Question....At the start of the Clinton vs Whiteville game the white hat wouldnt let the game start. He sent one of Whitevilles players to the side line. The replacement player came in and shortly he sent him to side lines. Then the 1st player came back in and he immediately was sent back off the field. Finally a third player came out and the game started. I wasnt in the bleachers yet so couldnt see what was going on. I was told it had something to do with their pants being above their knees. If that is the case then what is the rule on that?
Pants rule
- Thread starter WolfpackBlue
- Start date
You are 100% correct, was made a point of emphasis at state clinic to officials. Don’t want that college crap of wearing shorts coming to the HS game.
Totally get the rule and understand why, but can’t they just warn them first and not make them leave the field? Now if they continue to not obey the rule then send them off the field.
You get the rule. Why don't players and coaches get it?
We do warn them.
We warn the coaches about it in the coaches' meeting.
We warn the players about it in the captains' meeting.
We warn the player once the game starts. If he corrects it, he stays. If he doesn't, he goes off.
The oncoming sub does not get a warning. He gets sent right back to the sideline.
The season is half over, why must we still be warning them?
A helmet must be worn, 4 snap chinstrap must be snapped.
Hip pads, thigh pads and a tailbone pad must be worn.
Knee pads must be worn in the pants and cover the knees.
It's not difficult.
Why are we the bad guys for enforcing the rule with multiple warnings?
I guess what I didn’t understand was at East Forsyth we went out for opening kickoff and they sent our guy back to the sidelines. I thought a warning would have been appropriate there, sometimes it is just accidental that it happens. I do get your point about warning coaches preseason and such.
Here’s the problem. Coaches don’t make the uniforms. And we can’t put a 160 lb kid in an XL pant just so his knees are 100% covered. There is a difference between pulling pants up and wearing them how they are made and 1/2” of the kids knees are showing. Refs need to officiate the integrity of the game vs the letter of the law.
Lol. Here we go.
Coach, you're entitled to that opinion. Unfortunately, we don't get to ignore a rule situation just because a coach thinks we should. The NFHS and the NCHSAA are on officials to make sure knees are covered. When it comes to to player safety, they want the letter of the law enforced.
Sorry, not buying the 160 pound argument. I see teams that have every player with pads and pants covering the knees. These kids aren't special. They're all shapes and sizes. Their knees are covered. So if you have a player that you want in the game for every play, doesn't it behoove you to do everything within your power to make sure that player won't get sent out? You wouldn't send him in without a mouthpiece or with a two snap chin strap. Why are you sending him in with pants riding about his knees and expecting officials to ignore it?
What happens is a player will intentionally choose to wear pants that are short on them and rise above the knees. They see it on Saturday. You know it and I k now it. But many coaches ignore it and the player gets sent out of the game. Then it's the official who is the bad guy because he's following the rule, a rule the coach is aware of and should be ensuring that it's being followed.
BTW, we're not sending players out because a 1/2" of their knee is showing. That's a lame argument. The rule says the knee must be covered, not the kneecap or half of the knee. The knee must be covered. 99% of the time the knee is completely uncovered. We ask the player to cover his knees. if he does, we're good. If he doesn't, he's coming to see you.
Follow the rule so the player can stay in the game. Fix it during the week. Then it's not a problem on Thursday and Friday.
They likely did warn him. But the warning is not "You need to cover your knees after this play," and he still gets to play this down. No, the warning is "#5, pull your pants down to cover your knees." He makes little or no attempt to do so. When he does this, he's getting sent out.
I had a kicker last year. I blew the whistle for him to kick. With the entire stadium watching him, he stands at the 35 yard line and pulls his pants above his knees. That's not a warning. That's an "immediately leave the game." He also got his butt eaten up by his coach too.
You must be a quality official. We get kids sent off every game. We have even tried taping the pants above the knee so they don’t ride up. My kids don’t pull their pants up and never have the whole knee showing. It’s frustrating because we do things the right way. It used to be the towel police. Now it’s the knee pad police. I could understand if it was egregious but enforcing to the letter of the law and not the spirit of the law seems to be the norm in our area.
NCHSAA officials are constantly being ridden about this issue. It isn't our desire to be the knee pad police or the towel police. As I think I said above, we wish the rule would go away.
Unfortunately this is not a "spirit of the rule' issue. They want the letter of the rule enforced. I understand you don't feel it's egregious in your area but we are still being pushed to enforce it. It's just not a directive we're allowed to ignore.
