More Fashion Police- (Rolling Waistband on Shorts)
 

Several years ago I noticed that girls teams were rolling the waistbands on their shorts sometimes exposing multiple logos in violation of the logo rules. I always left it alone as I did not want to be the guy telling HS girls how to wear their shorts.

More recently I've noticed more and more boys players doing the same thing. And even noticed the freshman PG on my alma mater doing this to his shorts in a college game last night. I posed this question to our interpreter the other week and he said to enforce the logo requirement but otherwise leave it alone.

Then this week the following came out from the head of officiating for the governing body overseeing HS athletics in VA:

Uniform requirements - Basketball

Staff has received a number of calls regarding basketball players who are “rolling” the waistband of their shorts, presumably because the shorts are “too long.” Doing so exposes multiple manufacturer’s logos or marks. It is also in violation of NFHS Basketball rule 3-5-5 which requires that equipment and apparel be worn as intended by the manufacturer. Players in violation of this uniform rule may not participate until they have complied with 3-5-5.

I'm curious if other states/areas have addressed this situation. I hate being the fashion police but am glad that the VHSL has taken an official position and we can enforce accordingly.

Yes.

Generally allowed unless it's a safety issue (strings) or violates logo issues.

Unless my state tells me to deal with it, I'm not going to look for this.

That's basically what our local interpreter said and I was good with that.

I felt the same way. I had a game earlier this year where one of my partners had girls unroll their pants and delayed subs coming in to have them unroll. At halftime I said that we should just leave it alone. But now the state has ruled otherwise.

Because someone, somewhere, took it upon himself to ask the teacher for homework.

Our association just sent an email out to everyone citing rule 3-5-5 which requires the equipment and apparel be worn an intended by the manufacturer.

For some reason this was never an issue back in the 80s . . . :D

I would prefer to lean on this rule vs the logo rule if this was ever an issue.

Under Armour is not stupid. When you roll down the waistband it reads Under Armour all the way around over and over and over. "Intended by the manufacturer" is poor wording IMHO.

With Apologies To Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel ...
 

Agree. I'm not touching this with a thirty-nine and a half foot pole.

Our interpreter/assignor has stated that we must not allow the logos to show. So, the players either roll the shorts inward, or they roll the shorts a second turn. Thus, one rule is met, by ignoring another - fashion poicing at its finest!?!

I Didn’t Know That Göring, And Himmler, Were Basketball Officials …
 

These are not Fashion Police rules, these are Fashion Gestapo rules.

Bingo.

You don't have to look very hard because when they do it then it is blatantly obvious. And your rule book tells you to deal with it.

No, it doesn't. Some interpret the book so that they have to deal with it, but I don't. If my state tells me to deal with it, I will. I'm not going to be the kid in the back of the class asking for homework over Christmas break, though.

Best advice
 

A veteran ref who is both an assignor and NFHS rules interpretor once told my group "you can't go wrong if you enforce the rules as written".

There is a level of protection when we do what the book says to do. Yes, many of the fashion police rules are annoying. Yes, I would be lying if I said that I've never let something slide in a game. But if you do decide to let a player who is violating the uniform rule and the other coach complains to your board or there is an evaluator watching it may affect you down the road.

I have had several coaches (mostly at the behest of aggravated parents) complain when I have disallowed a leg sleeve or insisted players change mismatched under-shirts and have always been backed by my board because I was applying the rule written in the book. Its a lot easier than having to explain why you didn't do what it says in the book.

I have no problem enforcing the fashion rules. I'm just not going to go looking for things to enforce. The undershirt rule is pretty clear, with no room for interpretation.

This, however, is based on an interpretation of how the manufacturer intended the clothing to be worn. I'll follow the lead of my state, but I'm not going to go scuba diving on this one.

And your assigner/interpreter was wrong. Officials can get themselves into trouble by strictly interpreting a few of the rules. They may be backed by the rule and their board, on the surface, but they'll also be working JV in perpetuity.

Examples:
1. Coach is two inches outside the box.
2. 3 seconds.
3. 10 seconds on a FT.
4. throw-in plane violations

I could go on.

Even if I were to accept the premise that a rolled down waist band some how meets the "intended to be worn" clause of the rule, there is a very high probability that this would still violate the "shall have only 1visible logo" clause and therefore, unless the waistband had no logo on it (rare these days) it would be illegal to wear them that way. If I did accept this premise, then I guess to be consistent with how the manufacturer intended them to be worn I should have ALL of the players roll them down.

Now, am I lining the players up to inspect waistbands? No! Shoud I have a player unroll them if I notice it at some point in the game? Yes! That being said, I am apt to let it go if its not outrageous, offensive, or dangerous (such as the string being exposed).

Like you, I don't look for things to enforce. For instance, I have never actually measured a logo but if I ever saw one that was big enough to notice it was too large I would address it. And if I ever encounter a waistband that requires my attention I will address it as well.

If the players have their shirt tail tucked in (mandated they must) and they have their shorts rolled over and they show all the UA logos ... as an official I am not looking for it ... they are showing me it. HUGE DIFFERENCE

Being the fashion police is so dumb.....

If the VHSL wants to monitor it... let them monitor it and fine schools for players not conforming unless of making officials the bad guys and there are no repercussions other than ill-will.

I'm just curious where you're going with this one. Can you be more specific about what you're referring to?

I'm talking about the defender who barely breaks the plane, briefly, while waving his arms around. Most of the time, if it's a singular occurance that is immediately rectified (with or without a verbal warning from the administering official), we don't even think about the DOG warning.

The rule would back me if I did, but....