14 Del. Admin. Code § 1040-5.0 - School-Sponsored Informal Instruction

5.1 A Member School may provide Informal Instruction Out-of-Season and in the Summer provided the requirements in subsections 5.1.1 through 5.1.12 are met.

5.1.1 A student athlete may request Informal Instruction Out-of-Season and in the Summer provided the Informal Instruction meets all of the requirements in subsections 5.1.2 through 5.1.12.

5.1.2 The Informal Instruction shall be open, voluntary, and equally available to all accepted and registered students in the Member School and shall not be restricted to members of a particular team. The Informal Instruction shall not be available to students who are not accepted and registered in the Member School.

5.1.3 Student athletes' participation in Informal Instruction shall be voluntary.

5.1.4 Informal Instruction may be scheduled for a single session that occurs on one date or multiple sessions that occur over a period of time. The intent of subsection 5.1.4 is to prohibit multiple coaches from providing Informal Instruction to multiple groups of students at the same time.

5.1.5 Drills to teach sport-specific skills with only demonstration-level contact are permitted. Drills that promote direct or intentional physical contact are prohibited in all sports except wrestling. Team Competitions or contests are prohibited.

5.1.6 The Member School shall require student athletes to provide their own workout clothing so that the school's uniforms are not used.

5.1.7 Informal Instruction shall not exceed two hours per day and a maximum of four hours per week per student inclusive of all Out-of-Season interscholastic athletic activities.

5.1.8 Informal Instruction should be scheduled during times that do not overlap with In-Season Practices or Competitions.

5.1.9 Dead Periods shall begin with the first permissible Practice date of a sports season as provided in 14 DE Admin. Code 1035 In-Season Athletic Activities and Contact. Each season's Dead Period shall end four weeks after the first permissible Practice date of the respective sports season as provided in 14 DE Admin. Code 1035 In-Season Athletic Activities and Contact. An additional Dead Period shall begin with the last scheduled spring championship game and end two weeks later.

5.1.9.1 Student athletes should have at least 12 weeks of rest total in any given sport in a calendar year.

5.1.9.2 Member Schools are responsible for tracking the rest periods for their student athletes.

5.1.10 All Informal Instruction shall be approved by the Member School.

5.1.11 Informal Instruction shall meet the safety standards required during In-Season Practice as provided in 14 DE Admin. Code 1035 In-Season Athletic Activities and Contact.

5.1.12 Any use of school equipment shall be approved by the Principal or Head of School. Protective equipment, the primary purpose of which is to protect the wearer from physical injury, may be used.

5.2 Coaches who provide Informal Instruction shall meet the requirements in subsections 5.2.1 through 5.2.5.

5.2.1 A coach may provide Informal Instruction to any student accepted and registered in the Member School at which the coach coaches Out-of-Season and in the Summer.

5.2.2 A coach who provides Informal Instruction shall follow the requirements in subsection 5.1.

5.2.3 A coach shall not provide Informal Instruction that limits participation to members of the coach's school team.

5.2.4 A coach shall not directly or indirectly require a student athlete to participate in Informal Instruction.

5.2.5 If a coach's school or district decides to compensate the coach for providing Informal Instruction, the coach may be compensated for providing Informal Instruction if the compensation is part of the coach's duties under the coach's employment contract or as part of an extra pay for extra responsibility (EPER) position.

Notes

14 Del. Admin. Code § 1040-5.0

26 DE Reg. 203 (9/1/2022) (Final)