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Illegal Numbers
Middle school doubleheader today. Our association has made it clear to us how to deal with middle schools who have an illegal uni or two: use tape and do what you can to get the kids into the game legally. Some still have old uniforms with old, wrong numbers. (Youth games, they could wear three digits for all I care.)
Today, I'm the R for game 1, girls' game. The book has the home team's roster numbers 1-14, INCLUSIVE. I look up at the kids warming up, and there they are: numbers 6, 7, 8, and 9. Someone ordered brand new uniforms for both girls' and boys' teams, and went international. The girls' home coach played college ball, and wasn't happy with the school's snafu. ("I told them!") I wondered aloud how to tape up number 6-9, but the coach asked whether they can just give them last year's uniforms for those four. Easy solution. Between games, the principal comes to our room (nurse's office) and asks if we can "let this go, just this once" for the boys' game. ("I'm a hockey guy; I didn't know.") Being around long enough to know what "just this once" really means, I explain we can't allow the unis without taping them, so they may as well just use some old ones, thereby saving any future crews this issue. Besides, the boys' coach (one of my son's teachers) was also in disbelief with the school. (As we know, the responsibility of these numbers is on the head coach.) After the game, the principal thanked me for letting them know after game one. He realized there would be more frustration to find out five or six games into the season. ("How come the others let it go?") This uniform stuff is a posterial pain, but sweeping it under the rug only makes it worse. If you have to deal with it, just get it done. |
No, It Wasn't Bill Russell ...
My Catholic middle school assigner wants all "Fashion Police" rules enforced (headbands, wristbands, undershirts, etc.) He makes this very clear to all coaches, and athletic directors, before each season. He has told us that if he finds out that we are not enforcing one of these rules, that we will not get paid for that game. I'm sure that it's an idle threat, he assigns from his retirement home in Florida, so how's he going to find out what happened here in Connecticut (I don't think that he has a black helicopter), but we all enforce these rules because nobody wants to be a test case.
Last year, for some reason it was decided that the rule regarding illegal numbers had to be enforced. We all got an email, as did all coaches, and athletic directors, at the start of the season. I'm working a "junior varsity" game, involving fifth, and sixth, grade girls. Girls are warming up. One little girl has number six. Opposing coach reminds me of the rule, and it's necessary enforcement. I tell the coach of the little girl with the illegal number that she can play if he takes a technical foul. He asks me if he has to sit down, and I reply that he gets seat belted. He says that he can't sit and coach. There's no way that I'm going to prevent this little girl from playing. We decide that she will wear number six in the first half, and not play, and then at halftime, she will change jerseys with another girl, who will sit during the second half. At halftime, the change is reported to the official scorekeeper, and to an official, to make it all legal. I was surprised that the rule didn't require the uniform change to be reported to the opposing coach, but we did it anyhow. Same team, same coach, same little girl, same number six, the next weekend. Coach says he has extra uniforms at home but he forgot to bring them. So we go through the same shenanigans all over again. |
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Billy,
I suggest taping the uniform to make it a legal, available number. No T needed, no change of coach ejection, and after a few times, it may be enough incentive for them to fix the problem permanently. |
Around here we are starting to see more and more schools getting uniforms with FIBA numbers(4-15,21-23). We let it slide and email the assigner.
That being said, the other day I had a kid wearing #19. |
I know I seem like the Grinch here but I say ring up the HC when one of "those" jerseys enters the game and move on, especially if the team just bought new uniforms. If that happens enough times during the season – and (s)he loses their coaching box privileges in those states that do that sort of thing – I’m sure the school will find it in its budget to get uniforms with legal numbers.
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I've never seen good results with tape on a jersey. What happens when the tape falls off during the game? Do you T them then?
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