The norm (at least around here) seems to be the 2-Stripe sock is worn for 'US Soccer Assigned matches' i.e DA, PDL, NPSL, Regionals, Higher Level Amateur while 3 stripe is used for everything else.
Depends. When I did a tournament in Georgia, I saw many referees, including myself, wearing the three stripes. But when I did a tournament in Alabama the next month, I was the only one. Everyone else wore the OSI. So I bought some OSI ones. Now I keep both styles in the bag.
Until I moved to Oklahoma, I only wore 3 stripe. When I moved to Oklahoma, the club that I started working for only used OSI socks. Most of the state uses 3 stripe for high school and some of the other clubs use 3 stripe. So any time I go anywhere I take both so I can try to match whomever I'm going to be working with.
Unlike most of the country I believe, Alabama's High School soccer governing body has made it standard to wear the two stripe socks for HS games there. I'm in GA, but live near the border with AL, so I know several refs that cross between states and they don't even own three stripes anymore. There is a sort of an implied consent that we are able to wear two stripes for HS in GA as well. At least where I am being so close to AL.
Anything above Academy, or ECNL on the womens side is OSI. Any amatour men's leagues, HS or NISOA is a 3 stripe. Local youth league whatever we have on at the moment. Tournaments, including state cup and regionals, first 2 days is 2 stripe after that whatever is still clean(est).
On a more serious note in Arkansas and Oklahoma, generally the only referees who wear three stripes in my experience are newer referees. Seems to be a clear preference for two stripe by most experienced referees. Generally my bag bag has at least two pairs of two stripe socks, one pair of three stripes with no logo, and one pair of three stripes with the logo. To certain people it seems important, so I wear what keeps the peace.
4 stripes for the referee, 3 stripes for AR1, 2 stripes for AR2, and 1 stripe for the fourth official.
Used to have both OSI and 3 stripes. Pretty much everyone around here wears 3 stripes. Used to wear the OSI on occasion when I did single games. But, a few years ago I found Agora socks on Sator Soccer site and they are just so much better than anything else I've ever had, I only wear them (3 stripes) now.
Those look like a way less expensive version of the Italian socks (#1309) at OSI--have you compared those two specifically?
Well as long as we're back on socks, anybody found a better, but not terribly expensive, compression sock than the Vitalsox I've been wearing? I've been pretty happy with them, but they're starting to loosen up. (Maybe buttons would help with that?)
The only time we are required to wear three stripes for HS is in the playoffs. Otherwise the crew just agrees on a style before the game (usually at the field). In my experience three stripes are used for most youth games because that is the style new referees are told to purchase first.
HS around here is 3 stripes; OSI 2-stripes weaving their way in for USSF. Who among you folds down the top of the socks, and which freethinkers just hike them up and have done with it?
Oh yea, IMO, the Agora's are light years better, and cheaper than those. But YMMV. But they are cheap enough to try out.