Different Color Uniform Jersey
 

A1 is warming up with her team and is wearing a distinctively different shade of green jersey than the rest of team A. When questioned, she says she forgot her shirt, and is borrowing a JV shirt until her mother gets there with hers. At the 12:00 minute before game mark, I go to the table and sure enough, she is marked off as a starter.

I tell both coaches that she cannot play with the different shade shirt, but if she needs to be replaced as a starter after the 10:00 minute mark, there is no penalty for that (if the shirt comes before game time, then we are good to go).

I thought I handled it right, neither coach objected, the shirt showed up 3 minutes into the game, she changed in the locker room, her coach called a TO and got her in the game.

Question: Should she have been allowed to play with a noticebaly different shade shirt? Otherwise was this handled correctly?

Referencing a different thread - was her bra the color of the standard jersey? If so, you could have let her play in her bra. I won't even get into what her number would then be. :rolleyes:

This has been discussed previously and my assumption was the same as yours; the player wouldn't be permitted to play. I recall being shown to be mistaken. I'll have to look for that discussion as to why I was wrong.

Not knowing how different the colors were, this seems overly officious to me. If it's the same color (I assume they are wearing their dark jerseys), what's the problem?

Because both coaches agreed it was alright.

NFHS states:

3.4.1.a The torso of the jersey shall be the same single solid color for all team members.

I take that to mean the same shade (or reasonably the same, allowing for fading). Others take it to mean the same color of different shades.

We have lots of teams that will have a player or two wear JV jerseys during varsity games. We've been instructed that this is absolutely allowed (and I believe it is by rule, anyway).

I'm not stopping someone from playing because of a different shade of the same color.

I would not have kept her from playing as long as the general color was similar, and the number on both jerseys were the same. That is as long as it is not similar to the home team's jersey color (should be white). Too bad coach did not make her a non-starter.
As long as the uniforms are close to the same color, I'm letting her play.

If coach made her a non-starter and THEN the jersey shows up after the 10 minute mark, changing her back to a starter would result in a T.

Difference in shade was like the difference between a Packer and Jet jersey.

It sounds as if both were definitely green, and there was going to be no confusion about that. I'd have let her play.

Again, that's how we interpret it here. You may have different requirements where you are.

Are they all green? Are they numbered properly? Nothing to see here people. Move along.

But there's also the case where a jersey gets blood on it and all the team has is a JV jersey, or a (visiting) jersey borrowed from the home team. The direction is to let the player wear the replacement.

Not quite the same thing, but I think it's in the right direction.

This is not much of a consideration.

Says who?

Did I misunderstand?

A jersey is declared to be legal or not legal because the coaches agree?

This is not a consideration at all.

Very Interesting ...
 

Same number? If a different number, technical foul? Please elaborate, and a citation would be nice. We're all getting ready to "listen". Please reply.

3.2.2e

Thanks ...
 

3.2.2 SITUATION E: Team A properly submits its team member list and designates the five starters as required at least 10 minutes before the scheduled start of the game. Anytime thereafter, either before the game starts or during the game, the coach asks the scorer to change a number in the scorebook: (a) so it corresponds to what the team member is wearing; (b) because a player’s shirt has excessive blood on it; or (c) because a player’s shirt is torn. RULING: In (a), a technical foul is charged to Team A. In (b) and (c), the shirt is changed and the number change made in the scorebook without any penalty.

Some of our fellow posters would beg to differ.

What Bob is refering to here is 3.3.7 Situation A.

You ruled the jersey was illegal because it did not match the color/shade of the other jerseys. Yet you ruled that the player may not participate while wearing it. It sounds like you confused 3-4 with 3-5. A player may participate while wearing an illegal jersey at the cost of a single direct technical foul to the head coach (10-5-4). A player may not participate while wearing illegal equipment or apparel.

So if it's not just a different shade, but a different color, a technical gets them in the game?:confused:

I think 3-5.1 gives me enough to not let them participate and avoid a technical. (My guess was that this coach knew the real jersey was on the way, and he was more willing to have his player not start if it got there late than he was to start the game with the other team shooting a technical).

Looking back, it probably would have been best to let her play with the different shade jersey and avoid everything. Live and learn, live and learn.

Yeah, there's the two separate issues going on. As long as the difference in color is not somehow confusing, I think you let them play. I have had one game where the JV and soph. jerseys were completely different colors (one red, one silver) from each other, but both sufficiently different from white that it did not cause the players any grief. Just me. I called a foul on a rebound where a kid in red went "over the back" of a kid in silver. I felt silly. ;)

OTOH, the difference 3-4 v. 3-5 is significant. Uniform and apparel are distinct and specific categories. 3-4 regulates the uniform. If the uniform is illegal because it does not conform to 3-4, then 10-5-4 comes into play. 3-5 regulates other stuff, including some stuff normally considered to be articles of clothing, that isn't the uniform. If some piece of gear or apparel does not conform to 3-5, the player simply may not play while wearing it.

It may seem arbitrary, but I think the reason for the different administration is two-fold: First, the school provides the uniform, and so the school's representative (the coach) bears the cost of violation. Gear and apparel is generally provided by the player, and the rules put the responsibility for this on the player. Second, dealing with an illegal uniform is difficult and often time consuming, as you found out. Gear and apparel can normally just be removed right then and there.

Did I misunderstand?

A jersey is declared to be legal or not legal because the coaches agree?

This is not a consideration at all.

Are they the ones who thought it was OK on the Part I test this year if the coaches agreed to convert all their 60-second timeouts into two 30's each it would be OK? Whether or not the coaches agreed is immaterial. Bob's right -- I'm really going out on a limb, I know -- that the different-shade stipulation in case of blood or tear lends guidance as to what to do here. Let 'er play.

It Always Comes Down To This: "Always Listen To bob" ...
 

Thanks:

3.3.7 SITUATION A: B1 is directed to leave the game because of excessive blood on his/her uniform shirt. Team B’s manager has failed to pack any extra shirts. (a) The coach asks one of the substitutes to give his/her shirt to B1; or (b) Team A is able to find a shirt which B1 can wear even though it is not exactly the same color or style of the Team B shirts. The shirt will however, clearly identify B1 as a member of Team B and will not be confusing to either team or the officials. RULING: Acceptable procedure in both (a) and (b). In both situations the scorer will make necessary changes in the scorebook without penalty. COMMENT: The spirit and intent of the rule is to do everything possible to allow the player to use a different shirt and return without penalty. However, identical numbers shall not be allowed on the same team