Home Forums Club House College New NCAA recruiting rules officially go into effect

New NCAA recruiting rules officially went into effect on May 1, 2019, affecting a wide range of college sports including men’s and women’s soccer. The rules are aiming to curb early recruiting activity with stricter regulations on communication between college coaches and high school players.

For NCAA Division I men’s and women’s soccer, the new rules include the following:

No communication with a coach until June 15 of sophomore year
No official or unofficial visits until August 1 of junior year
No verbal offers until August 1 of junior year

Although official forms of communication between college coaches and high school players will now be allowed slightly earlier in the recruiting process, the new rules will eliminate the ability for unofficial verbal offers prior to August 1 ahead of the player’s junior year of high school.

Recruiting conversations between college coaches and intermediaries such as parents, club coaches and high school coaches, will also be forbidden prior to June 15 following the player’s sophomore year of high school. Before that date, no recruiting conversations of any kind are allowed, including discussions of scholarships or financial aid.

However, college coaches will still be allowed to communicate with club and high school coaches to discuss freshman and sophomore players that the college coach is interested in recruiting. Those conversations will be strictly limited to college coaches discussing players they are specifically interested in, rather than allowing for the solicitation of college coaches.

Moving forward, college coaches will be allowed to discuss freshman or sophomore recruits with club/high school coaches, but only if that coach is interested in recruiting them. College coaches cannot make unofficial offers or discuss support in admissions or any other form of financial aid.

Sorry, somewhat new soccer parent here, but how did the 13 year old get a full ride offer? Were the rules much different before this update?

the rules are a step in right direction but super confusing. i cant seem to understand whats the difference between june 15th permitted coach conversation, but the not permitted recruiting conversations until august of junior year. what could possibly be talk about between a coach and a 17 year old kid that is anything other than recruiting in nature. and how do you keep the young, inexperienced player from asking questions about their recruiting their program competition the whole thing was a great step in the right direction but they either intentionally left that vague distinction in there, or they ought to give some direction in that area.

There is no possible way to monitor those conversations and they will happen, no doubt. Club coaches can still act as intermediaries and players can still contact coaches, just not the reverse. This change just moved a few dates and that's about it. No doubt early September you'll see a flurry of junior commitments, which means conversations were happening well before that.

They always were.

Some connections to college football and basketball?

College sports have to watch their ethics with scrutiny on allowing players access to markets now.