What do players do that makes no sense?

[tomegun]

I just thought about this after reading another thread. I have a long list:

1. Rubber bands - what purpose does this serve? The pros do it but they get paid.

2. Shoes - where them properly and please make sure they are a pair and not two shoes from two different pairs!

3. Laces - I used to tie my shoes in a double knot because I loved to play and that took time away from the fun. I still don't like to tie my shoes during the fun.

4. Shorts (girls) - why are they folding the top of their shorts over to make them shorter?

5. Shorts (boys) - why do they pull them down? I had one kid who almost lost his shorts on a break by himself. He left the game shortly after that for remedial short wearing class.

6. Shirts - what is up with this "pinching" the shirt right under the waistband so the next deep breath will cause them to come out? Is the score keeper adding points for style and we don't know about it. What is wrong with tucking the shirt all the way in and then reaching up so you shirt will loosen up to allow your arms to move freely?

7. Free throw lane - I was never a rebounder so I don't know about this one. Do you gain an advantage by putting your arms in your opponents space? Why do girls put their weight on one leg and have the other foot perched up on their toe? Does this help them?

[Jurassic Referee]

I think that the players just constantly go through fads. Some are regional, and other areas may never hear of them. It's just up to us to make sure that their "fads" conform to the applicable rules. Personally, I hate having to be the clothing police out there- especially on non-safety related items. But I do it religiously because (a) it's a rule, and I don't get to pick and choose the ones that I like to apply- and(b) I don't want any coach saying "hey, the last referees that we had didn't call that".

Rubber bands on wrists? That's a no-no by rule, isn't it?

[tomegun]

Yes, the rubber bands come off. I too don't like to tell players to keep their shirts in but it is a rule. I also don't like the fact that a lot of times I'm the only one saying anything.

[FBullock]

One comment on the shoes. There is a manufacture that make shoe that the right foot is one color and the left is another. If some body will pay money (big money) for it, somebody will make.

[ChuckElias]

Originally posted by tomegun
1. Rubber bands - what purpose does this serve?

Even less sense -- rubber bands on the ankles! I actually had this in a college game.

[ChrisSportsFan]

If these fads are regional then we are in the same region because I see all of that list in the STL. My daughters team refers to the shorts style from the 70's-80's as "skeet" and yet they all fold over theirs to make them shorter.

Funny story; had a coach in the championship game of a boys tourney stand up and rip his post player. He said: you can't catch a pass if you always have 1 hand pulling up your shorts. Tye your damb short strings NOW! The whole gym cracked up.

[rainmaker]

Originally posted by ChrisSportsFan
If these fads are regional then we are in the same region because I see all of that list in the STL. My daughters team refers to the shorts style from the 70's-80's as "skeet" and yet they all fold over theirs to make them shorter.

I'm not sure it is to make them shorter. I think it's to give them a more hip-hugger look, like how the "waist" bands are on their jeans. Not that the reason is important...

[Jimgolf]

Why do the rules specify that shirts must be tucked in? Why no rubber bands? I understand rules that are for the safety of the players, but why specify appearance? Don't we have enough things to do without going around checking players for uniformity? Or are all of these rules because the schools don't have the guts to tell their players how to dress and get to blame the refs for a dress code?

Why do you care whether their shoes match or they're wearing their shirts backwards, for that matter? As long as they're not wearing anything dangerous to others or themselves, and you can see their number why should you care?

When you see refs telling kids to take off their tee-shirts in an unheated gym in the middle of winter, just because the tees don't match the uniform, it makes you wonder what kind of childhood these guys had.

[tomegun]

Email the NF and ask them to take it out. If they take it out of the rules we will stop applying the rule.

Originally posted by Jimgolf
Why do the rules specify that shirts must be tucked in? Why no rubber bands? I understand rules that are for the safety of the players, but why specify appearance? Don't we have enough things to do without going around checking players for uniformity? Or are all of these rules because the schools don't have the guts to tell their players how to dress and get to blame the refs for a dress code?

Why do you care whether their shoes match or they're wearing their shirts backwards, for that matter? As long as they're not wearing anything dangerous to others or themselves, and you can see their number why should you care?

