Referee Wearing Hat

[ref2coach]

Previous times when the idea of a referee wearing a cap has come up those of us in the US have been referred to "Ask a Referee" where part of Jim Allen's post has included the statement the you would "never see a referee on a high level competition wearing a hat."

This morning watching FSC, FA Cup 3rd Round, Forest Green v Darby Co, just before half, camera focuses on AR2 he is wearing a black cap with white outlining the brim.

So is 3rd round of the FA Cup not a high level competition. :eek: :D

[jkc313]

I've never understood this ban on hats. I believe I'm correct in saying that every other outdoor sport requires referees to wear hats. Quite frankly, there are very few days that I can NOT wear a hat and do a good job. The brim keeps the sun off your eyes. The only time I ever keep my hat off is when I'm being assessed. I'm pleased to see that a referee at this high a level of play is wearing a hat.

[Englishref]

The FA have told us for years that wearing a plain black baseball cap is perfectly acceptable. However, it should not contain any logo of any sort. Not seen it in the PL yet, but it's happened a few times in the FL. Still to see highlights from today's FAC games, but it's not that surprising, at least not over here.

[Sachsen]

Old traditions die hard...

[constructor]

I often wear one, but not when I'm being assessed or observed. Let's face it, USSF isn't going to pay out on a skin cancer claim and, when doing AR with the sun low, it's very easy to miss a call when looking into the sun. Mine is a plain black runner's cap from Addidas.

I can see where a hat might not be required during a stadium match, depending on how the stands are oriented.

[spectre013]

Here in colorado a lot of referee's where hats, I really don't see a problem with that hats.

Now in my youth games worked with a fair amount of high school age kids as lines and have to constently ask them to remove their sunglasses. I have also noticed across the state more and more centers whering sunglasses while officiating.

[CalCard]

I saw that same match and was encouraged... also saw a GK wearing a baseball cap that appeared to have a standard rigid brim. He was staring directly into a low sun. Unfortunately he was scored apon in a brilliant close-in free kick.

Now if our State Associations would get more in line with this. Unfortunately, the road to Regionals has to differentiate on very small issues on determining which refs to consider for State Finals and going to Regionals.

[OldAndNew]

Officials wearing hats? My thoughts

1. Wear only black, without logos (except maybe USSF logo)
2. Make sure it doesn't prevent you pulling your head out from you-know-where! :lol:

[refmedic]

Years ago, one of our senior State Assessors went on a crusade about referees wearing hats. He's very old-school. We also have a National Assessor/National Referee Emeritus who has had skin cancer on his scalp a couple of times. WHen he is at a tournament he wears a hat. The result is that we now have a referee who is nicknamed the pirate. He wears a black bandana, because he finally couldn't take the incessant abuse he received from the referee administration about his hat. He asked the same question about who was going to pay his claim if he got cancer and if the insurance would settle his lawsuit against the referee committee if he got cancer. It does seem a little asinine to me to prevent hats completely. There are situations where it seems to me to pe perfectly reasonable to wear a hat or even sunglasses. For a profession that is so intent on getting the call right, it seems absurd to me that they want you to be able to run for 90 straight minutes to be 6 inches from the ball at all times only to be there and not be able to see what just happened because you had the sun in your eyes. That being said, you'll never see me in a hat. I wore sunglasses once this year for the first time ever (since 1994) on a dustbowl field. Without them I wouldn't have been able to face the field on my line. I spent the entire match feeling uncomfortable about wearing sunglasses.

Even though Jim Allen's answer is meant state that top level referees are not supposed to wear hats because well......they just aren't, or because it is unacceptable at that level, there is a much more practical reason for this.

If you are watching a match on TV, it is most likely being played in a large stadium. Large stadiums have walls that are high enough that by the time the sun becomes an issue, it has set behind the stadium walls and becomes moot. Rarely, in some smaller places, it does become an issue, but these matches are rarely seen on TV. This FA Cup match happened to be in a very small stadium (roughly the size of some college soccer bleachers or a high-school pointy-ball field) during the day. It just so happened that this lower-level match was played on TV so we saw the AR wearing a hat. In Serie A, La Liga, the EPL, et. al., the stadiums are tall enough that hats are not needed. Therefore, you will likely never see them. In the US, you will never see hats on a televised match because even if wearing a hat or sunglasses would be prudent under the circumstances, the head-honchos would likely fail a referee on their assessment on an otherwise well refereed game just because someone, somewhere, for no apparent reason, decided that in the US, hats on soccer referees was not acceptable.

