2023-2024 Rules Changes Announced.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

If the school colors are green, I might see one kid that has mostly green and white and another player might have mostly white with green trim or highlights on the pants. So the colors are "like" but they are not the same.

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Again they might clearly state this issue in the PowerPoint and in some case plays to address this change. When they do I will worry about it, but again I feel this is really much to do about nothing.

Agree. "Like color" is very odd rule language.

Originally Posted by BillyMac

... not appearing anywhere else in the rulebook, casebook, or annual interpretations, but it has to mean something, something that has to do with colors.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Agree. "Like color" is very odd language.

As I said, this is what they were doing already. I said I had only one case in my entire career where a team had a player were black pants when the rest of the team was white. And that player had black shorts with white trim. So was he not using "like colors" as the current situation?

Peace

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

... a team had a player wearing black pants when the rest of the team was white. And that player had black shorts with white trim. So was he not using "like colors" as the current situation?

Great question, and hard to answer without a NFHS definition of "like color".

Easier to answer if that player's black shorts didn't have any white trim?

Without a NFHS interpretation, I'm not betting anything more than five dollars on my answer.

What is the purpose and intent of this new rule?

Is it to allow officials to easily identify players on each team during fast paced action?

Or is to protect the integrity of high school basketball games, to prevent high school games from devolving into something like the "Wild West" or "circus" atmosphere often seen at weekly fourth grade recreation league practices in local elementary school gyms?

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Great question, and hard to answer without a NFHS definition of "like color".

Easier to answer if that player's black shorts didn't have any white trim?

Without a NFHS interpretation, I'm not betting anything more than five dollars on my answer.

Unless the NF comes out with multiple examples like they did with the hair adornments, I am going to do what we did before.

Peace

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Unless the NF comes out with multiple examples like they did with the hair adornments ...

The NFHS certainly can't allow the new shorts rule language to "stand alone" as it now exists.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

The NFHS certainly can't allow the new shorts rule language to "stand alone" as it now exists.

They could. Maybe they are giving cover to those that want to make this an issue? Who knows. I think the NF has often done things that clearly are not with the thought process of everyone and situation. So why would this be any different?

Peace

[Raymond]

I already know, without having the discussion, my commissioner will not care what color shorts are being worn.