Short Tights Or Compression Shorts ...

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

True/False A player from the home team may legally wear gray tights.

Originally Posted by BillyMac

What if the tights stop above the knee, are made of a compression type material, and the uniform shorts are gray?

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

Tights extend below the knee. Compression shorts do not.

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Citation please.

Originally Posted by BillyMac

I've been told by my local interpreter that Peter Webb, IAABO (International)Coordinator of Interpreters, who now has a role on the NFHS Basketball Rules Committee, will be working with the committee to determine the difference between short tights, and compression shorts. With tights now legal, references to compression shorts may be making an exit from the rulebook.

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

If you look at the comments on rules in the back of this year's rules book, you will see that the first mention of tights specifies that they extend below the knee and after that every use of the word tights carries this meaning as they are required to meet the same restrictions as leg sleeves.

Here's what it actually states: "Tights that extend below the knee are now legal."

The statement doesn't define tights, it just specifies that something that was once illegal, is now legal.

Put on a pair of tights that extend from your waist to your ankles. If they're black, white, beige, or the predominate color of the uniform jersey, than they're legal. Now start cutting them (no frayed edges, in fact, might as well put a hem on them to make then completely legal) back. First they're mid calf length. Shorter? Now they're knee length. Shorter? Now they're above the knee length. Everything is still legal. When did they change from tights to compression shorts and therefore have to be the same color as the uniform shorts? If you answer, "above the knee", then I would like a citation for that, and an explanation of how one item of clothing can miraculously change into a completely different item of clothing.

And what if they're not all then way up to the waist? What if they're sleeves that extend from below the crotch (above the bottom of the uniform shorts) to just above the knee? Are these compression shorts that have to be the same color as the uniform shorts, or are these sleeves that can be black, white, beige, or the predominate color of the uniform jersey?

Note that I'm not completely satisfied with my explanation (above), but neither am I satisfied with your definition based on the statement in the "Comments On The Rules Changes". In my opinion, the NFHS "screwed the pooch" with some new, ambiguous, rules regarding tights, and compression shorts, rules that need some clarification next year.

For now, regarding compression type shorts, my local interpreter has told us to accept black, white, beige, or predominate color of the uniform jersey, and call them tights; and to also accept color of the uniform shorts, and call them compression shorts; so that A1 would be allowed to play with black above the knee tights, or sleeves, under red uniform shorts; and teammate A2 would be allowed to play with red compression shorts under red uniform shorts. According to him, the rules are too ambiguous to ask either of these players to change their equipment.