I promised to bring this up... so I did. Pads vs Sleeves vs in between.

Got the 2 clinicians into an argument and never got an answer. Oh well.

Just got the word...(Wa. State)

Treat the sewn in pads as sleeves.

I like it.

Until I get an official ruling from our state, I'm staying out of this one...if it's got a pad, then it's a pad.

By making that (or the opposite) ruling, you are not "staying out of it." ;)

OHSAA interpretation
 

Then you need to go to ohsaabasketball.com and read what our Director of Officiating has to say about it.

Ruling from Interp
 

At our association meeting last night our rules interpreter actually stated the exact opposite. He said that if it's the old school pad on front, with a nylon/elastic/whatever that material is that wraps around the back of the knee, it's a pad. Anything else is a sleeve, regardless of whether or not it contains a pad. I'm also aware that at this point I think that is solely his interpretation as he didn't mention that ruling coming from the state, or NF.

I see your kneepad and raise you headphones and mp3 players worn by players during warmups. League office in VA (VHSL) says they aren't allowed....

If there is any doubt on the issue on these hybrid sleeves, we are trying to err on the side of safety for the kid. Granted, it's not a critical safety measure, but I'm sure you've all seen the scrappy kid who actually is on the floor quite a bit. If its neoprene matererial or something similar that has a padded knee, we're ok with that here, with the reasoning being (that we've been told anyways) that the intent is protection not looks. Obviously with the shooter sleeve or the calf-only leg sleeve, that is not the case.

Your interpreter is also my intertpreter. I missed the meeting, but he is the person I emailed. So I'll continue to use that interpretation, as I have been all this season.

I just got an email from our state basketball head too. It said that it is a sleeve even if it has a pad over the shin area. If it has a pad over the knee area, then it is a knee pad and does not have a color restriction. I can't say that make a whole lot of sense, but that is how I will be enforcing it.

Well, rats, didn't see the Dec 26 post on them...sleeves they are.

Guess NFHS will have to be more specific in their language next year when they clean this rule up. Seems every time a change is made they have to clean them up because people always find ways to circumvent the rules.

lipstick on a pig, imo...

throwing a slab of pad on a sleeve doesn't change what the rule was intended to target.

Once again they should simplify the uniform rules and what isn't allowed. Make all color restrictions to be matching the dominant color and who cares if the kids want to play in sleeves or not, and what is worn under the shorts or not :eek:.

But stop trying to define everything. They will never get ahead of the curve.

Just received this email from our state association.




NFHS Rule 3-5-3 refers to Leg Compression Sleeves. *Be advised that our interpretation of this rule as it pertains to equipment that is a combination of a knee pad and a leg compression sleeve has changed today after consultation with the NFHS Basketball Rules Interpreter and subsequent NFHS Basketball Rules Committee action in this area.* The OSSAA now will view any combination piece of equipment as a KNEE PAD. *This will exclude this combination device from the requirements of Rule 3-5-3.* If there is any doubt if the device is solely a leg compression sleeve or a combination device, the equipment is a KNEE PAD.