I will go to the player and let them know what rules apply. Give them a chance to correct it. But I still go to the coach to tell them what is going to happen moving forward. Sometimes talking to the player can help you know what they have on, instead of assuming. I have seen things players wear and only was able to find out by talking to the player. Coaches often have a buffer of not knowing which does not tell you the entire story. But that is just me.

Peace

Worst Case Scenario ...
 

I'm really pushing the limits here. Won't happen in a billion games, but if it did it would be in mine.

I spot a player with earrings in a three on two half court pregame drill. I make my way over to discuss with the coach, per the point of emphasis, and the coach heads over to discuss with the player. During that ten second interval, an earring get ripped out.

Next game, as I come out onto the court a stranger shows up with a subpoena and says, "BillyMac, you are served. Risk of injury to a minor for allowing a player to continue to warm up while wearing an earring, clearly against the rules and interpretations as written". Coach is also served.

Of course, I can just whip out my 2022-23 NFHS Rulebook (books that my local board will not be giving to us next year as a cost cutting measure) and be ready to show the point of emphasis to the judge.

Of course, this will never happen. Just a fairy tale to scare kids.

Keep The Coach In The Loop ...
 

I will mention this in my pregame meeting. "We already had a problem with an earring (or whatever), but we already took care of it".

It is a waste of time to say it there IMO. I say it to a player usually in the layup line and then I approach the coach quietly before the game. Usually solves or addresses the issue directly. Both hear it from the crew and we move on. But again we all have our process. Not only one way to skin a cat.

Peace

Timing ...
 

Note: I know more about black hole singularities than I know about track and field rules.

Spot the earring just before a vault? Tell the vaulter right away that there will be no vault with an earring, or don't say a word (not even, "Wait") to the vaulter and go and find the head coach, who may be nowhere near the vaulting area, but is out behind the bleachers in the discus area?

Who is the plaintiff, the parent who allowed has their child to wear the earrings in the first place?

Questions ...
 

3-7: The referee must not permit any team member to participate if in his/her judgment any item constitutes a safety concern, such as, but not limited to, a player’s fingernails or hairstyle.

Could earrings be considered a safety concern? Do team members participating include pregame warmups? Should an official allow a team member with earrings continue to warmup while the official walks to the other side of the court (across both the division line and the basket line) to discuss the infraction with the head coach?

One Upon A Time ...
 

In the fairy tale, the evil step-parents would be suing on behalf of their dim-witted naughty minor child.

Better yet? Let the dim-witted naughty child, who also traded the family cow for magic beans, sue everybody, including the dim-witted permissive parents who live in a shoe.

Bring the case before Judge Judy. Better yet? Steve Harvey.

Equipment ...
 

Instead of fairy tales, let's get back to the real world.

Illegal uniforms, equipment and apparel may not include safety concerns like earrings. Are earrings even considered equipment?

We allow kids to take pregame layups with a wrong color undershirt, or a wrong color headband, or with a number six jersey. They can warmup, they just can't play.

A hard cast on a wrist may be considered equipment, but it's also a safety issue that needs to be dealt with immediately.

Identical Numbers ...
 

Is this true? What if one never plays but just sits on the bench the entire game?

3-2-2-E: After the 10-minute time limit … a team is charged with a maximum of one technical foul regardless of how many infractions of the following are committed: Having identical numbers on team members and/or players.

10-1-2-E: A team must not: Have identical numbers on team members and/or players.

3.2.2 SITUATION B: Three minutes before the game starts, it is discovered: (b) two Team B team members are wearing the same number. RULING: In (b), a technical foul is charged to Team B upon discovery of the identical numbers. Only one team member may wear a given number; the other must change to a number not already in use before participating. (10-1-2)

3.3.7 SITUATION A: COMMENT: … identical numbers shall not be allowed on the same team.

Does one number twenty-one have to stop warming up ten minutes before the game starts?

Can he sit on the bench if his name and number isn't listed in the scorebook?

4-34-4: A team member is a member of bench personnel who is in uniform and is eligible to become a player.

Coach says that he's not eligible (for some unnamed reason, could be grades, behavior, state limitations for periods played, etc.) to become a player.

Layup Lines ...
 

And who's allowed in the pregame layup lines?

Team managers not in uniform?

Team mascot?

Uniformed "players" from the prior, or later, game?

Enquiring minds want to know, especially if there's a safety concern, or if they dunk.

Non-Eligible Identical Number ???
 

I would never allow identical numbers in the scorebook, or becoming players, and would penalize with a team technical foul if it was discovered, but I'm unsure about a non-eligible identical number warming up pregame, or sitting on the bench?

I do not know if we allow anything. There are many games where players have warmups and T-shirts over their jerseys and we often do not see any such sleeves or undershirts until the game starts. And if you have players that are not in the initial starting line-up, we might not see them until they get onto the floor for the first time, several minutes after the game has started. So unless we require everyone to remove warm-up, this is not going to solve that issue. And I am not for telling players to remove stuff just because of this issue.

Peace

Pre-Approval ...
 

Though not stated, I was referring to those uniform, equipment, and apparel infractions that we can actually and easily see.

To JRutledge's point regarding "hidden" infractions, I fully agree with him. Catch them when they finally take off their warmups to start, or when they report to the table to substitute.

No "pre-approval" needed. That would be a serious case of being an overly officious official, and could lead to ridicule at Friday night post game adult beverage meetings at the usual local gin joints.

From NFHS ...