The 49ers 2012 offseason enters the third and final stage before training camp with offseason training activities (OTAs). There will be an approximately six week break between the end of OTAs and the start of training, so we'll try and get as much info out of these OTAs as possible.
NFL teams are allowed ten total days of organized team activities during phase three, which occurs between May 21 and June 15. The 49ers OTAs are scheduled as follows:
May 22 to 24
May 29 to 31
June 4 to June 7
Phase three allows for team offense vs. team defense drills, and the team can require helmets, but no shells. This means the offense and defense will actually get a chance to challenge each other and get a bit of an idea of what they've accomplished in the first two phases of the offseason activities. Fooch's Note: Apparently no "live contact" can occur in these drills during phase three. That would indicate there won't be a ton of "challenging" from either side.
For the first two sets of OTAs, the CBA appears to indicate the 49ers are allowed a fourth day of non-OTA workouts. If the team employs the fourth day in either or both of those weeks, the phase two rules apply. In phase two, team offense vs. team defense drills are not allowed.
The team will also host a mandatory minicamp from June 12 to June 14. Head after the jump for a rundown of Article 21, Section 2, subsection b(iii), which governs phase three.
(iii) Phase Three. Phase Three shall consist of the next four weeks of the Club's offseason workout program. Subject to the additional rules set forth in Subsections 5(a) and 5(c) of this Article and Appendix G to this Agreement, during Phase Three each Club may conduct a total of ten days of organized team practice activity ("OTAs" or "OTA days"). The restrictions set forth in Subsection 5(b) of this Article shall not apply to OTA days.
The Club may conduct a maximum of three days of OTAs during each of the first two weeks of Phase Three. A maximum of four days of OTAs may be conducted during either the third week or the fourth week of Phase Three, with the Mandatory Veteran Minicamp (Article 22, Section 2) to be held during the other week. During weeks in which the Club conducts only three days of OTAs, the Club may also conduct a fourth day of non-OTA workouts, but such activities shall be subject to the rules governing Phase Two workouts, as set forth in Subsection 2(b)(ii) of this Article.
During Phase Three, all coaches shall be allowed on the field. No live contact is permitted. No one-on-one offense vs. defense drills are permitted (i.e., no offensive linemen vs. defensive linemen pass rush or pass protection drills, no wide receivers vs. defensive backs bump-and-run drills, and no one-on-one special teams drills involving both offense and defense are permitted). Special teams drills (e.g., kicking team vs. return team) are permitted, provided no live contact occurs. Team offense vs. team defense drills, including all drills listed in Appendix G to this Agreement, are permitted, provided no live contact occurs. Clubs may require players to wear helmets; no shells are permitted during Phase Three of the Club's offseason workout program or any minicamp.