Definition of "Tights"

[BillyMac]

My partner, and I, are watching the junior varsity game before our varsity game. Home team is warming up while wearing shooting shirts. The junior varsity game starts and right away, as soon as the shooting shirts come off, I note that the home team has players wearing undershirts of various colors: white (legal), gray, light blue, and dark blue; under their white jerseys.

I halftime of the junior varsity game I explain to the junior varsity officials that I understand why they didn't catch the problem before the game started (shooting shirts over the uniform) but once the game started they should have addressed this situation. My varsity partner states that it's probably more important to address in a varsity game (I silently disagree) but they probably should have addressed the issue.

Now it's the varsity game. Same shooting shirts. I note that some of the varsity players also played in the junior varsity game. My partner is the referee and asks me during the pregame coach/captain conference if I have anything to add to his pregame. I tell the coaches that I spotted some illegal undershirts in the junior varsity game and that I didn't want to see the same issue in the varsity game. I even specified that the home team could only wear white undershirts under their white uniform jerseys.

We go back to observing the layup lines and my partner goes over to the table to make a final check of the scorebook (we never give technical fouls here for books that aren't ready on time, it's a local "When in Rome" custom). While he's at the table a home player with a white jersey and a dark blue undershirt approaches my partner and asks him question.

We start the game. First substitute for home is the player with the illegal dark blue undershirt. I'm closest to the table and tell the head coach that the substitute can't participate because of the illegal undershirt. Coach loudly replies, "But he (pointing to my partner) told him that he could play with it on". My answer, "No coach, he can't pay with illegal undershirt".

Certainly not a good way to develop rapport with a coach in the beginning minutes of the game. It makes me look like the overly officious official who can interpret every fashion issue in the book but probably can't tell the difference between a block, and a charge, and probably doesn't know if the basketball is stuffed, or inflated.

And, no, I didn't bring it up in our post game meeting. I was pissed, and didn't want to lose my cool.