Illegal number--NCAA

[TriggerMN]

Hi guys, I do not have an NCAA rulebook and cannot find the answer after an online search.

Scenario: During an NCAA game, it is noticed during game action that A2 is wearing jersey #7. It was not caught by the referee or official scorer before the game began when reviewing the scorebook. What is the penalty?

If the issue is noticed before the game starts, but the team refuses to change the jersey number for whatever reason, is the player still allowed to play, with the same penalty to begin the game?

Class A or Class B technical? POI? How many free throws? Team foul or personal foul? Thanks.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by TriggerMN

Hi guys, I do not have an NCAA rulebook and cannot find the answer after an online search.

Scenario: During an NCAA game, it is noticed during game action that A2 is wearing jersey #7. It was not caught by the referee or official scorer before the game began when reviewing the scorebook. What is the penalty?

If the issue is noticed before the game starts, but the team refuses to change the jersey number for whatever reason, is the player still allowed to play, with the same penalty to begin the game?

Class A or Class B technical? POI? How many free throws? Team foul or personal foul? Thanks.

This is under Admin Ts in the NCAAM rules book:

Art. 3. A team or team member shall not wear:
a. A number that is identical to that of a teammate.
b. An illegal number. (See Rule 1-22.7.b.2)
c. An illegal game jersey. This only includes the failure of a team to wear
contrasting uniform colors. Other illegalities shall be enforced by the
institution's conference. (See Rule 1-22)
PENALTY—One free throw awarded to the offended team. The ball shall be
put back in play at the point of interruption using the procedures in Rule
7-3.2.
(Art. 3.a) Penalized when discovered after the 10-minute time limit in Rule
3-4.1.
(Art. 3.b, 3.c) Penalized when discovered before the ball becomes live when
the individual is a player.
(Art. 3.c) When more than one team member violates, only one
administrative technical foul shall be assessed.

(and you can always get the rules books and case books as a free pdf at https://www.ncaapublications.com/p-4...retations.aspx

[SC Official]

It’s going to be either an admin T for participating with an illegal number or an admin T for changing a number in the book. Like FED, a player can participate while wearing an illegal number at the expense of a technical foul when he enters the game.

[BillyMac]

For those, like me, that officiate high school basketball:

Technical fouls for illegal uniforms (including illegal numbers) are not charged to the team, but are charged directly to the head coach. If a team member participates as a player while wearing an illegal uniform, then a direct technical foul is charged to the head coach, who will lose the coaching box privilege for the remainder of the game. This infraction is penalized when discovered, and the team member with the illegal uniform may participate without further penalty and is not required to change the number. A maximum of one technical foul shall be charged directly to the head coach regardless of the number of offenders.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by TriggerMN

Illegal number--NCAA

While I've certainly seen illegal numbers in recreation level games, and once in a middle school game, I can't imagine a bona fide company selling uniforms with illegal numbers to a college program.

Originally Posted by TriggerMN

jersey #7.

[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?

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Kansas Ref

What makes a jersey # "illegal"? Is it due to the perceived difficulty that refs would have when signaling the jersey number with hands at the score table?

Keep in mind that in the not too distant past there was only one hand reporting in high school games.

NBA jerseys have always featured numbers. As in baseball, anything from 0 to 99 goes.

Basketball leagues at all levels in the U.S. traditionally use single and double digits between 0 and 5 (i.e. 0, 00, 1–5, 10–15, 20–25, 30–35, 40–45 and 50–55). The NCAA and most amateur competitions mandate that only these numbers be used because it eases nonverbal communication between referees, who use fingers to denote a player’s number, and the official scorer. In college basketball, single-digit player numbers are officially recorded with a leading zero.

The NBA has always allowed other numbers between 0 and 99, but the use of digits 6 through 9 is less common than 0 through 5 since players tend to keep their numbers from college.

[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.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

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

My head hurts.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

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.

I do not think I have ever in a varsity game ever had an issue with an illegal number. And if I did it is so rare that this is such a non-issue that no one is having to deal with this on any meaningful level. High schools also do not retire numbers or decide not to use numbers very often. Otherwise not much of an issue. Again the NF likes to keep things simple and basic. And the NCAA has the same rules for likely the same reason. The pros have smaller staffs and fewer officials to train.

Peace

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I do not think I have ever in a varsity game ever had an issue with an illegal number.

Same here. And only twice in interscholastic middle school games (warned by my strict "Fashion Police" Catholic middle school assigner to watch for it and to penalize).

Bona fide companies aren't going to sell illegal jerseys to interscholastic or intercollegiate programs. It's bad business.

Now on the other hand, recreation/travel teams, with jerseys silk screened by a local business (that some of us work) ...

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

but it would be worthwhile to reduce the amount of bellyaching over uniform issues that goes on in NFHS games.

There's almost zero bellyaching on the numbers. And even with the current numbers there's confusion at the table and poorly trained refs and POEs needed.

You can't take the NBA with a small number of professional refs and professional tables at 30 (or whatever) venues and try to apply it to the thousands of venues / different levels of NFHS just to fix a problem that doesn't exist.

[ilyazhito]

My post was to illustrate that there is a way to signal numbers greater than 5, whether by using one hand, or by using 2 hands and seuentially displaying the tens and ones digits. This means that there isn't a good reason for numbers above 5 to remain illegal in NFHS and NCAA play.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

My post was to illustrate that there is a way to signal numbers greater than 5, whether by using one hand, or by using 2 hands and seuentially displaying the tens and ones digits. This means that there isn't a good reason for numbers above 5 to remain illegal in NFHS and NCAA play.

The good reason is no one cares. Again not pro sports that often retires or stops using numbers. We know it can be done, but not anyone clamoring to make that change. Change for the sake of change is not always necessary.

Peace

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

... there isn't a good reason for numbers above 5 to remain illegal in NFHS ...

Originally Posted by JRutledge

We know it can be done, but not anyone clamoring to make that change. Change for the sake of change is not always necessary.

Agree.

I believe ilyazhito to be an advocate for all rule sets to be the same.

Vive la différence (pardon my French).