This document contains the basic information you need to operate an NCAA-certified event involving prospective student-athletes.  It is important that event operators visit the Certified Basketball Events and Leagues Web site frequently for updates to this information.  See:  Information on Basketball Certification Web Site Policy.

Activity operators will be held accountable to all information posted on the Certified Basketball Events and Leagues Web site.  Failure to operate their activity accordingly will result in the denial of present and/or future certification.  

HELPFUL INFORMATION:

• Certified Basketball Events and Leagues Main Page
• Certification Policies and Procedures.
• Contact Basketball Certification Staff. 
• List of Certified Events and Leagues.
• Online Help and "How To" Guide
• Dates applications are processed: Approximate Processing Schedule

DATES AVAILABLE TO DI COACHES: 

Division I coaches may only attend events as outlined in Bylaw 13.1.7.8 – Basketball Evaluations and only on dates identified in the current Recruiting Calendars (2010-11 have been posted).  See: Permissible Dates.

RESTRICTIONS FOR CERTIFIED EVENTS:  

• LEGISLATION REQUIREMENTS: 

•  ACTIVITY TYPES:  NCAA event certification is available to basketball events (e.g., camp, league, tournament or festival).  Certification will not be granted to activities such as workouts, team practices, open gyms, Juco Jamborees, all-star games or other single game activities.
   
• AGENTS:  No individual or agency involved in the marketing of any individual's athletics reputation or ability (including an employee of an agent or anyone associated with an agent in his or her capacity of marketing any individual's athletics reputation or ability) shall be associated in any capacity with the event (or any team participating in the event).

• REVENUE:  The event (and any team participating in the event) may not receive financial support from any individual or agency involved in marketing any individual's athletics reputation or ability or any representatives of an NCAA member institution's athletics interests that is assisting or has assisted in the recruiting process.
   
• TRANSPORTATION:   No air or ground transportation or other gifts or inducements shall be provided to the event participants or their coaches or relatives.  See:  Gifts, Awards, Inducements and Conveniences.

PRIOR TO SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION:

Before submitting an application to request certification, event operators will have to complete and be approved through the NCAA Participant Approval for Operators and Coaches administered by LexisNexis and obtain and be prepared to submit proof of accident medical insurance coverage for event participants. 

• NCAA PARTICIPANT APPROVAL FOR OPERATORS AND COACHES involves an application, verification of criminal background, authorization for release of information and completion of an educational component.  The entire process is completed online and takes approximately three to seven days to complete the background check. See:  How to Apply for a Participant Approval with LexisNexis.  [Note:  If you are submitting an application, you will always need to use the New Applicant button.  The Returning Applicant button can only be utilized to check the status of a current application OR to obtain the approval number for an application that is not expired.  All individuals submitting an application will use the New Applicant button even if they have filed an application in the past.]
     
• INSURANCE:  The legislation relating to insurance is intended to ensure that the prospective student-athletes and student-athletes participating in certified events and leagues, respectively, are provided adequate financial protection in the event of injury.  Operators are required to show proof of participant accident coverage that would be effective during athletically related activities.  The policy should include language specific to these requirements and specifically mention the event/league or organization.  Insurance is expected to be obtained, paid for and fully effective before documentation is submitted to the NCAA.  A liability policy alone will no longer be accepted.   

PLANNING AN EVENT:  

• CHOOSING FACILITIES:
  1. Choose facilities that allow for separation of NCAA coaches.  Separate seating for NCAA coaches is required.  If possible, NCAA coaches should have separate entrances, bathrooms and bracket postings.  See:  Minimum Precautions.
  2. The event shall not be conducted in a venue where sports wagering on intercollegiate athletics is permitted, or on property sponsored by an establishment that permits sports wagering on intercollegiate athletics or branded with signage for such an establishment.
  3. It is suggested that you remember the athletes welfare when selecting facilities.  Choose a safe/clean environment.  Make sure that the facility can accommodate expected numbers.  Take into account whether the facility is air conditioned, has satisfactory bathrooms (number and quality), etc.

