Gloves

[cmathews]

Ok guys, I already did the search thing, and didn't find exactly what I wanted to know so here goes.

Has anyone seen the new under armour gloves?? The palm side of the glove is almost latex. In my opinion it greatly enhances the ability to catch a ball, but they have a tag in them from nfhs and ncaa. In the last week, mostly because I was umpiring when I usualy am the R, I have had a some players take these gloves off....anyone else see them and have the same opinion? Or a different opinion LOL

[DJ_NV]

If they have the NFHS label stating they are manufactured per spec. and you judge that they have not been modified, then they are legal per 1-5-2-c and they can play with them.

[Jim D]

If the coach says his team is legally equiped, I'm OK with them. Seriously, I wouldn't even look for a label after that. Knowing they have an approved label, what is your concern?

[cmathews]

I have seen NCAA tags in gloves that are other than grey, this leads me to believe that the stamp is not necessarily accurate. If you have ever had the opportunity to touch one of these gloves, there is no doubt that it enhances the ability to hold on to the ball.

[RoyGardner]

Have seen these several times this year but since there is no "added" material or foreign substance to get the "tackiness" (it's actually the vinyl/synthetic material the palm is made of) IMO they are legal per NCAA rules.

[cmathews]

Roy,
The gloves I am talking about are actually not legal as per NCAA rules because they were black/blue, and that is part of my point. They had and NCAA tag, but are clearly not legal in NCAA rules because they are not grey, which is the only allowable color. With that said, since they will stamp things that are clearly not legal by color, what is to say that the vinyl is what the NFHS and NCAA had in mind in regards to legal gloves. Since you have seen them, do you think that the vinyl aids in holding on to the ball???

[DJ_NV]

This is one of many reasons why I'm not an Umpire....

Personally, unless they're obviously modified I'd have to let it go if the label/stamp is there. I know that there are gloves out there they may not be per spec but I can't bend the rule. The label is there and it's not modified plus the coach says they're legally equipped then they can play with them by rule.

So your two options are to let them play, and if you're truly concerned about the unfair advantage, then I think the correct action is to draft a letter with your experiences with the gloves to your commissioner and have him take it to the state athletics association and they' make a ruling (or not).

Otherwise, you can deem them to be modified and disallow them. The problem here is that you're accusing someone of breaking the rule and in essence cheating so you better be prepared to back that up.

in short, let them play and if the opposing coach has a problem, let them fight it. We have enough problems without worrying about this. You're enforcing the rule...end of story IMO.

[Theisey]

That tag "NF/NCAA specifications" means only it met some kind of testing standard for tackiness. It has nothing to do with color requirements such as the NCAA has.
A separate rule covers color in that code.

[RoyGardner]

IMO there's no question that the surface of the gloves is more "receptive" to catching the ball than a plain leather glove. I think the issue of color is due to the fact that although the gloves themselves meet NF and NCAA requirements (according to the tags), NCAA additionally requires that gloves be gray in color and the last I knew NF does not have the gray only restriction. I've never seen the "colored" gloves in a HS game that I've had (as the U I would not allow player to wear them) but several receivers in the EFL (semi-pro) have the colored versions and we don't enforce the gray color only restriction in the EFL.

I view this as similar to the ball restrictions we have under MIAA rules in MA. If the ball has an NFL logo we can't use it in a MA HS game even if it is the same ball mfg by the same "official" manufacturer as specified in the MIAA rules.