Coach Hoover
Sophomore Member
Assistant Coach, Ligonier Valley High School
Posts: 104 
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Post by Coach Hoover on Sept 19, 2016 19:51:06 GMT -6
Here in Pennsylvania, it seems like officials are all over the "pants must cover the knee" rule this season. We just purchased new uniforms this year and we have about 4-5 players who are just long and skinny...6'2", 165lb types...and our pants just don't cover their knees (we should've ordered Tall lengths from Nike...but they're custom, and we can't get them this season because of the turnaround time).
We've gotten by being proactive and letting the officiating teams know about our situation, rather than try to hide it, and by our kids wearing pull-up volleyball kneepads under compression tights under their pants, but tonight, in a JV game of all things, one official was really on us about it before the game and wasn't going to let a kid play. We explained that we were doing what we could, but just going up in size on a kid wasn't the answer, as the pants just didn't cover. He let the kid play, but said a memo went out this week to all officials stressing it.
I look at the opponents we've played and I've noticed some of their kids have the same problems, but I haven't heard if they're getting talked to about it either.
Anyone else getting heat from officials about this? Aside from ordering mismatch stock pants and forcing your kids to wear them, have you been able to do anything to satisfy officials and avoid a player being kept off the field?
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Post by coachtua on Sept 19, 2016 22:25:23 GMT -6
A lot of our taller kids just bought the tights that come down to the mid calf in the same color of our pants. We haven't had any problems, yet.
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Post by fballcoachg on Sept 20, 2016 5:28:36 GMT -6
Cloth and eye black seem to be the top of the priority list...while it's frustrating I have to keep reminding myself that it's not their rule/initiative. We have a few in the 6'4/6'5 range that are sticks and have to constantly pull them down. Like everything else it is hit or miss on enforcement...wish we'd be as proactive about dress as we are about enforcing intentional grounding!!
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Post by fcboiler87 on Sept 20, 2016 6:20:45 GMT -6
We've had issues with knee pads. Apparently it's not cool to wear them. I have been watching college football and have noticed the same thing. Guys aren't wearing knee pads and their pants are barely covering or not covering their knees at all. I guess it's one of those trendy things? I don't know but it drives me nuts because it is a penalty. They show up to practice without them so we have been doing up-downs for not being prepared for class. We don't have any tall kids so that's not the issue! Maybe manufacturers are just catering to the "cool" stuff!
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Post by jtimmerman53 on Sept 20, 2016 8:54:49 GMT -6
We haven't gotten any penalties from it but I think in every game so far during pre-game warmups the refs have mentioned something about pant lengths to a few of our coaches. But I'm with fballcoachg I wish they would focus on some other penalties like they seem to be with the pants issue. |
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Post by carookie on Sept 20, 2016 9:22:08 GMT -6
The big one we've had to deal with over the last couple seasons are the mouthpieces with the fangs on them, as white mouthpieces are a violation
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Coach Hoover
Sophomore Member
Assistant Coach, Ligonier Valley High School
Posts: 104
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Post by Coach Hoover on Sept 20, 2016 20:26:53 GMT -6
Thanks for the feedback. Just hoping for the rest of this season, until we can order some longer length pants, that refs will work with us after we let them know we're aware of it and working on it. which is how it's been so far. I know the moment they knock us for it, I'll point out every kid on the other team that has the same issue, and then they'll have to back off.
The kids do hate wearing the kneepads (I did too, and always wore pull up kneepads) but it is getting much more out of hand with them seeing the college players doing it. A Pitt DL was on Instagram in his game uniform with the pants CUT OFF well above his knee. The next day at practice, our starting QB came on the field with the same "look". Next thing you know, half the kids have their pants pull up above the knee.
At least at the pro game they're making them wear kneepads in the pants.
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Post by fcboiler87 on Sept 21, 2016 5:43:50 GMT -6
Yesterday was first day we were in full pads since last Wednesday. Last Tuesday and Wednesday we had 10 guys (out of 35) not wearing knee pads. We had warned them it would result in reminders (100 yards up downs at each 5). Tuesday we did it, then they came back on purpose to do it on Wednesday so we had them do it again. Yesterday there wasn't a single kid who wanted to do that again so not one person tried to pull a fast one with no knee pads. lol
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Post by CoachMikeJudy on Sept 21, 2016 6:48:35 GMT -6
I was one equipment foul away from being ejected from the game last Friday. Knee pad issues- the same as listed above.
We have pants that tend to cover the knee when standing but not when leg is bent. I believe they are Russell brand. Great pants, but they ride up when our long legged kids do anything (like tackle, get up off the ground. squat down etc). They pulled a player off the field to adjust them at one point. So then we had another kid with same issue, but was wearing a 7 piece girdle-tights under his game pants- the pads were showing when they pants rode up. Ref told me the knees were fine but the pant has to cover them. I got an equipment foul for that one. WTH? It was obvious that the kid had knee pads on covering the knee, but I got us 15yds because the damn pants slipped up?
