Official's Facial Hair
 

http://www.co.washington.or.us/DEPTM...cs/padgett.jpg


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 :D )?

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

No official rule that I know of.

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.

Do you officiate any other sports?

Facial hair is like wearing glasses. It is a unwritten rule in our HS Association, you have either and you probably will only work sub-varsity games. In my College conferences, facial hair is definintely a no-no. Don't know about glasses, but I have yet to see any college official with glasses.

There is no hard and fast rule about facial hair, but there might be some personal preferences of a particular assignor. And for the record I see a lot of officials have facial hair work basketball. If you are African-American, facial hair is very common and accepted. I think this is a hang up of white people for some reason. :)

Peace

When more women start officiating past menopause, they might include them as well.:p

Rita

I think Rut is talking about mustaches in particular. If so, this is also an unwritten rule concerning officers in the Military. It isn't a bad thing for an African American to have a mustache, but sort of frowned upon for others. I don't know why this is; it seems kind of stupid to me.

As far as beards and officiating go, it isn't anything specific, but it is there. I think the same applies to certain hair styles too.

Gee, this guy had a mustache. BTW - his name is Dr. James Naismith. Seriously, since when did facial hair result in an inability to use good judgment?

http://www.sportsantiques.com/Naismi...esNaismith.jpg

http://www.co.washington.or.us/DEPTM...cs/padgett.jpg

:eek:

MY EYES !!

MY EYES !!














:D just kidding

Yes, softball.

Our assigner has a handle-bar mustache, and maybe two guys have goatees (one is African American, and one is caucasian).

I had a goatee a few games last year, but for the most part I'm clean shaven when I ref (I can't wear a goatee for more than a month at a time anyway due to Air Force regulations.:))

Why are you not clean shaven for softball as you are for basketball?

I've worn a goatee pretty much non-stop since I was 18(11 years now), and have never had it be an issue in officiating(baseball 10 years, basketball starting this year). Then again, I've never been part of an association, as there hasn't been any associations in the areas I've worked in.

No, but we have regulations concerning anything that fugly. We don't use officials that make small children cry and the townspeople break out the torches and pitchforks.

When I think about facial hair, I was excluding mustaches. I wear a very thin one, but now that I think about it, it seems like everyone in my college association shaves theirs during the season. My college website is down right now so I can't look at all of the offcials pictures, which is required on our website. I know had a couple of strands of hair on my chin and was told that I needed to shave before my games. I use to have to shave once every other week but now I make sure I shave the night before every game.

The first association I reffed in had more rules and regs. than I care to remember. One of them was no facial hair except for a well groomed mustache.

My current association has only a rule that officials will look "professional."

Concur! Like the military and some jobs for that matter - facial hair is just frowned upon for whatever reason and it "goes without saying". But, we even talked about this at one of our Ref Association Mtgs. As I look around my Association, my work place and the corporate structure, it just doesn't happen. While I don't necessarily agree, I learned long ago, when it Rome.....

Besides, I look horrible/10 yrs older with a mustache and beard! blah! ;)

ROFL!!

Heh, my problem is that I look 17 years old withOUT my goatee. Maybe when I hit my 40's I'll be able to shave it and look like I'm in my 20's again..:p

If my facial hair's like this, can I advance?

http://samplerewards.com/images/a.danhaggerty_2.jpg

Around here, mustaches are OK, just no beards or goatees if you want to call varsity level.

Is this anybody on this forum?

http://www.uberpages.com/tutorials/p...d_brush_06.jpg

:eek: :eek: :eek:

In Virginia and Maryland...
 

...where I worked previously--facial hair on white male officials was frowned upon. Now in NH and MA where I currently officiate, there are a lot of white guys with facial hair.

we have several European Americans that have side burns. We have a mexican american with a pencil mustache, and a antartic american with a full beard.

How old are you, Rita? Still got a few years left? Without getting too explicit, I"ll just say about myself, that I'll let you know in a few months or so how that all works out.

No, but if it's like this, your odds are a helluva lot better...
http://www.spaceandmotion.com/Images...ristianity.jpg
I'm not sure whether the headband is illegal or not though.....

Good point, JR. And you're right to worry about the headband.

