Mouthguard
 

During game, one player who was wearing a mouthguard would move it in and out of his mouth with his toungue during breaks in the action. Referee said he did not want to see the mouthguard again. Player moved mouthguard again (probably a nervous habit). Referee made the player remove the mouthguard for remainder of the game.

I had never seen a ref ask a player to remove protective equipment and wanted to know if there is a new rule in place or is this just a pet peeve of this particular ref?

Ooo
 

Overly Officious Official.

Mouth guards have really become prevalent the last few yrs as more folks are paying big money for their kids choppers......and wanna keep em lookin nice!

:D <-- like that!

Unless there's a specific state rule pertaining to it, the official had no rules basis to even comment on the mouthguard usage one way or another.

Well, unless he's from Nevada. Then he can cite NFHS rule 3-5-4 and disallow the mouthguard for the player not using it the way that it was intended. Maybe he can even issue a "T" while he's at it. :D

Why?
 

Why do we officials make up our own rules?

Had one of our association trainers tell us that there is not water allowed during a 30 second time out:eek:

How do we newer officials take these guys serious when its obvious they don't spend enought time with the book?

Vermont has a mouthguard rule and players can be sent out ala untucked shirts for not wearing one or wearing one properly. New Hampshire's mouthguard rule is even more restrictive. Don't have one [a rule] here in FL, and a kid in a game I had this week kept taking it out and holding it. During one of these removals, an opponent stole the ball and made an easy layup. I figgered that'd learn him.

I was told recently that an official told a coach (which still is debatable) that all the bench personnel had to sit in the coaching box.

Then again something tells me that many of these situations are overreactions to other comments by the officials and there are usually more to the story.

Like the other night we had just called a foul on a shooter where the ball went in the basket. Then as we were about to administer the FT, the team that fouled requested a timeout. After my partner signaled the timeout, I do what I always do and point to the shooter and indicate he was shooting and how many FTs he would shoot (I have been doing this for years without ever a problem). The player got "offended" and said something to his coach. When the coach approached me before he talked to his team and asked me, "what did he do?" I told him, "I was telling my partners he was shooting and how many so we would not forget out of the timeout." The coach said to me, "He is a little sensitive" and we both laughed.

So I am convinced that many of these stories are not all what they seem or if we were to talk to the official there would be some other part of that conversation that was left out. Players and coaches often hear what they want to hear and react to what they "think" they were told rather than react to what was actually said, which is why when I tell a player or coach something, I do not like them to be talking when I am and I not talking when they are talking. I am convinced that often is the case and there might have been more to the conversation than simply the mouthpiece coming out of his mouth. It might have been something that was said while the mouthpiece was out of his mouth.

Peace

can you do me a favor? the next time you see that official, can you please tell him I said: "either read and learn the rules OR simply retire". if that doesn't work for you, I hereby give you permission to make a Citizen's Arrest for "impersonating a basketball official". thanx!

The NH rule is that if the mouth piece comes out of mouth during a live ball it is a timeout given to the offending team. Had a point guard last year take his out to call a play and my partner issued a time out to his team. The point guard then found away to call the plays with his mouthpiece in.

do you know what the rationale is for this rule?

Years ago, when I was actively participating as one of the most prolific 3-point shooters ever, I wore a mouthpiece. I wanted to wear one for protection so I got a custom (Air Force paid) mouthpiece. I would put my mouthpiece in while getting dressed and take it out when getting undressed. I would also tuck my shirt in, raise my arms bringing it back out for comfort, and leave it alone. Mysteriously, neither my shirt or my mouthpiece were ever issues. I guess I would have paid more attention to them if I could score some points with them!

All of this style over substance is STUPID!

I know in Vermont, there was a report issued to the Vermont Principals Association, which governs all student activities, that indicated that in contact sports such as basketball, the proper usage of a mouth guard could reduce the severity of an injury. To avoid the possibility of a lawsuit from an injured player, this was mandated by VPA. Thus, officials will be forever required to enforce it. It will not be undone as VPA received a report, however accurate, that mouthguards could reduce the effect of contact causing injuries. Players have gotten waivers from this for medical reasons and written permission is carried with the teams at all times. Officials are notified of specific players exempted from this rule via email broadcast and at meetings.

Just guessing on this, of course:

Player removes mouthpiece = nasty, germ-filled saliva on player's hands = germs transferred to basketball = everyone handling the ball comes down with mysterious illness (including the totally innocent officials)

Reason for rule: Leave the darn thing in so your germs aren't spread all over the gym or get a time-out charged each time you remove it. After the coach loses a TO or two, I'm thinking the player and his germs will be sitting on the bench until he learns to leave the mouthpiece in his mouth where it actually belongs.

I'm guessing the rule is to have the players keep their mouthguards in their mouth, so it can properly guard. As opposed to in their hands, where it would be protecting their fingers from each other.

based on this rationale, I would assume that kids in Vermont are required to wear ski gloves while playing so as not to spread the germs that can be on their hands from doing such vile activities such as sneezing, pre-game handshakes, dribbling a basketball which has been in contact with a floor that has been walked on by people who have dared to wear shoes outside of the gym.

on second thought, the ski gloves are probably contaminated after coming in contact with road salt, school buses/cars which undoubtably have oil or gas residue, and have been chewed on by household pets.....

on third thought, let's play the games in EPA certified, hermitcally-sealed hazmat suits that contain 100% oxygen systems...we certainly don't want Dustin Hoffman and Renee Russo showing up at a high school game in Burlington, VT. in order to administer E-1101 anti-syrum to eradicate the Ebola virus....

OR... maybe we can just let the kids use mouthguards without all of the superflous rules....c'mon...where are the "less government intervention people"? I'm sure the old guy who said last year "keep your government hands off my Medicare" can be convince to shout "keep you government hands off my gradnsons' mouthpiece"...whaddaya think?

OK... my rant is over and I can now officially start my weekend!

My guess is that it's a safety rule, too many kids were not wearing them appropriately, so the state put in a penalty to encourage the coach to take care of the problem.