So the emphasis is on equipment this season- meanwhile the other team TWICE speared a kid (once was a DL hit on our QB, to the shoulder with the crown of his helmet, once was a receiver spearing a tackler)...no call.
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Post by coachfloyd on Sept 21, 2016 7:29:39 GMT -6
We had the same problem in our 1st scrimmage. We had a kid removed, then his replacement removed, then his replacement removed. We were down to no more WR that could go in on that play. And this was all on one play. Again enforcing something that really isn't a problem.
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bdm
Sophomore Member
Posts: 104
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Post by bdm on Sept 21, 2016 7:40:56 GMT -6
To this point I would like to say I hate mouth pieces that aren't attached to the face mask, every game somebody loses one have to get a regular one for them, my LB can't get f**king set because he is calling out the defensive adjustments and then has to remember to put his mouth piece back in his mouth as they are snapping the ball because he forgets he is holding it in his hand. All this fashion BS and trendy crap is aggravating. Guess its because I was a trench guy my whole I just don't have time for all this extra wanna be pretty s**t. Okay rant over.
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Post by blb on Sept 21, 2016 7:43:47 GMT -6
Pro Football can be a bad example and it filters down to HS Football.
Many NFL players do not wear any pads at all besides helmet and shoulder pads.
Watching Michigan-Colorado game last Saturday noticed several players whose pants did not cover their knees, and they weren't all kickers-punters.
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Post by bignose on Sept 21, 2016 8:11:31 GMT -6
Two years ago we had three pads not covering the knees call in one game, all after we converted long third downs, all by the same official,...........hmmmm, makes you wonder.
The kids like to wear pants a size too small, which includes them not being long enough, who's to blame? The manufacturer? The coach for issuing equipment that doesn't cover? The kids for hiking them up?
We are having a lot of our kids wear the "reptile scale" girdle pads instead of individual pads, they "look cool", obviously a good reason to wear them.
blb is correct about our kids emulating the Pros. Right down to not using mouth pieces in practice........
Several of our kids use the youth extra small pads, tissue paper thin, for knee pads, trying to protect their toothpick legs.
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Post by coachtua on Sept 21, 2016 20:15:13 GMT -6
I had a teammate in college that bought 2 sets of thigh pads, pulled the hard plastic out of middle, used one set for his "thigh pads" then cut down the other set to about a 4" diameter circle as his "knee pads". Every game the refs would check him but technically he has his "pads" in...
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Post by StraightFlexin on Sept 29, 2016 6:25:35 GMT -6
We just had an official kick off our long snapper on a punt because he said his knees were showing. We had to burn a timeout to get him back on the field. Amazing the he could see players knees but missed our D-end getting hit in the back by a cracking receiver.
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Post by fantom on Sept 29, 2016 8:05:29 GMT -6
We just had an official kick off our long snapper on a punt because he said his knees were showing. We had to burn a timeout to get him back on the field. Amazing the he could see players knees but missed our D-end getting hit in the back by a cracking receiver. Arguments like this are similar to a guy getting a speeding ticket telling the cop that he should be out catching real criminals. Your kid was breaking a rule and the official, that's all. BTW, if the kid got hurt while not wearing a piece of required safety equipment guess who'd be liable. |
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Post by StraightFlexin on Sept 29, 2016 8:45:08 GMT -6
We just had an official kick off our long snapper on a punt because he said his knees were showing. We had to burn a timeout to get him back on the field. Amazing the he could see players knees but missed our D-end getting hit in the back by a cracking receiver. Arguments like this are similar to a guy getting a speeding ticket telling the cop that he should be out catching real criminals. Your kid was breaking a rule and the official, that's all. BTW, if the kid got hurt while not wearing a piece of required safety equipment guess who'd be liable. His knee wasn't showing. |
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Post by runitupthemiddle on Oct 3, 2016 13:11:22 GMT -6
Thanks for the feedback. Just hoping for the rest of this season, until we can order some longer length pants, that refs will work with us after we let them know we're aware of it and working on it. which is how it's been so far. I know the moment they knock us for it, I'll point out every kid on the other team that has the same issue, and then they'll have to back off. The kids do hate wearing the kneepads (I did too, and always wore pull up kneepads) but it is getting much more out of hand with them seeing the college players doing it. A Pitt DL was on Instagram in his game uniform with the pants CUT OFF well above his knee. The next day at practice, our starting QB came on the field with the same "look". Next thing you know, half the kids have their pants pull up above the knee. At least at the pro game they're making them wear kneepads in the pants. There are tights with knee pads u can order |
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Post by coachorm on Oct 3, 2016 22:19:58 GMT -6
Man I thought for sure when I clicked this it was gonna be about a kid that wears his knee pads like shin guards. Oh well.
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Post by pistolwhipped on Oct 4, 2016 14:10:44 GMT -6
Thigh and knee pads are archaic.
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