I wonder about my suspenders, though?

HEY - I was framed, I tell ya. :eek:

For softball, I umpire with many guys with facial hair, and no one has ever said anything about it. For basketball, I can't think of many people with facial hair.

And JRut was right earlier. There are several African-American guys in our association, many of whom call varsity games, who have facial hair. This does just seem to be a hang-up of Caucasian persons.

I have a goatee and I wear glasses..does not seem to bother anyone..maybe I am just lucky and the people in NH overlook those things- nice to live in the
"Live Free or Die" State

I had my goatee before I met wife and she would be pissed if I shaved it. It also makes me to look old enough to be possibly respectable - and without it I probably still look too young to be taken seriously. It is possible to be neatly-groomed and professional, and still have facial hair.

I also wear glasses. If I had to pick between wearing contacts, where something could happen at any second to cause me to be unable to see (even momentarily) and wearing the glasses, I would pick the eyeglasses. I've only ever heard one fan comment - "he already has glasses, so THAT'S not the problem" - but I don't know how coaches or the leaders of my association feel.

I'm not doing varisty yet, but I'm reasonably sure at this point that's a product of many things completely unrelated to my grooming habits (experience, skill, lack of attendance at association training camp, no field clinic yet). If it eventually keeps me out of varisty games, then so be it. I can live with it.

Davism for glasses remarks:

"Hey ref - want to borrow my glasses?"

"Why? They're not doing you any good."

I thought you had to have a blond beard in the "Live Free or Dye" state. :p

I don't work basketball but...

That's precisely why I wear contacts. I'd be up the creek if my glasses broke or fell off my face during a play. At least if I lose one contact, I can still see out of one eye. The only time I've ever had an issue with contacts is when I wrestled in school. The gym was extremely hot, which dried out my eyes and I blinked them right out while being pinned. :rolleyes:

I didn't wear "soft" contacts but the harder "semi-rigid" kind for a while, so your experience may be very different. But when I did, I found my eyes much more susceptible to dust and dirt and other things getting into them, and having lenses occasionally move out of place. I also blinked more, and teared up sometimes for no reason.

Whereas in my 2nd year of officiating have never come close to damaging my eyeglasses.

Ah, yes there is the difference. I've never worn hard contacts but my father made both for years. I know some people can't wear soft contacts but I can't see how anybody can wear hard contacts!

I'm also a klutz so anything I can do to reduce breaking things is a good thing. ;)

SOM44--Where do you live in NH?
 

I live in Salem, NH. How about you?

In the Portland area we don't have any regulations governing facial hair.

That said, I can't think of a single official that has much more than a mustache that does Varsity games. There are one or two that have sometimes had very thin goatees or similar...no full beards at all.

http://web.mac.com/arnold_zwicky/ArcticAmerican.jpg

:p

Wrong, I Think
 

http://web.mac.com/arnold_zwicky/ArcticAmerican.jpg

Penquins don't live in the Arctic. Most live in either the Antarctic, somewhere else in the Southern Hemisphere, or near the Equator.

I asked because I belong to several associations and some of them have no issues towards facial hair while others will restrict the level of ball you officiate if you have facial hair; no matter what ethnicity you are.

Ya... I said it.
 

I thought Penguins live in Pittsburgh. :o

And you spelled Antarctic properly.

Rita

rSOX34--I Live in Campton..

Maybe instead you should rock prescription goggles, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar style.:p

I make sure i have a clean face, only a mustache (Spelling?). I wear glasses, but wear contacts when I officiate.

So you have a problem with where the penguin claims to be from, but you have no problem with the fact that the penguin is talking. . .? :p

Padgett's meds must have gotten into the water supply.

I wear glasses but am still doing Freshman/JV games. I know that it is PC to not wear glasses at the varsity level but I know a few guys that do in our area. I've tried and tried to get the one-time use contacts into my eyes but still cannot do it. Very squeamish about it (I'll keep trying though). I don't want full time contacts either because I don't need them at work or most of the time for that matter. I also have a light 'stache though not porn-worthy.

Aw geeze, now you done it. He's gonna post the penguin's entire conversation.:D

What is this societal issue with glasses? You can see if you have contacts but not if you have glasses?