When you see refs telling kids to take off their tee-shirts in an unheated gym in the middle of winter, just because the tees don't match the uniform, it makes you wonder what kind of childhood these guys had.

Although I'm from the cold white North I don't think I've ever reffed in an unheated gym. I've been in a few cool ones but after playing or reffing for a bit you warm up and don't feel it. If the player is sitting on their bench they can toss on the warm up shirt/suit or whatever since they aren't playing at that point.

Allowing players to wear a color t-shirt different than their uniform is giving them a potential unfair advantage (I'm not talking about staying warm here). If the t-shirt matches their uniform color they can wear it. If it doesn't it comes off.

What happens when you have red playing white and some red players have white t-shirts on under their uniform. At a quick glance in the heat of the game the red players may be mistaken as a white team member.

As for tucking in the shirts, players look really sloppy with their shirts hanging out. Some players have their shirts hanging out to hide the fact that their shorts are not pulled up. I'm not stopping the game to make sure players have their shirts tucked in - during a dead ball all you have to do is politely ask the player(s) to tuck their shirt in - if everybody did this, overall the job would be much easier. I just wish players would tuck their shirts in fully when asked the first time (rather than the token tuck).

The one rule that I don't quite get is the multi-colored head bands. Anybody want to explain that to me?

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally posted by Jimgolf
Why no rubber bands? I understand rules that are for the safety of the players, but why specify appearance?

When you see refs telling kids to take off their tee-shirts in an unheated gym in the middle of winter, just because the tees don't match the uniform, it makes you wonder what kind of childhood these guys had.

Rubber bands are a safety item-i.e. broken----> eye.

As Tomegun said, you're blaming the wrong people. Try the people who made the rules, not the ones that have to enforce them. The ones enforcing the rules didn't get a vote. Has anyone ever met a referee that really cared if a number on a shirt was less than 3/4" wide?

[Camron Rust]

Originally posted by Jurassic Referee
Rubber bands are a safety item-i.e. broken----> eye.

As Tomegun said, you're blaming the wrong people. Try the people who made the rules, not the ones that have to enforce them. The ones enforcing the rules didn't get a vote. Has anyone ever met a referee that really cared if a number on a shirt was less than 3/4" wide?

As I've said many times before, the people making the rules (NFHS) are nearly all officials (or former officials). Only 1 or 2 coaches/administrators are involved.

I care...if that number is thin or small, it increases the odds that I'll make an error in reading the number or I'll have to take a lot more time to see it. It also makes it possible for the scorers, coaches, and people in the stands to identify players. Thin numbers become invisible at distances...particularly on game film made with poor equipment.

[Edited by Camron Rust on Aug 12th, 2004 at 02:17 PM]

[brandan89]

At a game I did this Summer this kid had "star stickers" on his ear's and I told him to take them off and he goes there only stickers. I told him I dint care take them off. I was right wasent I?

[Nevadaref]

Originally posted by Jurassic Referee
it's a rule, and I don't get to pick and choose the ones that I like to apply-

Why not? I do.

I always thought the girls folded the waistband of the shorts over so that the tag wouldn't rub and irritate them, since it is now on the outside.

PS What a great thread, tomegun. Thanks for the laughs.

[stripes]

Originally posted by tomegun

6. Shirts - what is up with this "pinching" the shirt right under the waistband so the next deep breath will cause them to come out? Is the score keeper adding points for style and we don't know about it. What is wrong with tucking the shirt all the way in and then reaching up so you shirt will loosen up to allow your arms to move freely?

This one is a pain in the butt, but it is a rule that we were asked (in my local anyway) to enforce. I always mentioned it in the pregame with the captains...subs were to have shirts tucked in at the table prior to being beckoned in. About 50 % of the time the first sub would come on the court while shoving his shirt into his shorts and i would escort him right to the bench and tell the coach I wanted someone who was ready to play. Never had a problem with a coach and never had another shirt problem for the rest of the game.

Also easy to do with a player on the court. Send 1 kid out and all of the others will keep their shirts in without any help from the officials. It is amazing how much better the shirts stay in when they know they won't play otherwise.