Is there a prescribed "look" for summer uniforms? That is, do we wear white socks with our shorts or black socks? What do you do or what is the trend in your area?

As far as I know there is no designated specific look for the summer. I usually try to wear the pants unless it is unbearably hot. If I wear shorts I try to wear black socks with my black shoes.... When in doubt bring both and wear what your partner is wearing.

Black socks with black shorts, to quote Lucy from Peanuts:

"aaaagggggghhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!"


If you attend an officials camp, wear a v-neck shirt. If you are officiating an AAU or YBOA national tournament, there will be a prescribed uniform. If you are officiating in local tournaments, team camps, or summer leagues either a v-neck or collared shirt is fine. Personally, my collared shirts are still in excellent condidtion and I wear them in local tournaments, team camps, or summer leagues. Black shorts with white socks are fine too.

MTD, Sr.

Do not wear a collared shirt anyplace unless you work for Footlocker! Just have those shirts made into shoe bags and call it a day.
Most areas where I've been do not allow black socks with shorts but people wear them anyway because they think they look good. Wrong!
Oh, when you go to put those shorts on, please make sure they are not Coach's shorts! If you are standing up straight and half of your thigh is showing those should only be worn in the privacy of your own home! That is bing generous because my personal requirement is the top of my knee. I know someone will say something about the Coach's shorts and wearing baggy shorts but those same people probably still wear flat-front pants.


:D :D :D :D

Stick with the V-Neck shirts,

I wear black shorts, with black ankle socks, and my non-patent leather converse shoes, nicely shined.

Please people -- WHITE socks when you are wearing shorts! Otherwise you look like a newbie!!!

OK - I hate to chime in on such a silly issue, but black socks are definitely the way to go. The white ones look like little poofs when you run - I think black poses a better look.

My two cents.

Changed from black socks to white socks this summer. Black makes you look slow and God know's I'm slow enough already !

White socks. Was a camp last summer that the supervisor said "NO BLACK SOX". I prefer the white sock. Bottom line, if the league assigner or supervisor says wear green ones with pink strips, wear those. If at a camp, have both kinds of socks, take both long and short pants and be ready to adjust.

White socks. I atteneded a camp that had a NBA ref as a guest. He said that the socks needed to be black. Even the D1 refs as observers said that white socks are the professionsl way to look, not black. I think I will stay with white over the summer and black in the winter with the pants.

This has become enough of an issue that a lot of camps specifically tell you what color of socks to wear and I've never heard anyone say black.

Show of hands, who wears the coach's shorts? :D

It just looks funny.
 

This is about as unwritten as the belt and no belt argument. You better not wear black socks. Not if you are being observed by college evaluators. It looks corny.

Peace

I have previously worn black footies that can't be seen unless you're staring at my ankles. This discussion has cleared things up for me though. White socks seems like a consensus.

The answer to white socks or black socks is very simple -- do it MY way!!

Seriously, you ask the assignor when he or she contacts you about doing the games. Wear what you are told. Period. If there's no prescription, wear what you prefer. If you are communicating well, and calling what needs to be called, people will be watching the game and won't care what color your socks are.

Just don't wear neon!

Oh my god, it must be slow around here. Now we're arguing white socks and black socks? Geez, get a life. If you're in shorts, you aren't wearing a regulation uniform anyway so who freakin' cares what color your socks are?

Z

Black socks make you look like you're a tourist. Might as well wear a Hawaiian shirt instead of stripes.

White is the only way to go with shorts.

That'd be cool if that was the prescribed uniform.

Black shoes with white socks make you look like your dad going to Church on the Sunday that mom forgot to dress him.

Z

I wore white socks for the first time last night, hated it. Also payed more attention to others socks.

Maybe I'll ask guys to see their jock straps next time.

Can anyone tell me why officials are not permitted to wear shorts instead of pants all year round, not just the summer leagues, camps? We could wear "snap-off" warm-ups until tipoff. Some of these older gymns can get real hot even in the winter.

That's it - I'm ordering the striped football ref socks for everyone! Wear black and white.

(FWIW, at camps, I wear white 1/4 cut socks - you see just the tiniest amount of white over black sneakers.)

Well, that's ...... cute.

