Has anyone seen the new version of the cap that the pros are wearing under their helmet. I went to my game on Friday night and the head coach of one team was asking a question wether they were legal in NF. It seems the week prior the officials made his players remove them when he saw them in the locker room prior to the game. For anyone that hasn't seen them, they look like fishnet with an elastic band around it. They fit tight on the head and are not visible when the helmet is on, and no part sticks out below the helmet. I am curious what other parts of the country are ruling on this.

In Kansas, we've been instructed by the state association to not allow them.

Why?
 

Why would you be instructed not to allow them. If they dont stick out under the helmet, why look for trouble?

REPLY: There's nothing in the Federation rules prohibiting their use. NCAA prohibits <u>visible</u> bandanas worn on the field or in the end zones.

What you describe sounds like a hairnet. what is the difference?

I'm not sure of the reasoning. I've been told by people much wiser than myself that it must have something to do with safety. They don't want anything between the head and the helmet.

As for not looking for trouble, if the kids have their helmets on, and you can't see it under their helmet, I'm not going to notice and I'm not going to say or do anything about it.

In Tennessee they tell us that the kids are not to have them on, safety issue. We don't look for them, but what if during a timeout on the field the helmets come off and you got a kid with one on? We tell the coaches they can't wear them before game starts in our meeting.

Safety issue? How are they a danger? That's just nuts. As if we don't have enough to concern ourselves with, quibbling over a head covering is just making problems for ourselves.

OK
 

As long as we can't see them, we don't trouble trouble.

Like above, if it can be seen then it has to come off, otherwise we say nothing.

Even if I see them, I say nothing. They are not illegal equipment. Play on.

Same policy hand down by the NCHSAA.

A couple of years ago, we had problems with a school where the players were wearing bandanas as gang colors. Now, all headwear such as this is illegal. It's not a penalty, they're just innstructed to remove it before entering the game.

KY prohibits any bandanas based on proper fit of the helmet.

Is there some scientific evidence published somewhere that states that a wearing a bandana causes a helmet to not fit properly?
What about a players hair style, hair thickness, shaved heads? If a paper thin bandana causes problems, so would hair or lack of it.
NF has no problems with this and neither do I.

http://www.underarmour.com/ua2/ua/de...=0001&mscssid=

These?

About 6 kids on the team I coach wear them...that's nuts. I make the kids wear black only which eliminates the gang thing. They also aren't allowed to take thier helmets of during the game, so that isn't a problem...but if an official walked in the locker room and made them take them off I wouldn't appreciate it at all.....

Why does that prevent it from being a gang issue? If they decide that only kids in the gang can wear them and they attempt to intimidate anyone else that tries to wear them, it's still an issue.

I was mistaken about the skull caps in TN, They are allowed to wear them.

We are instructed to ask if any players have these bandanas or skull caps along with proper equipment. The reason is because of liability. If you tell the coach or captains that if a player wearing these gets a head injury, they may not be covered under the insurance carrier. You as an official should be doing this for your own protection.

<i>If you tell the coach or captains that if a player wearing these gets a head injury, they may not be covered under the insurance carrier.</i>

How is it my place to say that to a coach? That's entirely out of my province - their insurance protection. It isn't mentioned anywhere in any Federation publication. New York has made no mention of it.

Wear two if you want, young man.

IN NC - we have been told they ARE ILLEGAL ! Period.
The reason - especially in the opening games - is heat related -- and how they keep the heat in - on the head -- which can lead to physical problems -- (heat stroke - dehydration etc.)
That is considered part of the equipment when we ask the head coach - 'are all your players equipped legally?"
When he says "YES" - that means - NO SKULL CAPS. If one is found/ seen - it's 15 yards on the head coach. You better believe he knows it and police's those things.

I guess heat related problems are a bigger concern in NC than in NY. Who knew?

Seriously, UnderArmour makes all this stuff with heat disapation in mind - the undershirts, girdles, compression shorts etc - you'd think the skull cap would also be heat disapating.

