Red Shirting in Baseball

If a student/athlete has an injury or is not receiving alot of playing time the coach will often redshirt the player. I am not sure the exact NCAA rule but the player may participate in X number of athletic contest and still be redshirted. My experience has been that those that are redshirted were not going to contribute until their junior or senior season. I would be careful about anything other than a medical redshirt at a JC. One JC coach told me that the NCAA often times will not honor a redshirt from a JC unless it is for medical reasons. It is also most difficult for even the 4.0 JC athletes to spend three years at a JC and be eligible at a D1 school because they probably will not have enough transferable hours.

The redshirt would not be at the JC.

We are under the impression (perhaps incorrectly), that "red shirting" meant they were at a 4 year school on some type of scholarship, but did not play their "true" freshamn year for whatever reasons (medical, grade ineligibility, etc).

I guess the second part of the question is due 4 year colleges give som eportion of the shcolarships to a player that cannot play their first year

quote:

Originally posted by 4pApA:
The redshirt would not be at the JC.

We are under the impression (perhaps incorrectly), that "red shirting" meant they were at a 4 year school on some type of scholarship, but did not play their "true" freshamn year for whatever reasons (medical, grade ineligibility, etc).

I guess the second part of the question is due 4 year colleges give som eportion of the shcolarships to a player that cannot play their first year

If a player does not play for one season, regardless of which season or sport it is, the designation redshirt comes the next year. For example, if your son doesn't play at all his fresh year, he becomes the next academic season a red shirt freshman (but in his sophmore academic year). If he is on scholarship, he will not lose it, and it counts in the scholarship amounts allowed for that division and not given to someone else. There is no such thing as a medical redshirt, the player has to petition for a medical waiver that allows the above, even if he played or not that season.

Years ago, when there were no limits for rosters for D1 baseball, or scholarship restrictions, players often became redshirt, coaches letting them grow up a bit physically and emotionally, thus giving them an extra year. You will find that very uncommon these and even if so, it's very expensive to pay for college for 5 years, and most will not pay for 5th year anymore, the money just isn't there to support keeping a player around (unless he is really an asset) for 5 years. D2 might be different and D3 gives no athletic scholarships to begin with, not familiar with NAIA.

My general feeling is that most players these days don't make it past 3-4 years.

I do beleive that grey shirt is a term used when the athlete does not take enough course hours to make them eligible (in JUCO). Not sure, but that is what I get from it.

If you feel that your player would benefit more from attending a JUCO, over sitting on the bench at a 4 year program, than it should be a strong consideration, but do not let the concept of sitting out a year and the coach paying for it going to happen, very seldom it happens these days.

I hope this answers the question, was not really sure what your point was.

I guess I am qualified to speak on this topic since my son was red shirted his freshman year despite having a nice baseball scholarship. It is not that uncommon still in DII as several of his teammates are fifth year players and his coach has five or six more redshirts this year. My son had nine outfielders besides himself last year on the team and he was the only freshman outfielder so it made sense to red shirt him and let him build up his body and such which he did. He also managed 4.0 and 3.86 semesters since he didn't have to travel. So it made the adjustment to college very easy. He was given the same amount of athletic money for this season despite still being blocked by a two time all conference centerfielder and three other seniors as well as a returning .363 hitting sophmore. Hopefully next year he will get substantial playing time as all those guys except the soph. graduate. But my point is that it was really a good thing for my son as he is now biggger stronger and faster. DII doesn't have the roster restrictions of DI so the red shirt policy is still actively used.

Hey thanks for the info on D2.

Question, what is a typical D2 roster like, including redshirt, total number.

I think about 48 to 52 have been there early in the last two Falls but last year the spring roster counting red shirts was 39 and this year (spring) I think there are 37 guys counting five or six apparent red shirts.

So I am too assume larger fall roster is walk ons and invited players to try out?

Yes, many were cut or quit in the first few days of Fall practice. One starting outfielder from the year before transferred out at the end of Fall practice and one reliever had grade issues. There were about 40 left at the end of Fall practice but those two mentioned above plus one other guy were gone by spring.

Thanks for the replies....Have a nice Easter

Thanks, I wasn't really sure how many are usually kept on a D2 roster.

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Between mine we had 2 Redshirts and a semi gray shirt...for us all proved to be the right moves and they were all valuable tools...

However...

A word to the wise....If you go the JC route be very careful, the competition at JC is very keen and getting keener...as a result for example, JC Redshirts in CA are VERY common at the more competitive programs. If you redshirt the NCAA will honor that redshirt...BUT, the NCAA academic/units/degree progress rules box regarding enrollment gets pretty tight, and your journey needs to be WELL researched and planned out BEFORE you enroll at JC. Make sure that you bop around the HSBBW and seek threads regarding JC Redshirts...you should at least get some big picture ideas of the challenges.

The gray shirt is a way to take a year of development (physical/academic/emotional...) without burning your eligibility. As sooon as a student athlete ENROLLS in 12 units the 5 year NCAA clock starts ticking...meaning you have 5 years (including a Redshirt for your eligibility). Enroll in say 9 units and you do not start the clock and have a year off, build units, strength, GPA, or just get more mature...without burning one of your 5 NCAA years. Again, simply a tool. There is more than one path to the same goal.

Would agree with TPM...IMHO college careers have grown shorter...the pressure to win, the economic/budget issues, and recent NCAA rules changes have "changed the game" for seniors. IMO, The old concept of a full 4 year college career of a baseball student athlete (particularly D1) is fading some in the pressure to win and in pursuit of player moves to the next level. Dare I say that college ball has increasingly become simply a means to an end rather than an end in and of itself?

44
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Not sure I get the difference between red and grey shirting.....is it defined somewhere I can go look....Thanks

As Observer44 stated, grey shirting involves taking less than 12 units, thus not starting the five year clock while red shirting involves taking 12 or more units and uses up time off the five year clock but leaves the player four years of eligibility to be used in the next four years.

It is my understanding that while on a grey shirt, you are paying for college in full, while on a redshirt you are counted for the 11.7 for whatever money you received in your package.

At major DI baseball programs, virtually all "red shirts" are medical in nature. If a player isn't capable of contributing as a Freshman, chances are that he's going to be equally challenged the following year. Not only are his classmates who played as Freshmen bigger, stronger, and more experienced; but, there'll be a class of highly talented Freshmen arriving to compete against him.

"Red shirts" for developmental purposes at the DI level are mostly limited to football; where I'm sorry to say they have 85 athletic scholarships allotted. The last time I checked, it took only 22 to field an offense and a defense. That leaves more than enough room to "red shirt" developing players.

Do you have to be academically eligible (NCAA guidleines) to be red shirted at a 4 year school. If you are a freshmand and NOT academically eligible, do you get 4 years of athletic participation after you become academically eligible (thus being in the 4 year college for 5 calendar years). Sorry if redundant or confusing....it make sense in my head what I am trying to ask.....LOL

For D1, a freshman non-qualifier can't practice or compete, or get athletic aid until he serves a year in residence. He is only allowed 3 seasons of competition, although if he has completed 80% of his degree requirements at the beginning the 5th year after initial enrollment, he will be granted a 4th season. Of course, waivers are sometimes granted.

For D2, a freshman non-qualifier can't practice or compete, or get athletic aid during the first academic year in residence. A non-qualifier will have 4 seasons of competition, unless he used 3 seasons at a D1 school.

D3 has no concept of a qualifier; the individual colleges decide who may play.

NAIA doesn't allow "participation", which really means competition, for one year. The player will still have 4 seasons of eligibility.