There are a variety of reasons for redshirting but the basic premise is you sit out a year (although you can practice) and thus preserve that year of eligibility.
You get five years to complete four years of eligibility ... you can have a medical redshirt or a "regular" redshirt. You see this ALL the time in football. They don't play a player at all his freshman year so he can develop and what not. The "true freshman" in football are usually SUPER talented.
They do this for a variety of reasons, usually to let an athlete develop more. You can't participate in games or meets even for two minutes and redshirt. You can swim exhibition I believe.
Originally posted by Seagurl51
Y'all lost me. I thought I got it, but now I"m lost. Explain this whole years of eligibility thingy. Why would competeing in USMS mess with my NCAA eligibilty?:confused:
Just because that's the rule. I think they added that to discourage schools from recruiting older foreign athletes. This is the rule for Division I, not sure if it applies to other Divisions, too. The eligibility rules aren't provided in the sport specific rules. You actually need to look here: www2.ncaa.org/.../index.html
I think the clock starts ticking on the "five year rule" as soon as you've started school as a full-time student. So even if you haven't competed in swimming you might be burning eligibility if you are currently enrolled or have been previously.
Originally posted by SwiminONandON
Well swimming is tricky because if you compete at all you lose a year of eligibilty ... USMS or USAS or whatever ... contact the coach!
Y'all lost me. I thought I got it, but now I"m lost. Explain this whole years of eligibility thingy. Why would competeing in USMS mess with my NCAA eligibilty?:confused:
NCAA Rules can be extremely complicated and illogical. it is best that you speak with the coach or A.D. at your school. If you want to research on your own, here is the link to the NCAA Swimming and Diving (Women's) rules:
www2.ncaa.org/.../
My understanding is that it provides an extra year of eligibility for athletes that need to grow, mature, get stronger and work into better performers. I believe it is only specific to NCAA Sports. Most often it has to do with giving injuries time to heal without costing that athlete (or college/university) a year of eligibility for athletes that need to mature, grow and get stronger. In short....it gives the college/university one more year to build that athlete. You only get four years of eligibility in NCAA sports, so, with red shirting it adds one year onto the end. Granted, you have to sit out one year…but at the end it makes for a more mature or healthier athlete.
They MAY NOT compete during the red shirt year!
knelson - I'm not sure that you're correct about the clock ticking part. I know that in Div 3 I get 4 years of eligibility, but since I did not start swimming until my soph. year (this year) I still get another year of eligibility even if I swim the full 3 years. So I could technically go into grad school and swim for a year and still be eligible (not sure if I have to go to grad school at my undergrad to do this or not...) or at least so says the NCAA guy at our school. He lectured us before our first meet.
Now I just have to avoid developing a personal following...lol
hmlee,
You are correct because the five year rule applies to "student-athletes" defined as:
12.02.5 Student-Athlete. A student-athlete is a student whose enrollment was solicited by a member of the athletics staff or other representative of athletics interests with a view toward the student’s ultimate participation in the intercollegiate athletics program. Any other student becomes a student-athlete only
when the student reports for an intercollegiate squad that is under the jurisdiction of the athletics department, as specified in Constitution 3.2.4.6. A student is not deemed a student-athlete solely on the basis of prior high-school athletics participation.
So, yeah, the "clock starts ticking" for non-recruited athletes only when they join a sports team.
The rule we were talking about where you lose eligibility if you compete is 14.2.3.2, though, which states:
14.2.3.2 Tennis and Swimming and Diving. Subsequent to the high-school graduation date of the student-athlete’s class (as determined by the first year of high-school enrollment or the international equivalent as specified in the NCAA Guide to International Academic Standards for Athletics Eligibility), a student-athlete shall have one year in order to be immediately eligible and retain the opportunity for four seasons of competition upon initial, full-time collegiate enrollment. Graduation from high school or secondary school shall be based on the student-athlete’s prescribed educational path in his or her country. The student also must meet all applicable NCAA, institutional and conference eligibility requirements. A student who does not enroll in a collegiate institution as a full-time student during that one-year time period shall be subject to the following: (Adopted: 1/9/96 effective 8/1/97 for those student-athletes first entering a collegiate institution on or after 8/1/97; Revised: 4/29/04 effective 8/1/04 for competition occurring on or after 8/1/04)
(a) The student-athlete shall be charged with a season of intercollegiate tennis or swimming and diving eligibility for each calendar year subsequent to the one-year time period (i.e., the next opportunity to enroll after one calendar year has elapsed) and prior to full-time collegiate enrollment during which the student-athlete has participated in organized tennis or swimming and diving events per Bylaw 14.2.3.5.3. (Revised: 4/29/04 effective 8/1/04 for competition occurring on or after 8/1/04)
(b) Subsequent to the one-year time period, if the student-athlete has engaged in organized tennis or swimming and diving events per Bylaw 14.2.3.5.3, upon matriculation at the certifying institution, the student-athlete must fulfill an academic year in residence before being eligible to represent the institution in intercollegiate tennis or swimming and diving competition. (Revised: 4/29/04 effective 8/1/04 for competition occurring on or after 8/1/04)
It seems to me this one still applies even if you aren't a student-athlete yet. This isn't a rule for Div III, so it wouldn't apply to you, hmlee.
