what does the term "bye" come from in sports?

Question

i know what it means i've just never been able to figure out where the expression comes from

as in "bye" week

Answer 1

It originated in the 16th century - denoting a side issue or incidental matter.

Answer 2

Do you mean like a "bye week"?

Bye (sports), when a player or team is allowed to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing.

It is a shortened form of "good-bye"... as in "Good-bye, you do not have to play today. "

bye (1)
in sporting use, a variant of "by" (prep). Originally in cricket, "a run scored on a ball that is missed by the wicket-keeper" (1746); hence, in other sports, "position of one who is left without a competitor when the rest have drawn pairs" (1883).

Answer 3

Bye
from the term Good Bye came from Harvard students who were rebelling against the system.

The standard greeting and farewell at the time had been outlawed....it was "God Be With Ye".

Harvard students were quit comfortable with that and chose to keep it...they just shortened it to "Good B'ye"

Harvard dominated the very new sport of Football during its infancy...way back when using your feet was part of the game...
and during weeks where there wasn't a game...
God Be With Ye was written into the schedule.

later shortened to Bye

great question...
sorry if the answer was discouraging...however...
it's VERY American

Answer 4

I think it originally referred to the team or player who did not have to play in a playoff round because there were an odd number of teams.. so the odd team was given a "bye" or pass to the next round... over time in certain sports, it came to refer to any weekend/time a team was off...