AirPods??

[Valley Man]

I know they are not basketball equipment and we have discussed that shooter shirts and pants are not either. Anyone got ruling on this for warmups and what rule to use to enforce it other than you can't?

[SNIPERBBB]

Mom and dad.

[ilyazhito]

Air pods are jewelery. They serve as adornments, and as such cannot be worn during warmups or the game. They are also electronic devices by which one can communicate with the players, so they can also be considered illegal for that reason.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Valley Man

Anyone got ruling on this for warmups and what rule to use to enforce it other than you can't?

Earbuds, headphones, etc., are not appropriate for basketball, may be considered unsafe, and thus, my not be worn during the game, or during warmups.

3-5-1: The referee shall not permit any team member to wear
equipment or apparel which, in his/her judgment, is dangerous or confusing
to other players or is not appropriate.

3-6-7: The referee shall not permit any team member to participate if in his/her
judgment any item constitutes a safety concern, such as, but not limited to, a
player’s fingernails or hairstyle.

3.5 SITUATION A: What are the standards which the referee must use in determining whether a team member will be permitted to wear certain equipment? RULING: … There are three criteria which determine the legality of equipment. First, any equipment which, in the judgment of the referee, is dangerous to others … It will be noted that the listing of equipment which is always illegal is not inclusive. It cannot identify every item which is not permitted. The generalization is required since the referee’s judgment is necessary. The second standard provides that “any equipment which is unnatural and designed to increase the player’s height or vertical reach, or to gain a competitive advantage, shall not be used.” The referee is given no leeway here and judgment is not required. The third criterion provides that equipment used must be appropriate for basketball and not be confusing.

3.5 SITUATION B: May a team member wear: (a) shoes which have a light mechanism or have lights which are activated by heel contact with the floor; or (b) gloves? RULING: No, in both (a) and (b). In (a), the shoes may be worn if the lights are deactivated. In (b), gloves are not needed to play the game and are not considered to be appropriate.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

Air pods are jewelery.

I hate to be a dick, but that's pushing the envelope (even though you may be able to convince ignorant players and coaches that it's true).

Jewelry: Ornamental pieces (such as rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets) that are made of materials which may or may not be precious (such as gold, silver, glass, and plastic), are often set with genuine or imitation gems, and are worn for personal adornment. Objects designed for the adornment of the body are called jewelry.

Earbuds, headphones, etc., are not worn for personal adornment, they're worn to listen to music.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by AremRed

Don’t be a plumber. You’re gonna cause more problems telling kids to take off their headphones/earbuds.

That is not being a plumber, that is following the rules. Have the sack to tell players to not do certain things. You are setting a tone for other things. You pass on this, then what else might you pass on? If you set a standard then they know when you talk you mean business. We cause so many problems for ourselves by letting coaches and players to dictate the circumstances of the game. You do not have to yell at them, just tell them they cannot wear them.

Peace

[LRZ]

I suspect AremRed was talking about during warm-ups, not during a game.

[Raymond]

Do what your supervisor tells you to do for his/her games. 50 people in this forum can tell you not to be a plumber, but that will mean nothing if your assignor expects you inform players they cannot wear them during warmups.

[LRZ]

I don't disagree, Raymond; I was merely suggesting that I doubted that AremRed was saying to allow a kid to actually wear such a device during the game itself. No one is that cavalier!

Fortunately for me, none of my assigners issue these kinds of edicts, perhaps trusting to our judgment.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Raymond

Do what your supervisor tells you to do for his/her games.

This came up several years ago in Connecticut. My local IAABO board, my state IAABO board, and the state interscholastic sports governing body (CIAC) all told us to not allow headphones in the pregame layup lines.

Outside of Connecticut?

Be the Wild Wild West if you want to be.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by AremRed

Don’t be a plumber.

Hey, stop picking on Freddy.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

That is not being a plumber, that is following the rules. Have the sack to tell players to not do certain things. You are setting a tone for other things. You pass on this, then what else might you pass on? If you set a standard then they know when you talk you mean business. We cause so many problems for ourselves by letting coaches and players to dictate the circumstances of the game. You do not have to yell at them, just tell them they cannot wear them.

Agree 100%.

[LRZ]

If an assigner, board or another authority says, "do x," ok, do x. But the rule itself, 3-5, does not specifically mention warm-ups.

3.5 Situation A states that a player cannot warm-up wearing jewelry, but jewelry is per se "prohibited."

3.5.4 Situation B talks, in part, about a headband with extensions and states that the player cannot "enter the game" wearing it. Nothing about warm-ups.

Is there a meaningful difference between what is permitted during warm-ups and what is prohibited during the game? Are some things inherently dangerous, even during warm-ups, and others not so?

Wild West or picking battles? It's neither clear nor simple. Be OOO (during warm-ups) if you want to be.

[SC Official]

I'm not telling a team member to take off headphones during warm-up until I get told to by people whose opinion I care about.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Raymond

Do what your supervisor tells you to do for his/her games. 50 people in this forum can tell you not to be a plumber, but that will mean nothing if your assignor expects you inform players they cannot wear them during warmups.

And if your supervisor does not have a position on this because it has never come up, then make a judgment. As officials, we control the darn game, not the players and the coaches. That is what you are paid to do. This is where you have to be willing to use your authority because if it is other things in the game you have to tell coaches and players things they do not like.

I had a coach come out onto the court to help a player last night that might have been injured, he did not like it but I had to inform him his player had to come out of the game after being fouled. He got over it when I enforced a rule. And he tried to blame it on one of my partners for telling him he could come out to check on his player. But I still had a rule available to enforce, even if the player was technically OK to participate. Sometimes we need to just have the courage to enforce rules even if there is something we do not want to cause a problem. I have also learned that you will get their respect more if you do what is right than always trying to hide under a rock and not cause any problems. Because the other coach is watching too, not just the coach you have to give the bad news to. Or the multiple coaches in the stands watching you as well.

Peace