CARA

COUNTABLE ATHLETICALLY-RELATED ACTIVITIES (CARA)
CARA includes any required activity with an athletics purpose involving student-athletes and at the direction of, or supervised by, one or more of an institution's coaching staff (including strength and conditioning coaches) and must be counted within the weekly and daily limitations. Administrative activities (e.g., academic meetings, compliance meetings) shall not be considered CARA.

In Season:
  • No more than 20 hours per week;    
  • No more than 4 hours per day;
  • Each competition day counts as 3 hours (no matter how long); and
  • One required day off.
Out of Season:
  • No more than 8 hours per week;
  • No more than 2 hours skill instruction per week; and
  • Two required days off.
 
REQUIRED ATHLETICALLY-RELATED ACTIVITIES (RARA)
RARA includes CARA and any other activities that are required of a student-athlete.  Such activities include, but are not limited to, the following:
  1. Compliance meetings;
  2. Organized team promotional activities;
  3. Recruiting activities, including student-host duties;
  4. Media activities;
  5. Fundraising events;
  6. Community service events;
  7. Team-building activities; and
  8. Travel to and from away-from-home competition.
 
VOLUNTARY ATHLETICALLY RELATED ACTIVIES (VARA)
In order for any athletically-related activity to be considered "voluntary," all of the following conditions must be met:
 
  1. The student-athlete must not be required to report back to a coach or other athletics department staff member (e.g., strength coach, trainer, manager) any information related to the activity. In addition, no athletics department staff member who observes the activity (e.g., trainer, manager) may report back to the student-athlete's coach any information related to the activity;
  2. The activity must be initiated and requested solely by the student-athlete. Neither the institution nor any athletics department staff member may require the student-athlete to participate in the activity at any time. However, it is permissible for an athletics department staff member to provide information to student-athletes related to available opportunities for participating in voluntary activities (e.g., times when the strength and conditioning coach will be on duty in the weight room or on the track). In addition, for students who have initiated a request to engage in voluntary activities, the institution or an athletics department staff member may assign specific times for student-athletes to use institutional facilities for such purposes and inform the student-athletes of the time in advance;
  3. The student-athlete's attendance and participation in the activity (or lack thereof) may not be recorded for the purposes of reporting such information to coaching staff members or other student-athletes; and
  4. The student-athlete may not be subjected to penalty if he or she elects not to participate in the activity. In addition, neither the institution nor any athletics department staff member may provide recognition or incentives (e.g., awards) to a student-athlete based on his or her attendance or performance in the activity.
 
REQUIRED DAYS OFF
Days where no CARA or RARA may occur. Academic, health and medical, formally organized multi-sport life skills activities, and VARA are permitted during a day off.
If a team returns to campus from an away-from-home competition between midnight and 5 a.m., that day may be used as a day off as long as the institution provides the involved student-athletes with 24 consecutive hours off before resuming any CARA or RARA activities.


MORE COMPLIANCE
Seasons of Eligibility • Academic Eligibility Standards • Employment • Extra Benefits • Outside Competition • Sports Wagering • CARA • Complimentary Admissions
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