(H)air Controller.
 

NFHS rules.... girls are using a white string, <b>tied</b> at the back of their heads, as a means of hair control. The tied ends of the string are about one-half inch long. Is the usage of these strings legal, by rule?

No. It's not an "elastic band" (or whatever the specific wording in the rule is). It's treated the same as the ribbons in the school colors they sometimes try to wear.

You already know my thinking on this, JR. It will probably never cause a problem, but it's not legal. I hate the fact that the FED continues to make officials the "fashion police", but them's the rules. Headbands, sweatbands, leggings, arm sleeves, fingernails. I just shake my head about the fingernails.

Sounds almost like what I wrote earlier before JR deleted it!

That's nowhere near what you wrote. You never gave an opinion of any kind on what the correct ruling should be; instead you just flamed me. I got rid of the whole thread because it was waste of everybodys time the way it was going, and your response had no value at all to the subject being asked about.

Feel free to ignore me in the future.

This is true.

Does anyone have their rulebook with them today? I left mine at home. I hate the fashion police rules and do not read that section of the rule book with the same care that I do the rest of the rules. Honestly, if it isn't something that is a distraction or an injury risk, I am not going to worry about the hair strings as Jurassic described them. Not one bit.

Yes, but JR didn't ask if we would enforce this rule in this situation. He asked if it was legal, by rule.

Rules
 

ART. 3 . . . Sweatbands, headwear and head decorations must meet the following guidelines:

a. Headbands and sweatbands must be white or similar in color to the torso of the jersey and must be the same color for each item and all participants. Only one item is permitted on the head and on each wrist. Items must be moisture-absorbing, nonabrasive and unadorned (except for logo, see 3-6).
b. Headbands may be a maximum of 2 inches (except for logo, see 3-6).
c. Sweatbands must be worn below the elbow and may be a maximum of 4 inches (except for logo, see 3-6).

d. Rubber/cloth (elastic) bands may be used to control hair.
e. Head decorations, except those specified above, are prohibited.

EXCEPTION: State associations may on an individual basis allow a player to participate while wearing a head covering if it meets the following criteria:

a. For medical or cosmetic reasons – In the event a participant is required by a licensed medical physician to cover his/her head with a covering or wrap, the physician's statement is required before the state association can approve a covering or wrap which is not abrasive, hard or dangerous to any other player and which is attached in such a way it is highly unlikely that it will come off during play.
b. For religious reasons – In the event there is documented evidence provided to the state association that a participant may not expose his/her uncovered head, the state association may approve a covering or wrap which is not abrasive, hard or dangerous to any other player and which is attached in such a way it is highly unlikely it will come off during play.

and

SECTION 7 SAFETY CONCERNS
The referee shall not permit any team member to participate if in his/her judgment, items such as a player's fingernails or hair style may constitute a safety concern.

Yup. Just got mine today, actually. 3-5-3d says that rubber/cloth (elastic) bands may be used to control hair. That's the only mention of legal headwear, other than headbands. String just ain't there.

I worry about it b/c I'm always concerned that I'm being observed. Last thing I need is for somebody to come in the locker room and mark me down b/c I let a kid on the red team wear a green headband -- or b/c I allowed strings in the hair. Is it gonna happen? Probably not. But why risk it. You can never get in trouble by following the rule, when it comes to uniforms.

Some string is made of cloth(cotton)....but not elastic?

Exactly. <i></i>

The problem isn't what the string is made of; the problem is that the string is <b>not</b> a band. A band is continuous.

So a string can never be elastic in nature?

If I am going to get dinged for that, I must be a pretty good official if that is the best an evaluator can come up with. I guess I will have to take my chances

Peace

Me too, Z, me too...but I was asked a specific question, which I brought here to get more opinions.

"It's choice - not chance - that determines your destiny."
-- Jean Nidetch

You take your chances. I choose to know the rule and enforce it. It's worked okay for me so far.