Rita

Nah, they just don't know if you're wearing contact lenses. Guarantee they'd have a ball if they found out a ref wore contact lenses.

Dunno. But after my first season a respected veteran from my area suggested that I leave my cane, my dog, and my tin cup in the locker room during games.

Some people can be so petty.

Too right.

The issue is not a societal issue; the issue is a credibility and perception issue. Right or wrong the fact that you have glasses means you have trouble seeing. Right or wrong, why put yourself in that category before the game even starts? This is why I wear contacts. And after all credibility has more to do with officiating than what you actually call. We are salespeople at the end of the day more than anything.

Peace

As a practical matter, you should keep the cane and the dog, as you may need to use them for protection. You can leave the cup, since nobody will put anything in it anyway, at least nothing you would want to take home.

Hey, stay on topic, please! This is "facial hair," not "glasses." If we can't keep some discipline, what's next, nose issues?

And how much credibility would you have if you wore contacts, had a problem with them, and came out for the 2nd half with your glasses on?

In our association and I believe throughout the whole state, facial hair is not allowed. Especially if you want a chance at getting a play-off game or making it to the state play-offs.

I've always wanted to try that. My dog keeps encouraging me too but I keep telling him that an officials job is not to upstage the game or coaches knowledge and he knew more about the game than most coaches :D

I really don't get the controversy over facial hair. It actually can be a benefit when officiating. Do you really think any coach is going to argue with this guy? BTW - that's me when I was just starting out.

http://vectors.usc.edu/issues/04_iss.../werewolf2.jpg

A word about unwritten rules: If it is worthy of being a rule, it should be worthy of being written somewhere. Facial hair is a negative thing in this instance because ........? Even so, if it is not allowed, tell me. Spell it out. You can be an official and have a card but you will not get varsity games. You can call all season and get rave reviews from EVERYONE, (yeah, right) but you cannot call in the playoffs. You can call all through the playoffs but not the state finals.

If you give me a state final to call, it will be over in a couple of hours. I have had a beard since 1980. Given the choice, I think I know what I would do.

If it's written, then it's also guaranteed that some clown with a beard who can't referee a lick is gonna file a lawsuit for follicular discrimination because he wasn't given a state final.

It may be old school. It sureashell may not be reasonable. But it <b>is</b> the standard across the country.

I wonder how the laces being on the outside of the ball like that affected dribbling.

The sharp pointy parts could be problematic.

Reminds me of a joke.

A 16 year old boy with shoulder length hair went to his father, the local preacher, asking him if he could get his driver's license.

His father said, "Only if you cut your hair."

The boy said, "But dad, Jesus had long hair."

To which his father replied, "Yes, and he walked everywhere he went." :D

Oldies But Goodies
 

From Jurassic Referee: "Aw geeze, now you done it. He's gonna post the penguin's entire conversation"

What's black and white, black and white, black and white?

1) a penguin rolling down a hill.
2) a nun rolling down a hill.
3) a zebra roling down a hill.
4) BillyMac, Jurassic Referee, or an other basketball official, rolling down a hill.

What's black and white and red (read) all over?

1) a newspaper.
2) an embarrased penguin.
3) an embarrased nun.
4) an embarrased zebra.
5) an embarrased BillyMac, Jurassic Referee, or an other basketball official.

At the camp I went to this summer, one guy showed up looking like he just got out of bed after sleeping for 4 days. Which meant about a 4 day growth of beard. Thought for sure since it was Friday night, that Saturday morning, it would be gone. Nope. Same thing Sunday. As he was leaving, he told me he got the strangest comment from the evaluators suggesting he should shave his 'beard'. Who am I to 'one-up' an evaluator at a camp?

BS. I do NOT have trouble seeing as long as I'm wearing glasses! That's what makes it so stupid!

It is a societal issue that makes it a perception issue. Society is stupid.

Rita

I honestly do not know what society has to do with this at all. You are an official that expected to see, run and hold your composer at all times. When you miss something wearing glasses just adds to the scrutiny even if it is not a real issue. It is really not that big of a deal, but you do not see officials on TV wearing glasses and it is not because society says so. It is because they want to take away one other thing to call into question their competence or ability. It would be no different if you had a college professor teaching classes without a college degree. It kind of calls into question your ability to do the job right or wrong.