You see a lot of the bald players in the NFL use them as well as the guys with corn rows or unruly hairdos.

You also see a lot of guys in the NFL play w/out snapping their chinstraps, w/out mouthpieces, w/out kneepads, etc. What's your point?

There is a difference in the way a properly fitted helmet fits if you're wearing one of these. Specifically, the helmet doesn't stay put, it slides around on your head. I have a similar skullcap I sometimes wear under a motorcycle helmet in cold weather. W/out the skullcap, the helmet never moves on my head; W/ the skullcap, the wind at 40 MPH is strong enough to push the helmet back on my head. I'm sure skullcaps do the same thing when worn under a football helmet. The helmets are designed to stay put, not slide all over the place when they're hit.

Of course, we can't be responsible to make sure that all helmets are fitted properly. But, we are responsible to make sure illegal equipment isn't worn. NF may not specifically ban skullcaps, but my state association does. Therefore, if I see one, I'll tell them to take it off.

If we see one in NC - like I said - it's on the coach.
The rules don't specifically call them illegal - but it does leave the door open -- by stating in Rule 1 -Section 5
Art. 3 --- umpire determines if equipment is illegal (and when our State Assoc. says they are - for whatever reason -they are illegal). Also - it states - equipment that is deemed - 'dangerous - confusing - and INAPPROPRIATE ' is Illegal. A case can be made for the appropriateness of these items - as being along the lines of 'gang related'.
If I see them - I'm flagging the coach and making the player get rid of it.

William, that's incorrect. While it is against NCHSAA policy for them to be worn, under no circumstances should a penalty be assessed to the offennding team.

If that's what you've been told you, I would urge you toask your booking agent to contact Chapel Hill and verify. That is not what Dick Knox has stated at the State Rules Clinics in each of the past two years.

BBRef
Maybe he didn't mention it to your group - but he certainly told our group that.
No offense to D.K. - but he's bad about saying one thing in one session and not telling another group in their session.
But - he definitely told us it was unsportsmanlike on the head coach -- and our coaches in this area understand it.

<i>You also see a lot of guys in the NFL play w/out snapping their chinstraps, w/out mouthpieces, w/out kneepads, etc. What's your point?</i>

My point is that some things NFL players do for show, others they do for comfort. Since the skullcap is not going to be seen most of the game, my guess is it is done for comfort. I also have yet to see or hear of a documented case of a player injured because of it's use. I know NFL players do a lot of things for style and show and all that they do should not be emulated by players at lower levels - but, just because an NFL player wears something, it does not disqualify it from being a good idea.

You guys seem to be pretty hopped up on these things - I, however, am not. Go do what your state association says, they're not my state association. At the end of the day, I don't care about them.

Had some time today and I wanted to know what the fuss about the skullcap could possibly be. Went over to the local Galyans who had one in stock. It is a nice thin stocking type cap made of stay-dry material. Fits the head with elastic.

My problem is I do not understand the safety issue. Bandanans require a knot somewhere and under a helmet that knot could force pressure on the skull leading to a possible concussion. The skullcap does not have anything that could cause injury.

As for gang colors, I do see the issue. Not just for gang colors but for intimidation. The NFHS set a precedence with the elimination of face painting and the restriction on towel color.

My recommendation would be that the state association or NFHS set an appropriate color to be worn with the uniform -- black would be good -- and the issue is solved.

Actually, he was very explicit that it was not a foul on anyone. But I do know what you're saying about him telling one group one thing and another group something else.

Which association are you in? Southeastern here.

http://www.saoa.faync.com

Maybe because it makes no sense.
 

It just shows how little anyone knows about gang colors. Gang colors can be black. That is why the NF does not have that sillyness in the rulebook. Representing a gang also has more to do with other identifiers than what colors are worn. The way you where your hat, the way you where your pant legs, the way you tatoo your body. If you are going to worry about skull caps, you might as well worry about the color the uniforms the schools have. I just did a game with a team that was in all blue uniforms. If you are going to worry about skull caps representing gang colors, why not uniform colors?

Peace