We've had discussions here on scenarios where say a player loses two seasons due to injury or the player redshirts as a frosh and then loses a year due to injury.

Does the player get a 6th (instead of 5) years to complete his or her eligibilty?

These are the latest rules I came across in the NCAA manual. The rules changes were adopted April 25, 2018 and made effective immediately.

https://web3.ncaa.org/lsdbi/search/propo...?id=101150

Normally student athletes have 5 years to play 4. Most take 4 years and play 4 unless they redshirt for one reason or another.

If a student-athlete has a redshirt year, then he or she is granted a fifth year to compete in what is normally their 4th athletic year.

HOWEVER, this happens occasionally:

Player X is redshirted by the team for his or her frosh season, then he/she is injured and missed ANOTHER season of competition. (the player competes in 3 of his or her first 5 years). Can the athlete get a 6th year for the 4th year of athletic eligibility?

I used to think the answer was 'no' but it is 'yes.' The rule was changed recently (2018).

This is quote and unquote from the amended rules as passed by the NCAA:

"Rationale: Under the current extension-waiver criteria, a student-athlete who is redshirted one season and, due to circumstances beyond his or her control, is only able to participate in three of his or her four seasons of competition prior to the expiration of the five-year period of eligibility, will be denied a one-year extension for a fourth season of competition. This proposal recognizes that many redshirt decisions are made by a coaching staff member for a variety of reasons beyond the control of the student-athlete and may have a negative impact on a student-athlete's five-year period of eligibility. If adopted, this proposal would provide the opportunity for a student-athlete who was otherwise eligible for competition but was redshirted during his or her initial season, to receive an extension of the five-year period of eligibility, provided the student-athlete was denied an opportunity to participate in one additional season for reasons beyond the control of the student-athlete or institution. An immediate effective date is recommended with application to a student-athlete who may qualify for a waiver to provide the opportunity to participate in four seasons of competition within a five-year period."

This would be GREAT for our football program where almost all incoming frosh are red-shirted.