Football recruiting "dead" period approaches ...

The college football recruiting process requires college coaches to follow certain rules and regulations designating when and how they can contact potential recruits. For example, the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Division I football recruiting calendar establishes a "dead" period beginning December 19, 2011 and continuing through January 3, 2012. During this period, "a college coach may not have any in-person contact" with a prospective recruit or his parents on or off campus at any time, according to the NCAA. However, "the coach may write and telephone" a prospective recruit or his parents during this period.

Sorting out the NCAA's "dead" period for recruiting, as well as other designated periods for evaluating players and contacting players, can be confusing. Although complying with these recruiting rules and regulations is primarily the concern of the coaches who are doing the recruiting, potential recruits and their parents might want to be aware of them so that they know when coaches can or can't make contact -- and just how they can make contact -- on certain dates.

Fortunately, the NCAA makes available online definitions for each of these types of recruiting periods, as well as a Division I football recruiting calendar and a Division II football recruiting calendar.

Much more information about the college football recruiting process is available in the book Beyond Friday Nights: College Football Recruiting for Players and Parents.