What's Wrong With This Picture
 

This picture is from ESPN Fantasy Games' College Pick 'em front page. I found it pretty funny. Unfortunately this stuff trickles down to the high school level.

http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2008...nstate_300.jpg

Why do they hate their knee caps so much? :rolleyes:

I caught a youth player pull his knee pads above his knees last week to emulate this same look so it is definitely trickling down.

Up here in Canada we have a zero-tolerance for this nonsense. Automatic 5 yard penalty and player must address the equipment problem.

Stoopid kids!

Regarding knee pads, we've been told that if the pads cover the knee when the player is standing it's legal. Personally, I disagree with this. In other cases we tell the players that the pads and equipment must be worn as designed. Knee pads are not designed to protect the area above your knee!

Looks like a bunch of husky women wearing capris, to me.

It does? Funny, I do not recall seeing anyone try this at the high school level. Then again, everything that is done at other levels does not come down to the high school level. I think we overreact too much about what we see at other levels.

Peace

Thanks :) you just made my day, I'll be chuckling about that one for a while

Rut, I saw pictures in the paper from a game last saturday between De La Salle High School (Concord, CA) and Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, NJ) . Almost every picture showed numerous players from both sides with the exposed knees. This is only one game but it was interesting to see it on two teams from opposite coasts.

My main concern here is that #25 stays to the right of kicker when the ball is put play.

Players do not like to wear their pads on their knees because they feel funny, not just because someone was wearing them at another level. I serious doubt that this picture had that much influence on teams across the country and how they wear their uniforms. I live in Big Ten country and I do not see this on a regular basis. The reason is coaches, and officials address it long before the game is played.

I work 3 sports and I see many things that are allowed at the higher level that clearly is not allowed. For some reason, players (and coaches) seem to know or understand what they cannot do. Just like I heard all these celebrations by NFL players would result in many celebrations by high school players. For some reason they just hand the officials the ball and I have almost never had an NFL style celebration in a high school game. And you must consider the video games from the NCAA and NFL ranks that show over the top celebrations. Now why is that part of the game non-existent in my experience (not only the games I work, the games I watch on TV in my area as well)?

Peace

Don't know about any where else but it is an issue here. Coaches don't address jack****.

For the NCAA guys, what's the college rule on knee pads and covering the knees?

I'm not saying its an epidemic, just a trend I've been noticing. I don't think this one picture is influencing kids all over to tailor their pants to be too short but it is indicative of a trend I have noticed in youth games and at the high school level. Same with the wearing of the under armour bands and even the short jerseys from the 80's and 90's, etc. You're right, most coaches and players are good about keeping it legal at the lower levels (though we did see an 8 year old kid do an uncontested flip into the endzone last week).

I also work baseball and I notice similar things such as the way the pants are worn, etc. Like in the fashion world, most people start going with a trend because that is what the celebrities or professional athletes are wearing. I don't think there's anything necessarily wrong with it though, that's just how it is.

I am concerned over the unprotected knees but at the collegiate level, I guess they are old enough to make their own decisions about that. Seeing it at the high school level bothers me but in a game of that size, I guess it is going to get overlooked as being insignificant.

I played high school football and the knee pads never bothered me. I imagine getting smacked in the knees would hurt a bit more however I have a friend that is a LB in the NFL and he hates having his knees covered. Different strokes I suppose.

I've heard several excuses by experienced officials why they don't enforce this rule on the HS level, and all of those excuses come from officials who also do college level:

1) "I heard [official] didn't get any more [D1 conference] assignments after he tried to enforce this at a game."
2) "Don't go looking for trouble."
3) "Knee pads don't protect from knee injuries so it is no big deal." (Makes about as much sense as saying shoulder pads don't prevent a QB from getting a sore arm so QB's shouldn't be required to wear shoulder pads.)

Short pants and non-coverage of knees by knee pads is a problem in our area and it stems from a dismissive attitude at the top of our association and the region outside our association's service area.

And here I thought you were talking about the bicep bands. :)

Those are legal in NCAA as far as I know.

