Red Shirts. Who are they?

[homegrown]

What makes a red shirt? NO playing time? Some playing time? When is it a good thing? Bad thing? I am trying to learn here people, help a girl out?

 

[votb]

Here's the definition from Wikipedia...

Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility. Typically, a student's athletic eligibility in a given sport is four seasons, a number derived from the four years of academic classes that are normally required to obtain a bachelor's degree at an American college or university. However, a student-athlete may be offered the opportunity to redshirt for one year, which allows the athlete to spread those four years of eligibility over five years. In a redshirt year, a student athlete may attend classes at the college or university, practice with an athletic team, and dress for play but he or she may not compete during the game. Using this mechanism, a student athlete has up to five academic years to use the four years of eligibility, thus creating the concept of the "fifth-year senior."

The term is used as a verb, noun, and adjective. For example, a coach may choose to redshirt a player who is then referred to as a redshirt freshman or simply a redshirt.

One other aspect of a "redshirt" is that if an athlete from a school transfers to another school, in most cases that athlete must sit out, or "redshirt" during the first season after the transfer. There are exceptions to that rule...usually occurring when a player from a larger division transfers to a smaller-division school...or sometimes players are granted transfer waivers if the coach that recruited them is fired or leaves his position before that athlete ever plays.

In many cases, a coach may decide to "redshirt" a player during his freshmen season, so the player can have another year to learn the particular "system" the team is using. It also allows the athlete another year to physically develop before having to compete. A "medical redshirt" can be granted if a competing player, who has not previously used a redshirt year, is injured early during the season. There are generally NCAA guidelines which define how many games, or quarters, a player can compete in before being injured. For instance...if an athlete is injured midway through the season and misses only half a year...they will not be granted a medical redshirt, or additional year of eligibility. if the injury happens in the first or second game of the season, medical redshirts are often approved by the NCAA.

 

[homegrown]

Thank you.That helped alot!