I did not say what works for me or what works for you. I have never had someone make a big deal over something like this. I even had a playoff game this past season where one of the schools from a poor area had one of the players with the wrong colored shorts. We did ask the coach about it and when it was clear there was no remedy (the school did not have money to buy a uniform for all the players and a player that was about 6'8), we made sure the other coach was aware and we played the game without applying the rules to the letter. So when you say you would not allow a string to be used, my point is how would you know the string is not elastic? I know I am not going to ask for verification. When in doubt, it is legal (at least when it comes to a hair piece like this).

Peace

OK. Let me ask you this question:

A hair string you have allowed a player to wear falls off without you seeing it. Next trip down, a player slips on that piece of string, hits her head or has a neck injury. Who will they hold responsible?

I know this is an almost non issue, but just remember the story about the two junior high refs a few years ago. Let a kid wear a rubber band, it snapped, hit another kid in the eye (blinding him in that eye) and they paid half a million each!

Food for thought!

I am not a lawyer, but the question I would want to know did they ask the coaches, "Are your player's properly equip and ready to play?" BTW, rubber bands are legal. The same thing could happen with all kinds of hair piece holders that fit the rules to the letter. I do not know anyone inspecting every hair piece holder before any game.

Peace

What rule would you apply?:confused:

There's never been any rule in any NFHS rule book concerning the color of the <b>shorts</b> afaik. There sureasheck isn't one in the NFHS book <b>now</b> afaik either.

Well, I have to tell you, it is our responsibility to ensure that all of the players conform. I am sure that the coaches try to make this possible, but you know kids. I have P***** off many a parent by not letting little Sally wear an illegal brace that the "doctor" said was legal. I was the only referee during the time she had that brace that made her take it off (it WAS illegal by the way; hard plastic and a very sharp edge)

I even had one player that consistently disregarded the coaches instructions as to a hair beret behind her ponytail. I always looked (and you had to to see it) and I always had to tell her to take it off.

Legally, if we have done all we can (and can prove it, one of those nasty legal terms), then we can be held harmless.

Understood Jurassic. That's why I asked if anyone had their rulebook with them cuz' I wanted to know the letter of the law too (even if I don't planning on enforcing it that tight).

As far as someone slipping on a piece of string. Hmmmmmmmmm... There is a greater chance of a player slipping on a little piece of glitter of a cheerleaders pom pom that was so small that we didn't see it. Oh brother. A knee brace is a different story because that is an obvious injury risk.

Got a link?

Long time ago. Will have to look.

The reason we ask the question to the coaches about their players being properly equip, is to let us know if any of their players have issues that would be considered illegal. Then we can hold the coaches responsible for putting kids onto the floor that are not wearing legal equipment. Remember, we only see the kids for a short time. The coaches see the kids every day and see what they wear in practice. Even in warm-ups, we may not see the player's entire uniform to know what they are wearing is legal or illegal. It is not like players actually play the game in warm-ups.

Well you have the right to pull a kid off the court when you notice something like that. I can tell you that beads can be hard to see when the beads that players put in there hair match the hair color of the player. I have gone several minutes during games, only to finally get up close to a player during the game to see something that was not easily visible during warm-ups. The coach is in the locker-room with that kid, we see them only during warm-ups. Something like a string might not even be something we can see. And if we see it, I am not going to go through a lot of histrionics to test the elasticity of this item.

This is no different than a sexual harassment case. A business is not liable if they were never informed or never witnessed issues of sexual harassment it is hard to hold that business or the people involved liable without proper information being given to the proper people. As I said, I am not a lawyer and I am not aware of the case you are talking about or the issues that the court had to deal with (which might not be exactly about the rubber bands). I know that you have to be considered negligent before you can lose a case like this. I know black rubber bands are very hard to see on kids that have black hair. And rubber bands are legal. So I do not know how an official always knows of potential issues like this unless we go and inspect every kid with our hands to figure out what is elastic and what is not.

Peace

That is a legal brace if it's properly covered, padded, etc. It's usually up to the official's discretion, but if it's covered or padded so that it can't cut or abrade another player, I'll allow them to be worn. NFHS rule 3-5-2(c) and casebook play 3.5SitA.

