Softball Player Forced To Cut Hair Beads ...

[LeRoy]

It is amazing to me, watching the number of games that I have watch that all the young women DO NOT have anything hard in their hair. Most the women have either braided their hair or have it bunched together with hair ties in 4 to 5 places. All LEGAL!!! This was about a player that breaking the rules and was told to correct it. How they choice to correct it, was their choice. If a player was to get hurt and it was because of the HARD items in her hair. The lawyers would be out. I also do not like being the fashion police, but I enforce the rules. The other place to clean this up is in the pre-season.

[LeRoy]

It is interesting to see the ear rings and Necklace’s .

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by LeRoy

It is interesting to see the ear rings and Necklace’s .

Different sport with different dynamics. Players in softball are rarely anywhere near contact with each other in a way that it could be an issue where basketball has far greater chances for entanglement. And, with the NFHS rules, they like to be consistent across all sports with safety rules to keep it from being too confusing to those that participate in multiple sports.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by LeRoy

The other place to clean this up is in the pre-season.

Customs here in Connecticut have basketball players not wearing "real" uniforms during preseason inter-team scrimmages. Most players wear some type of reversible top, often with an undershirt under the top, undershirts that don't necessarily match the color of the reversible top, especially as teams "switch" colors between games in "jamboree" type scrimmages involving many teams.

We let it go, however when I'm involved in preseason scrimmages, I always point out to the coaches and players that they are in violation of the fashion rules (also including headbands, sleeves, wrist bands, etc.) and that in few weeks, when the season starts, these rules will be enforced.

However, any preseason safety issues are dealt with on the spot, no laxity with safety issues (earrings, bracelets, necklaces, hard hair control devices, long fingernails, etc.) in preseason scrimmages.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Customs here in Connecticut have basketball players not wearing "real" uniforms during preseason inter-team scrimmages. Most players wear some type of reversible top, often with an undershirt under the top, undershirts that don't necessarily match the color of the reversible top, especially as teams "switch" colors between games in "jamboree" type scrimmages involving many teams.

It is for this reason that I'm so vehement about legal undershirt colors in "real" games. During these scrimmages I will occasionally have a slight problem easily identifying players, especially players in close-contact rebounding situations involving fouls, or bang-bang out of bounds plays.

And I'm a guy who over forty years, thousands of real games, tens of thousands of players wearing legal real uniforms and equipment, twice, not once, but twice, called close-contact rebounding fouls on players fouling teammates.

Legal undershirt colors didn't help me in ether of those cases. Imagine if I didn't enforce undershirt color restrictions?

In both situations I had the presence of mind to quickly overturn my own call as I went looking for a color and number (inadvertent whistle).

Rules that restrict equipment colors benefit officials by allowing them to easily identify players on each team during fast paced action.

A player wearing a correct color undershirt in a real game will help insure that we get as close to 100% correct calls as we can possibly get.

In my opinion, from the waist up (including arms and wrists), colors matter.

From the waist down, I'll enforce color rules, but only reluctantly, and I wouldn't shed a tear if such below the waist color rules disappeared (like present shoe, sock, and game shorts rules).

[Kansas Ref]

Uniforms replacement and/or new purchased are expensive--and disproportionately expensive for many of our rural schools.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

I wouldn't shed a tear if such below the waist color rules disappeared (like present shoe, sock, and game shorts rules).

I just realized something.

No color rules for socks. Any color goes, don't have to match for an individual player, or for teammates.

No color rules for shoes. Any color goes, don't have to match for an individual player, or for teammates.

No color rules for uniform shorts, that's right, I''ll say it again, no color rules for uniform shorts. Any color goes, don't even have to match for teammates.

And they don't have to be shorts. Skirts, or pants are legal.

And yet, the NFHS has the audacity to ask us to enforce color rules for leg sleeves, knee pads, compression shorts, and tights.

I find that to be some what perverted.

[ilyazhito]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

I just realized something.

No color rules for socks. Any color goes, don't have to match for an individual player, or for teammates.

No color rules for shoes. Any color goes, don't have to match for an individual player, or for teammates.

