Recruiting Definitions

I saw this on USCfootball.com and thought it was a great idea to lay it out.

People don't really have a clue what goes on during the recruiting process besides the obvious, coaches contacting prospects.  It's a bit more complexed.  Here are some defintitions per NCAA.org:

Contact Period
During this time, a college coach may have in-person contact with a recruit and/or his parents on or off the college's campus. The coach may also watch him play or visit his high school. A recruit and his parents may visit a college campus and the coach may write and telephone the recruit during this period.

Dead Period
The college coach may not have any in-person contact with a recruit or his parents at any time in the dead period. The coach may write and telephone a recruit or his parents during this time.

Evaluation
An evaluation is an activity by a coach to evaluate a recruit's academic or athletics ability. This would include visiting his high school or watching him practice or compete.

Evaluation Period
The college coach may watch a recruit play or visit his high school, but cannot have any in-person conversations with him or his parents off the college's campus. A recruit and his parents can visit a college campus during this period. A coach may write and telephone the recruit or his parents during this time.

Official Visit
Any visit to a college campus by a recruit and his parents paid for by the college. The college may pay the following expenses:
? Transportation to and from the college;
? Room and meals (three per day) while the recruit is visiting the college; and
? Reasonable entertainment expenses, including three complimentary admissions to a home athletics contest.

Before a college may invite a recruit on an official visit, he will have to provide the college with a copy of his high school transcript (Division I only) and SAT, ACT or PLAN score and register with the NCAA Eligibility Center.

Quiet Period
The college coach may not have any in-person contact with a recruit or his parents off the college's campus. The coach may not watch him play or visit his high school during this period. A recruit and his parents may visit a college campus during this time. A coach may write or telephone the recruit or his parents during this time.

Unofficial Visit
Any visit by a recruit and his parents to a college campus paid for by the recruit or his parents. The only expense he may receive from the college is three complimentary admissions to a home athletics contest. The recruit may make as many unofficial visits as he likes and may take those visits at any time. The only time he cannot talk with a coach during an unofficial visit is during a dead period.

Verbal Commitment
This phrase is used to describe a college-bound student-athlete's commitment to a school before he or she signs (or is able to sign) a National Letter of Intent. A college-bound student-athlete can announce a verbal commitment at any time. While verbal commitments have become very popular for both college-bound student-athletes and coaches, this "commitment" is NOT binding on either the college-bound student-athlete or the school. Only the signing of the National Letter of Intent accompanied by a financial aid agreement is binding on both parties.