My point is that this is not an "automatic" thing players will do. I think if your state does a lot to educate their coaches, you do not have these kinds of problems. Maybe those that say this is a problem your state or jurisdiction is not doing a very good job to inform their schools what is legal or illegal. The officials are often the last people to deal with this. But if it is made clear that these would be violations of rules and penalties to remedy this will follow, not much of a problem. I think that is why I hardly ever see jewelry like you see at the pro level in all sports. And that includes baseball, basketball or football. The NBA is a huge influence on basketball players and I do not see the antics of players that you often see in the NBA. The coaches that no better and put the kibosh on that type of activity before it gets started. This in my opinion is the reason you do not see it very often. The problems we tend to have are the schools that are not in the higher income areas, the teams might not have certain pads, and not just the ones that make you look cool.

Peace

My point was not that kids will see that picture and pull their pants up. My point is that many college football players wear their pants such that their knees are not covered. Turn on any random college football game, and I gaurantee you will see many players w/o their knees covered. This picture was so funny because it seems like NONE of the Penn State players have their knees covered - and this is simply indicative of the general trend in college football. Of course high school kids want to be like pro athletes and college athletes, so they in turn mimic and mock them in the way they play, the way they dress, the way they celebrate, etc.

Does every high school football player wear their pants high? No, but there are enough instances in each game where a player has to be told to cover his kneecaps.

Once again, that sounds like a local problem. That definitely does not seem to be the case all over the country, even when I watch games on TV.

Peace

So...you don't see alot of chest bumping in your neck of the woods? I do. Just like the throat slash craze of a couple years ago, and the diving into the end zone era after that.

Nope.

I have never seen a throat slash. I did see one time a dive into the end zone, but we disagreed whether a foul should have been called because of how close the opponents were. That was it; I have not seen it since.

And I am a Back Judge where I tend to the first on a big time offensive play. Most of the time I see the kids just hand me the ball and hug a teammate after they score a touchdown. I am not suggesting that there are never problems, but they are so rare I would not call it a problem. This is why I suggest that kids do not automatically follow what they watch on TV like brainless cattle. Coaches must be doing a good job telling their kids to not give the team an advantage through penalties. This is not much different than parents teaching their kids values so they do not do what they see on TV, YouTube or any other forum that shows behavior that would not be acceptable.

Peace

Fyi
 

NCAA FR-31 Rule 1-4a:

I've never heard it discussed at a college or junior college football meeting though.

I have been on an NCAA(Div 3) crew that told the coaches in pregame to get their players knees covered. The coach understood and at gametime it was fixed.

Equipment issues are one of the reasons members of the crew are on the field an hour before the start time.

What is the NFL rule on pant pads? Earlier this week, I heard an interview with a defensive back who said he wore no pads of any type except shoulder pads. He specifically mentioned removing his thigh, hip, and knee pads.

I'm not even sure NFL guys have to wear anything other than shoulder pads and a helmet. Not sure. I know lots of guys appear to have very few pads (kickers, especially, but some other guys, too).

Many years ago SI (I think) did an article contrasting the equipment worn by Eric Dickinson and Marcus Allen. Dickinson seemed to wear just about every piece of padding and protective equipment he could find. Allen wore next to nothing.

Do you mean Eric Dickinson:
http://www.soci.org/SCI/images/awards/hn283.jpg




or Eric Dickerson?
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/...erson-at-1.jpg

Not really depends on what team, especially in the OUA which is under Marshall law.

Notice the knees on the Western Mustang player.

http://media.guelphmercury.com/image...84235b54b.jpeg

knee pads here
 

I saw one player with short pants several years ago. Nothing since. I've been expecting it, but it hasn't shown up yet here. Chest bumps, yes.

The message on the arm bands seems to have got through. See almost none of that this year.

I don't think the NFL requires padsin pants. Shannon Sharpe was interviewed a few years back and said he didn't wear any. If there are hip pads in girdles, thet are so thin I've never been able to make them out.

He is running right? If he is running, it is possible ill fitting pants will ride up. I know I had to pull my pads down when I played.

Peace

What Rut said. The pun about Marshall Law is funny though. I am guessing that Marshall is the guy's name.

Notice the Swoosh. Blame Nike. I blame Nike for everything, and it works well for me.
Until a rash of knee injuries occur, things won't change. (NCAA)

Don't forget the basketball shorts under the butt. Nice boxers, pal.