Fun With Creating Space ...

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Maybe the shirt came out during play, it is not a dead ball, who cares?

Please don't get me wrong. I would never "stop" the game, at any point, under almost any circumstances (exception: player defiantly pulls out jersey) to address an untucked jersey. In fact, I would even be more conservative than JRutledge and Raymond, not only waiting for dead ball, but rather, waiting for a stopped clock dead ball. Good times for me to address untucked jerseys include when players are lining up for free throws (also a usual time for me to note untucked jerseys as I check for proper player positioning, remember, I often work middle school games), or during lengthy substitutions.

I have been using the friendly, "Do you want to look like a basketball player?" line in my middle school games over the past three years. It seems to draw a more positive attitude and response than if I just say, "Tuck in your jersey" in an authoritarian manner. With middle school girls, I will usually followup with, "Now you look like a UCONN player", which, here in Connecticut, usually draws a smile. Boys, for whatever reason, maybe boys being boys, trying to act cool, never smile.