Ask A Back Judge: Pick Plays, And Uniform Rules

5 Comments

1. 

   BGHokie13 November 12, 2023 at 9:12 AM

   I know it wasn’t the Hokies game..but please explain the process or thinking behind the refs —or the people “upstairs” or in Greensboro—in not stopping play in the UNC/Duke game to review that possible interception. As the announcers pointed out, they stopped the game for minutes to review a sideline call that was fairly obvious. Why didn’t they review that catch?
2. 

   teaysvalleyhokie November 8, 2023 at 4:38 PM

   I believe the idea that a kid is wearing a mouthpiece, yet has a very colorful one dangling from his facemask, is a fashion issue. When I played, our mouthpieces were clear, you couldn't see them unless you were looking for it. Oh, and the kneepad issue? I think this is a continuation of players wanting to be faster, and less equipment does it. Much smaller shoulder pads. Smaller facemasks. I'm not even sure a lot of players are wearing butt or hip pads. I remember when I first started playing, getting loaded down with every proper pad felt like I was a bag of pads. You get used to it, but a lot of players feel faster with less stuff.
3. 

   nvpbrown November 8, 2023 at 3:08 PM

   The equipment issue that drives me nuts as a fan are towels. It seems like everyone carries a towel and they inevitably end up on the ground multiple times every game.
4. 

   Gilly November 8, 2023 at 2:00 PM

   Knee pads aren’t just for the protection of the player wearing them. It’s a safety measure for the players who may come into contact with the uncovered knee. I’d guess this will change drastically in the near future.
5. 

   TomTurkey November 8, 2023 at 1:29 PM

   I've read the dangling mouthpieces are "spares," though some players obvious don't have one in their mouths. Hey, I have a mouthpiece. A real life example is the weight of trucks on the hiway. To distribute weight per law, the number of axles is important. An overweight permitted truck was pulled over once with a common boat trailer hooked to the lowboy tractor-trailer. No weight distribution, but "legal" number of axles. Both are egregious examples of ignoring common sense safety.