Sunglasses
 

l would like to know if there is any kind of rule prohibition in NFHS or PIAA (Pennsylvania sports association) against officials wearing sunglasses in contests. Our chapter whines and complains about this, but they have, as of yet, been unable to quote any rule which prohibits their use - they just don't like us to wear them.

I feel it is better to wear sunglasses and see more clearly what is going on, than to squint, run around with your arm up covering your eyes, wear a hat which does very little, or some combination of the three. I always felt that the better the official can see, the better they can officiate the game and make the correct calls.

What is the "Rule"?

The rule is do what you need to do to see better. If you are staring due West at about 5:30pm and the sun is shining right in your eyes, wear them.

We had a brief discussion on this topic before.

http://forum.officiating.com/showthr...ats+sunglasses

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)
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Then leave your whistle and watch in your bag! ;)

...and wedding ring.

But seriously, I'm looking for an actual rule which allows/prohibits it for officials. My chapter says we shouldn't wear them, but it isn't anything more than them saying it. If they have the support of the rules, I'd feel better. If not, I don't see why wearing something that increases my ability to see the play and make better calls/no-calls should be prohibited by a group of people with less sensitive eyes than me.

It is your career as a ref. ;) Wear them if you think it will help you call a better game. There IS NO RULE THAT SAYS YOU CAN'T.

The State Rules Interpreter in Oregon wrote an article for some publication (I only heard other guys talking about it...I haven't seen it) endorsing the use of sunglasses as opposed to squinting/hat. If my SRI says do, it is ok for me! :D

I know of no NFHS prohibition of an official wearing sunglasses. Ophthalmologists (medical doctors whose specializtion is eyes) have stated for years the people should be wearing sunglasses to protect one's eyes from UV rays. When I officiated soccer I wore sunglasses when conditions warranted it. I still wear sunglasses when I umpire baseball and fast pitch softball. I remember one summer during a USSSA girls' fast pitch softball tournament an USSSA umpiring big wig called me over between innings (I was the BU for the game.) and told me to remove my sunglasses; I asked him if he was an ophthalmologist, his answer was no. I told him that when he became an ophthalmologist to come back and talk to me. He got pissed and tried to get me removed from the tournament but it didn't happen.

As far as players wearing sunglasses. Until someone can quote NFHS R4-S4-A1 for me, I would like to refrain from making any comments.

MTD, Sr.

That is Patrick Duffy. He posts frequently on the NFHS website.

You trickster! There is no section four in rule 4. :eek:

Me sorry. I meant to copy 2006-07 NFHS R4-S2-A1. I would have thought that you would have considered the fact that I had incorrectly copied the rule reference and went ahead and quoted R4-S2-A1 for everybody benefit. Thereby avoiding a needless second post by me.

MTD, Sr.

Yes, thank you. I know Patrick quite well! I just didn't feel the need to drop his name. ;)

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, :D.), 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.

Well, Mark, in that case it is a good thing that you have given up officiating HS soccer. We can't have a referee out there allowing items that the NFHS has very specifically stated are illegal. :eek:

So how is this constructive?

NevadaRef:

You make my point so eloquently. There is no rules support for the prohibition of non-prescription sunglasses. The NFHS Soccer Rules Committee could have just as well said that the wearing of red soccer shoes unless the player writes with his/her left hand is prohibited. The interpretation is not supported by rule and is utter nonsense.

MTD, Sr.

If that is what you believe then I must suggest that you launch another one of your email campaigns to the NFHS in an effort to get them to reconsider. Until that happens the official ruling issued by the NFHS is what counts and your personal opinion doesn't mean squat.

Message for NevadaRef.
 

NevadaRef:

I did not start a letter writing campaign, but I did send an email to the OhioHSAA State Soccer Rules Interpreter, Don Muenz:

Sent: Friday, September 26, 2008 10:39 AM
Subject: D. Muenz: NFHS Soccer Interpretation: R4-S1-A1 and R4-S2-A1.

Sep. 26/Fri.(10:39amEDT), 2008

Don:

I don't officiate H.S. soccer anymore (bad knees; but I still officiate basketball, baseball and fast pitch softball) but I have a question that is being discussed on the Officiating.com's Soccer Forum. It has to do with players wearing sunglasses. The last year I was registered by the OhioHSAA for soccer was 2005-06, but did not officiate because of a stress fracture in my right foot caused by my bad knees; therefore, this is the last edition of the NFHS Soccer Rules that I have.

The following two NHFS Rules Interpretations have been quoted in the thread on Officiating.com's Soccer Forum:

2005-06 NFHS Soccer Rules Interpretations

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

and

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)

I went to the NFHS website and compared 2005-06 rules edition of R4-S1-A1 and R4-S2-A1 with the 2008-09 rules edition and the rules have not changed. That being said, 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.

Can you give me some insight on why the NFHS Soccer Rules Committee would make a rules interpretation that cannot be supported by rule? Maybe you could forward my email on to the NFHS Soccer Rules Committee. Thanks.

Mark DeNucci, Sr.
OhioHSAA no.: 104563


Don replied via email telling me that he had passed my question onto Mark Koski at NFHS Headquarters.


Mark sent the following email to Don:

Sent: Friday, September 26, 2008 11:28 AM
Subject: RE: NFHS Soccer Interpretation: R4-S1-A1 and R4-S2-A1.

Don,

Thanks for contacting the National Federation of State High School Associations. This action taken from the NFHS Soccer Rules Committee was done prior to my arrival here at the NFHS. If interested in submitting a rule change, please do so on the attached form.

Best of luck this year!

Mark Koski, CMAA
Assistant Director

Direct Line: (317) 822-5716
Fax: (317) 822-5700
Web Site: www.nfhs.org


As one can see, Mr. Koski believes in the Mary Struckhoff school of passing the buck. He didn't even bother to answer the question. I guess I just might email Mr. Koski myself.

Mark

Whaaat?
 

That's an excellent non-answer. Mr. Koski should consider a career in politics.

If the explanation is nothing more than "It was like that when I got here" with nothing to back it up perhaps the opinion of NFHS should not mean squat.

Message for MTD Sr.
 

Mark, you know that I have great respect for your experience and rules knowledge. I also value your contributions to the forums. However, most of all I thank you for storing all those old rules up in your attic. It saves me a lot of space in mine! :D

So even though we sometimes disagree in rules discussions, I always enjoy hearing your opinion. I just don't want any less experienced officials to read your opinion about wearing sunglasses in an NFHS soccer game, and think that it is okay to act contrary to the current NFHS interpretation. As I said before, we need to abide by the official ruling until it is changed, if that ever happens.

So in the meantime, best wishes with your email writing to Mr. Koski in pursuit of that. http://www.runemasterstudios.com/gra...ges/riding.gif

NevadaRef:

Thanks for the kudos. One of the points that I think we are both trying to make the we have people at the rules making level that are making interpretations that cannot ber supported by rule because these people are rules illiterate. And that really fries my tuchus. :D

MTD, Sr.


P.S. I was up late last night watching the Red Sox-Angels games. What was your excuse for being up late?