Dress code

[Danvrapp]

Did a JV girls game last night, at which the home team refused to keep their shirts in. I wouldn't have made such a big deal out of it, but it IS a rule. I repeatadly kept warning players to get their shirts in or I'll send 'em to the bench for a sub. We (partner and I)discussed it at halftime, and approached the coaches telling them to relay the message to their players, and they didn't argue. Later in the third quarter, I sent a girl to the bench before a dead ball throw in, and the coach told me we were being silly! Has anyone else had conflicts with this rule? What's the best way to go about enforcing it? It's kind of a trivial rule, but I told the coach if someone catches a finger on a shirt-tail and gets injured, I don't want to have to carry the load.

[Mark Padgett]

You're right. It is a rule. Try telling the coach that if they want to wear them out to buy new ones next year that are designed to be worn out. This is legal. But until the new ones arrive, the girls will tuck them in.

Try this - tell him you will not wave any player into the game with their shirttail not tucked in and if any of his players report that way and run on the court not waved, you will call an illegal substitution T.

Then puke on his shoes.

[ScottParks]

In a holiday tournament, after warnings and sending to benches, I resorted to giving technical fouls for delaying the game. Once word got out about this amongst the teams, the problem went away.

[Brian Watson]

I don't really think the book gives us the lattitude to T the team up for jersys. You're lucky no one called you on it, it might have been ugly.

If it is a problem, just have to keep shuffling them off the floor.

[ur call]

I put most of the blame on the coaches for this. It is the new breed of coaches out there who do not have discipline on there players. If the rule had a more severe penalty and was put back on the coaches you would see a difference. I don't have a problem with the shirts coming out during play as long as they attempt to tuck them in during a dead ball. I don't allow them to enter the court from the table if there shirt is out. This is one those small rules that we are supposed to enforce but its hard because there is no real penalty. Why do they want these rules if there is no just penalty. It still come back to discipline by the coaches. Coaches are supposed to be educators first then coaches. The new breed of caoches don't believe this.

[JRutledge]

I really do not see why coaches have to be ***** on this and many other rules. Which ones do they want us to enforce and not enforce. Just tell the stupid coach that the kids not putting their shirts put them at a disadvantage. Because if an opponent might be able to grab or hold on to a shirt and it would be harder to detect. I bet then they will have them put the shirts in.

[Edited by Admin on Jan 18th, 2001 at 02:38 PM]

[Bart Tyson]

you said they refused to keep the shirts in. Were they pulling them out? Or were the shirts comming out because of play? The JV teams get the hand me downs. I would ask them 2,3 or 4 times to keep the shirts in and i would be a little more flexible.

[SCBroncos]

While it is a rule that shirts must be tucked in if they are designed to do so, there is no provision allowing officials to call a T if players have them out.

What I do is before the game, I tell the captains (and coaches if they join in the meeting) that players will not be allowed to play if their shirt is not tucked in. I will give you one warning, then you will be sent to the bench and replaced.

If you tell coaches about this before the game starts, then there should be no administrative problems during the game. Remember, this year we have been asked to let the coaches know that they are responsible for their players' uniforms, including this.

Good Luck.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally posted by Danvrapp
Did a JV girls game last night, at which the home team refused to keep their shirts in. I wouldn't have made such a big deal out of it, but it IS a rule. I repeatadly kept warning players to get their shirts in or I'll send 'em to the bench for a sub. We (partner and I)discussed it at halftime, and approached the coaches telling them to relay the message to their players, and they didn't argue. Later in the third quarter, I sent a girl to the bench before a dead ball throw in, and the coach told me we were being silly! Has anyone else had conflicts with this rule? What's the best way to go about enforcing it? It's kind of a trivial rule, but I told the coach if someone catches a finger on a shirt-tail and gets injured, I don't want to have to carry the load.

First, did you have the coaches attend the captains pregame
conference (I do not want the coaches there but that is a whole different discussion). The OhioHSAA expects its officials to follow the NFHS rule on this matter. At the pregame meeting you should have asked the magic question: Are your players properly dressed and will they remain so.
You have let the coaches know that they and only they are responsible for their players.

The shirt rule maybe trivial and I do not want to get into a discussion about the shirt and pants (waist band) rule but if we do our job in letting we expect the coaches do to the job that the rule requires them to do then the players will wear their uniforms correctly and we will not to have players sit down for violating the rule.

Of course you are at a disadvantage by officiating in Ohio because the coaches determine who officiates varsity games and if they do not like the way you officiate at the jr. varsity level you reduce your chances of moving up to varsity. So one has to determine if he wants to sell his soul to the devil.

