Twitter.....tweet, tweet, whack?
 

I get a local writer's Twitter feeds as he usually broadcasts scores in the area. I'll even send him the score of my game occasionally if he doesn't already have it. Here's one I got on a girls' playoff game last night:

"...after drawing a technical foul for having an earing in her ear, scores six staight and Monroe leads 28-20 at the half."

Hopefully, the T was for something else and the tweeter simply misunderstood.

If I was a betting man, however...

Are you saying, Rich, that someone assigned a playoff game in your locale would likely not know that particular rule?

I've been reading the tweets and I'm not the only official that sent a message on. It appears the technical was applied for the earring. As to your other question, I have no comment.

Maybe she said something on her way to the bench...

I'd hate to think that we didn't handle it during warm ups, then compounded it by making up rules.

Wondering if a partner got with him?

That Guy sure gets around.

Maybe she took it out and then purposely reinserted it sneakily and reentered the game....... :eek:

Yeah, that's the ticket!

I had a partner, who is now our VP in our association, who "T"ed up a player for ear rings. His logic was " I asked the coach if all her players were properly equiped."

Whoops. Maybe one of the resident historians could check to see if this was *ever* a technical foul?

^ Perhaps 2 different players had dunked during warm ups & he didnt want to run the coach...

Perhaps he was simply applauding during warmups...

Forgot to add the :D

As always, I'd like to hear the official's story before passing judgment.

Yup, I'm just passing on what two reporters were told. Sounds to me like they got the story from somebody on site.

I will say this, though. If it happened, I wouldn't be surprised.

It's amazing to me that anyone assigned to a state playoff game wouldn't know the pertinent rule.

Notice I also didn't say "surprising" though too. Unfortunately I've also run into officials like that.

Good rules knowledge is not really a prerequisite for game assignments where I live. I see (or hear about) rules seriously screwed up in all 3 sports I work at the varsity level all the time. In the end, I can only make sure *I* know the rules and enforce them correctly.

I do not know of any assignment that is made based on that anyway (and not a test does not count in my mind). But the funny thing is a coach last night I believe was trying to get us to T a player for having an earring during a critical time of the game. Of course we did not, but there are people somewhere that think this is the penalty. I do not know how you can prove someone knows the rule unless they are faced with this situation and screw it up.

Peace

I hope the T was for something "said" when being asked to remove the jewelry or, at least for "sneaking it back in". We take enough heat for being the fashion police, and most fans etc... do not understand we are only enforcing equipment rules out of concern for safety.

Never have I seen a T given for jewelry, the worst thing I do to a player found to be wearing jewelry after tip-off is make them remove it during a dead ball.

I have been known to make coach take a player out for a tick to remove it though. "Coach, player #15 is out of uniform/improperly equipped, you will need to sub until it is corrected." Did this just last weekend, told a player during pregame to make sure he removed a necklace, he said he would. During the third quarter, I see it still on and told coach to sub him out.

I wonder if that official does soccer, too, because that mentality (backed up by NFHS rules) fits perfectly in soccer (yellow card to the coach on the first offense, to the player each additional), but not in basketball.

I don't think tests are the answer, either. Especially since they're all open book Part I and Part II) here and we go through the tests question by question at association meetings.

But you'd think there'd be some *consequences* for officials that get something so wrong. A few years ago, we had a muffed punt returned by K for a TD and it was discussed at an association meeting and the prevailing attitude was that "they're good officials" and "this can happen to anyone." I wanted to barf.

It's no different than some other workplaces. Regardless of the offense, how much trouble you're in is sometimes directly proportional to your buddy factor of those around you.

That said, I don't work high school football, Rich, so I'm confused. A muffed punt returned by a kicker for a TD?

K is the kicking team. K can recover but not advance a muffed kick in NFHS rules. The covering official should have blown it dead once K had possession.

A muffed punt can not be returned by the kicking team. The ball is dead at the spot of recovery. Now if the returning team had clear possession of the punt and then fumbled it, the kicking team could recover and advance the ball.

Got it. I saw a single player with the letter "K." Thanks.

Coach, I Need A Substitute For Mr. Earring ...
 

Citation please? Officials can't make players remove jewelry. All we can do is tell them that they can't participate while wearing jewelry.

Semantics IMO. I tell them to take it off if they want to play. I don't see the point in wordsmithing it as it is fairly obvious the player won't get to play if they leave it in. If you're told to say a certain thing, fine, but we aren't. No citation needed.

Agreed. I typically just say, "she can't play with them in," but there's no one that has said I can't say, "she needs to take them out." If I get an argument after saying "she has to take them out," that's when I'll offer the alternative by saying, "She can't play with them in."

Granted, for the most part it's simply semantics. But there is a slight difference between saying "they can't participate" (the rule) vs. "they have to take it out" (not the rule).

Similar situation - player has blood on their jersey, and you can see it's too much to simply clean off. You tell the coach, "Your player needs to change their jersey before they can play again." So, as the player is walking towards the bench, they take off their jersey to replace it with an extra one the manager had available, so they can be ready to go at the next available opportunity. Do you now give the player a T for following your orders?

What if the player with piercing develops some sort of medical condition as a result of you telling them they "had to take it out"? (Yes, I know, this would be a very unlikely scenario.) But if you told them they simply couldn't participate, all of the responsibility for taking it out will rest with the player.

The point is, even though unlikely, something negative could happen as a result of your direct order. Sticking with the direct application of the rule will keep you out of those situations.