Field Hockey recruiting calendar
Every 2026–27 Division I field hockey window with its dates, what college coaches can do in each one, and how the other divisions differ.
D1 field hockey is in a contact period through Dec 19, 2026. Next: quiet period, Dec 20 – Dec 23, 2026.
This is not an official NCAA page. It's Scouted's summary of the NCAA's published calendars and rules. The NCAA's own documents are the final word: see official sources, and ask the school's compliance office about any rule.
Your graduation year
- Class of 2027 senior
- Class of 2028 junior
- Class of 2029 sophomore
- Class of 2030 freshman
- Class of 2031 8th grader
Showing the rules and calendar for the Class of 2030. Clear
Class of 2030: what coaches can do, and what you can do
Dates for the Class of 2030 as of Oct 16, 2026. The recruiting periods below still decide when in-person contact can happen.
Division I
Coaches can
- Mail you recruiting materials Starts Jun 15, 2028
College coaches can start mailing recruiting materials on June 15 after sophomore year. Bylaw 13.4.1
- Email, text and message you Starts Jun 15, 2028
Coaches can start emailing, texting and messaging you on June 15 after sophomore year. Bylaw 13.4.1
- Call you Starts Jun 15, 2028
Coaches can start calling (or video-calling) you on June 15 after sophomore year. Bylaw 13.1.3.1
- Meet you in person off their campus Starts Aug 1, 2028
Coaches can start talking with you in person away from their campus on Aug. 1 before junior year. Bylaw 13.1.1.1
- Make you an offer
No NCAA date for verbal offers in this sport; a written scholarship offer can't come before Aug. 1 of senior year. Bylaw 13.9.3.1
You can
- Call a coach and get an answer Starts Jun 15, 2028
You can call a coach any time, but the coach can't take or return your call before June 15 after sophomore year. Bylaw 13.1.3.2.5
- Visit a campus and talk with the coaches Starts Aug 1, 2028
You can tour any campus on your own anytime, but meeting the coaches or getting an athletics tour or free tickets has to wait until Aug. 1 before junior year. Bylaw 13.7.1.1; 13.12.1.5.1
- Take an official (paid) visit Starts Aug 1, 2028
Your first expense-paid (official) visit can happen on or after Aug. 1 before junior year. Bylaw 13.6.2.1.1
Source: 2026-27 NCAA Division I Manual
Division II
Coaches can
- Mail you recruiting materials Any time
Division II coaches can send recruiting materials at any age. Bylaw 13.1.3.1; 13.02.2
- Email, text and message you Any time
Division II coaches can email, text and message you at any age. Bylaw 13.1.3.1; 13.02.2
- Call you Any time
Division II coaches can call or video-call you at any age. Bylaw 13.1.3.1; 13.02.2
- Meet you in person off their campus Starts Jun 15, 2028
Division II coaches can start talking with you in person on June 15 after sophomore year. Bylaw 13.1.1.1; 13.02.5
- Make you an offer
Division II sets no date for offers; a coach may say in writing that aid will be offered, but you can't sign before the signing date. Bylaw 13.6.4
You can
- Call a coach and get an answer Any time
You can call a Division II coach, and the coach can answer and call back, at any age. Bylaw 13.1.3.1
- Visit a campus and talk with the coaches Starts Jun 15, 2028
You can visit Division II campuses on your own as often as you like, at any age. Coaches can't talk with you in person before June 15 after sophomore year. Bylaw 13.4.1; 13.1.1.1
- Take an official (paid) visit Starts Jun 15, 2028
Your first Division II expense-paid (official) visit can happen on or after June 15 after sophomore year. Bylaw 13.3.1.2
Source: 2026-27 NCAA Division II Manual
Division III
Coaches can
- Mail you recruiting materials Any time
Division III coaches can send recruiting materials at any age. Bylaw 13.4.1.1
- Email, text and message you Any time
Division III coaches can email, text and privately message you at any age. Bylaw 13.02.10; 13.02.10.1
- Call you Any time
Division III coaches can call or video-call you at any age. Bylaw 13.02.10.1; 13.02.10.2
- Meet you in person off their campus Starts on the completion of sophomore year (2028)
Division III coaches can start talking with you in person away from their campus once you finish sophomore year. Bylaw 13.1.1.1
- Make you an offer
Not applicable: Division III schools can't give athletics scholarships. Bylaw 15.01.3
You can
- Call a coach and get an answer Any time
You can call a Division III coach, and the coach can answer and call back, at any age. Bylaw 13.02.10.1
- Visit a campus and talk with the coaches Any time
You can make unofficial visits to Division III schools, and talk with the coaches there, at any age. Bylaw 13.7.1
- Take an official (paid) visit Starts Jan 1, 2029
Your first Division III expense-paid (official) visit can happen on or after Jan. 1 of junior year. Bylaw 13.6.1.1.1
Source: 2026-27 NCAA Division III Manual
NAIA
Coaches can
- Mail you recruiting materials Any time
NAIA coaches can send recruiting materials at any age. NAIA handbook
- Email, text and message you Any time
NAIA coaches can email, text and message you at any age. NAIA handbook
- Call you Any time
NAIA coaches can call you at any age. NAIA handbook
