Question came up the other night...
Can a player wear his headband around his neck?
One official saw two players wearing their headbands around their neck during warm-ups. (Apparently didn't do it during the game)
One official stated that the neck was part of the head...thus the player can wear it over his eyes for all he cares...just as long as the headband is somewhere on his head... legal?

Dude

I have given this some more thought and although I still stand by my original answer, which was no, I didn't have the right reason. I was thinking that it had to be to control hair. That doesn't seem true to me upon further reflection. What about a player with a shaved head? He can wear a sweatband on his head.
I would have to rule that around the neck it is not appropriate equipment, unless the player had a good reason for it (skin condition, injury). Just like a player wearing gloves.

Not on my game. What if someone gets their hand tangled in it and choke him? I don't want that type of responsibility. Once we are in regulation game...bring it up.

Headband usage is found under Head decorations and headwear. No, I would not let him wear it around his neck.

The neck is now part of the head? I guess the ankle is now part of the foot as well? :)

There`s nothing I hate more than playing ball and getting a sweaty neck. Drives me nuts. ;)

Had a kid the other day and he had two headbands on in warmups. They were different colors. I made him take one off before he was able to play. I hope this isn't some new fashion statement that we will be facing in the upcoming year! On an aside, I saw Rasheed Wallace the other night when playing the T'Wolves put his headband in his mouth several times. The announcers said he should wear it there all the time and he wouldn't get T'd up as much!!!

...no jewelry allowed...that's a cloth "necklace" kid...gotta go! ;)

Dude

For NF. What about these so called thin string ankle braclets that the kids wear. Should they be required to be taken off for the games. If so, most would have to be cut off with scissors. What's the ruling on this. I allowed one to stay on my last game since I didn't feel that it would make him jump higher or run faster. Appreciate the postitive feedback on this. Thanks.

Pre-wrap headbands
 

Saw a Girls varsity team wear green (team color) prewrap as headbands the other day. My veteran partner, the R for this game, let them wear it. The stuff is pretty flimsy and will easily tear so I didn't see a big safety issue... probably should have had them remove it anyway - not really part of their designated uniform... now is it. Any comments?

Hmmm...why?

Why what?

Why should I have made them remove it (we didn't) or why did they wear it (team spirit I suppose) or why should I get your comment (because this is an insightful group and I appreciate your response, Tony)?

Tony,

TH was asking BigJoe what rule gave him the authority to require the player to remove one of his headbands.

Chuck

They're gone in my games. Just like rubber bands, etc. around the ankles or wrists.

Ah Ha!

Read the post. The whole post. Thanks Chuck.

Comes off in my games.

You'd be surprised how fast "permanent" jewelery comes off when you tell players that they can't play with it on. Of course, I've had so many questions/complaints that my line is - "I don't care if it's tied on, if it's soldered on, or if you were born with it - you can't play if you're wearing it, no matter how many yards of tape are covering it!"

3-5-2 Exception 2: A headband no wider than 2 inches and made of nonabrasive, unadorned, (except for logo/trademark, see 3-6) single-colored cloth, elastic, fiber, soft leather or rubber may be worn. Rubber/cloth (elastic) bands may be used to control hair.

Notice the rule says "A headband" that is singular.
When the rule speaks of controlling hair, it uses the plural bands. So only one headband is allowed, but if a player wants/needs to use two or more rubberbands to control his/her hair that is fine.

That's pretty weak, NV. ;)

I try to make my weaknesses my strengths.

BktBallRef,

The reason I made him take off one headband was the same reason that girls can't wear multi-colored hair ties or you have to have a matching color undershirt on. Thanks to Nevadaref for the rule reference. I usually am not that picky but in this situation it was clear to me that the guy was trying to stand out. The uniform rules are in there for this reason. Even a headband with ROZELLE on it has been penalized in the past!

How about two headbands of the same color twisted together so they are no wider than 2 inches... worn above the left ear but over the top of the right ear .... and they've also got a rubber band forming a pony tail? ohh and it is Tuesday with the wind from the south-west... and your partner (no the coach) is 30 pounds overweight

I have a feeling this could turn into one of those regulation headwear discussions with all the pretty pictures.

Whoa! Why can't girls wear multi-colored hair ties? :confused:

As long as they're soft and have no metal, I ceretainly don't care whether they're rubberbands, or cloth. Perhaps you're describing something else when you say "ties?"

BTW, I don't buy the argument that "a head band..." means the player can only wear one. That's not the intent of this rule.

We have been told by the state association during a clinic that you can only wear "1" item. The question came up regarding having hair in a ponytail with a rubber band, and then having one of the soft ties (think they call it a scruntchie??). Instructor said one or the other. The first item secures the hair and the second item is considered "adornment" and can't be worn.

I don't know the intent of the rule myself. I can only base my opinion on what the rules committee wrote.
I would suggest that if one does not care about the player's second headband then neither should anyone not working that game. However, if you do care and want it removed, I have given a way to justify it. All these kind of rules are for is to keep order. They have nothing to do with basketball.

I don't know why they can't wear multi-color hair ties. I only know that at the rules interpretation meeting this year they said that wouldn't be allowed. They also said no glitter in the hair or on the body and no rubber bands around the wrists. I guess this falls in the I don't make the rules or hope to understand all of them, I only enforce them.

Okay, so that's a local or state rule. That's cool. In the county I live in, the school system AD doesn't allow players at any level to wear headbands or sweatbands. So, we do like we're told.

Waht if they have pigtails? :D

How does one determine that there is both a scruntchie and a rubber band underneath?

Sounds like we are looking for more than we really need to find.

I think this lies more along the lines of the girl (or guy) who comes up to you before the jump and says that she's wearing a belly-button ring. (Unfortunately, there's no rule allowing us to check all the players for this.) She can't play with it, even though we would have been oblivious during the game. Similarly, if a girl takes off one of the ties and you can see that another one is there underneath, it's illegal.

In all seriousness, some of these interpretations are absolutely silly.

A rubber band and a scruchie worn together are illegal but apart of OK. Come on. Who is anyone to say that the two don't hold the hair more securely, comfortably, or effectively than one alone. That's being overly officious.

Same thing about multi-color hair ties. If it's legal in a solid color, it's legal in many colors. Only the headbands have color restrictions.



[Edited by Camron Rust on Dec 18th, 2002 at 03:33 PM]

Not "looking" for anything at all. Sometimes the ladies will wear a rubber band and then have a ribbon tied over the pony/pig tail and the ribbons sometimes come off. I simply tell them -- one or the other, not both. If it was left up to me, I would let them wear both, but the state says no.