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Old Mon Dec 11, 2000, 12:05am
BktBallRef BktBallRef is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2000
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Quote:
Originally posted by tschriver
I believe the most important part of the rule is that a referee enforce the intent. That is to say a "referee shall not permit any player to wear equipment or apparel which..is dangerous or confusing to other players or is not appropriate." (Rule 3, Section 5, Paragraph 1) By enforcing the intent, I would allow an illegal undershirt so long as the colour did not create a problem for their opponents. Also, I don't see an untucked shirt as a great problem so long as flesh isn't peeking out between jersey and shorts.
I disagree. Basketball is a team sport. All of the players should be attired the same. They should also exhibit some pride in their appearance. The NF has asked us to make sure all players have their shirts tucked in and there shorts pulled up. We ask the haed coach before the game, "Coach are all of your players properly equipped?". We usually send 1 to 3 players per game to the bench for not tucking their shirts in. We warn them during the first qtr. and give them ample opportunity to retuck during dead balls. But if they don't tuck'em in, they sit down.

Illegal t-shirts - Friday night we had a girls team with 7 players who had cut the sleeves of their t-shrits off with scissors. We told each player that they could not play while wearing those t-shirts. Do you know what the coach said? "I'm glad you told them that. I told them the t-shirts were illegal but they wouldn't listen. This is our third game and you guys are the first officials to back me up."

Quote:
Some officials in my Board do not share this philosophy and enforce the rule to the letter of the law. Players with untucked shirts are substituted off, players with an illegal undershirt don't play.

Which philosophy do most officials follow? The rule is obviously clear, however I feel a policy of zero tolerance detracts from the game.
But it would seem that your policy is 100% tolerance. As I stated above, ours is certainly not a zero tolerance on the shirt tails. Only those who don't heed the warnings and advice that we offer are sent to the bench.

I would agree with your fellow officials' philosophy and respectfully suggest that you consider enforcing the intent of this rule. And that is no illegal t-shirts and no shirt tails hanging out.
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