• HIRE OR AQUIRE STAFF/COACHES: 
  1. An event operator, staff member of a league or member of any team may not participate if the individual has been found guilty or pleaded guilty in a court of law for having been involved in sports bribery, point shaving or game fixing.
  2. Compensation provided to event personnel must be consistent with the going rate for event personnel of like teaching ability and event experience.
  3. Make arrangements to have qualified medical personnel present at the event.  Events are required to have a medical professional/trainer on staff to care for injured athletes, etc.
  4. Determine who will officiate.
  5. Operators of team events need to plan ahead to have enough registration staff to fulfill the NCAA requirements for checking coaches approvals; identifying which coaches and athletes listed on the roster will actually participate in the event; and reviewing roster information for coaches approvals, adjoining state violations, same or incorrect contact information, etc.
  6. Operators may need to hire staff who can effectively present the information required for the mandatory educational session or someone to monitor the video presentation to ensure that all participating prospects are in attendance and presented with all of the required information.
  7. Operator is responsible for having staff/volunteers to enforce the separate seating areas and for clearing out any general spectator from the designated NCAA coaches section; so, make plans to have enough staff to do so.  It is suggested that the separate coaches section be for NCAA coaches only and the both two-year college and media representatives be required to sit elsewhere if at all possible. 
  8. COACHES FOR INDIVIDUAL EVENTS:  As a condition of certification, an event operator is required to verify that all individuals involved in coaching activities have been granted the NCAA Participant Approval by LexisNexis prior to participation.  This requirement applies to both team and individual events/camps.  See:  Coaches Approval Policy.  If the event is more skills and drills in nature and coaches are not utilized for team competition, the individuals involved in instruction will still need to obtain a participant approval as this is considered "coaching activities." 
       
• NOTICE TO PARTICIPATING COACHES
  1. Inform coaches to get a participant approval number.
  2. Inform coaches to register online and opt in to your event. You may want to remind them of the NCAA adjoining state requirements and that the same address and telephone number should not be entered for multiple athletes who are not related.
  3. MAKE UP OF TEAM FOR SCHEDULE RESTRICTIONS - Prospective student-athletes may participate in no more than five games over a rolling two-day period and in no more than three games on any one day per event.  This requirement is per athlete and not per team.  So, if you have an athlete that is participating on multiple teams in the same event, operators may want to warn coaches that they will need to use wisdom as to when that athlete plays for what team.  Each athlete is limited to no more than three games a day and no more than five games every two days.  Or in other words, an athlete cannot play in four games one day and one the next; nor can an athlete play in three games one day and three the next.  He/she could, however play in two games one day, three the next, and the two games the third day.  
  4. NOTICE OF REDUCED-ENTRY-FEE AND/OR PARTICIPANT-EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM:  NCAA legislation requires activity operators to charge participants the same entry fee.  Operators are prohibited from granting free entry or reduced entry to select participants based on athletics ability or reputation.  An operator may offer participants a reduced-entry-fee or employment program provided the conditions below are met.  Since this is required to be publicized in advance, you should inform coaches in advance if such a program exists. 
     • If offered, reduced entry fees must be made available to all qualifying participants and must be based on some objective criteria that is unrelated to a participant's athletics ability or reputation.  Any reduced-entry-fee program must be publicized in advance. 
     • If offered, a work program must be made available to all qualifying participants and must be based on financial need that is unrelated to a participant's athletics ability, reputation or value that the individual would bring to the event. Compensation must be paid only for work actually performed and at a rate commensurate with their experience and for similar employment in that locale.  Any participant-employment program must be publicized in advance. 
          
• NCAA COACHES' PACKETS:  Some event operator create a packet of information including the event schedule, driving direction between event sites, team rosters with contact information, etc. and make it available to NCAA coaches.  If you intend to have a coaches packet you need to be aware of the following:
  1. Operators need to take every possible step to make sure the team information printed in these packets is accurate.  Shirt numbers are critical since the NCAA coaches are restricted from having contact with the prospective student-athlete or anyone associated with the prospect (coaches, family, etc.)   See:  Coaches Packets.
  2. The price of event packets must be listed on the event certification application and the price must be made available to coaches prior to their arrival at the event.  This price will be posted on the Certified Basketball Events and Leagues Web site, but the operator should include it when communicating with NCAA coaches as well (e.g., invitations, event Web site, etc.) 
  3. You will need to provide a copy of the packet to the certification staff when you submit your event review form.  In that regard, make sure you save one copy to mail later if you do not have a single computer file (.pdf, .doc, .xls, etc.) that you can attach to your review form in the BBCS.
         
• EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS:  In order for Division I coaches to attend and observe at an activity, an educational session must be scheduled so that all prospective student-athletes (high school and two-year college student-athletes) attend an in-person or video presentation including the mandatory topics (i.e., NCAA initial-eligibility standards, gambling, agents and drug use).   The provision of handouts, signage, provision of information to team coaches, or Web postings will not satisfy this requirement. See: How to Give the Required Educational Session.  The requirements of the educational session are posted with the Certification Policies and Procedures:   Mandatory Educational Session.
     
