ATHLETIC ELIGIBILITY
Seasons of Competition
A student-athlete uses a season of competition for a given academic year as soon as he/she participates in a competition (excluding NCAA-legislated preseason exhibition contests and practice scrimmages) against an outside team (i.e., any team that includes individuals who are not on the institution's team during that academic year). Any competition during a season, regardless of the amount of time spent, counts as one season of competition in that sport. For example, one play in a football game or one point in a volleyball match counts as a season of competition, just as playing in every basketball or softball game during a season counts.
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Number of Seasons of Competition
A student-athlete who is considered an initial qualifier is permitted four (4) seasons of competition. Initial non-qualifiers are permitted three (3) seasons of competition. A non-qualifier may earn a fourth season of competition if he/she completes 80% of his/her degree by the beginning of his/her fifth year of enrollment. Non-qualifiers may not compete during their freshman year.
21-Year Age Rule
There is no age limit on who can participate as a student-athlete, however, a student-athlete who has turned 21 years old and has never attended a college or university as a full-time student will utilize a season of competition for every calendar year beginning with his/her 21st birthday in which he/she participates in organized competition in his/her sport while not being enrolled as a full-time student.
Five-Year Clock ("Five to Play Four")
Each student-athlete must utilize all seasons of competition within five (5) years of initially enrolling full-time at a college or university.
Red shirting is not an official NCAA term, but the term is used when a student-athlete does not participate in any competition during a particular academic year (i.e., neither in the championship nor the non-championship segment of the playing season). A student-athlete may be red-shirted at any point in his/her athletic career.
A "medical red shirt" is not an official NCAA term either, but the term is used when a student-athlete is injured after participating in a limited amount of competition during a particular academic year and then qualifies for a Medical Hardship Waiver. More detailed information regarding Medical Hardship Waivers is included below.
Medical Hardship Waiver
If a student-athlete suffers a season-ending injury or illness after competing in a limited amount of competition during a particular academic year, he/she may qualify for a medical hardship waiver which would allow him/her an additional season of competition during the five-year period of eligibility. To qualify for a medical hardship:
(a) the student-athlete's injury or illness must occur in one of the four seasons of intercollegiate competition or subsequent to the first day of classes in the student-athlete's senior year in high school;
(b) the injury or illness must occur prior to the completion of the first half of the playing season that concludes with the NCAA championship in that sport and must result in incapacity to compete for the remainder of that playing season; and
(c) the injury or illness must occur when the student-athlete has not participated in more than two contests/dates of competition or 20% of the institution's scheduled contests/dates of competition in his/her sport (whichever number is greater).
