What is the knee pad actually protecting?  Just a little research tells you that it's pretty much useless. It's not like shoulder pads, helmet, thigh pads, mouthpiece, and etc.  A foam kneed pad is useless.  If you want to make a better piece of equipment to minimize tears that would be a different issue. However, a knee pad will not prevent that. 

 

20 minutes ago, theguru said:

However, formations that clearly and obviously do not meet the specifications of NFHS Football Rules 2-32-3, 2-32-9 and 7-2 must be penalized as fouls without warning.

YES!!!

41 minutes ago, Red storm said:

What is the knee pad actually protecting?  Just a little research tells you that it's pretty much useless. It's not like shoulder pads, helmet, thigh pads, mouthpiece, and etc.  A foam kneed pad is useless.  If you want to make a better piece of equipment to minimize tears that would be a different issue. However, a knee pad will not prevent that. 

 

What do any of the pads actually protect?  This isn't a sarcastic comment either. We still have concussions with helmet advancements (I firmly think that helmet advancements are actually hurting players in the long run, but that's a different discussion altogether), we still have really bad shoulder injuries despite wearing shoulder pads (probably more-so now with how the shoulder pads keep getting smaller), etc.

The pads essentially prevent bumps and bruises.  That's it.  Knee pads are more effective than hip and butt pads IMHO, but they are all required equipment.  

I say again, if people overwhelmingly don't want knee pads, make your voices heard and propose rule changes. 

I'd personally love to make a rule change that says no games or practices on turf, as turf is causing more injuries than anything in football, and has been for the past 2 decades and costs schools way more money than grass, but I digress.

5 hours ago, nikeman49 said:

Wow!! Sounds like one of those officials that stay up late at night reading the rule book looking for things to enforce!! All I’m saying is just talk thru everything you can without penalizing a team of young high school kids trying to cope with life in general and find their identity.

First of all, trying to knock an official for knowing and enforcing the rules is a weird flex...

Secondly, points of emphasis are not secret. They are put out before the season starts for a reason. This enables coaches to coach their team on the new points to prevent penalties during the season. 

Would you go on the field without a jersey? No? Then why go on the field when you know you're not properly equipped.?

2 minutes ago, TheDeuce said:

First of all, trying to knock an official for knowing and enforcing the rules is a weird flex...

Secondly, points of emphasis are not secret. They are put out before the season starts for a reason. This enables coaches to coach their team on the new points to prevent penalties during the season. 

Would you go on the field without a jersey? No? Then why go on the field when you know you're not properly equipped.?

Just a little common sense officiating is refreshing and certainly nothing wrong with it.

2 hours ago, Red storm said:

What is the knee pad actually protecting?  Just a little research tells you that it's pretty much useless. It's not like shoulder pads, helmet, thigh pads, mouthpiece, and etc.  A foam kneed pad is useless.  If you want to make a better piece of equipment to minimize tears that would be a different issue. However, a knee pad will not prevent that. 

 

In a contact sport, you don't know what the purpose of a knee pad is?

Who has ever said a knee pad is to prevent tears?

On 8/13/2024 at 11:43 PM, Voice of Reason said:

In what officials association are these the rules of emphasis?

I know it was stressed in our Association MKOA, I was told in Louisville and Lexington it is being stressed as well.  Last Friday in our scrimmage was the first time, we never had to send one player off for illegal equipment.

On 8/14/2024 at 12:47 PM, wingt51 said:

I saw several kids get a scrimmage stopped, then pulled out of the game even though they had knee pads in and their pants were NOT pulled up over the knee. If you think pulling kids out of a game who have knee pads in, and their pants are pulled down as far as they can go is the right thing to do, then idk man.

Here's what I personally think, coaches are asked in pregame if their players are properly and legally equipped. If, we have to send a kid out for knees not being covered it should be a 15 yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct on the coach. I promise you, if that happens one time, players will wear their uniforms correctly!

 

On 8/15/2024 at 8:30 AM, DearToday said:

With the way the new pants are being made replicating the college game and NFL game the pants are naturally being made shorter. Nike's new pants have the knee pads already in them. I would say that some kids will be sent to the sideline to get knee pads because the pants continue to ride up and they'll just have to continue to pull them down. 

Can you please prove this? Or are kids trying to wear shorter pants then their size?

On 8/15/2024 at 11:49 AM, Voice of Reason said:

Are the rules emphasis listed here your associations focus? All KY associations? National emphasis?

NFHS!

Just now, Big East Zebra said:

NFHS!

That's good. No one can claim enforcement is due specific refs or associations.

21 hours ago, nikeman49 said:

Just a little common sense officiating is refreshing and certainly nothing wrong with it.

We are dealing with 15, 16, 17 year old kids, who have very little common sense. 

12 minutes ago, Big East Zebra said:

Here's what I personally think, coaches are asked in pregame if their players are properly and legally equipped. If, we have to send a kid out for knees not being covered it should be a 15 yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct on the coach. I promise you, if that happens one time, players will wear their uniforms correctly!

 

Here's what I personally think, if a kid has knee pads in his pants and his pant legs are pulled down as far as they go, keep it moving. Kid doesn't have knee pads? Kid has his pants rolled up to his thighs? Send them to Alcatraz, fine with me. Football pants are supposed to be tight. If a kids 6'2" and 170 pounds, is the school supposed to order special pants to make the legs longer for him? Again, saw several kids get a scrimmage stopped, and then pulled out because the ref deemed their pants to be too short. At that point you're just being nitpicky and not worrying about the safety of the kid. 

38 minutes ago, Big East Zebra said:

Can you please prove this? Or are kids trying to wear shorter pants then their size?

I will try to find two pairs of pants this weekend and take a side by side. 

2 hours ago, Big East Zebra said:

We are dealing with 15, 16, 17 year old kids, who have very little common sense. 

Kids will surprise you when they see what you are doing by talking them out of a penalty, it’s their game, not the officials, nobody came to see 15 penalties!!