The National Collegiate Athletic Association released new rules for football practices on Monday, July 7.
The revisions are aimed to enhance player safety, specifically decreasing the likelihood of players suffering concussions. Until the season begins, teams are only allowed to conduct four practices in a week that they deem to be “live contact.”
Additionally, teams may only conduct 12 such practices in total in the preseason. If a team has two-a-day practices, only one may be “live contact.”
During the season, only two practices per week can be “live contact.” That limit is the same for bowl and playoff weeks as well.
The NCAA defines “live contact” as any practice that involves live tackling to the ground and/or full-speed blocking. Even those that are “live contact” should still be conducted with safety protocols to protect the players.
The full statement is here.
