Question Number: 21158

League Specific 4/20/2009

RE: competive High School

Tim Clemmer of Palmer, Alaska USA. asks...

This is a question about high school shin guards. History in 2006 a rule change was made that required mandatory wearing of NOCSAE shin guards. The implementation of this rule was postponed until the fall of the 2008-2009 season. The 2008-2009 rule book states that the NOCSAE is in place and required. Up here we have a high school season that starts in March and runs until the end of May, in February 2009 a update was sent out from Mark Koski. This states ' an addition to the shinguard policy has been approved'. A year after requiring shinguards to meet National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) standards, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) soccer rules committee will now require the front of the shinguard to be permanently marked with the NOCSAE seal and a height range, effective in fall 2012. Dose this mean that the NOCSAE requirement is not implemented until 2012, or that it only means that the shinguard have to be NOCSAE approved with a tag or marking other than permanently on the front until 20012? We have only been implementing the 2' above the ankle requirement and not concerned about the NOCSAE tagging.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Here's the answer you seek:

Starting Fall 2008, all shinguards must have a NOCSAE logo somewhere on the actually guard itself. Starting Fall 2012 all shinguards must be permanently marked (branded, embossed, etc.) with the NOCSAE logo on the front of the guard. This rule was put into place because of the number of manufacturers who were only placing this logo on the tag which in many cases was being torn off, ripped off, smeared off, etc.

However, please understand that from now until Fall 2012, all guards who do not display the NOCSAE logo somewhere on each guard are considered illegal. Even if the tag was "ripped off or misplaced."