White Flag ...

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

In my new life as a subvarsity official, and newly retired from my day job, I've been working a lot of middle school games this year. At first I treated them as varsity games in regard to fashion rules. Eventually I felt just like Sisyphus, rolling the giant boulder up the hill and down the hill, over and over again, with no closure in sight.

Now in a middle school game I just enforce undershirts (even allowed black undershirt with dark blue jersey, and light gray undershirt with white jersey), headbands, wristbands, hard hair control devices, and jewelry.

I ignore arm sleeves, knee sleeves, lower leg sleeves, compression shorts, tights, knee pads, and elbow pads.

It's a compromise I can live with and one that my local interpreter can live with.

So, this (above) has worked well for me all season long, coaches first complain a little, but relent and get the issues (undershirts, headbands, wristbands) fixed.

Until yesterday. Very small, rural, (very toney) private school, first time there, didn't even know it existed, girls middle school game.

Green jerseys and white jerseys. Lots of different undershirt colors, some legal. Instructed coaches to get it fixed (allowed light gray for white). Both coaches complain ("only middle school, we never did this before", I actually believed them) and they go to instruct their players. I can see that a few players (remember it's girls) on both teams seem be very upset. So, I call both coaches back together and say that I would be willing to compromise and that if any players were very upset they could wear the illegal undershirts.

As one coach is walking away, she says, "Good thing because we were ready to get back on our bus".

Side-note: First period. Sixty second timeout, I'm on the circle. First horn sounds. I state, "First horn". Second horn sounds. Player reports to the table. I tell player that she has to wait. Coach (the "bus" comment coach) hears this, "What? You're doing that too? Now we only have four on the court". Totally exasperated, near the end of my rope, and close to the breaking point, I say, "Bring her in".

Fourth period, partner on endline after whistle. I'm closer to the table and beckon in substitutes, lots of them, two, or three from each team. I keep my hand up until I'm sure that we have five players from each team on the court. I then realize that players on the "White Jersey Team" have both green shorts and white shorts, and the players on the "Green Jersey Team" have on both green shorts and white shorts (it's now very obvious to me that both school have the same school colors, green and white), certainly all 100% perfectly legal. But players on the "White Jersey Team" have both green undershirts and white undershirts, and the players on the "Green Jersey Team" have on both green undershirts and white undershirts. I try to count twice, still not 100% sure, now totally exasperated, near the end of my rope, and close to the breaking point, I bring my hand down and yell to my partner, "Play".

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

No good deed goes unpunished.

Rock and a hard place.

There is a good reason for some "fashion" rules.