Question Number: 15789

Law 4 - Players Equipment 6/13/2007

RE: Rec and Competitive Under 11

Amanda of Ramsey, MN United States asks...

Recently, I have been reffing U8 and U10 games. Many of the players put their socks on first, then their shin guards, and then end by pulling their socks down over the top. At a field training I went to, I was instructed to have the players correct this problem, because my mentor said that socks were to cover shin guards from the bottom-up. Why are players suddenly doing this...in all of the games I have played in, this has never been a problem. Are they allowed to keep their shin guards/socks like this??

thanks

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

Laws say that socks must cover the shin guards. This is not permissible and needs to be corrected.

Answer provided by Referee Debbie Hoelscher

The equipment must be layered in the following order: first skin, then shin guard, then sock and lastly shoe.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Amanda,
I must admit I am at odds with my colleagues over the sock thing! In my opinion it is not as important with reguard to how as long as the law is adhered to!
In the u-littles the socks are often way way too long and can be put on first, shinguard over top and then the sock pulled down as long as they cover the shinguards. What occurs quite often now though is shinguards are incorperated with ankle guards with a foot strap and only by putting them on first then the sock can you completely cover the shinguards.
Also the socks must be long enough and possibly fastened to stay over top the shinguards if they are pulled down!
As the youngsters get bigger the socks will not cover the shinguards and they stop doing it!
I have seen a sock first shin guard second then a sock with the toes cut out over top. Works for me!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

To continue Ref Dawson's thought and, of course, put something into his mind that isn't quite there. The u-little player learns this is correct and when he becomes u-big the sock isn't long enough and doesn't cover his shinguard completely. He is crushed when the referee needs something else, after all his whole life he has done it sock, shinguard, roll down -- good enough. The, poor sap, referee who must teach him a new way of life becomes an officious bastard before the match starts.

Then the parents get on his case for being the only one they have ever seen. Problems arise all because it "Works for me!"

Think about that a tiny bit...

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

Part of the problem here is that the sock no longer has the effect of hugging the shin guard to the leg. In effect, the sock becomes part of the shin guard and if a player's cleat were to become lodged between leg and shin guard, the shin guard could be pulled away exposing the player's leg potentially causing injury that could have been avoided if of the sock were worn a properly.

It also doesn't seem like such a big deal to teach the players to wear the socks properly from the beginning. Why not get it right from the start rather than correct the problem later?

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 15803