Official's Facial Hair

[NewNCref]

Originally Posted by MajorCord

Seeing Padgett's picture (if that is really him) brought this question to my mind. Do your official's associations have regulations concerning facial hair (women excluded )?

Around here, if you have facial hair, as in this picture, you don't get any varsity games. Just curious what your experiences are.

In the association that I work in, it was put to the first-year officials this way. When you come to work a game, you are expected to look like a basketball official. That means obvious things like striped shirt, black pants, black shoes, etc. But it also means things like looking well kept. No bed head, no wrinkled clothes, and, generally no facial hair. If you show up to a game with a wrinkled pair of pants, you will not be kicked off it. It will in no way affect your ability to call the game. But it is something that will be noticed, maybe not by any players or coaches, but by an evaluator. It's just kind of an unspoken rule of the trade.

On a personal note, I have a beard every day of the year, except for basketball season. No one has ever told me during preseason meetings to shave, but I just always do. It may not help me get any varsity games, but it sure can't hurt.