Back when I was coaching.... I vividly remember the head coaching allowing the best of the best players to pick their pants first, meaning.... that the best players were going to squeeze into the smallest pair of pants they could find (often with the knee pads not covering the knee at all.)
Conversely, you'd end up with smaller kids in XL or Large-Long pants that looked like potato sacks on the kid because they were way too large. It's quite comical when you think back on those days.... (circa. 2007-08)
Conversely, you'd end up with smaller kids in XL or Large-Long pants that looked like potato sacks on the kid because they were way too large. It's quite comical when you think back on those days.... (circa. 2007-08)
Wish we could just fine more ref's to work the games rather than making them enforce rules that change every other year. Not knocking, just saying.
Kevin, I'm afraid we're just a few years from not playing. Not just football but across the board. At the lower levels where new officials start out, things are horrible. Abuse, both verbal and physical, is rampant. With social media, every missed call is played over and over and over. Kids don't want to get into officiating. They have a front row seat and see how officials are treated. Even when we get new people, only 1 in 10 last more than 3 years.
The scary thing to me is that schools don't realize that they need to be in the business of recruiting new people into officiating. Why? The shortage doesn't hurt me. I get all the games I want. I could work every night if I chose to. It's coaches who aren't going to be able to coach and players that won't be able to play when games and seasons cancelled. Unless something changes, that's the road we're headed down.
Hope things are well out west. 👍
100% agree. I was working a Middle school game last week. I was the only veteran in the crew. Had to stop game in third quarter because of fighting in the stands. Players and coaches were behaving, just the parents. Both sets of parents sit on the same side.
I like you could work every day if I choose, heck I am trying to cut back, not add more.
Would not post it if it were not true. It is a Greensboro team is all I will say. Many of the lineman had no thigh pads on. Not even the little skinny built ins most kids wear now. Hard to believe but I saw it and nothing was done for mouthpieces, pants, shirts hanging out, trash talking and taunting after tackles.
I'm not sure why people have such an issue following the rules while realizing officials are just enforcing the rules as they are instructed. If your supervisor tells you to enforce something, how would you feel if you got criticism from the outside for doing your job?
Sort of like the 7 year old that was in a league that didn't kick field goals. The lined up, kicked an XP and the referee didn't count it or penalized team. Either way it didn't count because league rules say you can't kick XPs at that age. People are going all in on the league commissioner for the rule when in reality the coach is at fault for not knowing the rule!!
How can we teach kids to be productive members of society when the adults don't even know the rules or think the rules should constantly be changed to fit their desires?
Sort of like the 7 year old that was in a league that didn't kick field goals. The lined up, kicked an XP and the referee didn't count it or penalized team. Either way it didn't count because league rules say you can't kick XPs at that age. People are going all in on the league commissioner for the rule when in reality the coach is at fault for not knowing the rule!!
How can we teach kids to be productive members of society when the adults don't even know the rules or think the rules should constantly be changed to fit their desires?
This rule is to protect the young players. This is not College or the NFL !! Some of you on here should know better and should be concerned for the health of the student athletes. Leave these knees unprotected and it could very well be the end of a possible college scholarship. My gosh even Youth football leagues make you have your knees covered. Coaches need to uphold the rules and stop making excuses. Man up and don’t give them a choice. You are in charge. Thank you Refs for upholding the rules set before you. They are put in place for a reason. Don’t let coaches and players dictate which rules they are going to go by
When, we as coaches, speak to the refs, before the game they always ask us if players are properly equipped. If you answer yes, it means knees are covered and shirts are tucked in. cast are padded properly, shields are clear, mouth pieces are in and worn, along with other things. If the coach does not maintain that with their team, they should be punished with an unsportsmanlike penalty. If it happens twice, Coach has an early exit.
Two different things, Coach.
If the player is wearing pants and has knee pads in his pads, then he is legally and properly equipped.
If the knees are not covered, then he is failing to wear the equipment as designed.
The rule doesn't allow for the head coach to be penalized if the player fails to wear equipment properly. The "penalty" for failure to wear equipment properly is to send the player out of the game.
If the player is wearing pants and has knee pads in his pads, then he is legally and properly equipped.
If the knees are not covered, then he is failing to wear the equipment as designed.
The rule doesn't allow for the head coach to be penalized if the player fails to wear equipment properly. The "penalty" for failure to wear equipment properly is to send the player out of the game.
