You can’t receive personalized recruiting letters from college coaches until you’re a junior. And they can’t dial your digits until you’re almost through with 11th grade. Unless you’re a senior, college coaches can’t make in-person visits at your school or house. The NCAA has plenty of rules regarding college scholarship programs and how and when college coaches can communicate with you as a potential student-athlete. None, however, address their attending your games, at school or tournaments. Coaches can watch you play all they like; they just can’t talk to you until you’re a senior, or unless you’re on their campus. That’s right; if you’re on their turf for a summer camp or unofficial visit during your freshman, sophomore or junior year, coaches can chat it up with you. Here, recruiting expert and president of Recruiting Realities, Jack Renkens, explains six ways college coaches might express interest when you’re at his school or he’s at your game.

1. A college coach will attend one of your games and make sure you see him. If it’s a high school game, he’ll make sure you spot him in the gymnasium. If he’s at a summer basketball tournament, he’ll stand against the wall under the hoop.

2. A college program sending the head coach to one of your games is an even greater sign of their interest.

3. If a college coach is at one your games, he’ll talk with your coach so he can tell you, “Coach so-and-so is here to take a look at you, and he’s asking questions about you.”

4. If at any point the college coach makes eye contact with you and gives you a nod, then he’s indicating serious interest.

5. When you take an unofficial visit, a college coach can talk to you no matter what; if he doesn’t, then he lacks interest.

6. If you’re a prized recruit at a program’s summer camp, the coaches will pull you aside for a personal conversation.