NCAA bans ‘two-a-days’ for FBS & FCS programs

The NCAA formally adopted legislation last week outlawing old school “two-a-days”; which to be honest I’m not sure really were occurring much if at all these days. What now is allowed is a padded practice and a walk-through (without pads).

“Two-a-days” is a term mainly used in American football, but applicable across all sports, that describes when a team or individual trains on two separate occasions during the same day. Most, if not all, FBS and FCS football programs have use ‘two-a-day’ practice schedules.

From the NCAA’s release:

Division I football players will no longer have multiple contact practices a day in the preseason, the Division I Council decided at its April 13-14 meeting in Indianapolis.

The action comes just a few months after the Division I Committee for Legislative Relief issued a blanket waiver to allow the football preseason to start up to a week earlier. That decision allowed schools to decide how best to manage their practice schedule while retaining 29 preseason practices. A single day may include a single, three-hour, on-field practice session and a walk-through.

During walk-throughs, protective equipment such as helmets and pads can’t be worn, and contact is prohibited. Walk-throughs also can’t include conditioning activities and, in the Football Championship Subdivision, are limited to two hours in length. Three continuous hours of recovery are required between on-field practice and a walk-through. Activities such as meetings, film review, medical treatment and meals are allowed during recovery time.

The Division I Football Oversight Committee supported the recommendations, as did the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports. Research says that practices with tackling are more likely to cause a concussion than practices that don’t include tackling. Additionally, the decision allows for appropriate recovery time to prevent both heat illness and overuse injuries.

Via: footballscoop.com

Doug has been the content manager for Football Scoop since 2011. A former college player and small college coach, Doug now serves as assistant head coach / offensive coordinator at West Ottawa HS (MI).