Two-A-Days (football)

Two-A-Days, sometimes referred to as Hell Week or Double Sessions, is a term in American football to describe when a team holds practice twice a day: once in the morning, and once in the afternoon or evening. For high school football, Two-A-Days are usually toward the end of summer vacation and the beginning of the season. Some Two-A-Day sessions are held on a daily basis, even after the school year begins, with teams holding practice before and after school.

Two-A-Days is used primarily to get in shape for the season, and learn new strategies.

In the National Football League, two-a-days were eliminated in the 2011 collective bargaining agreement. Previously, teams ran double sessions and sometimes triple sessions for several weeks during the pre-season. Those practices are called Training Camp, and most teams travel to distant locations to hold their preparations.

In the media
MTV featured a show entitled Two-A-Days from 2006 to 2007 which featured the football team of Hoover High School in Hoover, Alabama. The show chronicled the team's players' social lives as well as their involvement in the football team.

Criticisms
Recent years have marked an increase in player injury and death being brought about by heat related causes. Heat stroke has become a major concern to football and "two-a-days" are being red flagged as a risky practice in places that experience traditionally hot weather in the summer. To address heat concerns, the National Collegiate Athletic Association in 2003 prohibited two-a-days on consecutive days and during the first five days of practice. The National Athletic Trainer's Association suggested similar guidance in June. Guidelines for high school football vary by state. Players in the National Football League have also called for the end of two-a-days as part of their collective bargaining.