Illegal Equipment

[Kevzebra]

This is an open note to all those officials who let players wear illegal equipment:

While observing warm-ups last night, I discovered two players on one team with illegal equipment on his/her wrists or fingers. One had played in the JV game with the brace in place. After seeing this and then inspecting the equipment placed on the thumb of another player, I wondered; was I the only person that inspected these braces this season? After looking at the thumb brace, it was made of softer plastic on the sides, but had harder plastic on the top. The coach said that "everyone else had looked at it and said it was legal" and even mom came over and proceded to tell me how much it cost and that the person that sold it to her told her it was legal.

Bottom line here is that if you allow braces that have hard plastic supports on them (espically on the hand/wrist area), you are opening yourself up to a liability situation. So please, check anything on players that looks like a brace. Make sure if it is worn, it is properly padded so I do not have to look like the bad guy again! One person not checking the equipment puts all of us in a bad situation.

[mick]

Originally posted by Kevzebra
One person not checking the equipment puts all of us in a bad situation.

Kevzebra,
Yes.
Exactly.
mick

[ref18]

Well said.

If its one thing that i really enforce its that everyone is in proper uniform. Although the kids really hate it.

By enforcing the uniform and equipment rules, we can be assured that we are letting the players play in a safe environment.

[footlocker]

One more thing...

Let's all call traveling the same. I'm tired of working a game and having a kid jump stop then take a step; I call travel and he tells me, "I always make that move this way." One person not calling travels puts all of us in a bad situation.

...and screen fouls. yeah. Let's get on the same page here folks. It is not legal to set a moving screen. Not enough officials catching the offball stuff. One person not calling screens puts all of us in a bad situation.

...can we start taking the ball out at the point nearest the foul/violation. Too many officials move the throw in to a convenient spot. That's not right. One person moving the throw in spot puts all of us in a bad situation.

wait, I'm sorry. I shouldn't spend so much time worrying about other officials. I'll just make sure I have good knowledge of the rules and the game and enforce these rules appropriately. Bottom line, we all have things that we feel "other officials" don't concentrate enough on. I'll just do my job, and if others fail to do their's then it's not my problem.

[mick]

Originally posted by footlocker
One more thing...

Let's all call traveling the same. I'm tired of working a game and having a kid jump stop then take a step; I call travel and he tells me, "I always make that move this way." One person not calling travels puts all of us in a bad situation.

...and screen fouls. yeah. Let's get on the same page here folks. It is not legal to set a moving screen. Not enough officials catching the offball stuff. One person not calling screens puts all of us in a bad situation.

...can we start taking the ball out at the point nearest the foul/violation. Too many officials move the throw in to a convenient spot. That's not right. One person moving the throw in spot puts all of us in a bad situation.

wait, I'm sorry. I shouldn't spend so much time worrying about other officials. I'll just make sure I have good knowledge of the rules and the game and enforce these rules appropriately. Bottom line, we all have things that we feel "other officials" don't concentrate enough on. I'll just do my job, and if others fail to do their's then it's not my problem.

Cute.
mick

[gsf23]

But in a way, footlocker, it is your problem. You are an official, you are part of this group. If a few people in the group are not performing to the right standards then everyone in the group is going to suffer.

In your examples, the travel call on the jump stop, if you have one official letting it go, then another official calling it, now everyone is left to wonder, who is right?
One night nothing is called on the screens that are moving a little, the next game they are all called.

Now you sit and wonder why the players, coaches and fans are all up in arms about what you think is a fairly easy call to make, or complain about how no one knows the rules.

[footlocker]

Originally posted by gsf23
But in a way, footlocker, it is your problem. You are an official, you are part of this group. If a few people in the group are not performing to the right standards then everyone in the group is going to suffer.

Now you sit and wonder why the players, coaches and fans are all up in arms about what you think is a fairly easy call to make, or complain about how no one knows the rules.

In a way. In a way. In a way. I'm not complaining that "no one knows the rules." I pregame and work to take care of everything that is within my control. I learned a long time ago not to complain about things I can't control. It's futile. Meanwhile, I'll pregame, work with my partner and discuss game situations with people in my association.

My post simply makes the point that there are a number of things that are not consistent among officials. I think Mick got it. That's all. Thanks.