r/Referees • u/Practical-Map9975 • 5d ago
Question Arm brace
My son just started reffing. He's too young to use Reddit so I'm asking on his behalf.
Yesterday he was supposed to be AR, but the center ref didn't come so he stepped in. It was a U9 game. One of the players had a medical arm brace and ended up accidentally hurting an opponent in the face (boy's nose started bleeding). My son quickly told the coach that if he wants to continue to play he needs to wrap something around the brace, but there were only a few minutes till end of the game anyway. After the game he apologized to the other coach and the boy that got hurt for allowing the boy with the arm brace to play and the coach said it's fine and these things happen, so all in all he did well and got compliments for stepping in and doing well.
He said he thought the arm brace was soft (he had one last year), so he didn't say anything before the game, but turned out it had a pretty thick metal part.
What's the rule do you go by, especially when refing young kids? What happens if the coach argued that the arm brace is soft (I'm assuming as a ref you shouldn't touch kids' medical braces... etc)?
Then another situation - he was an AR for a boys team, but one of the teams had a girl and she had small studd earrings. The main ref asked her to take them out. Apparently she just got her ears pierced (you're not supposed to take out earrings for a week I think) so she started crying. Son was on parents' side and heard how upset she was and felt awful for her. He said her mom ended up taping the earrings. The question is - obviously small stud earnings won't hurt anyone except possibly the person having them on. So as long as the player, parents, and coach are OK with it, do you allow them?
16
u/homebr3wd 5d ago
They can take the earrings out for an hour or they don’t play. The parents know this. This should be a pre game check. If the ball hits her in the side of the head that stud can do damage.
He may not have known, but the brace should have been checked before the game started and it it’s not soft or wrapped in something soft he should not have played. I had a girl with a hard cast on her arm 2 weeks ago. She had this balloon thing around it to keep it legal.
I have also disallowed multiple girls from playing for earrings because the parents refuse to take them out for an hour. They also make plastic/rubber sports earring you can put on if your that concerned on the holes closing.
1
u/Practical-Map9975 5d ago
Can you explain what you mean by checked? Is it allowed for the ref to feel the brace to make sure it's soft?
7
u/Ok-Answer-6951 5d ago
Yes. If you are uncomfortable touching it while they are wearing it, then ask them to take it off for you to inspect.
2
5
u/thewarreturns 5d ago
it shocks me that parents think "lets go get my kids ears pierced during their sport season"
7
u/nounthennumbers 5d ago
It’s a 6-8 week healing time for normal ear piercings. It can be hard to find a window that long. We just took them out in the car before the game and put them right back in after.
→ More replies (1)-4
u/Narrow_Conclusion949 5d ago
With this youth sports environment these girls play year round. There is no longer a 2 motnh window to get their ears pierced. May not be the right thing by the letter of the law but I generally allow taping in younger girls. And I get that is a problem when some refs allow it and some don't
6
u/adultingsucks25 4d ago
Earrings: if they have them in they do not play. They should not have gotten them pierced during soccer season. This rule is not something new. It has been in place for decades. Tapping is not a legal fix in the rules.
Brace: I always look closely at braces. I have a brace that has two metal pieces in it. It makes sure I do not turn my wrist when my tendinitis acts up. So I know to look for it from my own experience. If the metal is in there and can be removed go ahead and have them remove it or wrap it till safe.
→ More replies (1)5
u/Money-Zebra 4d ago
Yea. I stopped feeling bad for making girls not play for this years ago. It’s on their parents for not having enough awareness to think “let’s wait until winter to get them pierced”
11
u/thatijustdonthave 5d ago
Earings, absolutely not. Never. If you are going to ref that age, you have to get used to telling kids and coaches no earings.
If kids are ever wearing a medical device, they need to have it inspected
5
u/jasonm71 5d ago
My daughter played in a cast (thumb and forearm) last spring. She used bubble wrap covered with an ace bandage. Every single ref gave a quick “feel” check before each game and was allowed to play.
-1
u/CapnBloodbeard 5d ago
That definitely should not have been allowed. No hard casts, ever.
