When college lacrosse coaches can contact you
By Aaron Siebold, former D1 player at Hofstra
Updated
A Division 1 men’s lacrosse coach can first contact a player at 7 a.m. on the Wednesday after Labor Day of the player’s junior year. Before that morning: no calls, no texts, no DMs, no offers.
The rule is new. Until August 1, 2026 the date was September 1.
The dates
The date moves every year, because it follows Labor Day.
| Class of | First contact |
|---|---|
| 2028 | |
| 2029 | |
| 2030 |
All at 7 a.m. The NCAA’s rule doesn’t say which time zone.
What a coach can't do before that morning
- Call you, or take your call.
- Text, DM or email you about recruiting, or send recruiting material.
- Make a verbal offer, or hint at one.
- Meet you off campus.
- Host you on an official visit.
What you can do
Send film.
That’s the whole game before the date. A coach can watch your tape and read your profile, but can’t write back until that Wednesday. So put a tape in the inbox early. When the phone is finally allowed to ring, the coach already knows who you are.
What makes a tape good
I cut tapes for other players. These are the four things a coach is looking at.
The first fifteen seconds. A coach has a stack of these and a feed scrolls past in a second. Either way, if your best play isn't at the front there is no back. Most tapes open with a warm-up rip against nobody.
What you did without the ball. Everyone sends goals. Coaches are looking for whether you slid on time, whether your feet were right, and what you did on the two possessions before the highlight.
Who you did it against. Ten goals against a weak program says less than two against a good one. If the opponent is worth naming, the tape should name them.
Whether they can find you. Spotlight on every clip, jersey number on the front card, grad year and contact in the first frame and the description. Tapes get dropped for less.
Women's lacrosse, Division 2 and Division 3
The Wednesday rule is Division 1 men’s only. NCSA lists the others this way:
- Division 1 women. September 1 of junior year.
- Division 2. Coaches can call and meet off campus starting June 15 after sophomore year.
- Division 3. No limit on when a coach can call or message.
Rules change. Ask the school’s compliance office before you count on a date.
If you want help with the tape
I cut highlight tapes and review film for players in any state. What each one includes and what it costs is on the film page.
Making your own? Here’s how to film and cut a recruiting highlight video.