The two singlets shown here fail the "same design" prescription of Rule 4-3-2a. Photo from 2015 NFHS Track and Field Rules Power Point.
After the uniform issue raised its ugly head with another disqualification (though not in a high school setting) last month, I sent an e-mail to KC Logan, our CHSAA track and field rules interpreter, for a clarification on the uniform issue. I share here the heart of the content of our conversation in hopes of bringing greater clarity to the issue--not just for coaches, but for parents and athletes as well. Nobody ever wants to be caught in the middle of a uniform issue on race day.
The language I asked Mr. Logan to explain to me comes from NFHS Track and Field Rule 4-3-2a: “Each team member shall wear the same color and design of school uniform…"
The same color is the same color. I'm reasonably certain some slight variation is allowed due to sunlight exposure and varying laundering procedures applied to two uniforms from the same stock, and probably even to different dye lots of the same color, but “same color" should be a fairly straight-forward determination. Purple is purple. Red is not maroon. Navy is not royal.
Design is a trickier issue. According to Mr. Logan, “Design includes colors and ornamentation--stripes, lettering, piping, etc." Design matters. Design must match.
The singlets shown at the top of this article fail to satisfy the requirment of design matching.
Design, however, is not style. Again, quoting Mr. Logan, "Style includes cut, tailoring, and fabric."
Style matching is not prescribed by Rule 4-3-2a. To be legal for cross country or relays, the cut, tailoring and fabric of corresponding uniform items need not be identical.
Mr. Logan summarized this way, “So long as the teammates are wearing the same color uniform top and bottom with the same striping and lettering (design), then they would be in compliance, even though the cut of the top or bottom is different, or the length of the bottom is different, or the material is different (style)."
Suddenly, this seems a whole lot simpler to me. I will illustrate by taking a few cases in point:
- Two school uniforms with any difference in imprint or sublimation--legal for individual events, not legal for relays or cross country.
- Two school uniforms with same imprint or sublimation, but any difference in design such as location or types of striping or color panels--legal for individual events, not legal for relays or cross country.
- Two school uniforms of completely different fit (perhaps a compression top and a traditional loose-fitting singlet) of the same color with the same imprint--legal for individual events, legal for relays, and legal for cross country.
- Two shorts of the same color and style, one with and one without piping--legal for individual events, not legal for relays and cross country.
- School issued throwers shorts and compression shorts of the same color with no variation in design (stripes, piping, or panels--legal for individual events, legal for relays, and legal for cross country.
In summary, for individual events, uniform variation--whether of color, design, or style--simply doesn't matter. For cross country and relays, any variation in color or design does matter. We all have to make our peace with that.
I can think of several school cross country uniforms this past fall that would fail the “same design" prescription of the rule. And, honestly, more violations for shorts than for singlets come to mind. I'm not naming names here, and I'm certainly not making plans to turn folks in either this spring or this fall, but it seems entirely reasonable that enforcement on the design issue will be stepped up both this spring and this coming fall.
We have already seen CHSAA adopt a requirement of a certified official at all cross country meets with the uniform issue specifically in mind. We, as coaches, have to figure that means officials will be looking closely at color and design of both shorts and singlets.
Be prepared. Have color and design matching. Make life easy for yourself and for your meet officials.
Note: You are welcome to comment on this article, but any comments referencing specific past events will be deleted. We need to move forward on this issue.