USAV Shorts

[MD Longhorn]

I've read and re-read the rule about shorts a few times, but I'm looking for clarification.

Our team will be wearing black spandex shorts with no stripes or color of any kind on them. I have one player who, for religious reasons, cannot wear spandex (or tight) shorts. Is it legal for her to wear shorts of similar length that are not tight or spandex? Do I need to get some sort of waiver for such a thing?

[FMadera]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

I've read and re-read the rule about shorts a few times, but I'm looking for clarification.

Our team will be wearing black spandex shorts with no stripes or color of any kind on them. I have one player who, for religious reasons, cannot wear spandex (or tight) shorts. Is it legal for her to wear shorts of similar length that are not tight or spandex? Do I need to get some sort of waiver for such a thing?

I would check with your region for a waiver. The rule requires that the uniforms be identical, but that's for USAV sanctioned competition (nationals, qualifiers, etc.) If it's just something within the region, the rules tend to be a little more lax, but I would definitely check with your region for guidance.

[playr2coach2ref]

You should request a waiver from your region. At one of the qualifiers last year, I reffed a team from the Heart of America Region who had a waiver so one of the players could wear loose-fitting shorts for religious reasons. In general, you should not have problems within your region. However, the head ref at the qualifier wanted to see the waiver before she would allow the player to play. I would think that most tournaments, if not all, will be agreeable as long as you have the proper paperwork.

[Texas Aggie]

Unless your state has said specifically not to, I think in most cases like this (i.e. religious uniform issues), if its not a safety issue (or some weird unfair advantage), let them play and report it. A state association is going to be extremely hard pressed to criticize an official for doing that.

Schools need to be proactive in getting approval for these things. I would remind the coach that they need to do the work themselves, which is why I'm filing the report.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Texas Aggie

Unless your state has said specifically not to, I think in most cases like this (i.e. religious uniform issues), if its not a safety issue (or some weird unfair advantage), let them play and report it. A state association is going to be extremely hard pressed to criticize an official for doing that.

Schools need to be proactive in getting approval for these things. I would remind the coach that they need to do the work themselves, which is why I'm filing the report.

I'm the club owner. Posted it to be proactive.