On Friday, an amendment was made to the SEC’s decision to ban athletically related activities during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic that will allow coaches to have video conferencing with players starting Monday afternoon.
Although coaches won’t be allowed to use the technology to organize any physical activity, coaches will, for example, be allowed to hold position meetings, go over film and install plays.
“They can’t say, run so many 100-yard dashes and report back—anything like that,” Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity said in a telephone interview with UGASports. “But what you can do, is conduct a Zoom, and maybe, for example, hold a tight ends meeting. You can have a video showing film from last year, maybe install plays, or you can certainly chalk talk, things of that nature.”
Coaches and players will be limited to two hours of video conferencing per week starting at noon on Monday.
According to a copy of the memo obtained by UGASports, these activities may not include a review by or live monitoring of film/video of a student-athlete engaging in workouts or physical activity occurring after March 13, 2020. Also, institutions may not suggest or require a student-athlete to make film/video of his/her workouts or physical activity available by other means (such as social media).
Only countable coaching staff members may be involved in providing technical or tactical instruction to student-athletes as part of such virtual activity. Student-athletes may continue to be provided strength and conditioning workouts and/or sport-specific drills; however, coaches and other athletics staff may not observe the activity (virtually or in-person).
Student-athletes may not be required to take part in workouts and/or drills, nor may they be required to report back on such activity to any athletics staff member.
Previously, coaches could always call and have general conversations with student-athletes, including conversations about academics and to check on their general well-being.
With the new amendment as it to pertains to the league’s decision on March 13 to cease all physical activities until April 15, coaches will at least be able to get a jump on much of the classroom work until the all-clear is given to resume on-field workouts and drills.
According to McGarity, other Power 5 conferences had already begun allowing their coaches to begin video conferencing instruction.
“This just brings us up to speed with others, but there's an effort to make sure all the Power Five conferences are basically doing the same things,” McGarity said. “I know the Commissioner (Greg Sankey) is working on that aspect of it.”
More news could be on the way.
On Friday, the Big 10 conference announced it was extending its moratorium on related team activities from April 15 to May 4.
The SEC is expected to do the same.