Follow up question.....

Is the use of pre-wrap legal under NFHS rules to control the hair?

BTW...I would never make a player take off a brace or item of clothing/jewelry or tell them to take it off. I do not have that authority or responsibility. All I'll do is tell the coach his player can't play with it on or properly covered if appropriate. How they handle it from there is not my concern. It aint gonna be because of me that someone removed a brace & injured themselves.

Good point. All we're supposed to do really is inspect it and OK it as being legal or not.

Oh. What a disappointment.

I was looking forward to getting into another pissing match with you.

btw...how we gonna handle changing 3 point shots to 2 point shots tonight? I don't think we need to huddle...OK?

"Made her take it off" refers to telling the coach it was illegal, as well as informing the player. My apologies for my phrasing of that post. If she plays without it the player/doctor/trainer/coach becomes responsible at that point. I am merely protecting other players.

Is it a pre-wrap band?

If not, no.

Kev, what was illegal about the brace? Having hard plastic components and a sharp edge on a hinge usually don't make any brace illegal, according to my understanding of both the FED and NCAA rules anyway. Am I missing something?:confused:

I agree JR.

Rut has told that story before and he never said then either what rule prohibited the different shorts.


I haven't seen anything in a basketball book or interp, but two years ago the NFHS issued the following soccer interpretation:

2004-05 NFHS Soccer Rule Interpretations
SITUATION 16: Can players use prewrap as a hair-control device? RULING: Yes, if not tied in a knot. (4-2-2)

That's the best I have for you on this one, JR. :)

Not according to Merriam-Webster Online:

Main Entry: 1band
Pronunciation: 'band
Function: noun
Etymology: in senses 1 & 2, from Middle English band, bond something that constricts, from Old Norse band; akin to Old English bindan to bind; in other senses, from Middle English bande strip, from Middle French, from Vulgar Latin *binda, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German binta fillet; akin to Old English bindan to bind, bend fetter -- more at BIND
1 : something that confines or constricts while allowing a degree of movement [this certainly defines what a hair band would do, but it doesn't say it has to be continuous]
2 : something that binds or restrains legally, morally, or spiritually
3 : a strip serving to join or hold things together: as a : BELT

So....are you saying that a string tied at the back is legal under NFHS rules?

The NFHS doesn't use Miriam or Webster.

This is good stuff...grown men arguing over a hair piece:eek:

Only officials would do that:rolleyes:

Only officials would argue about what a rule should be, especially a rule where liability might possibly be involved for allowing a player to use illegal equipment, no matter how small the chances are of an injury happening.

If a player gets a finger caught inside another player's illegal headwear and breaks it, guess who is potentially liable?

Um, I would say the coach, because we asked them before the game started if all of their players were legally equipped.

Alright, I know in this litigious society that won't automatically keep us safe from liability, much less keep us safe from litigation. But I think euby was simply pointing out the irony that many follically-challanged people that would have no personal experience with hair products need to now become experts in the finer points of hair management.

If your insurance company's lawyer loses this one, sue him for incompetance. Officials are not liable for hair bands. If anything, the school would be liable for not dressing their player properly. Do you worry about players getting injured by shoelaces?

Now, I will say this - if a player is injured due to our purposely ignoring a rule, we most definitely could be sued and lose. We will probably be a part of the whole lawsuit, school, coach, AD, district, manufacturer of the string, etc. etc. ad nauseum..., but we would be a part of it. So, knowing and enforcing the rules plays a big part in our being immune from liability.

You got it! :D

It would be negligence if we ignore a rule and someone gets hurt. We are discussing something that is not even official or very clear. If the NF does not want a string, then they should say they do not want a string. Outside of this, we are speculating what the legality might be considered. I have never put something in my hair to keep it tied up. I have no personal knowledge of why someone uses one type of hair piece as compared to another.

Peace

And if a player that is illegally equipped comes onto the floor after that, are you gonna allow it because the coach said it was OK, or are you gonna enforce the rule?

