Have you had to be the fashion police?

[LarryS]

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...

[just another ref]

Originally Posted by LarryS

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?

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

[Smitty]

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.

[Scrapper1]

Originally Posted by just another ref

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

Same here.

[Drizzle]

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.

[deecee]

The coach smiled at me and said "I told them not to wear 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.

[legend]

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.

[ToGreySt]

Originally Posted by LarryS

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

joe

[Kostja]

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

[Kostja]

That's his buddy, who looked exactly the same during warm-up, but wore socks ...

[eyezen]

Originally Posted by ToGreySt

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

joe

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

3-5-3

[bigdogrunnin]

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.

[BktBallRef]

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.

[rainmaker]

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.

[blindzebra]

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.