[Goose]

My point with the items I listed was to simply point out that we tend to bend the rules for all kinds of situations and circumstances which under (more) controlled circumstances we would not allow. As an official I think it is important to get the game played and be somewhat flexible. We work through all kinds of situations and this one is no different IMO.

With that being said, I can say, that in the case of jewelry, I do not bend the rules for high school and below level play. I am more open though to bend the rules for jewelry when it involves men. At least with men, they know the responsibilty and can take it. Ever see a league make the players sign an injury waiver? Just my point. Many adult leagues require each player to sign a injury waiver absolving the league form any type of legal matter dealing with injuries. So, if they can sign that away (technically no one can sign their right to litigation away), I feel that I am perfectly capable of adhering to what the league wants under certain circumstances.

When I first started out 20 years ago, I was told work! Work every game you can which was 200 or more games a year coming from my mentors. You can't do that, and you won't be asked to work if every time you show up to do a rec game things have to be run exactly by the book.

Another case in point involving AAU. I have worked AAU tournaments where there are 4 courts being utilized at the same time and are adjacent to each other with no throwin space on the sidelines or under the basket, and in one gym, the WALL is out of bounds! Unsafe? You bet, but yet this AAU tournament has 350 teams coming from all over New England, NY and NJ. So, you gonna not play? This is another example of something I would never allow in other games, but becasue of the magnitude of the tournament and the distance traveled, we will play, and as an official, I will do my best to insure that I keep the playing area as safe as humanly possible.

Again, another illustration. This involved the wearing of the Jewish yamicka. I happened to work what was termed as the Jewish Junior Olympics. This was another huge tournament that invovled hundreds of teams from all over the eastern U.S. Upon my arrival, the site director said, most of the boys will be wearing yamicka's. Do not mess with them. Now I know perfectly well that during HS play, they are permitted as long as they are not attached or kept in place with metal bobby pins etc. But in this case, the director said let them play, period, even if they have to use metal bobby pins to hold them in place. At that point, he goes on record for taking full responsibility and for what it is worth, every official that I know got the same instructions and followed them or they didn't work. Of course if you refused to work, you would never work for that assignor again, and that assignor happens to hand out about 80-90 percent of rec and AAU games.

Like I said, in my situations, you either compromised with conditions, or you didn't work. And if you didn't work, you didn't advance, or even get considered for HS work.

So the choice for me came down to sticking to my guns and working by the book which meant sitting at home, or working under uncertain conditions. I chose and choose to work.

goose