Jerseys during Warm-ups

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

... "taking off the jersey rule" was to prevent a player who had just fouled out from showing resentment, or disgust, to the call by taking off the jersey on the way to the bench. I'll charge a technical foul in a New York minute every time in that situation. Taking off a jersey to remove an illegal undershirt? Based on purpose and intent, I'm looking the other way. I might mention to the player to go to the locker room if I have a direct conversation with them, but a player who decides to remove a jersey to remove an illegal undershirt on his own volition, I'm looking the other way. If the opposing coach questions my "call", I'm going with intent and purpose and the history of the rule. Kicking the can down the road creating a problem for the next official in the same situation? Guilty as charged.

Originally Posted by Big_Blue_Wannabe

It is this exact attitude that caused the NFHS to finally call out officials like you Rus year in the new book, letting you know that you are really part of the problem.

Originally Posted by Freddy

The statement, 'I am not the uniform police' is correct. However, officials are hired to enforce the rules of the game. Uniform, equipment, and apparel are all included in the rules book and must be enforced... Consistency among the officials in enforcement of these areas will provide for a unified statement to coaches. When some officials choose not to enforce the rules, they are only hurting the profession and setting up the next crew for criticism from the coaches, when, in fact, the officials who did not enforce the rules are the ones who deserve the criticism. (NFHS 2017-19 Basketball Officials Manual Point of Emphasis, p.4.).

Oddly, I agree with Big_Blue_Wannabe.

But in this very specific circumstance (telling a player that they can't play with an illegal undershirt, and then charging them with a technical foul when they go to the bench, on their own volition, and remove it) is not the way that I want to start my game, with both an irritated player, and an irritated coach ("But you told him that he couldn't play with that undershirt."), nor would almost all of my 300-plus local colleagues, some (sadly, more than just a few) that wouldn't even address the illegal undershirt, making me very confident that I won't be setting up the next crew for criticism from the coaches.

When in Rome ...