Peace

Yes it would. That's an absurd analogy.

If you don't have a college degree, you're not qualified to teach college classes.

If you wear glasses, you're still qualified to referee basketball games. It just looks bad.

A better analogy would be a college professor wearing bermuda shorts and a tank top to class. Doesn't make him any less qualified, but I'm sure it would be frowned upon and damage his credibility.

Our state's director of officials told a story at a banquet that I was at, and he told us that he showed up to a playoff game as well as an official that he has selected. The official had a face full of hair and he gave him the options of going in the locker room and shaving it off or going home.

You're absolutely right. If I'm WEARING glasses, that means that my vision has been corrected so that it's closer to 20/20 than that of most people who don't wear corrective lenses. If I'm NOT wearing glasses, how does the crowd know that I shouldn't be? How do they know I'm not missing a contact lens? Or forgot to put them in? I understand the perception, but it is stupid. "Perception" or "perceived credibility" doesn't make it right. There was a time when you didn't see women officiating games on TV. A fan could infer at the high school level that women are inferior officials. Should that have stopped women from officiating in state tournaments?

It *shouldn't* matter, but it does. You (we) can (and should) work to change the perception, but in the meantime, each official must decide whether s/he should change himself / herself so the perception doesn't apply.

The "it" in the first sentence can be glasses, facial hair, tattoos, piercings, wrinkled clothes, unshined shoes, ....

I've been following this thread for the last couple of days for entertainment sake, not realizing it may apply to me. I have sideburns. My wife kiboshed my thoughts of muttonchops but nevertheless I do have healthy sideburns. I like them. I have had them 25 years now. I'm keeping them.

last night a varsity official commented on them and their "healthiness". Is it gonna hold me back. Doubt it. I'm 45 so anything beyond HS is probably outta reach, and I'm not that interested in doing the footwork to go beyond HS.

I show up 45 minutes early for my games. I wear a nice , clean sports coat,tie,pressed shirt and polished shoes. My uniform is always pressed and clean. I am polite and have social skills. I hustle. I move closer than the division line when I'm Trail. I make a full faith effort on all my games to do an above average job. I keep it professional. I have a positive attitude.

If "they" are willing to ignore all that cause I have "healthy" sideburns "they" are the ones with the issue. "They" were probably gonna find something wrong with me anyway.

I'm keeping my sideburns even if I have to work Girls Frosh games the rest of my life.

All of those things affect the "first impression." That affects the reaction / "benefit of the doubt" to your first call.

If a well-respected / well-known official shows up for a game with facial hair, then the facial hair won't matter. If an unknown official shows up with facial hair, then it will matter -- until the official can overcome it. And, the official will have a harder time overcoming it than will an official who doesn't have facial hair.

Ageed.

I think the point I was trying to make concerned me and myself. For me I am only willing to go so far to establish credibility with those who give credibility. If having facial hair means working harder to establish credibility then I work harder. I am keeping my sideburns.

I can definetly see if you are trying to go into the college ranks how you have to look a certain way,whatever that way is.

I was on the other side of the glasses argument, largely because I did not want to mess with my eyes and contacts. Just before last season, I relented. It made a difference. One can argue all day long about it being 'unfair' that an official will be held back due to wearing glasses. But what is the number one complaint you hear about officials in all sports? That's right, "What are you? Blind?" Why add to it? My contacts stay in for 30 days & I use reading glasses. Many bring reading glasses to 'do the book' at courtside. I now do not have to worry about sweat pouring down my glasses, adjusting my glasses, turning my head in a pronounced fashion to get a better angle, etc. I have been told since the switch that I look 'more confident' out there. And, by the way, I did get promoted to do varsity this season. Coincidence?

You don't have to like the fact that facial hair, glasses, etc. will affect you moving up. And you may not like it, either. But that's the way it is.

I've been following this thread for a few days now, well said 26 Year Gap. Unfortunately, in the officiating game perception is reality.

