Rule on tights...or not

[tomegun]

Even though many people don't watch the NBA, I was wondering what the league would do with Dwayne Wade's "tights." Also, I wonder if any of the kids will follow Dwayne Wade to achieve the same look.

I can't say for certain about every game, but some of the time Wade wasn't wearing tights although it looked like he was. He would wear regular spandex, knee braces/pads and high black socks. It looked like he was wearing the same thing as Kobe or LeBron when he actually wasn't.

As far as I know, there isn't a rule to prohibit this, but it will look like an official is letting a rule slide to many. Take a look at this.

http://www.endscore.com/blogimages/legwarmers_thumb.jpg
http://www.nba.com/media/Wadegallery400.jpg
http://hosted.ap.org/photos/S/SPANER...1932-small.jpg

The last one shows what I'm talking about perfectly, although the picture is small.

[Kajun Ref N Texas]

3-5 Team Member's Equipment, Apparel

"...Examples of illegal items include, but are not limited to:

Art. 5...An undergarment or tights which extend below the pants/skirt.
Exception: Compression shorts may be worn if the length is above the knee and they are of a single color similar to the predominant color of the pants/skirt."

[Jurassic Referee]

The NCAA rule is exactly the same as the NFHS rule- i.e. no tights allowed below the game pants.

[ChuckElias]

Long time, no see, Tom. How you doing? How's the new posting?

[tomegun]

Chuck, I'm good. We've been in the new house for exactly a month and have done about a year's worth of work to it. I'm going to New Orleans for my first scrimmage tomorrow and the first high school scrimmage is next Saturday. I can't complain because the most important things in life are good.

You guys are not understanding what I'm saying. What Dwayne Wade wore last season does not break any of the rules noted in the two posts above. That is why I included links to pictures. He is wearing compression shorts that do not come above the knee with socks that do come above the knee. While standing still and during most movement, it looks like he has on full-length tights even though he doesn't. If you watched a game with a player wearing something like Wade, what rule would you be able to tell him/her they failed to enforce?

[Nevadaref]

If they are not tights, then the apparel is legal no matter how it looks from a distance.

I wouldn't say that any rule is being broken.


BTW great to hear from you again. Cool that you are now in New Orleans. It should be interesting to live there as that city continues to recover.

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by tomegun

You guys are not understanding what I'm saying. What Dwayne Wade wore last season does not break any of the rules noted in the two posts above. That is why I included links to pictures. He is wearing compression shorts that do not come above the knee with socks that do come above the knee. While standing still and during most movement, it looks like he has on full-length tights even though he doesn't. If you watched a game with a player wearing something like Wade, what rule would you be able to tell him/her they failed to enforce?

Then why did you entitle the thread "Rule on tights...or not" if you knew they weren't tights?

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by tomegun

You guys are not understanding what I'm saying. What Dwayne Wade wore last season does not break any of the rules noted in the two posts above. That is why I included links to pictures. He is wearing compression shorts that do not come above the knee with socks that do come above the knee. While standing still and during most movement, it looks like he has on full-length tights even though he doesn't. If you watched a game with a player wearing something like Wade, what rule would you be able to tell him/her they failed to enforce?

Personally, I'd tell the official that they let Wade wear illegal compression shorts.

I understand what you're saying, Tom. You're saying that Wade wore illegal compression shorts, but you think that they're legal. Well, you're wrong above, rules-wise, Tom, when you said that Wade did not break any of the rules noted in the other posts. KajunRef cited the FED rule and the NCAA rule is fairly similar(below the pants is illegal). Iow, what Wade wore, as per your post above, is illegal under NFHS and NCAA rules. I could care less about NBA rules. Compression shorts that do not come above the knee are illegal. Compression shorts have to come above the knee to be legal.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by tomegun

What Dwayne Wade wore last season does not break any of the rules noted in the two posts above. That is why I included links to pictures. He is wearing compression shorts that do not come above the knee with socks that do come above the knee.

I'm wrong, Tom?

Here's your exact post again.

YOU stated that Wade's compression shorts do NOT break any rules even though they do NOT come above the knee.

NFHS rule 3-5-6EXCEPTION says "Compression shorts may be worn if the length is above the knee.

Your exact typed words are shown above, Tom. Again.

Now, you tell me who's wrong? The NFHS rulebook or Tomegun.

[ChuckElias]

Why is this suddenly a pissing contest? Tom made a tiny typo. He said the tights do not come above the knee and he meant that they do not come below the knee, which is obvious if you look at the pic he posted.

The point is it looks illegal because the socks extend so high, but it's not illegal.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by ChuckElias

Why is this suddenly a pissing contest? Tom made a tiny typo. He said the tights do not come above the knee and he meant that they do not come below the knee, which is obvious if you look at the pic he posted.

The point is it looks illegal because the socks extend so high, but it's not illegal.

No, the point is that if someone states that the compression shorts do not come above the knee, then those compression shorts are illegal, by rule. That ain't a "tiny typo", that's the difference between wearing legal and illegal apparel.

I didn't start a pissing contest. I made a post using my own observation- that I couldn't see any official not looking to see whether anything was illegal or not before sending a player out. That was my opinion and I'll stick with it, whether Tom likes it or not.

And....the point is that I also really don't have a clue whether Tom made a typo or not...and neither do you. He hasn't said so, has he? He might just not know the rule; it wouldn't be the first time. I answered using Tom's exact words. If Tom posts a completely different situation, as in wearing compression shorts that come above the knee, then my answer would be different too.

[ChuckElias]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

And....the point is that I also really don't have a clue whether Tom made a typo or not...and neither do you.

Not to be a nudge, but yes I do. How do I know it was a typo? I looked at the picture he posted that clearly shows the compression shorts above Wade's knee and his knee exposed.