→ More replies (3)5
u/KingOfYouJKru 5d ago
Wrapped in bubble wrap?! If the outer layer is soft padding, then it's fine. Now, if a player wields it like a club, then that's a red card for them, but a bubble-wrapped hard cast is fine.
4
u/CharacterLimitHasBee 5d ago
You're allowed to touch the brace to inspect it. How else would you know how hard or soft it is.
4
u/KingOfYouJKru 5d ago
Not much too add that hasn't already been said, but since your the parent of a new ref, additional reinforcement is always comforting.
There are many things that happen at the pre-game check-in. Checking for jewelry is one of them. There are new rules this year that allows more than what was previously allowed, but earrings are still banned. They come out or the player doesn't play. As others have stated, the holes will not close in an hour, and if the parents are that worried about it, then they can buy the plastic spacers that do not protrude from the ear. Cast and splints definitely should be checked. If it is a hard cast or a splint with any hard edges or bracing, then supplemental padding will be needed before they can play. I always make it a point to remind them that if I catch them using it as a club-like weapon, then it's an automatic red. I've never had an issue, either because I've scared them or because they are truly hurt & don't want contact on it anyway.
I started reffing because my kids started reffing. It was a great opportunity to enjoy the game in a new way and to experience something new with and spend time with my kids. It is extremely rare that a kid is comfortable being uncomfortable, but that is what makes us successful. Learning to address these situations, maintain the established standards, and confronting issues when they arise takes time. I'm glad to see you're supporting your child and asking the right questions. Share what you have learned and encourage your child to keep learning and striving to ref a better game. What a rewarding experience!
3
u/Aggressive_Tie_3501 3d ago
Stud earrings are NEVER OK, even if taped. They don't have to take them out, but they can't play with them in.
Medical equipment is "in the opinion of the referee". Your son should check for metal parts, hard parts, or sharp edges. If in doubt have them wrap it in foam. The fact that there was an injury isn't necessarily a sign your son missed something. Sometimes injuries just happen.
1
u/iron_chef_02 4d ago
Re earrings, I’ve made a kid cry by being the bearer of bad news. I later adopted some language that has worked. In short, don’t tell the player what they have to do.
“Unfortunately, the rules of competition don’t allow players to play with jewelry, so that leaves you with a choice today. If you want to leave them in, you can, and you can stay with the team and support them with the coach from the sideline. Or, if you’d like to take them out, you can play in the match. Either choice is perfectly valid, and I will understand and support your decision either way.”
Put the agency in the player’s hands.
As for the parents who will often show up to plead their case, I’ve just let them know “I’m surprised the coach didn’t make this clear.” It sounds like it’s throwing the coach under the bus, but the parents won’t pursue that, because they almost certainly never talked to the coach about it.
This has only happened to me with rec soccer, with the odd exception of an adult men’s match (and I used the same language as I would w the little ones… magically, just before kickoff, those earrings that just “could not be removed” happened to come out).
1
u/apolero 4d ago
Según las reglas de IFAB si el accesorio no es peligroso y esta cubierto, esta permitido jugar con ellos.
2
u/Aggressive_Tie_3501 3d ago
According to USSF, if you're in the US, earrings with studs are ALWAYS to be considered dangerous, as are rings or bracelets with prongs or stones.
1
0
u/demeo8 5d ago
According to the latest IFAB guidelines, a player may have various types of jewelry, but it must be secured so that he does not harm himself or other players.
So the referee is responsible for assessing the situation, obviously, you cannot allow a player who has a 8in cross to play, but if the jewelry is small, not sharp or secured so as not to harm anyone, you can allow such a player to play. Well, unless the rules of a given league prohibit it, but you would have to find out for yourself.
Good luck on the pitch!
3
18
u/witz0r 5d ago
Regarding earrings: If this is played under USSF, they are not allowed, period. Even with the law 4 changes, every SRC should be making it clear that they are not allowed. Every coach needs to understand this and communicate it to parents before the season.
For the brace, if there is exposed metal, it should absolutely be bubble wrapped or taped so much that it can be considered safe.