We just had our AGM tongiht, and starting in september, my board will wear the black and white stripes.

I'm so happy!!!

Now i just gotta spend $90 on new shirts ;)

What were you wearing before?!?

By the way, I recommend the InterraWear. Very, very comfortable. But be sure you use borax when you launder them. Otherwise, they develop an unpleasant smell.

we've been wearing solid grey shirts with black trim up to now.

http://www.worldofsports.ca/bb_ref_shirt.jpg

ref18,
Your present shirts look like an up-grade to me.
Methinks requiring striped shirts is a step backward.
Dunno.
mick

Just brace yourself. There's variation on that shirt that has black pinstripes. The JUCO officals I've seen around here are wearing them. Someone made the comment once during the season that there is a small probability of going to those grey with black pinstripes in the next few years.

And where is that?

I think we should stay with black and white but I guess I'm old fashion. I like being a zebra. What are you called in that shirt? Elephant? Hippo?

Varsity officials in Arizona have been wearing the grey shirts for years, and they stink.

You can take them out of the dryer, put them on a hanger and they are still a wrinkled mess come game time. They show sweat REALLY bad, and God forbid you drip some water on them at halftime, I've had to change shirts several times.

We are going back to black and white this year.

Up here in Canada, everyone is slowly going away from the greys.

The main problem is that with different manufacturers the shade of grey varies.

I've got 3 different coloured grey shirts in my closet. Can you imagine what a 3-man crew would look like if everyone had a different shirt on??

The same with the new pinstripes.

If everyone buys from one source its ok, but when you get multiple companies producing the shirt, you're gonna get variance.

There's only 1 black and 1 white, but there are many different greys.

True, about the greys they vary even from the SAME manufacturer, I've got one that is a lttle purple, one is a little green.

The micro-mesh B&W will vary too, they don't have a true black.

I'm not sure whether or not to go with the poly shirt or the new soft micro-mesh that the officials choice came out with.

Anyone have any suggestions??

I have one of each.

In New Brunswick, we switched from grey to black and white three years ago. I prefer stripes.

I have a suggestion, buy from someone besides Officials Choice. IMO, they have the worse customer service in the industry. Try Honigs or GetOfficial. Why should I have to twist someone's arm to give them business?

All of this shirt talk makes me think of soccer officiating. My opinion is that ONE shirt is the way to go.
In soccer there are currently four different colors the officials need to bring to a match (gold, red, black, and blue). Additionally, the shirts come in both long sleeve and short sleeve. That is eight shirts right there! At $50 a pop it adds up.
Throw in NCAA shirts, which are different and you have a closet full of them. Bringing it all to a game is a pain. I sincerely hope basketball stays with only one.
I would even like to see the NBA go B&W.

I've dealt with them before, and had no problems whatsoever.

Also, I want to get the shirts with the IAABO patch already on them. I don't want to spend $90 for 3 shirts, and an additional $40 for the patches.

I just think its OK to switch uniform every few years as we, the players, the coaches & the fans will feel not so bored about us. Of course, professional look should come first.

Boredom is not a big problem around here, chin, although we've been wearing the same type of shirt for 50 years or more. Maybe it's time for you to move up to the next level of play!

the game can be played without coaches
the game can be played without officials
the game cannot be played without players,

I don't think the parents usually think about what the refs are wearing.

Although, i was watching some of the european professional on that NBA channel. The refs were wearing RED shirts, like those a soccer official would wear. I couldn't believe it, they looked so awful, and their 3-man mechanics were a bit off, they had 2 centres instead of 1 centre and a trail, but that's another topic.

I get called "blue" all the time by players, fans and coaches so who knows what they are thinking!

Boredom is not a big problem around here, chin, although we've been wearing the same type of shirt for 50 years or more. Maybe it's time for you to move up to the next level of play! [/B][/QUOTE]

I always want to move up no matter how good I think I am. That's why I want to come to one of camps in summer, if I can afford it. Any suggestion, Julie

Actually the Union of European Basketball Leagues has a deal with Sara Lee (Champion) for their uniforms and the officials have two color combinations and the shirt rules are similar to soccer -- the scheme which does not look too similar to one team's jersey will be the one worn. If one team's jersey is blue, then the officials wear red. If one team's jersey is red, the officials wear blue. ULEB is also pondering working with the NBA on more officials training and many believe the ULEB prefers to work with the NBA instead of FIBA, which has shorn the ULEB referees, and the ULEB struck back by adopting the NBA's jump ball rule instead of the NCAA rules used by FIBA. (Hank Nichols is on the FIBA rules panel.)

I wouldn't be surprised to see the NBA help the ULEB in training officials.

I also have been talking with some officials for next year's youth leagues and one proposal is to officially go gray because of the studies between traditional stripes and the NBA/FIBA gray.

Up in Northern ONtario, we started the transition to stripes this year, by wearing them for Championship games and in tournaments.

Next year, we're all going with stripes.

I think it looks good.

REn

I always want to move up no matter how good I think I am. That's why I want to come to one of camps in summer, if I can afford it. Any suggestion, Julie [/B][/QUOTE]

Camp where? Where are you now? What level do you work now? How many years experience? What rules do you want to learn under?

I've mistakenly called basketball refs "blue" before. It's a baseball thing.

Last year I started wearing the black "body armour" under my strips and it feels great.

That body armour stuff is expensive, i think it costs about the same as the striped shirt.

I think i'm just gonna get the McDavid Shirts.

Ref18 UnderArmor and McDavid or about the same price and almost the same product. I've worn both back when I was playing football and my underarmors were more resistant to tears than were the McDavid. Both are fine products. I havnt used McDavid for basketball so I couldnt tell ya. I can get my under-armors pretty cheap.

Is that teers as in crying? Or tares as in ripping? I wouldn't think ripping would be an issue in basketball. crying would depend on the level of play.

Oh,deer!

I was referring to the striped shirts made of the Intera fabric. I don't think under armour makes striped shirts, how ever the compression shorts that i have are made by under armour, and i am very pleased with their performance. They were just a bit expensive.

Ah Intra fabric- GO FOR IT! It looks great and it cools great. I have two for "high school nights" when i'm working high school games... give a little bit better look than the micromesh (atleats on me) but it cools. I wear an underarmor even under that. But yes. The Intra fabric shirts are worth the cost. Look of polyester with the great comfort of micromesh.

I would hope that a 3-person crew would be wearing different shirts.;)

Aaaargh!
Yer Bad.

Better to wear different shirts than the same "pants".

Unless your partner/s are of the other sex!