  Prior to the event, you will need to determine how you will accomplish this task.  You may need to hire staff who can effectively present the information.  You may need to make arrangements for equipment (TVs, computers, DVD players, etc.)  You may need to figure out how to download the NCAA DVD (if you desire to use it) or submit a request form to have one mailed to you with enough time for delivery by regular mail.  Resources are available online to assist you:  Educational Tool Kit.
     
• SCHEDULING: 
  1. Athletically related activities are precluded prior to 8 a.m. and the last athletically related activity may not begin later than 10 p.m.  If activity is scheduled at 10 p.m., please be aware that regardless of the reason for delay (i.e. injury, travel time between locations, etc.) under no circumstances can athletically related activities begin after 10 p.m.  If games are scheduled at 10 p.m. and are delayed, the games will need to be moved to the next day after 8 a.m. and the rest of the schedule adjusted accordingly.  In that regard it is advisable that you allow yourself a buffer of time prior to 10 p.m. to ensure that you can comply with this requirement. 
  2. Prospective student-athletes may participate in no more than five games over a rolling two-day period and in no more than three games on any one day.  This requirement is per athlete and not per team.  So, if an athlete is participating on multiple teams in the same event the operator will need to monitor to make sure that the athlete does not participate in more than five games over a rolling two-day period and in no more than three games on any one day.  The coach will need to use wisdom as to when that athlete plays for what team. 

• PARTICIPANT INFORMATION FOR INDIVIDUAL EVENTS:  Operators will be required to submit at minimum the name, address and telephone number for each athlete that participates in their event.   It is therefore suggested that operators collect this information at registration if it has not been done already.  See:  Participant Information Requirements.
     
  If you have your own online registration process that contains all of the required information and you are hoping to upload that data into the BBCS, it is suggested that you look at the Entering Participants on the Review Form – Individual Event instructions prior to the event to ensure that your collection of the data is in the required formats and that the information can be downloaded from your database into the required NCAA template. 

THE APPLICATION PROCESS:

Once the operator has obtained insurance and an approval number from LexisNexis, the operator can file an application in the Basketball Certification System (BBCS) to request NCAA certification.  All applications must be submitted online; there is no longer a paper application available.  See:   Submission of Information Policy. 

Applications must be submitted no later than 45 days prior to the start date.  Separate applications will need to be filed if you are conducting both a men's and women's activity simultaneously in the same location.  All deadlines are strictly enforced.  See:  Deadline Policy. A certification application form must be submitted each year.  Use this link to access the Basketball Certification System (BBCS) and find step-by step documents on how to complete the process:  BBCS Information  DO NOT open the BBCS in multiple Web browsers or the application/review form will be corrupted and will not be processed.  Note:  Even if you know how to complete the process, the step-by-step guides contain information you need to know and you will be held accountable to that information. 

When the application is processed, if additional information is needed, the basketball certification staff will contact the operator via the e-mail address on the BBCS user account and request additional information.  The same request for information will be posted on the application in the BBCS (although in a shortened format due to space limitations).  The operator will have 10 days to respond.  See:  Incomplete Application - NCAA Staff's Request for Additional Information 

Again, all deadlines are strictly enforced.  See:  User Account Contact Information Policy and Spam Bulk Policy.

Once approved, an approval letter will be attached to the application in the BBCS.  See: Checking on the Status of an Application for instructions on how to access the letter. 

The approval letter will outline the specific dates on which Division I coaches can attend.  See:  Certified Dates.  After the completion of a certified event, a Review Form must be submitted online NO LATER THAN THREE MONTHS from the last date of certification.  The application approval letter will also indicate the deadline date for the event review form to avoid any confusion. 

All approved events will be posted on the lists of events are available on the Certified Basketball Events and Leagues Web site.  In the box at the upper right-hand side of the page you will see a bulleted list of events and leagues by season.  Additionally, the following link appears on the event operators home page:  List of Certified Events and Leagues.  Athletics staff at Division I institutions are accustomed to checking this site to determine which events are permissible for their coaching staff to attend.

