Another idiotic HS rule

When I was in high school we had a 4x8 team dq'd for a girl wearing watch when we were the only team who even ran a 4x8 at the meet. Those are the rules and it's really not that hard to follow them.

You might as well get used to following all the rules because it can only come back to bite you later if you don't. Just this past indoor season a girl in one of my races was dq'd at the start of the race for having her toe touching the starting line instead of being behind it.

So sure, the coach was a bit of a jerk to point it out, but the official or her coach or her teammates should have caught it anyway.

You can also write to the school administrator - she is VERY concerned about the bad publicity for her school - a little more pressure might convince her that this guy is a timebomb for her program:

lwagner@monrovia.k12.ca.us

Remember the name of this thread is: "Another" idiotic HS rule.

This implies there are several idiotic rules.

First you need to know the normal rules, don't false start, stay in the lane, don't shove, etc.

Then you have to know the rules that have no effect on the competition: uniform specs, jewelry (metal, gems or otherwise), pine tar, etc.

A violation can be called and appealed. Someone can step over a line and be flagged but the race upheld if it is deemed that no advantage was gained.

I liked the comment about the spirit of the rule.

For those defending this by saying "it happens all of the time", that is also the point of the thread. These stupid things happen all of the time it shouldn't.

This is supposed to be about fair competition to to see who is the best. So did they fairly determine who was the best?

NFHS TRACK AND FIELD AND CROSS COUNTRY RULES

Rule 4) - Competitors;

Section 3) - Competitor's Uniform;

Article 3)... jewelery shall not be worn by contestants

NOTE: c) A watch may be worn around the wrist.

That is how stupid the rule is: if she had used her friendship bracelet as a watch strap, she would have been all good.

That is why it is a stupid rule.

The coach who reported it to win the meet missed a quality "teaching opportunity."

4. Viagra doesn't work for him anymore.

5. He hates kids.

No, there are just a lot of people who haven't participated in your particular league. I only assistant coached and it was over 5 years ago so perhaps things have changed drastically then but I doubt it.

No way. Oh I'm not saying it doesn't happen where you are but certainly not where I've been. And the few times I have seen it happen is usually BEFORE the race, not after. I almost never even saw this stuff when I was participating, much less when I was coaching.

Of course they are doing something wrong. Not against the rules, mind you, just wrong. They are ignoring the spirit of the rule for the letter. That is always wrong. That is why they are jerks.

You seem to think that just because many people do it where you live, that somehow makes it a good thing. If 100 people act like jerks, they are still jerks.

This is what is meant by the spirit vs the letter of the rules. What was the kid DQ-ed for? Cutting someone off? Well then of course I would try to have him DQ-ed. Wearing a f***ing friendship bracelet? Of course not. Never in a million years would I ever try to have someone DQ-ed for such a non-issue. If I ever objected to it, I would do so before the race. Vermont got it right on that score.

Try to remember. Whether you like it or not, you are teaching kids lessons here that go far beyond track. Do you really want to try to teach them how to win by invoking some obscure rule that has no effect upon the outcome? Do you want your runners to think that if they can just find some fashion statement that violates a rule, they can pretend that they were better runners? I wouldn't.

There is nothing in any of this that need tell kids it is OK to violate the rules. By all means, enforce these things but do so BEFORE.

Nopers wrote: There is nothing in any of this that need tell kids it is OK to violate the rules. By all means, enforce these things but do so BEFORE.

A friendship string bracelet is not jewelry.

JEWELRY: an adornment (as a bracelet or ring or necklace) made of precious metals and set with gems (or imitation gems).

The coach was simply taking advantage of an official who was not smart enough to know the difference.

How embarassing for this coach's team. Why do highschool coaches continually allow there personal interests get in the way of responsibility in the team. His team didn't win and they know that. This win will shadow all their individual accomplishments (something the coach should be focusing on). A teaching opportunity...yes, but not in the way he thinks.

If the bracelet wasn't caught by an offical or the person running the vault, then the "charges" should have been dropped and the athlete receive a quiet warning. Its as if the young woman was accused of a crime here. And having a bracelet on ones wrist offers no competitive advantage whatsoever. And the young woman is now having to deal with horrible disappointment. Its these type of events that can really distort what highschool sports are about and really ruin a young persons enjoyment of sports and maybe even school.

I understand there are safety reasons to have these sorts of rules, but I believe they should be guidelines and not an absolute.

Here is the link for the Athletic Director...

http://www.monroviaschools.net/160320121193926933/blank/browse.asp?A=383&BMDRN=2000&BCOB=0&C=54405

jsquire wrote:

Two observations...

1) Kids don't like winning this way, and I'm sure they're not appreciative of the negative attention. The coach in question lost quite a bit of loyalty from his athletes by doing this.

2) If your best pole-vaulters can only manage seven feet, your team doesn't deserve to win anything anyway. Seven feet? That's like losing because your girls can't break 6:00.

Pole vault is one event. Having bad pole vaulters in no way dictates whether or not a team should win.

Moes Tavern wrote:

While rushing our son to the doctor, my wife got stopped and ticketed. Took it to court on the common sense concept. Evidently it was a foreign concept in Plano, Texas.

That's why they have ambulances, you idiot.

60+Scott wrote:

Unless there is a specific definition on the California rule book, a thin colorful string bracelet does not qualify. Every definition generally infers that jewelry is metalic and possibly adorned with precious gems. Not sure how a piece of string around the wrist is jewelry. Does this make a sweat band jewelry?

Wrong. Just moronically wrong. You clearly define the string as a bracelet. A bracelet is clearly a piece of jewelry.

The national rule book clearly defines jewelry as any adornment worn in excess of the uniform. Why was she wearing the bracelet? Did she need the bracelet? Obviously not. She was wearing it because it is fashionable. A sweat band serves a practical purpose in a running event; it prevents sweat from getting into the eyes. There is no reason to wear the bracelet.

youmustbeslow wrote:

Moes Tavern wrote:

While rushing our son to the doctor, my wife got stopped and ticketed. Took it to court on the common sense concept. Evidently it was a foreign concept in Plano, Texas.

That's why they have ambulances, you idiot.

ambulances cost hundreds of dollars and are much slower than just driving yourself

Randy Bell

Athletic Director

RBell@monrovia.k12.ca.us

youmustbeslow wrote: Wrong. Just moronically wrong. You clearly define the string as a bracelet. A bracelet is clearly a piece of jewelry.

The national rule book clearly defines jewelry as any adornment worn in excess of the uniform.

Hey fool, you just defined a hair band as being jewelry. A hair band is CLEARLY in excess of the uniform. In your world, it clear that hair bands should be banned.

So if I tape my shot putters wrist and it doesn't help them throw, but it looks cool. Is it jewelry?

So if I tape my shot putters wrist and it doesn't help them throw, but it looks cool. Is it jewelry?

This falls into the coach's responsibility. The coach knows the rules, or should. All coaches know that you are not allowed to wear jewlery when you compete. The offical is at fault too. They need to be aware of this. If I was an official I would tell the athlete you cannot jump until you remove that article of jewerly or whatever. You shouldn't want to disqualify someone. The athlete is at fault because she did not deny the fact she didn't know the rule. She knew it. She probably just wanted to get away with it, maybe. The coach that reported has the right to but really, do you want to win that way?

There are too many pointless, punitive, and unnecessary rules. Period.