redshirt rules

whats the rule for ncaa division 1 baseball regarding redshirts? Does 1 at bat mean he loses his redshirt?

 

It is extremely rare for a redshirt in college baseball. Yes, if he enters a game, he is excluded for a redshirt for that year.

However, medical redshirts are the norm and a player can actually have two medical redshirts granted. A medical redshirt is calculated at a maximum of 20%
of games scheduled. So if there is a 55 game schedule (regular season), he can play 11 games or less to qualify. If the games are fractional, such as a 57 game schedule, then you would round up to 12.

These rules apply for D1 and D2.

 

Braves, would you say more about what you mean by this statement? I know my son's D2 has several freshmen redshirting. They played a major D2 power last week whose head coach spent most of one game sitting next to me after he got tossed for arguing. He said he redshirts most of his freshmen.

 

I'll be glad to. As you know, D1 schools, IF fully funded, are allowed 11.7 schollys total for their teams. Very few D2 programs are fully funded, but the few that do are allowed up to 9.

Speaking in terms of a D1 school first, they are already scrambling to try to determine how they are going to spread out those 11.7 schollys (money) among 27 players. Since scholarships are determined and awarded each year, those monies are targeted for roster players. There aren't any baseball programs that can afford to give a player money and have him sit out a year. A medical redshirt is beyond a coach's decision, but a college coach to make a decision to redshirt a player...well, they can't afford it.

Most of the D2 programs are not fully funded. In fact, you will discover many to have 5 schollys or less, and there is one in our state that only has one (1). Some of the D2 programs must also field a JV squad, so you are looking at 50 players in the program, but very few are actually on athletic scholarships. Many players participating at the D2 level are non scholarship athletes, so if one becomes "redshirted", it really doesn't affect the program financially. But it does allow the player an extra year for growth. So a D2 player can redshirt, but it is not an athletic scholarship player.

The poster asked about D1, so that's what I responded to, but the circumstances can be different in D2. But keep in mind, no matter what level of baseball, no coach will ever redshirt a scholarship player...(not to be confused with a medical redshirt)

College baseball coaches are forced to be very creative with their limited funds and D1 schools are placed on a stricter budget about how scholarships are awarded. First, they must have 27 scholarship players with a minimum percentage (I believe it is still at 25%) of an athletic scholarship They have to be master jugglers to determine who is coming back, how many to recruit based on how much money they will have. There just isn't any room for them to afford to give redshirts.

D2's do not face that same restriction. I'm not going to say that coach was lying to you, but I have never met a college coach that spends all summer, fall and spring recruiting with the mindset of redshirting most of the kids he is recruiting. And I don't know many freshman that would allow to be recruited to a school planning to redshirt him. In this day in age, when many freshman recruited expect to be starters, I can't imagine one would be interested in going to his recruited school to be redshirted. An invited walk on? Perhaps...but a recruited player? That kind of history would fan flames across the recruiting wars and would hurt that program.

But I will say this; D2 schools vary dramatically from one school to another. Some programs are very baseball savvy with tremendous support, while others have a lack of administrative support and baseball may as well be a club sport.

Getting back to the thread topic, it is extremely rare for a D1 school to give a redshirt. You will find, in most cases, it was caused by a family hardship.

 

Thanks, Braves, this is helpful. Your explanation makes perfect sense from a purely economical point of view. I'm just confused by the fact that I know several freshmen playing D1 who are redshirting and are not injured. They are certainly not happy about it. In fact, one was told in recruiting the decisions about redshirts wouldn't take place until after the fall, but then was told during the first week of fall practice that he would indeed be redshirted. He felt like he was not told the whole truth when being recruited.

I surmise you would believe these players were likely recruited walk-ons, not scholly players?

 

Yes, on all counts. I hate to say this, but what has happened to those kids is they were given a fall tryout (scholarship or not) and will not be back on the team next year. But the school gave them a redshirt (or didn't. It doesn't matter since he was not on roster) so as not to use up their eligibility. You touched on a taboo subject that represents some of the so called baseball factories. I don't want to expand on this on an open forum and I won't mention names, but most know of the schools that do that. The problem is the families are so thrilled their son is being recruited to that school they ignore the history of the school's reputation.

The ugly truth is some of the schools that participate in this "over-recruitment" realize when the player did not make the roster after fall "tryouts" some will leave the program after Christmas or in some cases before....cha-ching!!!!- the player was not on roster and won't count against them.

Now I don't want to confuse anybody, but there is a fine line between a school that over-recruits and one that appears to bring in a big class. One school expects to have a big turnover due to graduation, drafted players or even known injuries, while the other school is bringing in a huge class for tryouts.

The other term people get confused is hearing the term (Redshirt) RS Freshman--Soph-Junior-Senior. People always say or think, "He's a redshirt freshman." When in the majority of cases he is actually a medical redshirt- F, S, J or Senior

Also NCMtnDad cleared this up for us last year: "The rule for D1 now is that a player can't participate in more that 30% of scheduled games, not 20%. I just called them last week to clarify."

 

I'll mention one other thing because it is new to college baseball. We have all been amazed over the years about the earlier commitments...some when they were sophomores in HS. Now from a family perspective I understand this...it makes perfect sense. Those that make early commitments are offered a tremendous scholarship at the school of their dreams.

However, it has caused a new problem for a college coach. What if that player hasn't improved as projected? What if that early committed player decides to quit working hard because he feels , "I'm committed...I got mine!"...and after his soph year he never looks better. Guess what happens to this player when he reaches college fall practice? He gets cut!.....and if on scholarship he can take a redshirt or may still be on roster with very limited PT. But he won't be back on the team the following year. The coach figures he made a mistake and dismisses him.

 

I don't want to come across as being disrespectful, but I couldn't help but chuckle at this.

Think of it as a business recruiter trying to attract a new employee. They are not trying to be deceptive, but won't go out of their way in highlighting any negatives with their company. If you ask them a specific question, they will be honest in their answers, but they won't voluntarily bring something up.

But if you ask for a coach's perspective, many will say a family only hears what they want to hear during recruiting.

 

Alternative Thinking

Since this thread is talking about the Redshirt policy, I am considering having my son redshirt his freshman year if he is forunate enough to get an offer from a D-1 program, due to his size and academic standing.

Understanding what was said about the money spent on the scholly I think that having a kid sit out his first year is going to be more productive than sitting out later years(manditory if he changes schools), and with all the changes from HS to College that first year would be the time to use for that adjustment. So instead of getting a scholarship package with money I am looking for the Perfered Walk -On route with nothing more than getting into the school and spending the season working out with the team, under the coaches eye and then getting a real feel for PT the following year. If all goes well, then get scholly package for following year.

Not your typical approach I know, but one that will not waste a year of eliabilty sitting on the bench watching others play. If son doesn't have what it takes, or feels he made wrong choice he can move on with no restrictions.

My thinking on this comes from a football approach in that most all freshmen are redshirted to be Built-up and conditioned by that coaching staff, something that I think will help my son tremendously.

 

You are right. This is an option especially if one is wanting to mature physically. Another great route is with a JUCO program. A wonderful way to keep playing and mature at the same time.