5th year offers

[fastpitch]

I've talked to some travel coaches and they say sometimes they can get college coaches to offer a 5th year. It sounds stupid, but what exactly does that mean for my player? Does that mean she will play 5 years? Or does it mean she can do something like red shirt, or wait out an injury? Do players do that to be able to take less credits each semester and graduate in 5 instead of 4?

Anyone have any experience with this? thanks.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

It takes some athletes 5 years to graduate. The softball team doesn't pay for it. The coach has to find the money else where.

 

[fastpitch]

I guess I can google it but do you know if they are they allowed to play 5 years?

edit

forget it. I found it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redshirt_(college_sports)

In United States college athletics, redshirt is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically, a student's athletic eligibility in a given sport is four seasons, a number derived from the four years of academic classes that are normally required to obtain a bachelor's degree at an American college or university. However, student athletes may be allowed to redshirt for up to two years, so they can spread those four years of eligibility over five, or sometimes six years. In a redshirt year, student athletes may attend classes at the college or university, practice with an athletic team, and dress for play but may not compete in games. Using this mechanism, a student athlete has up to five academic years to use the four years of eligibility, thus becoming a fifth-year senior.

more:
Once certified by the NCAA Clearinghouse, what is the difference between a qualifier and a non-qualifier?
Qualifier:
Eligible for athletically related financial aid, practice and competition during your first year of enrollment at a NCAA member institution.
You have 5 years to play 4 seasons in your sport if you maintain your eligibility from year to year.

Non-qualifier:
Ineligible for athletically-related financial aid, practice and competition during your first year at a NCAA member institution.
You have 4 years to play 3 seasons in your sport if you maintain your eligibility from year to year.*
* Non-qualifiers have the ability to gain back a year of eligibility if they complete at least 80 percent of their degree prior to the beginning of their fifth year of college.