View Single Post
  #1 (permalink)  
Old Sat Sep 24, 2005, 01:22pm
Camron Rust Camron Rust is offline
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: In the offseason.
Posts: 12,260
First, let me make it known that I'm not a soccer referee but am a 12 year basketball referee and an 8-year soccer coach.

My child plays youth soccer (U9) and encountered a referee today that made a ruling regarding equipment that is in contradiction with what our club has clearly communicated to the coaches at our annual pre-season coaches meeting on more than one occassion.

What has been communicated by the club is that the shin guards must be completely covered by the socks. For all 8 years that I've coached for an older team, I've had players that wear them by putting on the socks, then the shin guards, then pull the socks down over the shin guards to the ankle such that the guard is completely covered.

The youth referee (an older teenager) and his mom (who was observing and apparently a referee) insisted that the shin guard had to be on first and the sock pulled up over the shin guard. My daughter, and many of my other players) finds the shin guards highly uncomfortable against her skin and she sat out for more than half of the game.

I've checked with the club and the board member I contacted said that it was sufficient as my daughter was wearing them...perhaps a club requirement.

Ignoring the possibility of a local club rule, which is the correct ruling?

In the future, I'll try to find a 2nd, thinner, sock that can be worn under the shin guard and put the main one over just so we don't have to deal with it.

[Edited by Camron Rust on Sep 24th, 2005 at 11:30 PM]
__________________
Owner/Developer of RefTown.com
Commissioner, Portland Basketball Officials Association
Reply With Quote