Equipment

[usasoccerhooligan]

i've been a USSF certified grade 8 since 2003 and am hoping to get my IHSAA high school license for this fall. i'm looking to somewhat update my equipment since i should be picking up more games after about a year off.

i have two shirts, yellow and black, but i'm looking to get a red and maybe a blue so i can match more crews. i prefer having flaps over the two pockets on the chest. i also need shorts and would prefer them to be fairly long. i'm not trying out for a basketball team in the 50s.

i need shoes. i've always just used my cleats since i've always played up til now, but IHSAA would prefer all-black shoes.

now, i'm a college student, so my funds aren't exactly unlimited. any suggestions on good, cheap equipment?

[Tarheel Ref]

i need shoes. i've always just used my cleats since i've always played up til now, but IHSAA would prefer all-black shoes.

now, i'm a college student, so my funds aren't exactly unlimited. any suggestions on good, cheap equipment?

I found a pair of Kelme cleats (needed some new wet-weather shoes) that were almost all black with a little white stitching which I colored over with a permanent black marker so now I'm old-school again...actually I always was, don't like that refs now can wear white logos on our shoes but that's just me.

You'll fall over when I tell you what I paid for them...under $20 at a special once a year sale. I think they listed for about $85 which still isn't too bad but they were about the only black shoes I saw (and I saw a LOT of shoes that day).

As for good non-OSI shirts, I hear good things about Score and Olympus...

[Sachsen]

i also need shorts and would prefer them to be fairly long. i'm not trying out for a basketball team in the 50s.

This is one of my biggest beefs about standard ref equipment. Good night, who wants to see old, slightly rotund men in John Stocktons?

Please, OSI, lengthen those shorts.

[ref47]

http://www.aysostore.com/index.html

[JeffG]

Please, OSI, lengthen those shorts.

From the Referee Administrative Handbook (pg 34):
BLACK SHORTS: Bottom edge of shorts not less than 3 nor more than 7 inches above the top of the knee-cap.

So, don't expect to see the latest cargo or board short lengths from the vendors any time soon!

And, don't forget to check out this forum's sponsor: http://shop.bigsoccer.com/departments-referee-gear.html
(this was an uncompensated shill -- can I get compensated? :D)

[usasoccerhooligan]

As for good non-OSI shirts, I hear good things about Score and Olympus...

i do like my black Olympus jersey. i keep looking at Eurosport's deals section for cleats, but i haven't seen anything.

[Tarheel Ref]

i do like my black Olympus jersey. i keep looking at Eurosport's deals section for cleats, but i haven't seen anything.

I didn't want to be the first to bring up their name but that's where I got them...they have an annual on-site sale and I'm lucky enough to live nearby.

My best advice (I'm back in school now too so $$$ is an issue for me, too) is to look for some clearance sales at your local big-box stores OR another alternative is black electrical tape to cover any colored logos, if you do it carefully it should look fine from more than a couple yards away although it might be a little reflective during night games.

My last choice when I'm in this situation is buying the cheapest shoes possible to get me through a couple of weeks or a month until I can find something I really want to go with.