What's Wrong With This Picture

[GPC2]

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.

[Welpe]

Why do they hate their knee caps so much?

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.

[JugglingReferee]

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!

[waltjp]

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!

[DesertZebra]

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

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by GPC2

Unfortunately this stuff trickles down to the high school level.

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

[svm1010]

Originally Posted by DesertZebra

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

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

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

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

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.

[Sonofanump]

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

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Welpe

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.

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

[BktBallRef]

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?

[Welpe]

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.

[hawk65]

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.

[OverAndBack]

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

[Welpe]

Those are legal in NCAA as far as I know.