Have you had to be the fashion police?
 

Last weekend at a varsity girls tournament one of the home teams has two girls wearing black sweat bands (school colors are black and gold...home uniform is white trimmed in black and gold). I am one of the U's, and since there have been different opinions voiced by officers in our association, I point it out to the R and he says "No way am I asking them to take them off. Not until I am told something specific." I figure the rule book is pretty specific, but can understand his hesitation as the assignor may not want us to be real strict and chose not to make it an issue or start a debate on the court.

I thought about it today and sent an email to the assignment secretary and rules interpreter for our association and now can show my partner something specific...enforce the rule...we have your back.

Has anyone had to ask a player to remove a sweat band that is the wrong color? What reaction did you get from the player and/or coach?

Just curious...

Have done it several times with no reaction at all. At most, just a shrug.

It's just the opposite around here. If my assignor showed up to my game and I hadn't taken care of sweatbands/undershirts that were illegal, I'd get chewed out for sure. The kids and coaches reactions are irrelevant.

Same here.

Just the other day I had two boys take off their white undershirts since they were wearing blue jerseys. I was the U and noticed them sitting on the bench, so I just told them to leave the court real fast at take them off. The coach smiled at me and said "I told them not to wear it."

I think the rules clinic they gave us was as specific as can get - I'll enforce it.

wow -- unfortunately this is the lack of discipline I have noticed in the past 5-8 years. If I was that coach those kids would have been told to go home if I had told them to remove and they didnt. there are times and places for kids and coaches to debate and this is not one of them.

I'm with you deecee, I also coach Little league baseball and even in practice I am the boss. I had kids show up in shorts and have sent them home to change. As a coach you must be firm and you'll get their respect!


As far as the new rule goes I don't see where we have the option to let them play without being in proper uniform. The new rule is in black and white. I wouldn't bring it up to the "R" just handle it and move on.

I'm prob missing something here, but can't they wear black sweatbands if one of their school colors is black

joe

tights or socks - how do you know what they're wearing
 

Rules over here do not allow players to wear tights, but knee-high socks and baggy shorts are alright. So how do you find out what a player is wearing when you can't see any skin?!

The guy in the pic had to take off his tights at halftime, since we found out he wore tights only when he tucked his shirt back in and therefore pulled his shorts down first.

Makes you look stupid approaching a player before tip-off, asking what he's wearing underneath his shorts :D

http://www.worldbowl.org/images/BBL/...s/163_6349.jpg

That's his buddy, who looked exactly the same during warm-up, but wore socks ...
http://www.worldbowl.org/images/BBL/...s/164_6453.jpg

Nope, unless they are wearing their black jerseys. In the OP they were in their white jerseys.

3-5-3

Something I picked up at camp this past summer, and I have been using it so far this season . . .

Before the start of the game, say at about 5-6 minutes before the tip, I call over one of the captains. I simply tell him/her, "hey, do me a favor, I need your help. Go check your players and make sure no one is wearing any jewelry, or metal. Make sure all the shirts are tucked in and shorts pulled up. And, make sure you check the head bands and wrist bands for me, they have to be white or the color of your jerseys. Let me know that everyone is in proper uniform. Thanks, I appreciate your help." (Or something to that effect.)

EVERY time those kids will walk around and check every person on their team, and come back and give me the "OK." I haven't had ONE problem with uniforms this season, not even a warning, or having to leave a kid at the table because they weren't "ready for play."

By doing this, I accomplish two things: 1) I now have an "ally" on the floor; and 2) I can worry about the game and not the fashion show. I am really amazed at how effective this little bit of information has been for me. Oh, and I am 78 games into the season, so it's not like I have used it once or twice. This little number is getting a workout.

No problem with sweat bands yet. But tonight, we had to have three kids remove undershirts before they came into the game. 2 white jerseys with blue shirts and 1 blue jersey with a white shirt. :(

I had a sweatband issue at a JH game last week. Just before the prayer before the game, I noticed that one boy had a sweatband above his elbow. I told the coach he had to pull it down. Coach told the kid, and he pulled it down. As the kids were walking off the floor after the prayer, I saw the kid's other arm -- there was another sweatband that he hadn't pulled down! I laughed, and pointed it out to the coach, who also laughed, and then made him pull it down.

Had 3 different colored hand bands...only the white one was legal...and two different color sweat bands...neither were legal...on the same team in a girls holiday tournament last week.

Was watching the JV game before my game last night and at the half I asked the officials about illegal equipment and they did the doh! head smack.

Made a couple of players move their legal sweat band, below the elbow tonight.

What Smitty said........of course we have the same assignor :D

I had both in a girls game tonight - one of the home players (white uniforms) had a pink sweat band & two of the visiting players (blue) had white T-shirts. We took care of it right away in warmups.

WOW -- interesting that you take such a strong stance on the discipline of the players listening to their coaches, but continue to advocate not enforcing the coaching box. Shouldn't the coaches be setting the example for the kids in the discipline arena and remain in the proper coaching area? ;)

I would have been in trouble with those pinks bands. I'm color blind and I probably wouldn't even have noticed.

I notice this stuff a lot more early in the season. Last night in our boy's varsity game I had about 5 kids with frayed edges on their undershirts. We didn't see them until we had started the game because they were wearing their warm ups. Since it was so many, I just explained it to an assistant coach and asked him to have them removed at halftime. They were all gone after the half and I thanked the assistant.

