Red Shirt Year

The player is called a red shirt junior because he was red shirted in a past year probably as a freshman. Thereafter, he is referred to as a redshirt freshman, redshirt sophomore, and now redshirt Junior. My own son is a redshirt senior because he was redshirted his freshman year.

Some guys may be already told as freshmen that they are going to likely be redshirted but the ones with numbers might be guys that are instead put on the playing roster at some point because they are needed and do not end up being redshirted after all. I believe a player only becomes a so called redshirt after the season is over and he didn't appear in any games or a very small amount that is allowed. There are others on the site that can explain this a little better.

In addition to what Three Bagger has written, let's be clear that the NCAA has no rules regarding jersey numbers or how colleges describe a player's year in school. Nor does the NCAA regulate or have any procedure for becoming a redshirt.

The actual rules allow a player to compete in four seasons in 5 calendar years or less. At the end of a season, if a player has played in any games, he has used one of his 4 seasons of competition, unless he qualifies for a hardship waiver.  If he didn't play in any games, he didn't consume one of the 4 seasons.

In some instances, a coach may decide before the season begins that a given player will not play in any games.  If the player is notified of the decision by the coach, he'll probably describe it as a redshirt, but there is nothing official about the declaration and the NCAA has no interest in the matter.

Sometimes a player becomes unable to play part way through the season, because of season ending injury or illness or family emergency, etc. Some of these players are able to receive a hardship waiver, but the rules are complicated and division specific. A player who receives a hardship waiver gets a 5th season of competition.

Thank you for the information Three Bagger and 3Finger Glove!  I really appreciate it!