I-AA Redshirting rules

[C-Rock]

Can somebody set me straight for the NCAA redshirting rules. I was under the impression that, barring injury, once a player steps foot on the field, they are not able to use their redshirt that season.

I have also heard other views such as players can play in a certain # of games before whether or not they decide to redshirt.


Anybody know the facts??

Thanks

[GannonFan]

Well, I don't, but it's clearly not just stepping onto the field. There are many cases of guys playing a few games and then succumbing to injury and being able to take a non-medical redshirt assuming they hadn't already. Roger Brown played 3 games for the Blue Hens last year, and then sat out and took a redshirt (he hadn't taken one in his career) and is now a 5th year senior for the Hens.

[Mr. C]

You can play in the first three games and still redshirt, but once you play in any of those remaining games, you lose that redshirt year. That's why if any significant players are injured in the first three games and have not taken a reshirt yet (i.e. Lex Hilliard of Montana), then they will likely be reshirted for that season. For example, safety Corey Lynch of Appalachian State broke his elbow two years ago against Eastern Kentucky in the second week and was redshirted.

[jmuroller]

I believe you can only redshirt if you play in any game only if you have an injury. So if you play in the first game you must have an injury to redshirt. You cann't play in the first game adn then redshirt if you just don't play again for the rest of the season.

[P2TheB]

There are two types of redshirting. One is a regular redshirt where a player is held out of competition to save a year of eligibility, and the other is a medical redshirt where an injury occurs and a year of eligibility is saved. There are stipulations on the medical redshirt and it MUST be granted. Here's the breakdown:

http://www.hokiesports.com/suggs/progress/10112001aaa.html
Q: What is a medical redshirt as opposed to a regular redshirt?
TP: What's normally referred to as a redshirt is when an eligible player is held out of all competition. It saves them from using up one of their four seasons of competitive eligibility. It's a conscious decision made in combination with the coaching staff and player. A medical hardship waiver, which is commonly referred to as a medical redshirt, is when there is limited competition, but a season-ending injury occurs prior to the 20 percent point of the season. Then, every school has the option to make an appeal to the conference office for a medical hardship waiver to get that year of competitive eligibility back.