Uniforms in a State Championship Game

[WhistlesAndStripes]

March 20-22, Alaska held their 1A/2A State Championship basketball tournament. These are the 2 smallest classifications in Alaska. In the 2A Boys Championship game, the "Home" team was assessed a technical foul for wearing jerseys, with 3:27 remaining in the 1st quarter. It appears the TF was assessed due to a request by the director of officials of the tournament, who came and talked to the on court officials during the media timeout.

You can view what happened and hear the commentators take on the situation at this link:

2013 ASAA 2A Boys Basketball Championship Finals-Hooper Bay vs Metlakatla (Event): Alaska: PlayOn! Sports

Fast forward to about the 20:30 point to get to where it all begins.

What would you have done if this was your game? It should be noted that the team that wore the gold jerseys wore the same uniforms as the home team in a game on the first night of the tournament and were NOT assessed a TF. Not sure how often it occurred during the season.

[#olderthanilook]

I just googlemapped Hooper Bay and Metlatka. Those two schools are separated by about 2000 miles or more.

[grunewar]

Boy, those kids stood at the lane for a long time.......

"You guys clear out, and go to half-court."

Thankfully, it didn't "decide the game."

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by #olderthanilook

I just googlemapped Hooper Bay and Metlatka. Those two schools are separated by about 2000 miles or more.

That would make them neighboring towns wouldn't it?

[JetMetFan]

Originally Posted by Whistles & Stripes

What would you have done if this was your game? It should be noted that the team that wore the gold jerseys wore the same uniforms as the home team in a game on the first night of the tournament and were NOT assessed a TF. Not sure how often it occurred during the season.

Well, apart from not telling the kids they had to stand at half court for the technical free throws...

I would have done what the administrator told me to do. However, if this wasn't being enforced during the entire season let alone the tournament it's a pretty lousy time to start. If the officials had been advised to enforce the rule prior to the tournament and the "home" team coach had been warned prior to the tournament then that's the way life goes.

We have that situation come up every season in NYC with some teams. There are a few that always violate NFHS 3-4-2a (visible manufacturer's logo on the jersey). I didn't have any of them until our citywide playoffs. I e-mailed my assignor and asked whether the league had changed its enforcement policy (i.e., leave it alone) and he said no, so I left it alone.

[rockyroad]

I would imagine that the team had been warned about it after the first day of wearing the gold uniforms...their choices would be to fly the other uniforms in (about 500 miles away) or risk the T.

We have a couple Alaska refs on the forum...anyone know what actually took place.

[Raymond]

Virginia had a couple similar situations. One involved a home team wearing silver instead of white (T assessed before game started) and another where a team had a Nike logo on its jerseys (T assessed at halftime after state commissioner notified alternate official at halftime).

[zebraman]

Originally Posted by JetMetFan

Well, apart from not telling the kids they had to stand at half court for the technical free throws...

Can you cite the rule that says the kids have to stand at half court for technical free throws?

[brainbrian]

What could have taken so long? Explain it to the coaches and move on.

[rsox34]

BTw--players do not have to stand at "half court!" They just have to be above the foul line extended!

[bob jenkins]

Very similar to what happened here a few years ago with illegal uniforms. Yes, it should have been caught earlier.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by zebraman

Can you cite the rule that says the kids have to stand at half court for technical free throws?

He said "apart from...". He knows players do not have to go to the division line during Technical free throws.

[ref3808]

Pretty crummy time to start enforcing the rule if it wasn't enforced earlier in the tournament. What I very much dislike is the appearance that someone other than the uniformed officials made the ruling and enforced the penaly. "When discovered" in this case could have been at halftime just as easily as when it was.

[WhistlesAndStripes]

Originally Posted by ref3808

Pretty crummy time to start enforcing the rule if it wasn't enforced earlier in the tournament. What I very much dislike is the appearance that someone other than the uniformed officials made the ruling and enforced the penalty.

Agreed on both points here. I would have been likely to tell the administrator that I wasn't going to enforce it at this point and if he wanted it enforced, he could go and get his stripes on and finish the game for me.

Right call, WRONG TIME!!

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Whistles & Stripes

Agreed on both points here. I would have been likely to tell the administrator that I wasn't going to enforce it at this point and if he wanted it enforced, he could go and get his stripes on and finish the game for me.

Right call, WRONG TIME!!

No you wouldn't.

Peace