Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt, in United States
Etymology and origin
According to Merriam-Webster and Webster's Dictionary, the term redshirt comes from the red jersey commonly worn by such a player in practice scrimmages against the regulars.[1]
The origin of the term redshirt was likely from Warren Alfson of the University of Nebraska who, in 1937, asked to practice but not play and wore a Nebraska red shirt without a number. The term is used as a verb, noun, and adjective. For example, a coach may choose to redshirt an athlete who is then referred to as a redshirt, and a redshirt freshman refers to an athlete in the first year of participation, after a redshirt non-participatory year.
Terminology
The term redshirt freshman indicates an athlete who will play in fewer than four games their freshman year. The following year they will be a redshirt sophomore all the way until their fifth year of eligibility, in which case they will be referred to as a fifth year senior. A redshirt freshman is distinguished from a true freshman: a student whose eligibility will run out upon graduation.
Rationale
Student athletes just out of high school may not be ready for the academic and athletic demands at the university level. Redshirting provides the opportunity, with tutoring, to take classes for an academic year and become accustomed to the academic and physical rigors of university athletics. They may also redshirt to undergo a year of practice with a team prior to participating in competition. In American college football, a student athlete may redshirt to work towards increasing physical size, strength, and stamina during their final phases of physical maturation. Athletes may also redshirt to learn the team playbook, as many college teams run more complex formations and executions than high school teams.
Athletes may be asked to redshirt if they would have little or no opportunity to compete as an academic freshman, which is a common occurrence in team sports where there is already an established upperclassman and/or too much depth[clarification needed] at a particular position. Redshirting allows the coaching staff the flexibility to use the athlete in competition for a full four years instead of just three years.
Use of status
While the redshirt status may be conferred by a coach at the beginning of the year, it is not confirmed until the end of the season, and more specifically, it does not rule an athlete ineligible in advance to participate in the season. If an athlete shows great talent, or there are injuries on the team, the coach may remove the redshirt status and allow the athlete to participate in competition for the remainder of the year.
The first athlete known to extend his eligibility in the modern era of redshirting was
In the NJCAA system, use of redshirt may be pointless, as most students graduate in two years. But, the NCAA counts eligibility against any collegiate sports involvement. This means competition in different leagues, such as the NJCAA, NCCAA, NAIA, NCAA, etc will count against one another.
In January 2017, the trade association for college football coaches, the American Football Coaches Association, proposed a change to that sport's eligibility rules that maintains the current model of four years of play in five years, but significantly changes the redshirt rule. Under the proposal, medical redshirts would be eliminated, but redshirt status would not be lost unless a player participated in more than four games in a season.[3] The proposal, which was unanimously passed by the AFCA subcommittees for all three NCAA divisions,[4] was approved by the NCAA Division I Council in June 2018, taking effect with the 2018 college football season.[5] The original proposal was to have been retroactive, meaning that players with athletic eligibility remaining who had played in four or fewer games in a given season would have effectively received one extra season of eligibility,[4] but the final passed proposal was not retroactive.[5]
Generally, eligibility must be used up within six years of enrolling at an eligible NCAA institution. Redshirts and medical redshirt eligibility deferrals cannot go beyond this six-year period. Although this rule does not apply to other collegiate sports organizations, like the
Before the 2023 season, NCAA Division II followed the redshirt rules used in D-I before 2018. The Division II Presidents Council voted in October 2022 to support a proposed change in redshirt rules for football, which would allow players in that sport in their first year of college attendance to play up to three games without losing a year of eligibility.[7] This rule was approved by the D-II football membership at the 2023 NCAA Convention and took effect with the 2023 season.[8]
Other colors
A special case involves the eligibility of an athlete who loses the majority of a season to injury, popularly known as a medical redshirt. A hardship waiver may be granted to those athletes who sustain a major injury while appearing in less than 30% of competitions and have not participated after the midpoint of a season. For the purposes of eligibility, athletes granted such a waiver are treated as though they did not compete in that season.
In 2016, a new status could be applied to prospective student athletes, dubbed an academic redshirt. That year, the NCAA started enforcing new, stricter admissions requirements for incoming athletic freshmen. Under these new requirements, a student athlete who meets a school's own academic admission requirements but does not meet the NCAA requirement of a 2.3 GPA across four years, may enter school as an academic redshirt. This student can receive an athletic scholarship and practice with the team, but may not participate in competition. An academic redshirt does not lose a year of eligibility, and may later take an injury redshirt if needed. Finally, as long as an academic redshirt completes nine academic credit hours in their first semester they may then compete in their second year free of restrictions.[9]
An athlete may also use a "grayshirt" year, in which the athlete attends school as neither a full-time student nor the recipient of a scholarship. The athlete is an unofficial member of the team and does not participate in practices, games, or receive
"Blueshirt" athletes are those that the
A pinkshirt refers to a female athlete who misses a season due to pregnancy. The pinkshirt is only applicable if they do not compete during that season. Eligibility is deferred to the next year.[12]
See also
- Postgraduate year
- Reclassification (education), repeating a year in middle school or high school to grow physically and academically
References
- ^ "Definition of REDSHIRT". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
- ^ "Warren Alfson". huskers.com. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
- ^ Kercheval, Ben; Dodd, Dennis (January 11, 2017). "New redshirt proposal would allow athletes to play four games, regardless of injury". CBSSports.com. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
- ^ The Courier-Journal. Louisville, KY. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
- ^ a b Dellenger, Ross (June 13, 2018). "The NCAA's Redshirt Rule Change Is a Major Win for Both Coaches and Players". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
- ^ Gault, Jonathan (November 15, 2021). "Super Seniors: Meet the 6th- and 7th-Year Seniors (And Even One 9th Year) Running At The NCAA Cross Country Championships This Weekend". LetsRun.com. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
- ^ "DII Presidents Council supports one membership-sponsored Convention proposal, opposes another" (Press release). NCAA. October 27, 2022. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- ^ "DII adopts football proposals providing more season-of-competition flexibility, spring scrimmage opportunities" (Press release). NCAA. January 14, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
- ^ Sherman, Mitch (May 3, 2012). "New eligibility standards on the way: Toughest initial requirements ever enacted start with Class of 2016". ESPN.
- ^ Gault, Jonathan (November 13, 2017). "This Is Not Your Older Brother's BYU Team -- The Cougars Are Ready for Their NCAA Moment". LetsRun.com. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
- ^ Mizell, Gina (February 15, 2014). "How Deionte Noel went from Texas Tech commitment to OSU 'blueshirt'". The Oklahoman. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
- ^ Larche, Spencer (2008). "Pink-Shirting: Should the NCAA Consider a Maternity and Paterinity Waiver?". Marquette Sports Law Review. 18|2: 7.
External links
- NCAA Frequently-Asked Questions on Redshirts, Age Limits, and Graduate Participation. Note: site requires account to access
- Redshirt Freshman
- Findlaw.com definition of Redshirt Archived January 19, 2015, at the Wayback Machine