1.4.4 Nontraditional Segment Limitations for Baseball, Field Hockey, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball and Volleyball. The nontraditional segment shall be subject to the following limitations: (Revised: 4/11/11 effective 8/1/11)
(a) All practice and competition shall be limited to a maximum of five weeks;
(b) A maximum of 16 days of athletically related activity with not more than four days of athletically related activity in any one week shall be permitted;
(c) Any athletically related activity (see Bylaw 17.02.1.1) by any member of the applicable team shall constitute the use of a day;
(d) One date of competition may occur and shall be counted as one of the 16 permissible days of athletically related activity; and
(e) A maximum of eight hours of athletically related activity may occur on the one date of competition for all participants. Further, competition activity on the one date must be included in the eight-hour maximum and is also limited to the following:
- (5) Softball. Three regulation softball games or 21 regulation innings (e.g., three outs per inning, three strikes per out).
