Illegal number--NCAA

[ilyazhito]

Originally Posted by Kansas Ref

What makes a jersey # "illegal" as per any given rule book dictate? Is it due to the perceived difficulty that refs would have when signaling the jersey number with hands at the score table? [For example, to signal, a foul on number 78 might require the ref to be polydactyl], or, is it cosmetic appearance of an odd number like 19 or 37. Exactly why are some jersey numbers classified as "illegal" and others not so?

FIBA solves this by having officials use both hands to signal digits greater than 5, and having them signal first the tens digit (with the back(s) of the hand(s) facing the scorer), and then the ones digit (with the hand(s) facing the scorer in the usual way). If I have a game with non-standard numbers, I use the FIBA approach to signal those numbers.

Lacrosse solves this by signalling numbers from 6-9 sideways (6 is 1 finger pointing sideways, 7 is 2 fingers pointing sideways, all the way up to 9 (4 fingers pointing sideways)) and having one hand represent one digit

Volleyball is similar to FIBA in that officials show first one digit then the next, except volleyball officials do not turn their hand when going from the tens digit to the ones.

If NFHS or NCAA ever allows numbers greater than 5 on uniforms, then choosing one of these approaches as a standard method would help officials in correctly signalling fouls on players wearing those numbers. It might require additions to the signal chart and mechanics manual, but it would be worthwhile to reduce the amount of bellyaching over uniform issues that goes on in NFHS games.

NOTE: Numbers under 10 are signalled with the hand(s) facing forwards. 10 is signalled with two open hands, and numbers from 11 to 15 are signalled with a fist on the right hand, and 1 to 5 fingers showing on the left hand.