Uniform rule--IHSA Clarification

[JRutledge]

For the record, this is coming a few days after the last rules meeting in our state. We were told to apply the rule to the letter and give as many Ts as it took. I suspect they have found that there are schools that are not in a position to comply and have let the official's off the hook. In many ways I am relieved because I am sure there were going to be some schools from some not so well off areas that would claim they did not have the resources to provide legal uniforms. And I can speak from personal experience that this might have been a big problem and I am sure schools were concerned that games would be lost just because of this rule.

Peace

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

Thanks for passing along the info, Rut. If the state directors get together and change the penalty, I would hope that they would adopt the NCAA penalty for this.

Illegal uniforms by the whole team results in a single team technical foul.

I agree they should go with just 1 T. It is kind of ridculous to whack every player/sub for a technical for this.

Now if each kid altered his/her uniform in some way to make it illegal, that's a different story.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

OhioHSAA sanctioned varsity games are to be penalized per NFHS rules. A school may receive a wavier from the OhioHSAA but these waviers will be far and few between. If a school receives a wavier it must present the letter to the R before each game; no letter of waiver, the NFHS penalty will be enforced. The OhioHSAA is not requiring a game report for these infractions of the rules. The OhioHSAA is taking the position that the schools have had plenty of time to come into compliance with the rules.

MTD, Sr.

[gordon30307]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

Jeff, thanks for the update. I just checked the website this morning and hadn't seen this, so this must've just come out.

I'm glad to see the IHSA change their stance a little. Kurt was the rules interpreter for our meeting just last Thursday, and even then he was still taking the stance that the schools have had 4 years to comply with all the uniform rule changes, and it is still the schools' own fault if they purchased illegal uniforms from a supplier. I can see the logic, but that seems to penalize the kids a great deal (5 T's at the minimum) for something they have no control over. Of course, I still heard the usual grumbling afterwards, "There's no way I'm handing out all those T's to start a game", etc., and that puts the officials who want to call it correctly on the spot. This way, the IHSA can deal directly with the schools on this subject, and we can deal with the game of basketball.

They have had four years to comply. Seems enough time to me to make the transgression. BTW I wouldn't be happy if I had the team the following night show up in illeagle uniforms and I applied the penalty we are instructed to apply And I got the the famous excuse. We wore these last night and we didn't start with 5 Tees. Don't do that to the crew that follows you. The Rules Interp. that I was at spent a lot of time going over uniforms. Obviously it's something the powers that be want enforced. If the penalty is 5 Tees you got to do it.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by gordon30307

They have had four years to comply. Seems enough time to me to make the transgression. BTW I wouldn't be happy if I had the team the following night show up in illeagle uniforms and I applied the penalty we are instructed to apply And I got the the famous excuse. We wore these last night and we didn't start with 5 Tees. Don't do that to the crew that follows you. The Rules Interp. that I was at spent a lot of time going over uniforms. Obviously it's something the powers that be want enforced. If the penalty is 5 Tees you got to do it.

As long as everyone does it the same in their area/state, it shouldn't be a problem. If your state doesn't want you calling 5 Ts, don't call 5 Ts.

If Illinois decides to work it from the top down, it's not going to affect me in Colorado.

Bottom line, get direction from your assigners or state interpreters to make sure everyone is doing it the same.

[jdw3018]

Originally Posted by gordon30307

Obviously it's something the powers that be want enforced. If the penalty is 5 Tees you got to do it.

If that's what your association wants, sure. Ours doesn't.

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by gordon30307

They have had four years to comply. Seems enough time to me to make the transgression. BTW I wouldn't be happy if I had the team the following night show up in illeagle uniforms and I applied the penalty we are instructed to apply And I got the the famous excuse. We wore these last night and we didn't start with 5 Tees. Don't do that to the crew that follows you. The Rules Interp. that I was at spent a lot of time going over uniforms. Obviously it's something the powers that be want enforced. If the penalty is 5 Tees you got to do it.

And, up until this clarification, we were going to do it this way as well. At the meeting, there was more time spent on uniform issues than any other POE.

