Question Number: 19042

Law 4 - Players Equipment 5/9/2008

RE: competitive Adult

clint schreiber of south elgin, il usa asks...

Youth Girls games. Is bunching up the sleeves allowed? In one game that I AR'ed the CR would not allow it. If it is allowed, should we follow the 'if one does it...all do it' rule?

In my clinic training, my presentor made a big deal about not allowing different color sliding shorts under the uniform shorts because that may be a visual aid used for a team to easily find it's best ball handling midfielder. "Get Annie the ball, she'll have the orange sliding pants sticking out under her game shorts."

Would one player bunching her sleeves draw attention to herself in the same way?

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Are you saying a US Soccer instructor told you to allow undershorts of a different color than the main color of the shorts? And told you girls can't much with their sleeves unless all muck with them in the same manner. I find this more than hard to believe.

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Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

USSF has spoken at the official "Ask A Soccer Referee" website ( http://www.askasoccerreferee.com/ )

Answer (October 10, 2007):
There has been no change since FIFA revised its stand on jersey sleeves. In a memorandum issued on November 4, 2002, the U. S. Soccer Federation stated:

USSF has been informed by FIFA that it has decided to temporarily set aside the new provision regarding jersey sleeves found in International Board Decision 1 of Law 4. Accordingly, effective immediately and until further notice:
a. Referees will have no responsibility for determining the legality of jersey sleeves or for enforcing the provision in Law 4 related to jersey sleeves.
b. Referees are directed not to include in their game reports any information regarding the presence, absence, or altered status of jersey sleeves unless required to do so by the rules of competition under which a particular game is being played.
c.. The only concern a referee has with respect to the condition of a player’s jersey is safety.
d. Referees are, however, expected to enforce all relevant provisions in the Rules of Competition governing a match, meaning, if a state association, organization, league or tournament has a rule regarding jersey sleeves, that rule should be enforced.

There is no further guidance regarding velcro or string or tape ties to keep the sleeves up beyond the use of common sense and the application of Law 4 to cases where these ties endanger the player him-/herself or any other participant.



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