Coach Taylor – Can You Get Paid to Play?
March 17th, 2010 - byCoach Taylor – I have a softball team full of middle school players. As an incentive to work harder at home on their batting skills, I proposed this:
Anyone who has a Batting Average above 0.400 for a complete tournament will get a $20.00 iTunes gift card, or a $20 visa gift card.
One of my parents on the team has cautioned me about this violating NCAA rules. Something about you can’t pay players to perform. Is this true? If not, would the answer change if they were in High School?
You are fortunate enough to have an informed parent helping you out!
From the moment you are born, you are not allowed to be ‘paid to play’ whether it is for practice or performance. The only time you are able to accept money, is if it is prize money and it is below the cost of actual and necessary expenses. Therefore if you paid an entry fee of $50 and it cost you $100 in travel fees, you can receive a prize in the amount up to $150.
So, no matter how old you are, you cannot be enticed to play harder with gift cards or cash. For example, you cannot be told you will win cash or a gift card your team wins the championship or you score 20 points.
It affects your amateurism if you are paid to play.
Send your recruiting questions to askcoachtaylor@ncsasports.org
You can also get your questions answered directly by contacting an NCSA Recruiting Coordinator at 866-579-6272.
