Chad Kelly and Medical Redshirt rules. I have some answers.

I have seen a lot of questions about why Chad Kelly is not getting a medical redshirt. I thought I could try to help clear it up for everyone. I have first hand experience with this.

A medical redshirt is reserved for players who play a small amount of time early in a season and have a season ending injury.
Redshirting by choice and then having to take a medical redshirt is not allowed.
The only way to get 2 redshirts is to apply to the NCAA for a medical hardship. This is generally only awarded to athletes that have multiple season ending injuries.
As a college baseball player I took a medical redshirt after tearing up my elbow in the 3rd game of a season.
After setbacks in my recovery I was unable to return for the following season. I applied for and was awarded a medical hardship and was given a 6th year of eligibility.

My college roommate also received a medical hardship while in college to grant him a 6th year of eligibility. He missed an entire season due to shoulder surgery and missed another entire season due to a broken leg(compound fracture).

It is very rare that the NCAA hands these out and since Chad Kelly did not redshirt due to injury during his true freshman year, he is not eligible to receive a medical hardship. This is why Dabo has said they will not attempt to get a medical redshirt for Kelly.

Thanks a bunch for the info - but their logic seems backwards to me. I can understand not being able to simply RS after a Medical RS year, but having a RS is common. And numerous athletes get injured AFTER their RS year. IMO - that causes the athlete to possibly rush his return, only to get injured more.

Sounds stupid to me, but I still appreciate the explanation.

In order to get the medical hardship, loads and loads of medical documentation had to be filed. It was about a 5 month process waiting for my results to come in.

It was explained to me that it is relatively easy to get a medical redshirt for small injuries that can result in arthroscopic surgery. I believe Willy Korn did this at Clemson once it was realized he would not compete as the starter. To keep coaches from doing that after a normal redshirt to further allow a player to develop physically, much more strict rules were placed on getting a 6th year of eligibility. The NCAA made the rules to keep coaches from taking advantage of it.

A medical redshirt is the same thing as medical hardship. They are not 2 different terms.

I have received both in my own playing career. You are incorrect. A medical hardship is the term the NCAA uses to describe the rule allowing a player to get a 6th year of eligibility. If you have heard the terms used interchangeably then you heard one of them used incorrectly.

So you are saying there is a redshirt, medical redshirt and medical hardship?
That's what you wrote, is it what you meant?

A redshirt is by choice. Allows for a 5th year.

A medical redshirt is received when no prior season has been missed and an injury forces a player to miss an entire season or the remainder of a season (they can be awarded up to a certain point in each sport). Allows for a 5th year.

A medical hardship can be awarded if an athlete is forced to miss 2 seasons of competition, both because of serious injury. This allows an athlete to have a 6th year of eligibility. This is very rare. Most notable case recently to make headlines was the basketball player from Purdue a couple years ago. Unfortunately I did not make ESPN when I was awarded my 6th year.

I saw your comment on the other post and was going to reply but I figured more people would see an OP.

A medical hardship is a "medical redshirt".

There's a separate waiver of the five-year period of eligibility to grant a 6th year.

It a minor detail but that's what confuses everything.

is confusing.

TigersO's description makes it clear what is what - if it is a medical redshirt it is granting a 5th year.

If it is a medical hardship - it is granting a 6th year.

be filed after your five year window has closed to extend you to a 6th year. Not something Kelly could do now, but technically I think he could request it. One would assume his wavier wouldn't be granted if he remains healthy.

This isn't from the NCAA website but it makes more sense.
They call it a 'medical redshirt' if you don't play at all. Basically 'redshirt'

In order to be eligible for a medical hardship waiver, a student-athlete must have competed in atleast one
contest in the first half of the season, but no more than three contests or 30%, whichever is greater (14.2.4). The total number of contests is calculated by the schedule on the first date ofcompetition. Participation in Conference postseason is counted as one competition.

If a student-athlete is unable to compete at all during an entire season because of an injury or illness, the student-athlete may not file for a medical hardship waiver. In this case, the season would be considered a medical redshirt season.

If the student-athlete has two or more seasons of
medical redshirt because of an injury or illness
(or one season of medical redshirt and one season of medical hardship), the Compliance Office
can file for an extension of the five-year clock
(a sixth year) only after the student-athlete has
reached the end of the existing five-year clock.