Get rid of the "no tights" rule!

[Adam]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

I second the motion. All in favor?

(Many officials wear them. Why can't players?)

Players can if they wear long pants like the officials.

Officials can't wear long sleeve undershirts, should we disallow it on the players?

I wear my wedding ring, should we allow players to do so?

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by Adam

I wear my wedding ring, should we allow players to do so?

Should we allow players to wear your wedding ring?

If you mean should we allow players to wear their wedding rings, I don't think that would make much of a change in HS or MS games, except in some states.

[icallfouls]

I am likely in the minority, but if tights and sleeves are needed to play, then maybe the kid needs a couple more days to heal.

If the NFHS wants us to be the fashion police, they need to quit expanding the list of what is allowed. Otherwise just let it be the AAU free for all it has become.

[VaTerp]

Originally Posted by icallfouls

I am likely in the minority, but if tights and sleeves are needed to play, then maybe the kid needs a couple more days to heal.

If the NFHS wants us to be the fashion police, they need to quit expanding the list of what is allowed. Otherwise just let it be the AAU free for all it has become.

Of course they are not "needed" to play but neither are many other things that kids may choose to wear.

Why as an official do I care what kids are wearing as long as it's not dangerous and does not create a problem for me in distinguishing between teams?

I think the rule disallowing tights is antiquated and not really in the spirit of when the rule prohibiting things extending below the shorts was written.

And with all of the compression apparel out there now it's hard to tell exactly what are tights/sleeves/knee pads, etc. Count me in the camp that applauds any rule change that gives me one less thing to worry about in terms of playing fashion police.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Adam

Players can if they wear long pants like the officials. Officials can't wear long sleeve undershirts, should we disallow it on the players? I wear my wedding ring, should we allow players to do so?

All good points. I probably worded my post poorly. I was simply trying to point out that many officials wear tights for the same reason that many players would like to wear tights, to keep the muscles warm to maybe to lessen the chance of an injury.

We can wear long sleeve undershirts, but I doubt that we would move up our association's ladder wearing such an odd uniform. I've seen officials wearing long sleeve undershirts in recreation, or travel games, especially in some of the cold gymnasiums that we sometimes have to work in. Also, when I was married, I used to take my wedding ring off when I officiated. As an official, I'm not playing, but there are many occasions where a player, or my partner, is tossing a ball to me, and I don't need any jammed fingers, or swollen fingers with the wedding band acting as a tourniquet.