Disqualification over shorts?

Some of my retired running friends spend their spare time officiating at HS meets. They are told about all these stupid clothing rules and that they must be strictly enforced. My best friend won't enforce most of them, but many of these old farts enforce them as if they would be executed if they didn't.

So it’s not surprising that many of the wars that were started this last century were the result of citizens going along with and supporting every stupid action their government leaders wanted to do. There are simply too many stupid people in this world that can’t think for them selves and who take pride in following rules no matter how stupid those rules are.

Most parents and nearly all HS runners think the HS clothing rules are stupid. So why aren't they changed? I think the problem lies with stupid HS coaches, many of whom are stupid HS teachers. Long ago they set up state HS sports associations and felt compelled to do something. So what rules can we make to protect the runners from anything that might possibly happen to them? Some of the clothing rules have some validity, but in nearly all cases a DQ penalty is a huge over-reaction. A simple warning and getting assurance from the coach there won’t be a similar violation next time is more than adequate. When my daughter was in HS she got DQed for wearing a head sweat band and couldn't go to states that year.

A HS meet is governed by the NFHS not the NCAA or USATF

Some states supercede the NFHS rules with their own stricter interpretation of the rules.

e.g. NFHS allows wrist watches but not jewelry but some states don't allow watches ( NY) they conside a watch jewlery

each state has their own Rules Interpreter

How's that for being "ass"inine !

This kind of crap happens all the time in high school. I've seen relay teams DQed for casually tossing a baton well after their race was over and individuals DQed for things like wearing a livestrong type bracelet (this second example happened to a decent runner in the opening round of the state cross country tournament after he won his race). Grumpy old men waging holy crusades to uphold stupid rules at the expense of the people the entire event exists for.

konro wrote:

Freshwoman phenom Danielle Menlove

Anyone else notice the winner's last name? Yep, thats Utah.

A few years back the 3 time returning state champion in Ohio was DQed for havign tights that waer not a solid color. They had alternating black and yellow panels. Yep missed being a four time state champ for a pair of multi-colored tights.... BRILLIANT

Our team had a girl miss going to state last year in cross. She wore long sleeves to begin the race. When she got hot during the race she pushed up the sleeves forgetting she had a livestrong bracelet on. Of course nobody would have seen this before the race started. This was also in Ohio.

I would like to see most of the uniform "rules" abolished myself.

The section in the NFHS Rules Book on Cross Country needs major updates...very poor. Then they have a Case Book that is worse yet...I'm amazed at how poorly written it is. Then each state has their officials become the uniform police with their own adaptations to these rules - yet it has zero bearing on the results of the meet - but some official always seems to apply these ridiculous rules that result in the death penalty for an athlete or team...only in Track and CC do we see such harsh penalties for offenses that truly do not matter.

show it while you can sweet pe wrote:

btw, any pics of the young hottie ?

I'm amazed it took so long for someone to ask for pics.

I mean really, how does this problem look, show us some pictures so we know what not to do.

Wow. Thats almost as bad as them disqualifying the kid from alaska for wearing half tights.

And unfortunately most coaches are too lazy to do anything about it...other than complain. If you don't like the rules, do something. They are stupid.....and CAN be changed....

Sorta like voting tomorrow....if you are not voting....shut up about politics.

raabeisaprick wrote:

You guys are all IDIOTS!!!!

...(whatever idiot downloaded the USATF rulebook is an idiot). Also, the official may be USATF certified, but he is probably also NFHS certified because that is the capacity he/she was working in...

The NFHS does not certify officials, idiot.

prettyfunny wrote:

And unfortunately most coaches are too lazy to do anything about it...other than complain. If you don't like the rules, do something. They are stupid.....and CAN be changed....

Sorta like voting tomorrow....if you are not voting....shut up about politics.

You don't seem to understand the political process in high school sports...coaches' support alone aren't enough to change a rule.

Coaches' recommendations have to be approved by a committee of administrators and principals that ultimately oversee a sport in most states, and there is a similar NFSA committee than adopts NFSA rules. And according to someone I know who was on the NFSA track committee for a few years, these principals love to come up with rules like this which, quite frankly, are a waste of an official's time. He said that someone was trying to get a rule passed about what kind of socks athletes could wear, fortunately that one never passed.

The officials let known dopers like Lance Armstrong run marathons but then DQ girls for these silly things. What the hell is going on ? These officials deserve a good swing of a baseball bat between the chops. Does anyone have the names and pictures of the officials who did this ?

u r n idiot wrote:

The NFHS does not certify officials, idiot.

Each state association certifies their officials using the NFHS rulebook and test. And if any of you actually read the rule book, you will see that 1/2 the book is about uniforms, not the rules of track or cross. Everything mentioned here is in the rule book, solid tights, jewelry (including livestong braclets), altering numbers, wearing uniforms as they were intended to be worn.

Some of my retired running friends spend their spare time officiating at HS meets. They are told about all these stupid clothing rules and that they must be strictly enforced. My best friend won't enforce most of them, but many of these old farts enforce them as if they would be executed if they didn't.

Officials enforce the rules, all of the rules. They don't pick and choose which rules they want to enforce.

Lightweight wrote:

Konro - USATF has no jurisdsiction over what a HS does in a HS Meet, the NCAA does and that sounds like something they would do.

Please tell me this is satire.

The rule is in the rulebook for high school, provided to every school in my state.

Is it a dumb rule? Maybe. If so, lobby for change, don't just expect officials to ignore the rules. That's stupidity. Why leave your team's efforts at risk for the sake of fashion.

I don't think matching sports bras is still a rule though. I'm really not sure if it ever was. Is it really true that happened? The worst thing I can think of is this guy in a basketball game got six fouls and they threw him out. Oh yeah and these really good hitters in baseball aren't allowed to bat anymore after three strikes. (even if they actually hit the ball the first two times but it went outside the baseline).

ptboss wrote:

And if any of you actually read the rule book, you will see that 1/2 the book is about uniforms, not the rules of track or cross.

Either you have not read that rule book, or your estimation skills are sorely lacking. There are several paragraphs devoted to uniforms, not 1/2 the book.

Pure Sport wrote:

I like to naively think of running as a pure sport where there are no judges and officials to mess up and decide the outcome. It is impressive the ways they find to screw people over sometimes.

Amen to that. what is becoming of our sport? judges deciding marathon champs, fastest marathoner not "considered winner", and now this.