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College Football/grey shirting

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Expert: - 6/9/2008


Question
I was wondering what the rules are for grey shirting?  Mainly if you play you freshman year, but want to sit your sophmore year can you grey shirt?

Answer
Jon
Grayshirt is a newer term coined by the media and is applied to the "prospect student athlete" that signs a letter of intent in February, but doesn't report in the fall with his teammates. He delays entry to college until midyear  The reference materials I have: refer to the "Gray Shirt athlete" enrolling in the school following the gray shirt season- since the goal of the student athlete is to get an education and graduate on time.  If one plays their freshman year, but want to sit your sophmore year that would be a Red shirt year.  There are particular NCAA rules that have to be followed and forms that have to be filed by the school and the athlete to Red Shirt.

Red shirt - the most well known "shirt" color has been around for a long time. Red means “stop” as in “stop from playing”. The NCAA allows a player five years to complete four seasons of eligibility. That fifth year, usually the freshman year, is when the player practices but doesn't play in any games. That is called the Red shirt year. Players still receive their scholarship, still practice, still do everything the other players do—they just don’t play in the games. The purpose is to preserve a year’s eligibility when the player probably wouldn't see much playing time.  There is also the provision for a “medical red shirt” in that if a player is injured early in the season and won't get back on the field soon, he is red-shirted for medical reasons, thus preserving that year of eligibility.

Vic Winnek
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