Hair

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

Rule doesn't say ribbon. It's says a cloth band, for example, a scrunchy. A ribbon is not a cloth band.

Somewhat agree. A scrunchy is made of cloth, but it's also elastic. Certainly legal.

Forget the word "ribbon" for now. How will players control their hair with a non-elastic cloth band, as the rule allows, without tying it in a knot, or a bow, which is simply one type of a knot?

Now let's go back to the word "ribbon":

Ribbon (noun) 1. a woven strip or band of fine material, as silk or rayon, varying in width and finished off at the edges, used for ornament, tying, etc.

It is my contention that the word "material" in the definition can mean "cloth", thus a ribbon, made of "cloth", is legal.

Cloth (noun): Synonyms: bolt, calico, cotton, dry goods, goods, material, stuff, synthetics, textiles, tissue, twill, weave, yard goods.

Furthermore: "How to Tie Types of Knots: Whether it be tying shoes, fastening clothing or securing equipment, knots play a significant role in our daily lives; Example: Bow Knot"

Ipso facto (single chicks dig Latin), although a bow (bow knot) can certainly be decorative, it's also utilitarian, being used to knot, tie, or secure, a cloth (material) ribbon in a player's hair, which is a perfectly legal hair control device.

Now, as Nevadaref stated earlier, if a player's hair is already controlled by some other hair control device, such as an elastic band, then an additional bow on top of that would be purely decorative, and thus would be illegal equipment.

Please note that I am not denying BktBallRef's state, or local interpretation, it's just that I cannot find any national justification for his interpretation, and certainly not by any NFHS rule, casebook play, or interpretation, that I'm familiar with.