Good luck in any lawsuit if you don't enforce safety rules....and illegal headbands can be a safety issue.

Wrong. If you allow a player to wear a hairband that is prohibited under rule 3-5-3 and an injury somehow results, you had better believe that you are liable.

And, yes, I just phoned one of our officials who is a lawyer and got a legal opinion on that.

My tongue was planted firmly in my keyboard as I typed.

If I saw it, and allowed it, I would be in trouble. But if I tell the coach, he kinda takes responsibility if he allows the player in, and I don't see it.

But, of course, that wouldn't stop me from getting sued. It might keep me from being liable.

You must have a long tongue.

....which certainly can be a plus.....

....which also brings to mind a coupla jokes, which I think I'll hold in abeyance until Mother Teresa gets back from her retreat.:D

Gene Simmons used to come to me for advice.

You also have to be aware of it. Not all players have the same hair color or use things that contrast with their hair color. So you would first have to recognize it than then turn the other cheek. That may not happen in our case.

Peace

So your lawyer says that you are liable for a green hairband that is worn instead of a blue hairband to match the uniform?

No, but you're liable if you allow illegal equipment to be worn that ends up causing an injury.....which is what I've been saying all along

You have to be aware of it.

There was a case somewhere in a football game where a player put a tack in his glove and purposely shook the hands of opponents to cause injury. There was another case were a player sharpened the face mask so that anyone touching him or the player could use the facemask as a weapon to cut players on their hands and arms. The player's were penalized and to my knowledge the officials were never held responsible. You have to be aware that something is illegal.

We are debating over a string, not a knife or other weapon. The officials have to know this is illegal. If we just put our hands in a player's hair, we would be responsible for other issues. Our responsibility is only going to go so far.

Peace

Agree. If it's not obvious and you weren't aware of it, it would certainly be hard for anyone to claim gross negligence on the official's part imo. Not that they wouldn't try though...they name everybody including the janitors in these lawsuits. If you knowingly allow something unsafe to be worn though, and someone then gets hurt, methinks that there' s a good chance that your azz is gonna be in a hairband.

The good thing is that the rules allow the R to use his judgement as to whether something really is safe or not. If someone else disagrees, then let 'em go to the State governing body and get a definitive ruling....which they shoulda done in the first place anyway on anything iffy.

You will never be able to completely avoid a lawsuit. There are officials that have been sued all over this country for things when they followed the rules to the letter. This is no exception. I just think we are not going to do a lot to make sure something is legal when at first glance it looks normal.

Peace

And if it's iffy, I think that most of us will lean towards letting the kid play too.

Not according to Merriam-Webster Online:

Main Entry: 1band
Pronunciation: 'band
Function: noun
Etymology: in senses 1 & 2, from Middle English band, bond something that constricts, from Old Norse band; akin to Old English bindan to bind; in other senses, from Middle English bande strip, from Middle French, from Vulgar Latin *binda, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German binta fillet; akin to Old English bindan to bind, bend fetter -- more at BIND
1 : something that confines or constricts while allowing a degree of movement [this certainly defines what a hair band would do, but it doesn't say it has to be continuous]
2 : something that binds or restrains legally, morally, or spiritually
3 : a strip serving to join or hold things together: as a : BELT


I haven't received my new rules/case books yet so I can't comment on anything that may or may not be in there, but there's nothing I can find in either the '05-'06 rules or case books that disallows strings or ribbons to tie up hair.

In all seriousness, what am I missing? :confused:

And if the whole issue is tied up [no pun intended, but I like it anyway] in the definition of the word "band" then there is most certainly room for interpretation. An elastic piece of cloth can't be a string, i.e., "a strip serving to join or hold things together, as a belt"? The NFHS needs to be clearer and more specific if they mean a continuous piece of cloth or rubber.

Absolutly. Heard last year a game where a "set" oif fingernails were culprit in drawing blood on an opponent.

Chapter meeting later had a field day this one.

