Two weeks ago, the SEC announced that it will be requiring schools to submit availability reports three days before each conference game.

While this will not affect top-ranked Georgia until its SEC opener next week at Kentucky, Bulldog head coach Kirby Smart was asked his thoughts on the new rule as it pertains to non-injury situations following practice Tuesday afternoon.

Under the reporting structure, on the Wednesday before each contest, schools will have to designate student-athletes as “available,” probable,” doubtful,” or “out for the next game.”

On game day, 90 minutes before kickoff, teams must designate student-athletes as “available,” “game-time decision,” or out.”

But what about reporting absences for non-injury reasons? That's where Smart still has some concerns.

“I understand the availability report, when it was discussed, there was a debate about whether you had to put that on there,” Smart said. “I think you're talking about a non-injury reason to not be playing, like a kid's got a death in the family, and he's not going to be at the game because he's got to go to a funeral - or if he's suspended. You have another category there that you have to report that they're not going to play, and there was a debate about that.”

However, Smart fears reporting players are unavailable due to non-injury reasons could lead to unwarranted speculation.

He’s not the only one who feels that way.

“There was disclosure to me and to several coaches in the SEC that were concerned about what the speculation will be. Because if you put them in that category, what are you immediately going to assume? That they're what? That they're suspended, and I don't think that's fair,” Smart said. “You could be an assumption that it's wrong, but I think you do have to disclose that in there. I'm not 100 percent accurate on that. We haven't had to worry about it, because we're not to Kentucky week.”

The status of running back Trevor Etienne has been a topic for the media for the past month.

Etienne did not play in the opener against Clemson – presumably serving a suspension for his arrest last March.

Although it’s expected the Florida transfer will be eligible to return Saturday against Tennessee Tech (2 p.m., SEC Network+), it’s not a subject Smart feels he should or needs to discuss publicly.

“We don't talk about it. It's not something that I share and talk about,” Smart said when asked Tuesday. “Respectfully, I respect your question.”

Smart said head trainer Ron Courson will handle the entire injury part of the availability report.

“I don’t want anything to do with the injury part of that,” said Smart, who said his feelings on the rest have nothing to do with gamesmanship.

“It's a kid. It's a kid and his family. It's respecting. When recruits come in my room, we respect the way you handle things because a kid takes enough drug-through-the-mud headlines. Everybody puts it out there, and then nobody knows if it's wrong or it gets dropped or any of that. They never get to do that,” Smart said. “I want to defend the kid. And to discuss it again and say it again, then it's another whole headline out there. So, it's not gamesmanship in any way, shape, or form for me. It's just I don't want that for the kid. I don't want to have to go through that again. That's why I don't discuss it.”