I have worked 3 to 6 games per night during the week this past month. Of all the rules there are to argue about, earrings seems to be the most popular. (Rule 3-5-2) I don't mean to sound like an idiot, but how many of you guys out there allow players to wear their earrings, with or without tape over them? I refuse to allow it. The rule simply says "no jewelry", there's no footnote that says "a player may put tape over the earrings provided that he/she 'just-got-them-pierced-yesterday' and can make you believe that mitosis can occur in an hour and a half." When I tell coaches the mitosis theory they give me a blank look that tells me they secretly wish they had a biology-book glossary.
Well of all the responses I will share with you my latest chuckle: I asked a freshman girl to go sit on the bench and remove her earrings. She is substituted out and comes in during the next dead ball, with tape clinging to three or four "new" piercings. I immeadiatly told her " I'm sorry I failed to mention this before, but you cannot just put tape over them". So her coach comes over and says "It says in the rules that you can tape them". I said "the AIA (Arizona..) rules do not say that anywhere" as I lightly tugged at the patch on my jersey. He says "no not the AIA rules, the REGULAR rules, HSNF or whatever."--he threw in a G and some other vowel in his attempt to abbreviate NFHS. I had to hide my giggle when I told him "same difference". He wasn't even a rookie coach. So until I experience a better laugh, I am taking a survey on how many allow, how many do not allow. responses appreciated....thanks

It depends
 

I sometimes allow earings depending on the competition and what sort of earings they are. I <b>never</b> allow earings that a finger could get caught in, but a stud is less dangerous (at least in my opinion).

The above only applies to rec leagues, in all other competitions, all uniform rules are enforced completely.

I never allow players to wear any jewelry. I don't tell them to take it off/out, I simply tell them that they can't come on the court with jewelry -- their choice. I know some officials allow the players to "tape" the ear rings, but IMHO, this only makes it worse for the next official. I also will not allow them to wear rubber bands on their writst. I was doing a BJV game last night and a player must have had 10-15 rubber bands on one wrist. When I told him he could not play with them on, he said "they give me confidence". I told him they might also give him a broken wrist if someone got a finger or hand caught in them. He took them off.

In my province the referees can be held responsible for injuries to players. If we allow them to play under unsafe conditions or with jewelry etc. and something goes wrong, we put ourselves at risk. We have insurance, of course, but who needs all the hassles.

I use the same approach as dblref and do not allow a player wearing jewelry to enter the court. You'll never change the player's opinion, but the reasoning above is normally good enough to get the coach on your side.

I don't let kids wear earrings, necklaces, rubber bands, metal hair clips, bracelets, ankle bracelets, & / or tounge rings. Period. Then again, I'm a stubborn S.O.B :)

Where's the harm?
 

A stud earring, IMHO, if taped, is not a hazard to anyone. I let them play, not of course during a HS game. The other piercings are harder to let go. Last season I happen to notice a tongue stud on a player during warm ups. When I asked the coach if all his players were conforming to the legal uniform rules, he said yes. I then call #20 over and said," Here is your one and only chance, stick your tongue out at me." When the coach saw the stud he was shocked and made the whole team show their tongues. I wonder, do we have to ask both teams to show their toungues to us before each game?

I never let a player on the court with an earing,
taped over or otherwise. It's amazing how if you
stick to your guns they do come out. And if I had a nickel
for everytime I heard "But I just got them pierced" I would
have a lot of nickels. BTW, an NF rules change this year is
that *no* team members, players or subs, can year
jewlery at any time-not during warmups or while sitting
on the bench.

Re: It depends
 

...assuming of course that the stud, regardless how
small it is, doesn't somehow make contact with another
player's eye.

Re: Where's the harm?
 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Suppref

Quote:

A stud earring, IMHO, if taped, is not a hazard to anyone. I let them play, not of course during a HS game. The other piercings are harder to let go. Last season I happen to notice a tongue stud on a player during warm ups. When I asked the coach if all his players were conforming to the legal uniform rules, he said yes. I then call #20 over and said," Here is your one and only chance, stick your tongue out at me." When the coach saw the stud he was shocked and made the whole team show their tongues. I wonder, do we have to ask both teams to show their toungues to us before each game?

Suppref,
I don't disagree with your premise.
But, if a cute little earlobe is disfigured, I wonder if the attorneys would say, "Well, it was taped, so no problem." ;)
I don't allow them, and most coaches say, "Thanks".
mick

I operate under the zero tolerance theory.

My high school had officiating classes for volleyball and basketball, which is a big reason I am an official today.

During class, our teacher, who had the screw in studs got one caught in the net and had it ripped out. I have NEVER seen so much blood in my life. I know it was an accident, but it left a huge impression on how I run games.

I wish I had a tape of that incident, because once they see what happens when an earring gets yanked, they would never ask again to wear them in a game.

Brass tacks is this, I had my ear pierced during my rookie season. I took it out for every game and never had one problem. I am a very tough sell on the "it will close up" argument.

I cannot wear them.
 

I am of the younger generation and I have both my ears pierced. I sometimes where loops and studs depending on what I have or what I am wearing. If I cannot wear them as an official, neither can the players. And better yet, they are the ones that can get hurt from them.

You can get hurt with stud earrings. All they have to do is get caught on something and rip the ear or poke another player and bleed. It might be unlikely, but it can happen. Basketball is a contact sport and if players are making contact which can be at times hard, you open yourself for not preventing an injury.

What other rules are we going to overlook?

I'm right with ya.

It will close up...it really can!
 

I am living proof that a hole can close up in an hour and a half. I got my ear pierced and the next day went back to the jeweler to get a different earring put in...in less than two minutes the back of my ear closed up! I had to get it repierced all over again (that sucked).

However I agree with you, if I knew I had a basketball game why would I get my ear pierced the day/week before...

Re: It will close up...it really can!
 

What are you the bionic man? Do you even need to keep band aids in the house?

Re: Re: It will close up...it really can!
 

Did anyone see that Chuck Norris movie with the villain who could heal his own wounds instantly? In the end I think they push him in a well. Maybe the villain was Denny???