Enforcing the new uniform rule
 

With the new NFHS rule requiring home teams to wear white, what would you (officials) do at a middle school level game if a home team is wearing non-white?

Are you going to call it the way NFHS implies (one T per player upon first entry and possible written report to the association*) or let it go?

I ask since the two lower level leagues I am involved with have schools that wore non-white home uniforms and what should happen if they haven't replaced them. Ten free throws plus possession to start the game would be nice :cool: (not to mention 5 team fouls before any time comes off the clock in the first quarter)

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* From NFHS Web Site: "NFHS Rule 10-3-2 states that a player
shall not wear an illegal jersey, illegal pants/skirt or an illegal number. The
penalty shall be a technical foul for each starter or substitute that enters
the game with the illegal item. A special report form should be filed with
the state association when that occurs."

Link: http://www.nfhs.org/core/contentmana...s_and_POEs.pdf

Ask your assignor or league council or such authority how they want it handled. If you've got a tight-a$$ head person, you'll have to be stinky about it. Someone with a sense of perspective will tell you which schools are allowed to be let off the hook. It's going to vary from state to state, association to association. IMHO

If that's how the NFHS and my state association end up wanting it done, I have no problem with the T's. However, I feel that we may be getting some clarification on the issue of non-varsity games. (And, frankly, if 5 T's should be called if this happens in a varsity game.)

Fortunately, we don't have this problem in our local kids rec league. All the teams get green/white reversible jerseys and the home team is supposed to wear white. If they're not doing so, we just have them reverse them.

BTW - the reason they get those jerseys is because that's our local HS team colors. The kids think that's cool. http://www.runemasterstudios.com/gra...ool_shades.gif

Subvarsity uniforms are generally hand me downs from the varsity in previous seasons. SInce the rulesmakers gave everybody a few years to be in compliance at the varsity level, it would be unfair to expect subvarsity to follow this rule for the next couple of years. After the "new" uniforms of 2007-08 have been passed down, then compliance should be expected at the lower levels.

However, if you have a totally anal decision making body in your area or state, you may see teams buying white tee shirts and using magic markers after their first game to be legal.

But what about Middle School or CYO teams that can't take advantage of hand-me-downs? :p

Not sure how many lower level ADs & coaches keep abreast of rules, but i imagine this year will be a crash course in rule changes. :D

uniforms
 

Good choice of words for a thread about jerseys. :D

uniforms
 

only a girls ref would notice that:p

I happened to be going through old stuff, and I found the NASO 2006-2007 pre-season rule change booklet they, in conjunction with NFHS, send out. They had an article concerning the uniform change for next year (2007-2008) and said it applied only to Varsity games, and that sub-varsity could use the hand-me down uniforms to save the schools the expense of having to buy new uniforms for all their teams.

Seems sensible to me.

Good point and it got me thinking(which isn't good usually)......

I went back to the 2004-05 rulebook in which this rule was originally initiated and read it a little deeper. In the <b>COMMENTS ON THE 2004-05 RULES REVISIONS</b>, you'll find the following statement--<i>"The new rule <b>only</b> affects varsity uniforms; lower level programs may still continue to wear <b>'light-colored'</b> uniforms as home jerseys."</i> I would imagine that unless this concept has changed, it will be spelled out in the upcoming year's rule book, and also hopefully as a case play.

I went back and deleted my previous post in this thread as it was wrong/misleading.

Good catch, Frank.

JR:

If this is how the rule is to be and will be interpeted, you answered my question. Thanks :)

If you really want to get technical, then think of what NFHS stands for and then look at the statements about middle school, CYO, rec league, etc.

If it were me, I'd postpone the game until they could get the proper uniforms....and someone else to work a junior high game:D . I don't miss that level of basketball at all.

snob