Sunglasses

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

We had a brief discussion on this topic before.

Newbie

I will add that there was an NFHS interp a couple of years ago that prohibitted players from wearing sunglasses unless they are also corrective lenses. I'll find it and post it later. I would think that a referee shouldn't wear anything that is not okay for the players.

However, since you are looking for a specific PIAA ruling. I would advise you to check with them directly.

2006-07 Soccer Rules Interpretations

SITUATION 10: (a) Player No. 1 on Team A is wearing sport eyewear and (b) player No. 2 is wearing non-prescription sun glasses. Are these pieces of equipment legal? RULING: Legal in (a) and not legal in (b). (4-1-1)

2005-06 NFHS Soccer Rules Interpretations

SITUATION 8:Are prescriptive sunglasses legal for play? RULING: Yes. (4-2-1)

NevadaRef:

It is not my intention to start a long thread here. I went back to the last NFHS Soccer Rules Book that I had (I had to climb up into the attic, .), the last year I officiated H.S. soccer was the 2004-05 season; I had registered for the 2005-06 season but I suffered a stress fracture in my right foot while officiating basketball in July 2005 which canceled my soccer season for Fall 2005 so I retired from soccer officiating; so the 2005-06 Rules Book is the latest one I have.

I checked R4-S1-A1 and R4-S2-A1 in the 2005-06 Rules Book with the 2008-09 Rules Book, which is online at the NFHS website, and these two rules have not changed. That being said, and I hope someone will correct me if I am wrong: BUT, I do not see anything in these two rules that prohibits a player from wearing of sunglasses (prescription or non-prescription) while playing. There is no rules support for prohibiting a player from wearing non-prescription sunglasses. A player who has 20/20 vision has the same right to protect his/her eyes from UV rays as a player that has 20/60 vision. The Ruling for Situation 10 of the 2006-07 Rules Interpretations is shear nonsense.

I would love to know the non-thinking process that the members of the Rules Committee uses when they issue such nonsense.

MTD, Sr.