Outside of the time lost to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is the one thing that brings high school sports in Kentucky to a complete stop. We are talking of course about the annual “dead period” which begins early Saturday morning and will run through Saturday, July 9th. And, when we say “dead period” it is truly just that for high school sports across the Commonwealth.
During that time period, there is no contact between coaches and their players allowed. It goes to the point that coaches are not to use an intermediary to contact their athletes either. So social media posts from your favorite teams will not occupy much of your reading time over the next couple of weeks.
School facilities are also a no-no for student-athletes during the “dead period.” And, not just facilities. Uniforms, equipment, and transportation tied to the school are also on the prohibited list. School funds also cannot be used in support of athletic activity during this time period.
The “dead period” is intended to give coaches, athletes, and their families, a chance to get away from the rigors of high school athletics and get some rest and relaxation in before the practices for fall sports get underway in mid-July.
The official “dead period” runs from 12:00am June 25 through 11:59pm on July 9. This year, with July 10 falling on Sunday, most programs will likely wait until July 11 to get things back up and running to get ready for Fall 2022.
