Arm Sleeve
 

Obviously arm sleeves must be worn for medical reasons only.

Arrive with my partner at the gym last night. We go out on the floor and notice that the home team has 2 players with arm sleeves. One sleeve is white and one is dark (Navy blue or black). If worn both sleeves have to be the same color and navy is not one of the colors that are allowed as the home team is wearing white. My partner says that he is going to ask the coach if either player has a note form the doctor and if not that neither player will be allowed to wear a sleeve. I mention to him that once we ask the coach if the arm sleeves are being worn for medical purposes we have done our jobs. If the coach says yes, then allow the sleeve. If coach says no, disallow the sleeve. Partner is insistent that he wants a note form the doctor or he will not allow the participants wear the arm sleeve. Coach says that players do not have notes form their doctor to allow the sleeve.

At halftime, before we exit to go to the locker room, one of the players respectfully says to my partner that his elbow is hurting and asks if he could wear the sleeve. Partner says that if the trainer says that it is for medical reasons he may. After halftime, with no conversation with trainer player returns to floor with the arm sleeve. Partner allows it to be worn.

For what its worth, I was the R on the game.

In our interperation meetings we are told that if a player (or coach) says that the arm sleeve is for medical purposes and it meets all other criteria (color) allow the sleeve.

Am I missing something? Why should we require a note from the doctor to allow the sleeve?

If I have this definite knowledge and partner ignores it what am I to do?

Doesn't this make us look bad by enforcing a rule that does not exist?

1) A navy sleeve is allowed if it's one of the school's colors -- it needn't match the jersey color. But, all sleeves must match (so one white and one navy wouldn't be allowed).

2) Different states treat the "medically necessary" requirement differenetly -- some require a note, some require an oral confimation, some don't even ask.

3) You were the R -- act like it. ;) It's the same as any other rule dispute between officials -- someone needs to take ownership and be responsible if s/he is wrong. In this case, since it was identified before the game, perhaps one of yo could have gone back to the locker room to find some state requirements on this to convince the other.

I was trained that we even ask the coach in this manner, "Coach, those sleeves are being worn for medical purposes, right?"

And if the coach is dumb enough to say "no" then we have them removed.

I'm not looking for trouble on an issue like this.

With that said, arm compression sleeves must be the same color for everyone on the team.

No need to convince your partner of anything in my view. You are the R and that decision is yours.

Our association takes the word of the coach, no note neccessary.

Something to think about or my two cents.
 

I am not a doctor but I do play one on TV; no, that's not right. I am not a doctor but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night; no, that's not right either.

Here is my two cents:

The sleeve thing came to the forefront when Allen Iverson started wearing what looked to be a compression sleeve. There are medical reasons for wearing a compression sleeve on either an elbow or a knee; I know I wear the neoprene compression sleeves on my knees (it's heck getting old, :p). I have also seen a player who wore special type of sleeve because he was recovering from burns suffered in a fire; it was a compression sleeve of sort but was made from special material specifically designed for its medical function and I doubt that it came in array of colors.

I am also seeing now is compression sleeves that have an elbow pad as part of the sleeve. That raises an interesting question: Is that this a compression sleeve goverened by the "arm sleeve rule" or is it an elbow pad that we see players wearing in old pictures from the "ancient days" which are not governed by the "arm sleeve rule"? Remember, no where in NFHS R3-S5 will one find any mention of knee or elbow pads except for Article 1 which states: "The referee shall not permit any team member to wear equipment or apparel which, in his/her judgment, is dangerous or confusing to other players or is not appropriate."

An example could be a school's colors are red and blue and one of its players wears green knee pads and another player wears orange knee pads. NFHS R3-S5 does not prohibit this situation, nor does it prohibit this situation if we changed the knee pads to elbow pads.

Therefore, are sleeves that have elbow pads in them considered "elbow pads" and not covered by R3-S5-A3?

MTD, Sr.

Shut up. :D

With all due respect, I was trying to promote a discussion based upon the rules.

MTD, Sr.

I suspect we will see incremental rule changes....they will be made legal and they will need to conform to headband color rules. But, they will not do it in one step. They have made several changes already.

But you are missing the point of my post. Is there or is there NOT between the old type of elbow pad and the sleeve type elbow pad?

MTD, Sr.

I think the pads are there to skirt the rule in all honesty. Just make them legal so they don't need to have doctors fabricating notes for bogus medical reasons.

The following is from our Washington State Officials Association (WOA) regarding arm sleeves.

Compression Arm Sleeves
Rule 3-5-3: Arm compression
sleeves shall:
a. Be white, black, beige or a
single solid school color
b. Be the same color for each
team member
c. Meet the logo requirements
in 3-6
d. Be worn for medical reasons
Interpretation of 3-5-3d: In
order for a compression arm
sleeve to be legal, the coach
must present to the contest
officials prior to every game a
letter of authorization from the
WIAA. The sleeve will be
approved to be worn only if
the school makes the request
and includes a note/letter
from a medical authority that
indicates the name of the
player, a recommended
timeline (during the season or
during the school year, for
example) and that the
sleeve is required to be
worn.
The sleeve color does not
need to be the same as
wristbands/headbands worn
by team members.
If a player is not wearing a
sleeve but sustains an injury
to the arm or elbow during a
contest, the officials will
allow a sleeve to be worn for
the remainder of that contest.
The officials should notify the
assigner following the game
of the situation. A letter from
the WIAA will be required
for any subsequent games.