Red Shirt

Here is a link to the NCAA definition of a redshirt:

http://www.ncaa.org/eligibility/faqs/faqs_eligibility_seasons.html

Bob,
"Doing nothing is still a course of action"

The term redshirt refers to an athlete not playing (in games) for one year but still attending school and retaining eligibility. It is often done so an athlete can mature physically/socially and also in injury situations.

A simple explanation is an athlete that plays practices and is involved within the team. No participation in competition is allowed for the full academic year. The majority of freshmen in the more competitive teams ( I am sure there will be some dissagreement on this ) take this route to get bigger stronger and better. This also could be a Medical Redshirt for the second or ... playing year which is a different story.

The term is also used (somewhat inaccurately) to describe a younger student who is held back and starts high school a year older than he normally would. Some parents do this for the same reason that players redshirt in college; others do it for academic or maturity reasons.

D'oh!

Steve has used the term "medical redshirt" to describe a player sitting out because of injury. It is a misnomer, however, and is actually called a "medical hardship waiver". But the term "medical redshirt" has become the common usage term for this situation. One difference, tho, is that the NCAA can actually grant an extra year for a medical hardship but a player is only eligible for one "redshirt" year.

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Go HIGHLANDERS !!!
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