[Sean_94]

Low sun is not the only factor.
While doing a state Open Cup game this year, with assessors all around, at halftime of a game I was told by an assessor the hat was not proper.
I wear glasses, and there was a serious threat of rain.
I asked, what should I do if it rains? Even a light sprinkle will make my glasses wet, and hard to see
I got no answer.
I was given an informal written assessment. Good assessment for my overall work, but dinged for the hat.
I wish I never had to wear a hat. But I wear glasses, and low sun and lots of rain around here make it almost necessary in most games for me.

[boylanj64]

The result is that we now have a referee who is nicknamed the pirate. He wears a black bandana, because he finally couldn't take the incessant abuse he received from the referee administration about his hat.

How can any state think that a pirate makes a more reputable referee than someone in a baseball cap?

[refmedic]

How can any state think that a pirate makes a more reputable referee than someone in a baseball cap?

The same people made this decision that think it's important to be fit enough to sprint for 3 days straight but not be able to see the foul when it happens in front of you because you are blinded by the sun. I think this is one of those "this is the way we've always done it" things. When it really comes down to it, it really doesn't matter that he wears a bandana. It is kind of silly looking, but the point is that it is absurd for him to be told that he can't protect his bare scalp from the sun.

[OldAndNew]

I'd have thought the parrot, eye-patch and peg-leg would be more ridiculous looking than the bandana! ;)

[intechpc]

Wow, I'm shocked that I seem to be in the minority on this one. I think referees wearing hats looks terrible. I can't put my finger on exactly what it is but I really hate the look and personally think it gives off a certain lack of professionalism (and I had that impression long before I ever was trained as a referee).

From the administrative side, my attitude on it is that we don't let field players wear hats so why should the referee be wearing one. The players are expected to deal with the sun, rain or other elements even if they wear glasses, are bald or whatever. I don't see why the referee should not be held to the same standard.

Personally I am not bald, but have extremely short hair and I do wear glasses. I use sunscreen on my head to keep it from getting burnt, and funny thing is it works. I don't buy the argument that a hat keeps glasses dry either. I've never been successful in keeping my glasses dry in the rain unless I take them off and put them away. I do also have contacts that I don't wear often but usually try to for games that I referee. If at some point I can't wear them at all, I think I'd be investing in some sports style glasses. I've taken a ball to the face as a player and wouldn't want that to happen while I'm wearing my regular wire rim glasses.

I'll never forget the look on Shane Butler's face at ODP one year when one of the referees asked him if he could wear a hat on the field. I thought Shane was literally going to drop kick the guy right out of the facility.

So I'm surprised here that I'm the only one that has expressed this view point. Maybe I'm the minority. To those of you that want to wear hats, more power to you. But I suspect that there's more than just your administrators that don't care for the look when you're on the field.

[njref]

Whether referees look better without a hat is really not much of a consideration when compared to the substantially increased danger of skin cancer.

This is from the highly respected CDC (Center for Disease Control) website at http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/chooseyourcover/qanda.htm#does:

"Q: Do sunscreens need to be reapplied during the course of a day?

A: You should follow the manufacturer's directions regarding reapplication or you risk not getting the protection that you might think you are getting. Though recently developed sunscreens are more resistant to loss through sweating and getting wet than previous sunscreens were, you should still reapply frequently, especially during peak sun hours or after swimming or sweating.

Q: How do sunscreens work?

A: Most sun protection products work by absorbing, reflecting, or scattering the sun's rays. Such products contain chemicals that interact with the skin to protect it from UV rays. Sunscreens help prevent problems related to sun exposure, such as aging skin and precancerous growths.

Keep in mind that sunscreen is not meant to allow you to spend more time in the sun than you would otherwise. That's why it is important to complement sunscreen use with other sun protection options: cover up, wear a hat and sunglasses, and seek shade."

This discussion highlights why referees (especially bald referees) should wear a hat. First, sunscreen protection decreases when you sweat. Second, even plentiful sunscreen by itself does not offer sufficient sun protection. My dermatologist has told me that I should not depend on sunscreen alone, I MUST wear a hat when going out into the sun for any length of time.

As for players, they can wear bandanas and other head coverings, they typically are not out in the sun for multiple games at a time, and they are crashing into eachother. So whether players can wear hats in not relevant to whether referees should wear one.

The USSF should allow hats for referees at all levels.

[gosellit]

Wow, I'm shocked that I seem to be in the minority on this one. I think referees wearing hats looks terrible. I can't put my finger on exactly what it is but I really hate the look and personally think it gives off a certain lack of professionalism (and I had that impression long before I ever was trained as a referee).

From the administrative side, my attitude on it is that we don't let field players wear hats so why should the referee be wearing one. The players are expected to deal with the sun, rain or other elements even if they wear glasses, are bald or whatever. I don't see why the referee should not be held to the same standard.