My partner(s) and I have dealt with illegal headbands on numerous occasions. Most of the time, there is a shrug followed by cooperation. But we did have a game where the reaction was considerably more.

In that game, during warmups, we noticed that BOTH teams were wearing illegal headbands. The visiting team (wearing maroon jerseys) players were wearing black headbands and the home team (wearing white jerseys) players were wearing one of their school colors (not white). Both teams were uniform and looked good ... but they were not complying with the rule. We told the captains and had them take care of it.

The assistant coach of the home team, followed shortly by the head coach, came across the floor to talk to us about why their team had to remove their headbands. We cited the rule. They cited the fact that no other officials had asked them to remove their headbands. We cited the rule and said that we were asked to come to this game and enforce the rules. A few minutes later, while I'm at the scorer's table checking the books, the home team athletic director comes up to me and wants to talk about headbands. He thinks the school colors look good and he thinks it's crazy that they cannot be worn. I tell him that I personally agree with him, but that's not what the rule permits. He questions whether that is the rule and says that if that were the rule, why weren't the schools notified of the rule. I tell him that the rule is in the rule book, including the front section where rules changes are highlighted, the rule was covered at the state rules meeting (at which coaches are required to attend), the rule is on the NFHS web site, and in pre-season publications. He walks off saying that he'll look into it.

The response from home team coaches/administrators certainly was not very gracious. (The visiting team made not one peep about it.) Later in the game when a home team substitute tried to check into the game at the second horn at the conclusion of a timeout, my partner -- who was by the scorer's table -- told the substitute that she could not enter the game at that time because she needed to have checked in prior to the first horn. The home team coach told him (my partner): "Man, you guys are going to nit-pick everything tonight."

(Sigh)

This thread is a great example of why they should allow all that stuff or not allow any sweatbands. I posted a thread earlier about how the majority of our rules meeting this year dealt with uniforms. Aren't there more important issues that could be discussed when we have coaches and officials in a room together for the only time all season?

I have. Every time they've say ok, and walked over to their bench and took it off. A couple of times, girls have had their hair ties on their arm during warm-ups. I just grab them and remind them they have to be in their hair or not on their arm. They just say thank you and continue warming up.

That's the oldest one in the book. They all say that.

Gee, and I thought they were only telling me that!:D

This drives me crazy...I saw a situation last year where a fellow official told a coach about some illegal equipment. The coach said, "can you tell him to take it off, he won't listen to me" I couldn't believe it...If I am the coach and the player won't listen to me, he won't get off the bench:mad: .....

What other issues do you feel are being ignored while these are being discussed?

Sportsmanship, rough play, any number of things. I just see the emphasis on uniforms this year to be something minor, but then I'm not in a position to make those decisions. Our presenters spent much of our meeting with uniforms and then we talked about bigger issues, to me, like intentional fouls for a small portion of the night.

Thats the same here. They made a huge deal about the sweatbands at the preseason state rules meetings. You better believe we'll enforce them.

wow nevada way to be an a$$ -- one has nothing to do with the other. I spend 99% of my time focusing on the game and managing that. wether a coach has 6 feet to move around or 20 it is my job to manage him. Placing a restriction like that just doesnt fall under my list of top priorities and in life we only have so much time to accomplish so many things that we have to prioritize. JMO -- but 6 feet is just a random number that some guy or gal came up with -- the real issue is can you manage the coach in that space and if you can then I guarantee you can manage him in a 10 foot box.

The games I have worked the coaches have never abused the bench or the box and it has neve been an issue. If a coach is standing 1 foot out of the box or even 2 or 3 and hes just coaching and not being a jackass I DO NOT CARE. I have more pressing issues in a game than to even have to metion to a coach about the coaches box -- COACHES believe it or not know about how they should be and where they should be on the bench (for the most part -- the lower levels need a bit of work) but by the time you are at the varsity level a coach knows where he should be, knows when he is pushing the envelope, and knows when he deserves a T. Those that dont dont last long (unfortunatley a very small percentage does).

In all my camps and evaluations I have never had to be addressed on management why because I CAN MANAGE -- what I can manage is only to the extent to that which I have been exposed to. god i hate these soapbox replies but I guess I am just not as anal as many others.

Pregame Meeting with Coach
 

Coach, Regarding the coach's box: If you're not talking to me, I'm not looking at you.

They get the message but I'm not worrying about it either.

________________________________

Yep! Several times this season. And bicep bands. No problems at all.

Had a JV boy two nights ago whose shorts were actually below his butt. I told him to pull them up. He did and they slipped back down when he ran. Then I noticed him running up and down the court holding them with his left hand. They must have been old ones with shot elastic and no drawstring!

The NFHS has been excessively clear on this.

2005-06 POINTS OF EMPHASIS

D. Coaching box: The committee wants coaches to stay in the coaching box. There is a constant problem when coaches wander. It is a distinct advantage to the coach who is permitted to be out of the box because the coach has a better chance to communicate with his/her team. The coach can also influence play by being out on the court.
The rule is black-and-white, but it has not been dealt with properly. Most officials have not enforced the rule. The fact that the coach is not directing comments to the officials or is "coaching the team" has no bearing on rule enforcement. The coach who continually abuses the coaching-box rule risks having his or her governing body remove it completely. The official who doesn't enforce it runs the risk of not following what the governing body wants enforced.