- Meet you in person off their campus Any time
NAIA coaches can meet you in person at any age; there's no NAIA recruiting calendar. NAIA handbook
- Make you an offer
The NAIA sets no date for offers; each school controls its own aid. NAIA handbook
You can
- Call a coach and get an answer Any time
You can call an NAIA coach, and the coach can answer and call back, at any age. NAIA handbook
- Visit a campus and talk with the coaches Any time
You can visit NAIA schools and talk with coaches at any age; a tryout can last no more than two days per school. NAIA handbook
- Take an official (paid) visit Any time
There's no NAIA date for campus visits; a school may pay your visit costs only if it does the same for other talented (non-athlete) students. NAIA handbook
Division I field hockey calendar, 2026–27
- Contact
- Quiet
- Recruiting shutdown
- Today
All 4 periods with dates
| Dates | Period | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 1 – Dec 19, 2026 | Contact period Now | 141 |
| Dec 20 – Dec 23, 2026 | Quiet period | 4 |
| Dec 24, 2026 – Jan 1, 2027 | Recruiting shutdown | 9 |
| Jan 2 – Jul 31, 2027 | Contact period | 211 |
Source: NCAA 2026–27 Division I field hockey recruiting calendar (PDF). Checked against it on Oct 13, 2026.
What each period means
Periods only govern in-person recruiting and visits. When coaches can start calling, texting and emailing you depends on your graduation year.
- Contact period
- Coaches can meet you in person, on or off their campus, and watch you compete.
“A contact period is a period of time when it is permissible for authorized athletics department staff members to make in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts and evaluations.” NCAA Division I Bylaw 13.02.5.1
- Evaluation period
- Coaches can watch you play and check your academics, but they can't talk with you in person off their campus.
“No in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts shall be made with the prospective student-athlete during an evaluation period.” NCAA Division I Bylaw 13.02.5.2
- Quiet period
- Coaches can meet you in person only on their own campus, so a campus visit works. They can't come to your games or your home.
“A quiet period is a period of time when it is permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts only on the institution’s campus. No in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts or evaluations may be made during the quiet period.” NCAA Division I Bylaw 13.02.5.4
- Dead period
- No in-person recruiting anywhere and no campus visits. Calls, texts and email are still allowed.
“It remains permissible, however, for an institutional staff member to communicate with (other than in person) a prospective student-athlete during a dead period.” NCAA Division I Bylaw 13.02.5.5
- Recruiting shutdown
- Nothing at all: no visits, no evaluations, and no calls, texts or emails in either direction. Only some sports have these.
“A recruiting shutdown is a period of time when no form of recruiting (e.g., contacts, evaluations, official or unofficial visits, correspondence or making or receiving telephone calls) is permissible.” NCAA Division I Bylaw 13.02.5.6
- No NCAA period
- Sports without their own NCAA calendar, and every Division II sport, have no set period on these days. Coaches can recruit in person and you can visit, within the rules for your graduation year.
“There are no specified recruiting periods in sports for which no recruiting calendars have been established, except for the following recruiting shutdowns, dead periods and quiet periods.” NCAA Division I Bylaw 13.17.14
Division II field hockey calendar, 2026–27
- Dead
- No NCAA period
- Today
Show 3 periods with dates
| Dates | Period | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 1 – Nov 8, 2026 | No NCAA period Now | 100 |
| Nov 9 – Nov 10, 2026 | Dead period | 2 |
| Nov 11, 2026 – Jul 31, 2027 | No NCAA period | 263 |
Source: NCAA 2026–27 Division II recruiting calendar (PDF). Checked against it on Oct 13, 2026.
Division II sets dead periods only (Bylaw 13.02.10); the rest of the year has no NCAA period. Division III and the NAIA have no recruiting calendars: no contact, evaluation, quiet or dead periods. There's no NCAA calendar for junior colleges either, so ask each school's coach about their rules.
Official sources
Everything on this page comes from these documents. If anything here differs from them, they're right. For a question about a rule, ask the compliance office at the school recruiting you (every NCAA school has one) or the NCAA Eligibility Center.
Calendars
Rulebooks
Questions
- The compliance office at the school recruiting you
- NCAA Eligibility Center: questions and resources
- NAIA Eligibility Center
Keep the calendar on your phone
Scouted shows your sport's periods for every school on your list, alerts you when a window changes, and keeps your coach conversations in one place. Free to start.
Scouted is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NCAA or the NAIA, and this page is not an official source. Check the official sources and a school's compliance office before acting on a rule.