[Kelly Kinghorn]

The simplest way I know to take care of this problem is simply to sit the players down for not tucking in the shirt or not letting a sub into the game if the shirt is out.

Last night, I told the captains in the meeting that subs with shirts out will not be let into the game, just like I do every night. The first sub of the game came to the table and waited with shirt out of his pants and started tucking in after about 2-3 steps on the court. I escorted him right to the bench and told the coach his player wasn't ready to come in. Coach yelled at the kid for being dumb and every sub for the rest of the game kept his shirt in.

Danvrapp, threats without any backup are meaningless. You have to sit kids down if they won't do what they are supposed to. Every kid playing HS BB should know how to tuck in a shirt. Repeated warnings go no where because the kids don't believe you will do anything about it and your problem is never solved.

[BktBallRef]

Originally posted by ur call
I put most of the blame on the coaches for this

Coaches may be to blame but so are officials. If you address it early, you won't have a problem with it. In the 1st quarter, we'll warn one player. After that, anybody who doesn't make an effort to put it in gets taken out. Send a kid out and immediately, 9 others will start tucking like mad! If they start into the game and don't have it in, we call them back and tell them they can come in at the next opportunity.

BTW, you can't call a T on the player or the coach if a player won't tuck it in. All you can do is send them out.

[AK ref SE]

I think one of the new rules, (I do not have my book) In our pregame with the coach we have to ask him/her "If his team is properly equipped/proper uniform" and that they will wear their uniform properly. I haven't had the problem so I do not know how I would react. But, If I told the players and the coach about the infraction, and THEY choose to not honor your request. To me that could be construed as unsportmanlike!
If it happens to me! I will post whether I chose to T or Not!

AK ref SE

[BktBallRef]

Originally posted by AK ref SE
I think one of the new rules, (I do not have my book) In our pregame with the coach we have to ask him/her "If his team is properly equipped/proper uniform" and that they will wear their uniform properly. I haven't had the problem so I do not know how I would react. But, If I told the players and the coach about the infraction, and THEY choose to not honor your request. To me that could be construed as unsportmanlike!
If it happens to me! I will post whether I chose to T or Not!

AK ref SE

Yes, you are supposed to ask the coach if his players are properly equipped but you don't give them an opportunity to not honor the request. You send them to the bench. Shirt tails are going to come out during the course of a game. No problem, just tuck them back in during a dead ball. If they don't, send them out. BUT YOU CAN'T CALL A T! Sorry, didn't mean to yell.

Three case book plays address players who are imporperly equipped. It makes no difference whether we're talking about shirt tails, jewelry, frayed t-shirts, or long compression shorts. It's all the same and there's no technical foul.

*2.4.5A. Play: Before the contest both coaches verify that their teams are legally equipped. In the third quarter A1 is discovered wearing a ring. Ruling: A1 must leave the game and remove the jewelry and may re-enter the game at the next substitution opportunity, but no penalty is assessed against A1 or the coach.

*2.4.5B. Play: To the referee's pre-game inquiry of coaches regarding all players being legally equipped and will wear the uniform properly, both coaches responded "yes." Three minutes into the first quarter, U1 observes A5 with a tongue stud. A5 is assessed a technical foul and disqualified from further competition. Ruling: When the tongue stud is noticed, A5 must leave the game and may not return until the stud has been removed. There is no technical foul assessed.

3.5.5. Play: Substitute A6 is beckoned and enters the court to replace A1. A6 is wearing: (a) compression shorts below the game pants which extend below the knees; or (b) cut-off jeans extending below the game pants; or (c) jewelry. Ruling: The items in (a), (b) and (c) are illegal and A6 will not be allowed to participate while wearing the items. No penalty is involved. A6 simply cannot participate until the illegal items are removed.

[ScottParks]

But we sure did not have any more problems with shirtail hanging out.

By the way, there were multiple warnings given, sent to benches, etc. Pants were hanging so low I was afraid someone would lose them on a drive to the basket. It is most amusing to watch boys catch and pass the ball, then reach to pull up shorts because they are wearing them so big and below the hips, butt, etc.

I still think that at some point, failure to comply can be construed as delay of game or unsportsmanlike behavior....

[Brian Watson]

Issuing a T might be part of a state adopted rule. If you feel strongly that you should whack a team for it, check with the state. If they support your feeling, go with it.

If not, don't make up rules. When there is no case book example, interpretations can be taken differently, however, the NFHS has made it clear how we are to handle the situation. No Penalty.