Personally I am not bald, but have extremely short hair and I do wear glasses. I use sunscreen on my head to keep it from getting burnt, and funny thing is it works. I don't buy the argument that a hat keeps glasses dry either. I've never been successful in keeping my glasses dry in the rain unless I take them off and put them away. I do also have contacts that I don't wear often but usually try to for games that I referee. If at some point I can't wear them at all, I think I'd be investing in some sports style glasses. I've taken a ball to the face as a player and wouldn't want that to happen while I'm wearing my regular wire rim glasses.

I'll never forget the look on Shane Butler's face at ODP one year when one of the referees asked him if he could wear a hat on the field. I thought Shane was literally going to drop kick the guy right out of the facility.

So I'm surprised here that I'm the only one that has expressed this view point. Maybe I'm the minority. To those of you that want to wear hats, more power to you. But I suspect that there's more than just your administrators that don't care for the look when you're on the field.

You are not alone. I too feel that a hat looks wrong.

With that said, it has been my experience that those referees that wear hats fall into 2 categories:

(1)Basic recreational referee that does games at the local park. He does those games for the right reason. God love 'em. I will never ask them to remove their hat when conditions warrant it. Only time I would ask is if conditions are such that a hat isn't necessary. I feel that too many of these referees get a comfort level with a hat on and I want to curb this. Always remember, a hat is NOT part of the referee uniform.

(2)Referees that insist on wearing a hat anytime they want and get mad when they don't get the top level assignments.

[IASocFan]

I grew up not wanting to wear a hat anyplace! However, as I've aged and lost a lot of hair on the back of my head, hats are much more necessary. I've also worn glasses for many, many years. I tried various contacts, but after a severe eye infection and the onset of the need for bifocals, contacts are no longer an option.

With multiple games, extreme sun or cold, or rain or snow I wear a plain black baseball cap. It keeps most of the rain and snow off my glasses, and also helps when looking into a setting sun.

I will also add that the highest level I do is U16 competive or U19 girls or rec. And, at my age, I have no aspirations of doing anything more.

[boylanj64]

I almost never wear a hat and usually don't even have one in my bag, but there are times running AR when it has been sunny enough that the CR has given me a cap to wear because otherwise I'd have a hard time distinguishing between the team's jerseys, let alone nailing an offsides call. Worrying about our appearance is selfish; the players care if we are able to make the right call, not if we'll make it on to the cover of the OSI catalog.

For what it is worth, I was 4th on a USL-2 match last year where AR2 wore a cap on a blindingly sunny day and passed his assesment without any points off for the cap.

[OMGFigo]

Ugh, this anti-hat nonsense drives me bonkers, same with the "just get contacts" crowd. Now I totally understand why we have the ADA (not the dentists, the "other" ADA).

I wear the lightest color lenses in my RX sunglasses, can clear rain from my lenses on my RX sport glasses (Edgar Davids was my role model as a player) on the fly (RainX is awesome!) and I wear the damned hat when I have to because there isn't a wrap-around or sport lens on the planet that doesn't leak blinding light through the top forcing me to squint. I'm a blond haired and blue eyed Californian, dammit and without my RX and some UV and brightness protection I can't see AT ALL.

I'm doing up to U16s and I'm too old for international or MLS/A-league duty and OF COURSE I'd rather not wear a hat (you think I like sweating that much) but please, be reasonable and remember why we're all out there.

When USSF pays for lasik and they can do it with me unconscious (I have Tourette's Syndrome and can't hold still during the procedure... tried it already and was rejected because of it, same reason contacts DO NOT work for me), I'll stop wearing glasses and a hat (the latter when it's bright out). Every ounce of my being is focused on making the right call for the match at hand. If that's not as important as what's on my head, then there's something seriously screwy.

Bottom line, you want me to make the call or do you want a fashion plate out there?

[OMGFigo]

You are not alone. I too feel that a hat looks wrong.

With that said, it has been my experience that those referees that wear hats fall into 2 categories:

(1)Basic recreational referee that does games at the local park. He does those games for the right reason. God love 'em. I will never ask them to remove their hat when conditions warrant it. Only time I would ask is if conditions are such that a hat isn't necessary. I feel that too many of these referees get a comfort level with a hat on and I want to curb this. Always remember, a hat is NOT part of the referee uniform.

(2)Referees that insist on wearing a hat anytime they want and get mad when they don't get the top level assignments.

I hear what you're saying. It still sounds pretty self-righteous and your experience has to be really limited to draw those two conclusions.

In my experience, those referees who are so anal about banning hats (usually the same ones that eschew glasses, even RX ones) fall into two categories:

1. those who lack the ability to run two 45 minute halves in another's boots (lacking empathy),
2. those who have dark hair, dark eyes and are blessed with perfect vision and/or have never referee'd a match south of 40˚ latitude.