Consensus was to remove player BEFORE game in regrds for all players saftey. Could return if corrected.

NFHS 3-5-3...... Changed the guidelines for headbands and sweatbands.

I was watching a H.S. football game last night. Some of the players had on "bands" above their elbows. The NFHS basketball rule regarding sweatbands says they must be worn BELOW the elbow.

Question: Does anyone know of a "band" that could be legally worn above the elbow in basketball? I know we had some issues with this last year...some people say that these "bands" (that look an awful lot like a sweatband) are indeed supports for the upper arm. :rolleyes:

Sweatbands are illegal when worn above the elbow. Compression sleeves worn for medical reasons are legal. If the band is made out of cotton or some other material that doesn't compress, like most sweatbands, tell 'em that they can't play while wearing them. Protective guards are also legal on the upper arm and shoulder, even if they are made out of a hard, unyielding material, as long as they are padded properly.

The way the rule is written is that if there's any doubt, the R makes a judgement call as to the legality. In this particular case, I would say that the criteria that you are looking for are (1) is it decorative? (2) is it worn for non-medical reasons? and (2) could it be hazardous to another player? If the answer is "yes" to any of those, I'd rule them illegal.

In our state, we were instructed that sweatbands that were made for the purpose to be on the bicep can be worn above the elbow. The interpretation that we were given comes from someone that is on the NF Football committee. I do not know if this interpretation applies across the country, but this is what we were told.

From what I can tell the NF likes to take one rule in one sport and use it for other sports when something may translate. The NF apparently used the same logic and outlawed the use of "wristbands" above the elbow. If it is a bicep band, then those might be considered legal in our state. Understand that the language these illegal bands have to deal with the wrist, not other type of bands. So you might have to check with your local interpreter to clear this up. You know someone will find a way around this rule and I will be asking the same question of the people in my state. I will really want to know considering the ruling we were given in football this year.

Peace

Nope, bicep bands are not legal for basketball unless they are compression sleeves.

From the <b>2006-07 POINTS OF EMPHASIS--2B COMPRESSION SLEEVES.</b>
-<i>"There has been an increase in players wearing sleeves for various reasons. Compression sleeves worn for medical reasons are legal. Decorative sleeves made of cotton or other non-supportive materials are prohibited".</i>


From the <b>COMMENTS ON THE 2006-07 RULES REVISIONS</b>:
-<i>"Headbands and wristbands must be unadorned (except for the permissible logo) and be the predominant color of the jersey or white. When wearing headbands and/or wristbands, all player must wear the same color and <b>wear the items as intended</b>. Only a single item may be worn on the head and/or on each wrist. </b>Sweatbands</b> must be worn below the elbow and be a maximum of four inches. A single headband, if worn, must be no wider than two inches".</i>

Rule 3-5-3- defines "sweatbands"--"Items must be moisture-absorbing, non-abrasive and unadorned(except for the logo).</i> Anybody wearing something that meets those criteria on their bicep is wearing it illegally.

The point I am making is the same issue that made these things illegal in football (for the past couple years in my state) now has been clarified legal. The reason we were given is they are legal because they were made for that purpose. Now I agree that the NF Basketball Committee has explained it better. That does not mean there will not be a ruling that clarifies what is "decorative" means? I have no idea what the answer will be. There are bands made for the purposes to wear them above the elbow. I know this will be something I will ask the first rules meeting we have. A bicep band is not a sweatband. It is not uncommon for areas to decide how these things will be handled.

Peace

Not according to Merriam-Webster Online:

Main Entry: 1band
Pronunciation: 'band
Function: noun
Etymology: in senses 1 & 2, from Middle English band, bond something that constricts, from Old Norse band; akin to Old English bindan to bind; in other senses, from Middle English bande strip, from Middle French, from Vulgar Latin *binda, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German binta fillet; akin to Old English bindan to bind, bend fetter -- more at BIND
1 : something that confines or constricts while allowing a degree of movement [this certainly defines what a hair band would do, but it doesn't say it has to be continuous]
2 : something that binds or restrains legally, morally, or spiritually
3 : a strip serving to join or hold things together: as a : BELT



I haven't received my new rules/case books yet so I can't comment on anything that may or may not be in there, but there's nothing I can find in either the '05-'06 rules or case books that disallows strings or ribbons to tie up hair.