Certification is granted based on the information reported on the application.  If ANY of the submitted information changes or if the event is cancelled, the operator must notify the basketball certification staff in writing or in the BBCS of those changes at least 48 hours prior to the start of the league.  Not doing so will result in the denial of future certification. See:  Application Changes or Activity Cancellations Policy.  Further, if an operator provides false and misleading information in order to receive NCAA certification for an activity that otherwise would not have been approved, the league ineligibility for certification for a period of up to three years.  See:  Provision of False and Misleading Information Policy.

If an event application does not meet the requirements to be certified or is ineligible based on violations from previous years, a denial letter will be attached to the application in the BBCS.  See: Checking on the Status of an Application for instructions on how to access the letter. The specific reason for the denial will be outlined in the letter. 

Activity operators will be held accountable to all information posted on the Certified Basketball Events and Leagues Web site so it is important for the operator to visit the site frequently.  See:  Information on Basketball Certification Web Site Policy.

PRIOR TO THE EVENT:

Post signage for separate seating (required) and entrances (if possible).

AT REGISTRATION:

• PARTICIPANT INFORMATION FOR INDIVIDUAL EVENTS:  Operators will be required to submit at minimum the name, address and telephone number for each athlete that participates in their event.   It is therefore suggested that operators collect this information at registration if it has not been done already.  See:  Participant Information Requirements.
    
• TEAM EVENTOPERATOR MUST ENSURE THE FOLLOWING FOR EACH TEAM: 
    
  1. COACHES' APPROVAL:  As a condition of certification, an event operator is required to verify that all individuals involved in coaching activities have been granted the NCAA Participant Approval by LexisNexis prior to participation.  This requirement applies to both team and individual events/camps.  See:  Coaches Approval Policy.  The following documents will tell you how to check for coaches approvals:
      
     • How to check to see if participating coaches are approved - TEAM event
     • How to check to see if participating coaches are approved – INDIVIDUAL event
         
  2. ROSTER REQUIREMENTS FOR TEAM EVENTS: 
     • Operators are responsible to ensure that teams participating in the event do register with the NCAA and that a name, address and telephone number are entered for each athlete that participates in the event.  Operators will not have the ability to enter teams.  If your teams do not register and opt-in to your event, you will not be able to complete the review form process and your event will not be eligible for certification the following year.    See:  Participant Information Requirements.
     • It is the operator’s responsibility to make sure that the teams participating in their event have entered all roster information correctly.  If the team has registered correctly and has opted in to your event, you will have access to their roster online.  See:  How to check to see that teams have registered
     • Make sure all participating coaches are on the roster.  Operators will not have the ability to add coaches.  If coaches need to be added to the roster, the team administrator will need to do so in order for the operator to successfully complete the required post-event review form.
     • Make sure all participating athletes are on roster.  Operators will be able to add athletes to a roster.  So, collect the demographic information of all athletes who do not appear on the roster.
     • Operators are required to verify that all information on a team's roster is accurate.  The contact information entered for participants must be specific to the athlete and must be the athlete’s legal address.  The same address and telephone number cannot be provided for multiple athletes that are not part of the same family AND the coach’s demographic information cannot be submitted in lieu of an athletes.  PO Boxes can only be entered for athletes in very remote areas where street addresses are not utilized.   Operators will be able to add athletes to a roster, but cannot edit the information provided by the coach for already existing athletes.  In that regard, operators should look at the roster information prior to the event and insist that the coach make any necessary edits prior to their arrival at the event.  See:  How to Check Rosters for Compliance with Demographic Requirements
     • Since operators are required to identify which athletes on a roster did and did not participate, it is suggested that such information be collected as part of the on-site registration at the event. Note:  Athletes are only deleted if the coach entered them on the roster and they left the team prior to participation.  Removing an athlete from a BBCS roster that has previously participated would delete the record of their participation in those events; and therefore is not possible.  Since each event operator is required to indicate which athletes on each team actually participated in their specific event, team coaches are told that it is not be a problem if an athlete’s name remains on the roster when they are no longer participating with the team. 
          
  3. ADJOINING STATE REQUIREMENT (MEN'S EVENTS ONLY):  Check the demographic information on the roster to ensure that all participants are legal residents of the state in which the team is located or a geographically adjoining state with not more than three out of state athletes on any one nonscholastic team.  See:  How to Check Rosters for Compliance with Residency Requirements.  The full application of the Adjoining State Rule is posted with the Certification Policies and Procedures:  Adjoining State Policy.  
       
