That's how I initally took it. The new socks are up on the OSI site - they weren't yesterday. I imagine that the old logo socks are now no longer acceptable. Everyone should have stripes anyway and logos are an allowed alternative. But only the new logos. But again, there must be a transition period to allow referees to acquire the new equipment. $12 socks I can justify now.
I thought this was posted earlier in this thread, but I couldn't find it. Here is the response to your question about the logo socks: http://ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_3932169.html
Very strange wording. "Two options" but they list three socks. So your "two options" are the official new sock OR either of the two old socks. *of course, it could be noted that OSI made the 3-stripe socks with and without the OSI logo, so you really have four socks to choose from... but that just complicates things, doesn't it?
Thank You, John Bouda. Great guy; I had the chance to work for him during the Veterans Cup a few years ago.
Well thank god USSF got that damned memo out. Should have come out before the debut IMHO but glad they got the communication out there. Based on this I think my strategy is to buy the short sleeved shirts first, in order of Yellow, Black, Blue, Red and then start buying the long sleeves after that. I'll wait on the green until the end. It'll be a slow process for me over the course of the spring season, but my plan is to have all of them by state cup.
Well, I don't believe that I will ever wear the green jersey because I don't to look like Kermit the Frog. More realistically, Do you think that the neon green is a trend toward more neon colors?
NO! It’s a trend for putting more money in the coffers of USSF….next year, pink. And for andymoss, I’m taking donations to buy the Brooklyn Bridge and I can tell you would be more than willing to donate money to this worthy cause.
No. Though I would argue (and I know others will disagree) that if you're buying these in stages, it makes sense to get the green shirts, new shorts and new socks first. That way, if you work with someone that has one of those, you definitely can match. The worst case scenario if you get paired with someone who has the new blue/black/red/gold is that you mismatch slightly. So what? But if someone has the green and you don't have it, you can't match at all. It just seems logical to me. Others will, of course, disagree, because they'll see it as "legitimizing" the green. I'd argue that the green is going to get legitimized anyway and you might as well buy it first.
I agree, it will be the first jersey I buy. Our state president "banned" the blue jersey when it came out, in an attempt to make it so that younger referees didn't have to buy it. That didn't really work out, and blue is often used.
I’m an Assessor and I can tell you (in NJ), I’ll be using my blind eye when it comes to uniforms. I’ve assessed state cup for multiple years. As a matter of fact, if you have on fuchsia, that will be just fine! The only question I have is when will the “knock-off” companies come out with their “new” jerseys…I’m certainly not going to be supporting OSI…this is ridiculous.
Well i hope on working the Illinois state cup. I do plan on staging in my jerseys to the new design. Im in for new shorts and socks anyways. I just dont want my development to be sidetracked becuase i lack the proper attire to do a high level match. I've heard state associations and higher level organizations are full of clique type setups, so i dont want to rub anyone the wrong way. Especially the SRA, Assignor, and Assesors.
Just how often do you guys replace your shirts? I do around 60 games/year outdoors, plus another 75 or so 1-hour indoor matches... and I have yet to need to replace a single shirt in seven years, even my short sleeve yellow. I bought almost all Olympus shirts when I first started refereeing, and they have held up very well. No new jerseys for me unless forced.
I am going to wait and see what my state association decides... What are the other states thinking? I know we got the memo about NC, but how about what you guys are thinking about your own states/associations are going to so. hell, I ordered the $600+ to have them, but thats just me. I am sure no one else around here is going to for a while, but when we get a crew with all of them, then I'll go with it... Having 28 jerseys (USSF old/ Ussf new/ NISOA) just clutters my trunk but I can give up the space to be sure we look good.... plus I drive a prius, so I can hide them in the under trunk..... ANR
I believe OSI had a contract with MLS to be the official supplier to referees. If that contract is up at the end of this season then we very well may see MLS referees in adidas next season. I don't think the uniform choice for referees is linked to the choice made in Chicago. As with the USYSA competitions, I'm sure MLS could have the company of its choice supply referees.
"This launch marks the first time U.S. Soccer’s official referee uniform design has been changed since 1998, when an updated kit was presented after the World Cup. " How long has it been since uniforms for basketball, or U.S. football, referees have been redesigned?
At the professional level? Last year for the NFL and at some point in the last several years for the NBA. The thing is that the NCAA, high school and youth leagues have standards that are totally different. I think we have a couple basketball refs on here, so they can weigh in, but I'm pretty sure that the general black & white stripes are called for by most leagues, but that there is no "official uniform" from any national governing body (other than, probably, the NCAA--which again, is different from the NBA and NFL).
Exactly...the pro's have one set of uniform, while everyone else has a standard one. On a separate note, I just signed up to be a high school football referee!! I've never done it before at any level, but I was told by a football coach friend that I could handle it. I'm so excited! And their striped shirts only cost like $20...and I only need ONE!!!! I just ordered the rule book. (I did sign up to referee HS soccer too finally....but the football part is much more exciting right now since I'm sure on the first play of the first game I do I'll get plowed over by some 300lb lineman).
No I don't believe it would be, but I am planning to get re-assessed (if you missed the other thread, my Upgrade assessment was deemed non-rateable this fall) at state cup. As a result, I'd like to match as best as possible, so I plan to have a full kit. Massref, your point about getting the gree first is spot on overall, however, I my logic is this. In my area, and on the games I referee, it is very unlikely that I'll encounter a referee with the green uniform. I tend to be ahead of the curve with regards to having all components of a full kit. Many of the games I referee, the rest of my crew will show up with their yellow shirts on and no alternates (or in some cases just one other color). State cups is the first time in spring that I think there's a chance of seeing someone with the green jersey so I figure as long as I have them by then, I'm safe. If it doesn't look like I'll have all 10 by then, I'll probably get the green short sleeve before I start buying long sleeve shirts.
This really is rediculous. Put the refs back in black. Don't let teams wear black or solid dark navy blue or dark purple. Alternatively pick a single color - and don't let teams be that color. That way we need 1-2 shirts of long and 1-2 of short sleeves. For anyone complaining that "black is hot" -- it's not much of a difference with the new fabrics of the past decade. Heck, wear the proper under armor and you are going to be fine. If they want us in colors - they shouldn't change it. The stripe patterns are idiotic. Referees are not meant to be fashionable. They are meant to call a game. Keep things consistent and simple.
Hell yeah!!! OLD SCHOOL! I've got so many different black/white shirts from the '80s and '90s that I would really rather wear (of course none of them fit anymore!!!). My preferred alternate is black anyway.