Any high school officials out there wearing the gray referee shirts? I know the NBA wears them as well as some college conferences now, just wondering if there are areas of the country where they are being used in high school. I think they look better than the old black & white but they have not been authorized in my area.

Mike,
I think it'll be permitted soon since Honigs will start having 'em to sell.
I'm ready! :)
mick

Here in Ontario we use the gray shirt for HS and organized bball. College and University uses the stripes.

I've heard more and more people are liking the stripes better, including myself.

See the post from two weeks ago.

http://www.officialforum.com/showthr...?threadid=9518

You know, if you guys start wearing little blue vests we can put away all the old Footlocker jokes, and break out some new Wal-Mart versions.

In the next few years the grey shirt will probably become the shirt of choice in Southern Nevada (Las Vegas). Unfortunately for me, I had to move and I will not be able to wear it.

So what is the general feeling about the gray shirt? I like the way it looks.

It won't make people think we're doing a better job. :)

I don't have problem with the current shirts. They actually make us stand out. No team I've ever seen has black and white stripes. However, I've seen several with grey shirts. A few times in my career, I've been passed a live ball...usually in a lower level game. Changing to a gray shirt would certainly increase the occurrance of such passes when one of the teams is wearing gray.

Another potential problem (that I read about, perhaps here) will be getting consistent shades of gray from different manufacturers. We'll look pretty bad when a crew has 3 different shades of gray. Black and white are very specific.

Mostly, its a move from the shirt makers to "force" a replacement of existig shirts. Nothing like chaning the rules to <em>outlaw</em> perfectly good equipment and generate new business. While some people have older shirts that <em>should</em> be replaced, most will have perfectly good shirts that will be thrown out...if they are adopted.

I agree with Cameron on the point that different suppliers make their shirts with differents shades of grey. Up here, we have 3 suppliers to purchase the shirts from, and each one is a different shade of grey. It looks horrible when you and your partner are wearing different shades of grey.

So how do the baseball folks make it work?

That's easy, BITS,
...Baseball umps don't wear grey shirts. ;)

Ah mick, I think he means slacks. ;)

B-bu-but, ...Heather grey <u>is always</u> heather grey, isn't it?

This is very true and is actually talked about more than people realize.

Especially at provincial championships - I have heard it discussed. Different greys look horrible. Plain and simple.

Like was said earlier, black and white is that - black and white.

As I recall, I get passed a live ball about once, sometimes twice, a season wearing a grey shirt.

I also agree that changes are made just to drum business.

Mike

There is actually a motion for our provincial body's next AGM to change the constitution to allow black and white shirts. (The rationale that we're currently grey escapes me.)

I hope it goes through.

What are the thoughts about benefits from adopting grey shirts?

Mike