In theory, theory and reality are the same. In reality, they're not. ;)

[QUOTE=Idaho]Yes it would. That's an absurd analogy.

If you don't have a college degree, you're not qualified to teach college classes.

If you wear glasses, you're still qualified to referee basketball games. It just looks bad.

A better analogy would be a college professor wearing bermuda shorts and a tank top to class. Doesn't make him any less qualified, but I'm sure it would be frowned upon and damage his credibility.QUOTE]
Idaho, I don't know when you graduated from college, but if I had a prof. that showed up wearin bermuda shorts and a tank top, id be psyched!

That's it exactly.

Good thing I don't have any aspirations to "moving up" because I'm not spending the money for contacts.

I can see just fine for what I'm doing.

Rita

We all have choices in life. :)

Peace

If you did have aspirations, you could just consider it an investment of 3 or 4 HS game fees. Or work a couple weekend tournaments and you'd be set.

Oh, I have aspirations. That I can continue to live my life not reinforcing and validating the prejudices of others. But you also don't hear me whining about my assignments...

Not putting those things in my eyes.

Rita

Then you should not complain when you do not get certain opportunities. It does not have to be a "moving up" situation to get passed over or for someone to judge your ability based on superficial things. And whether you like it or not, some of those things will not be expressed to your face.

Peace

Really.

Quite honestly, I know that happens. I'm female and 52. I know quite well how one can be judged on ability simply by being female.

Doesn't mean these judgments are right.

Rita

And I am sure that is the case. Just like your age will be a huge factor as well. And honestly your age will hold you back more than your gender. Anytime they see a female official at least where I live they advance much faster than the men do on either side of the ball (girl's or boy's basketball). Your age would make people think you do not have much time in the game, so the people in power would be afraid to put you in situations above the up and comers.

Once again, officiating is an athletic endeavor. If you show any signs that you cannot work up to those expectations, they will find other people that will. Just like the NBA does not draft 5'2" guard just because they played ball in HS. You have to prove you are worthy and as an official our eyesight is apart of that.

And you keep talking about what is right. We have people that cannot work a game in the town the live; even though that does not prove a bias or that there would be a problem with the product on the court. It is about credibility and that credibility is not always about compete and rational thinking. In most cases you could not easily change your gender (and if you would there is nothing wrong with that), but you can change your appearance which involves uniform, eyewear, hair style, facial hair and even your weight. If that is a problem, then do not complain when you are not picked to work certain games or tournaments (not even top HS and college games) because it is harder for them to sell you to the people that the game is for.

Peace

Worthy Unworthy
 

This week I worked with a female partner. In our pregame, as in all my pregames, I told her that if I didn't know which team caused a ball to out of bounds, on my line, that I would blow my whistle, signal to stop the clock, and call out, "Help Jane", and by doing so, I would pass the call onto her, and she could call, "Red", "White", or "Held Ball".

She told me that it was alright for me to use that procedure, but she would never do that because it would show the coaches that she was "weak". She said that she could never call out "Help", instead, she would blow her whistle, signal to stop the clock, and pause, looking at me for help.

I'm not sure that I agree, or disagree, with her next statement, because I'm a male official, but she said that a "female official had to prove that she is worthy every game, while a male official has to prove that he is unworthy in every game."

Yeah, but does she have facial hair? :p

They live at Youngstown (Ohio) State University. :D

MTD, Sr.

I have been slogging through this thread and I think it is absolutely stupid that a well trimmed mustache or beard is a problem for an official. I have never worn a mustache or a beard. I don't care if my partners have a mustache (Daryl Long has a mustache) or a beard as long as they look neat and presentable. As far as beards go, I would think that it would be uncomfortable to officiate with a beard.

MTD, Sr.

Why would you think that? I've done it forever. :confused:

What kind of official would this guy make? Glasses and a beard, but "he knows whether you've been bad or good!" :D

http://www.surfnetkids.com/images/santaclaus.jpg

Probably get dinged for being over-weight...and having reindeer sh!t on his shoes.

Don't forget he's wearing glasses, as well.........

Uh, Don, do you have your glasses on? :D

I thoroughly blame it on being at the end of my shift at work annd damn tired.

*sigh* graveyard's a killer............