Hard Brace under uniform
 

I had a female (16 year olds) exhibition game yesterday and had a situation come up after the game. I am not sure how to go about this.
After the game a post player comes up to me and says that number 14 had on some kinda hard brace under her uni. Every time she backed down on me it hurt. I knew there was nothing I can do at that point but had she told me in the game could I have asked the player to remove it or not let her play? Obviously if its by doctors recomendation and conscent to play then she should be able to play but would have to have it padded I think. Opinions?

Not specifically covered methinks. Helluva question.

No matter what, under NFHS rules it has to be worn for medical reasons. I'd ask for a doctor's slip on that one, but I don't think that you could stop a player from wearing one if they don't have one. I would make sure that it was padded , same as if it was on the upper arm and shoulder, even though it was under the uni. The rules do leave it up to the discretion of the R as to whether the hard brace was legal or not. Iow, you get to decide.

Also btw, there are certain items that are always illegal, no matter what a doctor might say or write...... casts on a forearm, for instance

Jmo.

Even if padded!

Yes. In NFHS it is specific in rule 3-5-2a. That has to do with casts on the elbow, hand, finger, wrist or forearm. However, the upper arm and shoulder may have a covering but must be padded. 3-5-2b

Correct, and that was exactly the example that Jurassic gave, which is why I made the comment.

And a relevant and germane comment it was too......

Personally, if I ran into something as described in the original post, my first impulse would be to have it padded. My second impulse would to be to then get some direction for the future from higher up.

Sorry, I thought it was a question mark not an exclaimation point. Don't have my eyes in yet.

I'd climb the ladder at this point and find out what your state wants you to do. Even if this was AAU or whatever, she's likely to be playing sanctioned ball this year; and asking the question will possibly lead to some instruction on how to deal with it.

Other than a bullet-proof vest, what type of hard brace would be worn (and not seen) under a basketball uniform?

I would not allow any hard cast or brace used even if it was for a medical reason. We do not allow a player to wear a hard cast on their hand or arm, what difference does it make if the hard surface is under the jersey?

Peace

I think that the difference is that the prohibition on hard braces only pertains to the elbow, forearm, wrist and hand. You can have a hard brace on your shoulder if it's padded. (3-5-2 a & b).

So if a hard cast or brace is ok on the shoulder as long as it's padded, it makes sense to think that a hard brace would be ok on the torso as long as it's padded.

There's no direct rules coverage on that, but I would do the same thing as Jurassic: allow it to be padded and worn, and then follow up by getting a specific ruling from the state.

I sent an email to the provincial interpreter and our Senior Official clinician in charge of referee development. I agree with everything posted and even though this is in Canada and FIBA rules the concept is the same.

Might be a scoliosis brace, especially as the OP mentions it was a girls game.

Ok, makes sense. I was thinking hard braces are usually on exposed joints.

Which, of course, would never apply in a girls game. :D