Zone Left

August 10th, 2010 at 7:16 PM ^

According to ESPN, that would be a violation.

"WVU athletics spokesman Michael Fragale said Tuesday the school is aware some players wore vests during the first two days of practice, when NCAA rules stipulate only helmets are allowed."

Seriously though, is the vest similar to wearing a garbage bag to lose weight?  I'm not familiar.

MGoRob

August 10th, 2010 at 6:31 PM ^

I was just about to post this too. When it rains, it pours. How f'ing ridiculous does the NCAA look? They can't wear vests? Someone should tell Tressel. /sarcasm. Seriously though, the rules governed by the NCAA need to be looked at more closely. For instance, it's OK to post on a recruit's Facebook page but you can't send him a text message. I understand they are trying to make it so all colleges are on the same level in terms of what they provide the players but I mean c'mon!

bmbender

August 10th, 2010 at 6:42 PM ^

I had to look up the rule -

 

17.9.2.3 Five-Day Acclimatization Period. [FBS/FCS] In football, preseason practice shall begin with a five-day acclimatization period for both first-time participants (e.g., freshman and transfers) and continuing student-athletes. All student-athletes, including walk-ons who arrive to preseason practice after the first day of practice, are required to undergo a five-day acclimatization period. The five-day acclimatization period shall be conducted as follows: (Adopted: 4/24/03 effective 5/1/03, Revised: 12/15/06)


(a) In bowl subdivision football, institutions may not conduct administrative activities (e.g., team pictures, etc.) other than those permitted prior to or on the academic orientation day (e.g., compliance-related activities, medical examinations, individual photographs) prior to the first permissible date of practice. In championship subdivision football, institutions may not conduct administrative activities (e.g., team pictures, individual photographs) other than compliance-related activities and medical examinations prior 264 to the first permissible date of practice. Conditioning, speed, strength or agility tests may not occur on any day prior to the start of the five-day acclimatization period. In championship subdivision football,
during the five-day acclimatization period, the institution must establish an academic orientation period for those student-athletes who are beginning their initial season of eligibility for football practice at the institution. The orientation activities may be conducted on more than one day during the five-day period, but must be conducted for the equivalent of one day (no less than six hours). (Revised: 12/13/05, 4/27/06, 12/15/06, 1/14/08)


(b) During the five-day period, participants shall not engage in more than one on-field practice per day, not to exceed three hours in length.
(1) Exception—During the five-day acclimatization period, an institution has the option of conducting one on-field practice per day, not to exceed three hours in length, or one on-field testing session (speed, conditioning or agility tests) per day, not exceed one hour in length and one on-field practice, not to exceed two hours in length. In addition, an institution may conduct one one-hour walk-through session per day of the acclimatization period, provided protective equipment (e.g., helmets, shoulder pads) is not worn, equipment related to football (e.g., footballs, blocking sleds) is not used and conditioning activities do not occur. Student-athletes must be provided with at least three continuous hours of recovery time between any sessions (testing, practice or walk-through) occurring
that day. During this time, student-athletes may not attend any meetings or engage in other
athletically related activities (e.g., weight lifting); however, time spent receiving medical treatment and eating meals may be included as part of the recovery time. If an institution conducts only a walkthrough on a particular day during the acclimatization period, that day does not count toward the required five days of acclimatization, but the walk-through counts toward the limit of 29 on-field practices for the preseason practice period. (Revised: 4/28/05 effective 8/1/05, 7/18/05, 12/13/05)


(c) First-time participants and continuing students shall not be required to practice separately.


(d) During the first two days of the acclimatization period, helmets shall be the only piece of protective equipment student-athletes may wear. During the third and fourth days of the acclimatization period, helmets and shoulder pads shall be the only pieces of protective equipment student-athletes may wear. During the final day of the five-day period and on any days thereafter, student-athletes may practice in full pads.

Geaux_Blue

August 10th, 2010 at 7:00 PM ^

Everyone might do a vests lol meme on this but it demonstrates one or both of the following: (A) simple errors following letter of the law can be hard (B) WVU with and without RR has systematically struggled keeping rules clear and may have permitted RR's misunderstanding with rules by sucking at the nitty gritty

wildbackdunesman

August 10th, 2010 at 7:42 PM ^

This doesn't look good and I am not happy about it.

helmets shall be the only piece of protective equipment student-athletes may wear

Why were some players wearing vests?  Did they already have the pre-practice condition of bruised ribs?  If so, how would that be any different than taping an ankle?  If you read the NCAA rules strictly, wouldn't that also be illegal to tape up an ankle?

wolverine2003

August 10th, 2010 at 7:53 PM ^

I'm sure the next report will be someone from the Freep doing an investigative piece on how someone wore a cup to practice the last three years and violated NCAA rules.

Section 1

August 10th, 2010 at 8:35 PM ^

I further presume that the vests were being worn by guys that have been doing their own, voluntary, two-a-days for the past three months.  And the idea of finally being able to get on the field, in helmets, but no other gear, prabably sounded a little too tame for them.  And they wanted to go.  Like a high schooler wearing leg weights while doing the standard team workout, when he can hardly contain his enthusiasm for the upcoming season.

Since somebody mentioned the Free Press, let's remember the drippy sanctimony that they poured all over the August 30, 2009 story -- that these rules are for the protection of student athletes in a hyper-competitive environment where sometimes the NCAA's rules are the only protections that the young men have....

Right.

Like having to do a 15-minute "punishment" workout for skipping class.  Or the definition of stretching.  Or having graduate assistants with one job classification watch a 7-on-7 game, when it needed to be graduate assistants with a different job classification.

Whatever.  Thanks, Free Press; we'll never forget ya.