No color rules for uniform shorts, that's right, I''ll say it again, no color rules for uniform shorts. Any color goes, don't even have to match for teammates. And they don't have to be shorts. Skirts, or pants are legal.

And yet, the NFHS has the audacity to ask us to enforce color rules for leg sleeves, knee pads, compression shorts, and tights.

I find that to be some what perverted.

I agree. Undershirts should be the color of the jersey, if only because they could be considered part of the jersey when players are moving at full speed. However, any stuff below the waist won't make one team any more or less likely to be confused with the other team.

I see players wearing non-solid socks as the visiting team in soccer all the time (usually white socks with stripes in some other color), and don't see why that should be a big deal, as long as the uniform shirts are white, and the socks are not a color that could be confused with the home team's sock color. I would apply the same analogy to basketball.

RE: The OP, hard beads shouldn't really be a safety issue, because when on offense, the player's hair is likely tucked under the helmet, and on defense, I don't anticipate a situation where any part of the player's hair should contact an offensive player. That said, the rules don't allow hard beads, barrettes, bobby pins, etc., so a player should not attempt to enter a high school game wearing any of those things in her hair.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

No color rules for uniform shorts, that's right, I''ll say it again, no color rules for uniform shorts. Any color goes, don't even have to match for teammates. And they don't have to be shorts. Skirts, or pants are legal.

Are you really sure about that (don't have to match)....look up the definition of the word "uniform". I think the fact that they're part of the uniform implies uniformity in any aspect not explicitly listed as variable...i.e., shorts and pants.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

Are you really sure about that (don't have to match)....look up the definition of the word "uniform". I think the fact that they're part of the uniform implies uniformity in any aspect not explicitly listed as variable...i.e., shorts and pants.

I can't find any rule that says otherwise. There actually aren't many rules about uniform shorts/pants/skirts.

3-4 is the "Uniform" rule. With one exception (3-4-5) the entire rule covers jerseys, and only jerseys.

3-4-1 : Uniforms - Team jersey color and design must adhere to the following …

3-4-5: Uniform pants/skirts must have only one visible manufacturer’s logo/trademark/reference. Showing multiple manufacturer’s logos on the waist band of the pants/skirts makes the item illegal.

Other than the two rules mentioned above, I could only find three other rule references to uniform shorts/pants/skirts:

3-3-5: A player not wearing the pants/skirt properly and above the hips and/or a player not tucking in a team jersey (front and back) designed to be worn inside the pants/skirt, must be directed to leave the game as in 3-3-4; a charged time-out must not alter this requirement.

3-5-5 Note: Provided the shorts are not in conflict with Rule 3-4-5, no drawstring or other part of the shorts intended to maintain them in a normal position causes potential harm to the player or others and wearing of the shorts is not objectionable in exposing the anatomy, there is not restriction on folding or rolling the shorts at the natural waistband seam.

10-4-6-H: A player must not: Removing the jersey and/or pants/skirt within the visual confines of the playing area.

We have a few teams here in my little corner of Connecticut where the junior varsity players wear different color shorts than the varsity players. Some players will play on both teams, and not change their shorts between games, so we have multi-colored shorts on one team. Over the years we've been told by our local interpreters that not only is this allowed here in my little corner of Connecticut, it's also fully legal under NFHS rules.

[BillyMac]

... not queen, not duke, not prince.

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

... any stuff below the waist won't make one team any more or less likely to be confused with the other team ...

Disagree.

In a utopian world, basketball players would be either be dressed in all dark, or all white. Everything - jerseys, shorts, shoes, socks, equipment, tape, braces, hair control devices, etc. Everything.

Confusion and mistakes will still be made, but they won't be because of confusing colors.

But it's not a utopian world, so compromises are made, and lines are drawn.

My line is that colors above the waist (including arms) are more important than colors below the waist.

If I were the king of basketball, color restrictions would be based on that line of demarcation.

But I'm not the king of basketball, so I (pretty much) do what the NFHS and my local interpreter and assigner tell me to do.

Note: I often wonder why some basketball players wear bright fluorescent shoes. If I were a basketball player, I wouldn't want any extra attention drawn to my feet, or make it any easier for officials to observe my feet. I bet it costs such a player a few extra travels every season, travels that might otherwise be missed.