In all seriousness, what am I missing?

And if the whole issue is tied up [no pun intended, but I like it anyway] in the definition of the word "band" then there is most certainly room for interpretation. An elastic piece of cloth can't be a string, i.e., "a strip serving to join or hold things together, as a belt"? The NFHS needs to be clearer and more specific if they mean a continuous piece of cloth or rubber.

JR or anyone...So again I ask, what am I missing? Where in the rules, case book, POI's, or elsewhere does it say that a string or ribbon can't be used to tie up hair? I don't pretend to be a rules expert and I'm not trying to be an a$$hole; this is a genuine question.

And again, "band" is the word the NFHS chooses to identify the type of (elastic) rubber or cloth used to control hair. They either need to be more precise as to what they mean (see M-W definition of "band" above) or tell us which dictionary they use as their standard so we can check their definitions. Hey, former President Clinton asked "What does 'is' mean?", so there is always room for interpretation if a communication (a rule in this case) isn't perfectly clear and precise.

This situation seems to fit Rainmaker's question from a few days ago...If the rules don't specifically prohibit something should the official on the floor rule on it, unless as under Rule 3-7 ('05-'06 Rules Book)? Unless a string or ribbon is identified as a safety issue, why should I play "fashion police" as someone else suggested earlier? I'm certainly not going to allow an unsafe situation...I had a mother very angry at me once because I wouldn't let her daughter play in a rec game with beads braided into her hair...but it has to be safety related.

Trying to be educated...Thanks.

Corn,

Unless the NF wants to clearly outlaw this, then all we are doing is speculating what should be done. Actually it would be up to the Referee on the game. I would not worry about a string in the hair or worry about liability based on this. I guess we all have things to worry about.

Peace

They're not legal in football either. Some may call them bicep bands but they are still sweat bands and they are still illegal.

And they have no functional purpose other than decoration.

Headbands keep sweat out of the eyes.

Wristbands keep sweat off the hands so that can grip the ball.

Since a basketball is rarely ;) tucked away between the upper arm, lower arm, and torso for a running play, a bicep band has no possible purpose aside from trying to look like someone on TV.

Rut

Thanks for the response. This is exactly how I see it, but others seem to see it very differently...just trying to understand their logic. Thanks...

Let's get the season started so we can have better threads. 68 posts about hair strings. Whooo boy. :rolleyes:

I know! I've been gone all weekend and what do I find at the top of the list after four days?

Isn't there anyone doing fall ball?

Mick, haven't you had any interesting situations?

If your hands are over your head, is the bicep band above or below your elbow.:rolleyes:

By the way, if you allow the bicep band and someone gets injured by it, apparently you are liable.

Negligence requires that you know (or should know) that a dangerous situation could occur.

Attire regulations have little to do with safety. A hairband that is tied in a bow is no more dangerous than one that is elastic, and a bicep band is no more dangerous than a wrist band. Just as a green hairband may be illegal, it is no more dangerous than a red hairband.

NFHS does not like individuality. If you have any doubt about an attire regulation, just think, "What would Big Brother do?"

No whole wheat allowed. Wonder Bread only.

Well, it's true that some of these rules are a pain in the azz. However, they are still rules.

I don't particularly like to tell players to pull their pants up and tuck their shirts in either, but I kinda do it faithfully anyway.

Lemme make a little suggestion for all of the people who don't like the rules as written(and personally, I ain't fond of some of them either). If you're being observed in the state playoffs at the end of the year, and you want to move deeper, it might be a good idea to make sure that illegal sweatbands, bicep bands, etc. aren't worn in that game. Of course, if you disagree, feel free to ignore that advice.

How do you come to that conclusion? Not every state is going to give a damn about this rule the way you claim they will.

Peace