What is considered Organized Competition?
The NCAA has nine definitions or examples of organized competition. The NCAA will inquire about your playing history to determine your amateur status.
If you delayed enrollment to college, the NCAA may review your organized playing history to determine if your play after high school has in any way jeopardized your amateur status. For most sports, the NCAA allows a one-year grace period after high school graduation. After the one year period, the NCAA may start to take away years of eligibility for delayed enrollment.
The NCAA grants you five years to compete for four years athletically. The fifth year is called a red shirt year. A red shirt allows athletes to sit out a year of competition for reasons such as injury, but still lets them compete athletically during all four years of college. An athlete’s redshirt year is the first year of eligibility an athlete would stand to lose if there is a problem with his amateur status.
Examples of organized play that may be reviewed:
· Competition is scheduled in advance;
· Official score is kept;
· Individual or team standings or statistics are maintained;
· Official timer or game officials are used;
· Admission is charged;
· Teams are regularly formed or team rosters are predetermined;
· Team uniforms are used;
· An individual or team is privately or commercially sponsored; or
· The competition is either directly or indirectly sponsored, promoted or administered by an individual, an organization or any other agency.