There was one point brought up during the meeting that may be a part of the problem, and that is the suppliers of these uniforms. He brought up, as an example, one of the Ohio State uniforms (sorry Mark, not meaning to pick on OSU again, just relaying what I was told) where the side panel color kind of "flows" up into the front. Suppliers show schools these types of uniforms in the catalog, tell them they can get the same thing in their school colors, and AD's say, "Sure!" without checking if they are actually legal. So many schools have spent the money to upgrade, only to find out they spent money on illegal uniforms. Is it the schools' fault for not making sure? Of course they should bear some of the responsibility. But they don't necessarily have the funds available to just go out and buy the correct uniforms right now, especially after just making a major purchase in the last year or two. But shouldn't the suppliers bear some of the responsibility? Why are the suppliers pushing illegal uniforms?

[Adam]

Because people are buying them.

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Because people are buying them.

You're just the little capitalist, aren't you?

[gordon30307]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

And, up until this clarification, we were going to do it this way as well. At the meeting, there was more time spent on uniform issues than any other POE.

There was one point brought up during the meeting that may be a part of the problem, and that is the suppliers of these uniforms. He brought up, as an example, one of the Ohio State uniforms (sorry Mark, not meaning to pick on OSU again, just relaying what I was told) where the side panel color kind of "flows" up into the front. Suppliers show schools these types of uniforms in the catalog, tell them they can get the same thing in their school colors, and AD's say, "Sure!" without checking if they are actually legal. So many schools have spent the money to upgrade, only to find out they spent money on illegal uniforms. Is it the schools' fault for not making sure? Of course they should bear some of the responsibility. But they don't necessarily have the funds available to just go out and buy the correct uniforms right now, especially after just making a major purchase in the last year or two. But shouldn't the suppliers bear some of the responsibility? Why are the suppliers pushing illegal uniforms?

Suppliers sell uniforms to park districts, travel teams etc. They bear no responsibility. The schools have had four years to conform. These are educated people they all have college degrees (I assume) if the uniforms are illeagle go out and buy a white and a dark mesh practice jersey iron on some numbers (of the proper size) and you're legal. Own up to the mistake and take care of it latter or next season.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by gordon30307

Suppliers sell uniforms to park districts, travel teams etc. They bear no responsibility. The schools have had four years to conform. These are educated people they all have college degrees (I assume) if the uniforms are illeagle go out and buy a white and a dark mesh practice jersey iron on some numbers (of the proper size) and you're legal. Own up to the mistake and take care of it latter or next season.

I wonder if those administrators can spell.

Hmmm.

[gordon30307]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

I wonder if those administrators can spell.

Hmmm.

Niver sad i ws edcated Touche'

[chartrusepengui]

In WI - we must report it to the WIAA within 24 hours - do not access a T.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

And, up until this clarification, we were going to do it this way as well. At the meeting, there was more time spent on uniform issues than any other POE.

There was one point brought up during the meeting that may be a part of the problem, and that is the suppliers of these uniforms. He brought up, as an example, one of the Ohio State uniforms (sorry Mark, not meaning to pick on OSU again, just relaying what I was told) where the side panel color kind of "flows" up into the front. Suppliers show schools these types of uniforms in the catalog, tell them they can get the same thing in their school colors, and AD's say, "Sure!" without checking if they are actually legal. So many schools have spent the money to upgrade, only to find out they spent money on illegal uniforms. Is it the schools' fault for not making sure? Of course they should bear some of the responsibility. But they don't necessarily have the funds available to just go out and buy the correct uniforms right now, especially after just making a major purchase in the last year or two. But shouldn't the suppliers bear some of the responsibility? Why are the suppliers pushing illegal uniforms?

Isn't the only part of the rule that's more restrictive this year the requirement to wear white? Aren't the other parts of the rule the same or less restrictive as before?

So, imo, you could grant a waiver if a school could show that it doesn't have white uniforms, and normally replaces it's uniforms on a cycle greater than 4 years (that should be about 2 schools in the state).

The teams should not, imo, be granted a waiver for the other uniforms. They should follow the procedures to get the rules changed (if that's what they want). The easiest way for that to happen is to enforce the rule of one T per player.