[Kansas Ref]

[QUOTE=BillyMac;1043474]Disagree.

Note: I often wonder why some basketball players wear bright fluorescent shoes. If I were a basketball player, I wouldn't want any extra attention drawn to my feet, or make it any easier for officials to observe my feet. I bet it costs such a player a few extra travels every season, travels that might otherwise be missed.[/QUOTE

*Astute observations: I remember my HS football coach telling us defensive backs to wear black gloves instead of our school colors "(gold/purple/white) bcz it makes it more difficult for the refs to identify and call holding. Same for our Basketball coach he would tell us to never wear white wristbands only black because refs can see "reaching in" much easier--he used to say "you don't want to draw attention". This was his advice for both the black and white players!

[BillyMac]

NFHS Playing Rules Committees Address Religious, Cultural Concerns of Participants
By Dr. Karissa Niehoff
June 2, 2021

In every rules publication published by the NFHS, the following statement appears on the first page:

“To maintain the sound traditions of this sport, encourage sportsmanship and minimize the risk of injury, the National Federation of State High School Associations writes playing rules for varsity competition among student-athletes of high school age.”

With almost eight million participants in high school sports, NFHS rules are written for more individuals than all other levels of sports combined. Since the first high school sports rules publication was published in 1932 (Football Rules), to today when rules are published in 17 sports for boys and girls competition, risk minimization and the fundamentals of good sportsmanship have been paramount to the rules-writing process.

In addition to risk minimization and sportsmanship, the NFHS must also weigh financial implications for schools when considering equipment and uniform changes. Decisions must be made that do not put undue financial hardship on schools.

This year – more than ever before – the NFHS has been asked to consider another factor when writing playing rules and that is how those rules affect a participant’s religious beliefs or cultural background. While items such as headwear, jewelry and adornments are not necessary to play a given sport, the NFHS has been asked to look at how these types of items might impact a young person’s identity.

NFHS rules committees have to look at the potential risk of injury when these items are worn – or how any item might compromise the fit of equipment and whether health and safety are at risk.

Recently, there was an unfortunate situation that occurred in a game when a softball player was asked to remove beads from her hair to continue playing. In a rule that dates to 2012, beads are not permitted to be worn in the hair in high school softball. At the time the rule was implemented, there was a concern about beads being a hard item and, when woven into the hair, could compromise the fit of a helmet or could be a danger to the head of the player or an opponent.

Now, we must look at how a sports rule might prohibit someone from full participation because the competitor couldn’t wear a uniform or headwear that is appropriate for the player’s culture or religion, such as the hijab, or in the case of beads, might adversely affect one’s cultural background.

NFHS rules committees have considered some of these situations this year and, with the urging of the NFHS Board of Directors, have been suggesting modifications to some rules as long as the risk to the student wearing the item and/or the opponent would not be significant.

Changes to high school playing rules are first recommended by the respective sports rules committees during annual meetings, with input from high school coaches, officials and state association administrators. Those changes are then considered by the NFHS Rules Review Committee composed of NFHS staff rules editors to make sure that the proposals align with NFHS rules-writing philosophy. The proposed changes are then sent to the NFHS Board of Directors, which has final approval on all rules changes.

Led by the Volleyball Rules Committee, a total of six NFHS sports rules committees have modified rules this year related to religious and cultural backgrounds. In addition to volleyball, participants in the sports of basketball, soccer, field hockey and spirit will be permitted to wear religious headwear without prior approval from their respective state association. In swimming and diving, for religious reasons, competitors will be able to wear suits that provide full body coverage without obtaining prior state association authorization.

The Softball Rules Committee will be reviewing its rule regarding beads woven in the hair at its meeting this month, although action taken by the committee will not be available until the Board of Directors completes its review of recommended rules changes on or about July 9.

The NFHS, in its effort to be a learning organization and one that is founded on the basis of inclusion is striving to work with our young participants in our efforts to celebrate the beautiful diversity that continues to increase. We are excited about that and want to support that. And while we will always strive to keep kids safe and keep games being played the way they were designed to be played, we do want to recognize the importance of a young person’s identity.