The Official Forum  

Go Back   The Official Forum > Soccer

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Rate Thread Display Modes
  #1 (permalink)  
Old Sun Sep 21, 2008, 10:17pm
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 329
Send a message via Yahoo to drinkeii
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"?
__________________
David A. Rinke II
Reply With Quote
  #2 (permalink)  
Old Sun Sep 21, 2008, 10:37pm
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Central Illinois
Posts: 1,955
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.
__________________
That's my whistle -- and I'm sticking to it!
Reply With Quote
  #3 (permalink)  
Old Sun Sep 21, 2008, 11:22pm
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 14,995
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)

Last edited by Nevadaref; Mon Sep 22, 2008 at 04:45am.
Reply With Quote
  #4 (permalink)  
Old Tue Sep 23, 2008, 02:08am
rei
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nevadaref View Post
I would think that a referee shouldn't wear anything that is not okay for the players.
Then leave your whistle and watch in your bag!
Reply With Quote
  #5 (permalink)  
Old Tue Sep 23, 2008, 08:07am
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 329
Send a message via Yahoo to drinkeii
...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.
__________________
David A. Rinke II
Reply With Quote
  #6 (permalink)  
Old Tue Sep 23, 2008, 09:59am
rei
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Quote:
Originally Posted by drinkeii View Post
...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!
Reply With Quote
  #7 (permalink)  
Old Tue Sep 23, 2008, 09:17pm
Administrator
 
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Toledo, Ohio, U.S.A.
Posts: 8,044
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.
__________________
Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.
Trumbull Co. (Warren, Ohio) Bkb. Off. Assn.
Wood Co. (Bowling Green, Ohio) Bkb. Off. Assn.
Ohio Assn. of Basketball Officials
International Assn. of Approved Bkb. Officials
Ohio High School Athletic Association
Toledo, Ohio
Reply With Quote
  #8 (permalink)  
Old Wed Sep 24, 2008, 03:59pm
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 14,995
Quote:
Originally Posted by rei View Post
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!
That is Patrick Duffy. He posts frequently on the NFHS website.
Reply With Quote
  #9 (permalink)  
Old Wed Sep 24, 2008, 04:05pm
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 14,995
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr. View Post
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.
You trickster! There is no section four in rule 4.
Reply With Quote
  #10 (permalink)  
Old Wed Sep 24, 2008, 06:46pm
Administrator
 
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Toledo, Ohio, U.S.A.
Posts: 8,044
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nevadaref View Post
You trickster! There is no section four in rule 4.

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.
__________________
Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.
Trumbull Co. (Warren, Ohio) Bkb. Off. Assn.
Wood Co. (Bowling Green, Ohio) Bkb. Off. Assn.
Ohio Assn. of Basketball Officials
International Assn. of Approved Bkb. Officials
Ohio High School Athletic Association
Toledo, Ohio
Reply With Quote
  #11 (permalink)  
Old Thu Sep 25, 2008, 11:23am
rei
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nevadaref View Post
That is Patrick Duffy. He posts frequently on the NFHS website.
Yes, thank you. I know Patrick quite well! I just didn't feel the need to drop his name.
Reply With Quote
  #12 (permalink)  
Old Thu Sep 25, 2008, 11:21pm
Administrator
 
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Toledo, Ohio, U.S.A.
Posts: 8,044
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nevadaref View Post
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.
__________________
Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.
Trumbull Co. (Warren, Ohio) Bkb. Off. Assn.
Wood Co. (Bowling Green, Ohio) Bkb. Off. Assn.
Ohio Assn. of Basketball Officials
International Assn. of Approved Bkb. Officials
Ohio High School Athletic Association
Toledo, Ohio
Reply With Quote
  #13 (permalink)  
Old Mon Sep 29, 2008, 05:20am
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 14,995
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.
Reply With Quote
  #14 (permalink)  
Old Mon Sep 29, 2008, 07:20am
rei
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nevadaref View Post
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.
So how is this constructive?
Reply With Quote
  #15 (permalink)  
Old Mon Sep 29, 2008, 10:33am
Administrator
 
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Toledo, Ohio, U.S.A.
Posts: 8,044
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nevadaref View Post
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.

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.
__________________
Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.
Trumbull Co. (Warren, Ohio) Bkb. Off. Assn.
Wood Co. (Bowling Green, Ohio) Bkb. Off. Assn.
Ohio Assn. of Basketball Officials
International Assn. of Approved Bkb. Officials
Ohio High School Athletic Association
Toledo, Ohio
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
F1 with sunglasses JR12 Baseball 31 Fri Jul 27, 2007 11:36pm
Sunglasses v. Eye Shields ljudge Football 21 Thu Aug 26, 2004 07:06pm
PU wearing sunglasses? LMan Baseball 22 Tue Jun 01, 2004 08:02am
Sunglasses ref5678 Softball 12 Tue Jul 15, 2003 10:43pm
Sunglasses Tarheels Baseball 14 Sat May 11, 2002 12:37pm


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:44pm.



Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.3.0 RC1