Connecticut Home Whites - It's Official

[BillyMac]

I got this email today from the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference, the governing body for most high school sports in the state of Connecticut:

To: Athletic Directors and Basketball Officials

We are pleased to report that the uniform survey conducted by CIAC confirmed practically all varsity boys and girls basketball teams will be in compliance with the VARSITY jersey color requirement by the first regular season game.

There was four years advance notice from the NFHS about this rule change, and CIAC has requested on at least three occasions in the past two months that schools notify us if they have a compliance problem relative to the rule. This is your final opportunity to let us know if you have a compliance problem, and to request that CIAC grant your school a waiver of the uniform rule because of extenuating circumstances.

Requests for a waiver, with rationale, must be submitted prior to your first game to avoid any penalty. If your home uniforms are not in compliance you can also avoid the penalty by contacting your opponent in advance and notifying them you will need to wear your dark (away) jerseys at home and request that your opponent wear their white (home) jerseys.

If you do not request a waiver or follow the above suggestion your team will face the consequences of the specified penalty outlined below. To insure that there is no misunderstanding, the CIAC Enforcement Policy for the 2007-08 season relative to the varsity uniform rule is as follows:

1. Officials have been directed by CIAC to strictly enforce the penalty for players wearing an illegal VARSITY jersey based on color. The penalty, specified in the 2007-08 Points of Emphasis under 1.C on page 68 in the NFHS rule book, is a two (2) shot technical foul accessed for each starter or substitute player that enters the game with an illegal jersey;

2. Officials are requested to inform their commissioner immediately after any game in which they awarded technical fouls for non-white colored jerseys. The commissioner will then notify CIAC by emailing .............or calling .........

Although the officials in Connecticut are supportive of the CIAC enforcement policy, member schools should direct any comments regarding this mandate to CIAC and not the game officials. Officials are required to follow the CIAC mandate and NFHS rules.

If you have any compliance concerns, please contact CIAC immediately.

On another basketball rules related issue, schools are reminded to properly mark the coaching box area on their court. Refer to the basketball page on the CIAC website for the specifications.

Thanks for your cooperation. Have a great winter season!

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

The penalty, specified in the 2007-08 Points of Emphasis under 1.C on page 68 in the NFHS rule book, is a two (2) shot technical foul accessed for each starter or substitute player that enters the game with an illegal jersey;

You can tell this in an organization for public schools. They can't even use the correct word.