1/4 cut socks of either white or black barely show and look better than 6 or 8 inches of sock. Look at what the players wear. Few show much sock anymore.


And here is the truth that your local peers won't tell you- DONT WEAR SHORT SHORTS! No one wants to see your thighs.

Can anyone give the name of a camp or your location where an assigner has told you it's OK to wear black socks? I have read camp information, received emails and been in meetings where it was made clear that we are to wear white socks but I've never heard it is OK to wear black socks. Sure, the socks do not make the official but an evaluator will notice this before you ever make a call and after the game he/she would probably tell you about the socks even though the official did a good job. This is just my experience and I would like to hear if anyone has been told specifically that it is OK to wear black socks.

Tee, I agree with you about the short shorts. I would like to know how many people wear coach's shorts. I know someone does on this board. But Tee I have to tell you something about comparing the socks we should wear compared to what players wear. When we officiate, we are not players!

But the players are getting all the girls. And we'd all do better to mimic them as best we can.

Speak for yourself! I used to be something else before I settled down with the wife. :D

Black shoes
White socks
In style shorts
Same shirt

I ref in a summer league and a charity tourney in the spring. We go as far as wearing the same shorts, because they're shorts that we've all received for free when doing summer provincial tournaments.

Only if you're wearing loafers, wingtips, or some other non-atheletic shoe.

Tomegun

I wish our evaluators could catch someone wearing black socks and "hot pants" in the games that we do here. We would get sent out of the gym QUICK.

Be coordinated, even if your partner is not.
 

White shoes - New Adidas with the three black stripes along with matching white Adidas socks, also with the black and stripes, nicely compliments black shorts and black and white, vertically striped, shirt. Accessories such as a black gym back with a polite touch of white to carry your white towel and your black interawear nicely set off your ensemble. For a touch of savoire faire and je n' sais quois a plush black bath size towel and licorice scented soap will prepare you for a full night of excitement as the clinicians treat you to laughs and recuperation from a wearing day at court.
For the older official, white hair goes well with the black/white theme, but if you have recently begun a new life style, a black hair dye may be a confidence builder when all the young officials have retired from the imbibition habituation.

Re: Be coordinated, even if your partner is not.
 

And with those wise words, the venerable Sage of the U.P. reaches the 5000 post milestone.

Congratulations!!!!!!!

Just go "commando" and dont wear any freakin socks!

Are you suggesting that he go commando? Or that he not wear socks? Going sockless would chafe. . . but going commando would be, well, unsettling. :eek:

Not if you have long shorts, or some tall socks!
But I would NOT take any Lavetra, just to be on the safe side.

Belts!!
 

I haven't been on here since the regular season ended, but now that I'm doing summer ball I thought I'd check things out again. I immediately see this thread and have to wonder - is it ok to dust off the old belt and use it with my shorts?

Sorry, I couldn't help myself. :)

NFHS rules
 

Doesn't NFHS 2-1-1 specify black socks for officials?

I don't know. Does it say anything about shorts?

It says black pants, doesn't say how long.

Hmmm.
 

I think long enough so the white socks are hidden. :cool:
mick

Sorry to drag this thread back to the surface, but I thought I would give my most recent experience, for what it's worth.

I attended a D1 try-out over the weekend and every single official who was trying out had black shoes with white socks. Most of them had ankle-length socks, barely over the top of the shoe.

Do what's normal in your area, but that's what D1 hopefulls are wearing in the northeast.

Okay, so when I'm a D1 (men's) hopeful in the northeast, I'll remember that!

D1 (women's) hopefuls in the NE normally wear a burkah. It's hard to tell what kind of socks they wear.

I talked to the assignors at that camp and they didn't pick up a single ref for their conferences next year. Apparently they were looking for someone who wore green shoes with red socks, beltless coaching shorts (magenta) and a purple fox-40 mini. Better luck next year.

Z

Actually, a burkah is fairly similar to the traditional Quaker garb, so I might do pretty well!

Oh, so that's why I didn't get hired. . .

I guess sometimes they're looking for the official that stands out from the crowd! :eek:

Chuck, they all said you were great and could ref any game at any level... but they had a certain "rainbow look" in mind.

Z