What is Red Shirting?
Red shirting is when a student-athlete who does not participate in competition in a sport for an entire academic year. This means if you did not compete for a year you still have four years of playing eligibility.

What is a Hardship Waiver? (Bylaw 14.2.5)
A Hardship Waiver is when a student-athlete applies for athletic hardship due to season ending injury or illness. Check with your institution and conference on the guidelines for red-shirting or hardship.

• Must have documentation from a physician and institution's athletic staff.
• Can not practice with the team, but may do rehabilitation during practice.

Division I Guidelines (Bylaws 14.2.4.c)

• Apply for hardship if a season ending injury occurs in the first half of the season.
• Cannot have praticipated in more than three contests/dates of competition or 30% of the schedule season.

Division II Guidelines (Bylaw 14.2.5.c)

• Can apply no matter when a season injury occurs as long as the athlete has not particpated in more than two contests/dates of competition or 20% of scheduled season.

Division III Guidelines (14.2.4.c)

• Have no participated in more than three contest or 1/3 of schedule contest
• Does not allow general red-shirting, but athlete's can apply for a hardship waiver