     If multiple entries exist on a roster for the same athlete in different states, one being a non-adjoining state, the operator is expected to inquire as to the multiple entries and document the individual's actual residency.  Similarly, if the operator has reason to believe that the address provided on a roster is not accurate, residency should be documented.  Remember - the prospect's legal address must be utilized and he must have lived at the address a minimum of three months.
     
     Because the future certification of your event depends on the accuracy of the information provided by the coaches, it is suggested that operators require the team information to be accurate before allowing the team to participate. 
       
  4.  YOUNGER TEAMS:  If teams are competing that are not made up of prospective student-athletes, they may or may not be required to meet the certification requirements.  See:  Non-Prospect Aged Teams if you have such teams in your event.

• SEPARATION OF NCAA COACHES:  An event operator must take reasonable precautions to prevent impermissible contact with NCAA Division I coaches during a certified event.  See:  Minimum Precautions.  Operators are responsible for having staff/volunteers to enforce the separate seating areas and for clearing out any general spectator from the designated NCAA coaches section.  It is suggested that the separate coaches section be for NCAA coaches only and the both two-year college and media representatives be required to sit elsewhere if at all possible. 
    
• MEDICAL PERSONNEL:  Qualified medical personnel must be present at the event.
    
• EDUCATIONAL SESSION:  An educational session must be scheduled so that all prospective student-athletes (high school and two-year college student-athletes) attend an in-person or video presentation including the mandatory topics (i.e., NCAA initial-eligibility standards, gambling, agents and drug use).     See:  Mandatory Educational Session.  Resources are available online.  See:  Educational Tool Kit.

IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE EVENT:

• AWARDS:  A participant may receive an award, provided the cost of the award is included in the participant's entry fee.  If participants do not directly pay an entry fee, no awards may be provided.  If provided, the cost of the awards must be covered in the entry fee.  Awards cannot be donated.  Awards may be trophies, medals or plaques, or the award may be a T-shirt.  A T-shirt may be provided as a prize in addition to the complimentary T-shirt that may be provided to all participants in the event/league.  Items of apparel other than a short- or long-sleeved T-shirt (e.g., sweatshirts, jackets, jerseys, shoes), equipment (e.g., basketballs), and/or mementos (e.g., backpacks, watches, water bottles, etc.)  may not be provided as prizes.  See:  Gifts, Awards, Inducements and Conveniences.
   
• RETURN ALL LOANED EQUIPMENT AND APPAREL:  A prospective student-athlete who attends an NCAA certified event shall not retain any athletics equipment or apparel provided for his use at the event other than an event T-shirt.  All other apparel (e.g., shoes or shorts) may be retained only if the prospective student-athlete is charged the normal retail value of such items (as opposed to the event's cost in purchasing the items).

AFTER THE EVENT:  File the event review form.  See: Event Review Form Instructions

If event certification was granted and Division I coaches were given the opportunity to attend and observe prospects, the activity operator will be required to submit a review form.  This applies even if no Division I coaches are in attendance.  Since certification was granted, a review form is required. 

All review forms must be submitted online.  See:   Submission of Information Policy. 

Review Forms must be submitted no later than three months after the last certified event date.  The specific deadline date is identified in the event application approval letter to avoid any confusion.  All deadlines are strictly enforced.  See:  Deadline Policy.

• Access Online System:  Basketball Certification Online System (BBCS) 
• Online Help and "How To" Guide 

NOTE:  If an activity receives both event and league certifications, it is possible that the activity may operate until August.  However, since there is not a review form requirement associated with league certification, the three month requirement will be based on the last certified event date in July.  Again, the specific deadline date is identified in the event application approval letter to avoid any confusion.

When the review form is processed, if additional information is needed, the basketball certification staff will contact the operator via the e-mail address on the BBCS user account and request additional information.  The same request for information will be posted on the review form in the BBCS (although in a shortened format due to space limitations).  The operator will have 30 days to respond.  See:  Incomplete Review Form - NCAA Staff's Request for Additional Information  

Again, all deadlines are strictly enforced.  See:  User Account Contact Information Policy and Spam Bulk Policy.

If a review form has been approved or denied, the approval or denial letter will be attached to the review form in the BBCS.  See: Checking on the Status of a Review Form for instructions on how to access the letter.  An approval is an indication that the event would be eligible to receive certification the following year if the operator completes that application process again.  If denied, the specific reason for the denial will be outlined in the letter.

Activity operators will be held accountable to all information posted on the Certified Basketball Events and Leagues Web site so it is important for the operator to visit the site frequently.  See:  Information on Basketball Certification Web Site Policy.