Redshirt in college football?

Question

What exactly is redshirt mean? and is it a bad thing to be redshirted

Answer 1

Redshirt is a term used in college athletics refering to delaying or suspending 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 required to obtain a bachelor's degree at a college or university. However, a coach may opt to redshirt a player 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 and practice with an athletic team, but he or she may not play in games.  There is also a provision known as a medical reddshirt which may be obtained to replace a season lost to injury. A medical redshirt can be granted by the governing body for a season lost completely or almost completely due to injury. A medical redshirt can allow a player to gain additional eligibility beyond the standard four academic calendar years. On rare occasions, there are athletes who get both normal redshirts and medical redshirts (are two medical redshirts) during their collegiate careers resulting in what's known as a sixth year senior.

Since you know what it means there is nothing wrong with being redshirted, however if you have plans for trying to play for a D-1 school you don't want to lose your redshirt option as you can't play for one year after you transfer (this what a lot of naia players and transfers from other schools use their redshirts for) as it would still give you two years of eligibility at the d-1 level.

Answer 2

Reshirt means you are on the team, even scholarship, but not going to play over a certain amount of time.  This is determined by the NCAA or other governing group.  You will still have 4 years of eligibility.  Often schools do this because they like you, want you on the team, but think you need a year of growth (mental/physical), and have a senior/5th year already in your position.  

It certainly isn't a bad thing.  Many great QBs in college are 'redshirt freshman."

Answer 3

It's not bad to be redshirted. RedShirt is a way to keep a player on the team withough using a year of eligibility. Like if I went to college my freshman year and they redshirted me, I'd not be eligible to play that year, but I can still play 4 years after that year. So, basically i'd be on the team for 5 years. Then there's a Grey Shirt, which is you're part of the team, but not on the roster. You can get a scholarship... but you have to pay for the first year, or whatever year you're greyshirted. So you still have 4 scholarship years remaining. It's weird.

Answer 4

Wow...redshirt means they take their first year off (mainly for freshman) and it gives them an extra year to play so they have time to learn the plays and stuff like that.