Gray Is The New Black ...
 

I've had partners who don't realize that when black pre-wrap is stretched to be used as a headband, it looks more like gray than black, but it's still black.

See above.

Well anyone can play with an illegal jersey but they have to suffer a technical foul in the process. But since this is an issue of do we give a T, do not split hairs because of some extraordinary situation. As I said, if they are trying to be legal, they are legal, use common sense.

There is a difference between wearing black and having multiple shades of that black or having black and white jersey on the same team and thinking that does not fit the compliance of the rules. Just keep it simple. Often different items are not going to perfectly match.

Peace

Common Sense, Purpose, Intent ...
 

Nevadaref's statement includes "by rule" that most likely means "on a written test".

We all know that one doesn't officiate a real basketball game by rule 100% of the time.

I've known a few officials who knew every rule and interpretation back and forth, up and down, inside and out, but didn't know it the basketball was stuffed or inflated in a "real" game.

I do not think for a second that the intent of the rule was to be that specific or that ridged in practice. I think they did not want two entire different colors used. Kind of like the undershirts that are one color and the stitching is another color. I know officials that would have players remove shirts over the color of the stitching. Why do that?

Peace

Raymond: "I'm looking for reasons to let the player play, not trying to find reasons to keep him from playing."

Jeff Rutledge: "I do not think for a second that the intent of the rule was to be that specific or that ridged in practice. I think they did not want two entire different colors used."

Raymond and Jeff both said it much better than I did. I especially like the formulation to find reasons to let the player play (and not at the expense of a T, I would add).

Huh? When did the focus of this thread shift to should we issue the technical foul?
The OP quite clearly states that the issue is whether the individual should be permitted to play with a jersey of a different hue from his teammates. He specifically asks for thoughts on how to argue that the team member should be able to participate BY RULE.
I was one of the responders who told him that the penalty for infringing the jersey color rule is not that the individual is forbidden from playing, but rather that the head coach receives a direct technical foul. His colleagues who contend that the kid cannot play are completely incorrect and have no rule basis for prohibiting his participation. That is what is under discussion in this particular thread. This is a conversation about what the text of the rules state, not a discussion of one’s philosophy on how to handle uniform issues when they arise in practice. They OP did not inquire about that.

Of course, those folks who always show up and call anyone who mentions a technical foul for uniforms or other administrative reasons over-officious descended upon this thread and espoused their philosophy without bothering to read the actual text written within it. Their need to feel superior to others and knock their responses because they don’t jive with their personal feelings is sad.

So, in short, to anyone writing that someone is advocating a technical foul and that is a poor way to handle this, and blah, blah, blah—-Shut up!

Threads here often go into related questions, and that is, IMO, a good thing, so we can discuss the implications of an OP.

A natural progression: Can a player play with a slightly different color jersey? If so, is there a penalty, and what is it?

If someone is unhappy about the direction a thread has taken, he/she can always stop reading it.

If you say that the jerseys are not fitting the rule meaning sharing the same color, then the only remedy by rule is a technical foul. So you either allow some level of compliance or you suggest that the rule is being violated. It is really not that complicated.

And my comments were not specific to anyone. Just stating that we should do whatever we can to allow those to play without any penalty when we can.

Peace