An Honest, Albeit Awkward, Question From an Outsider
by Darth Saban on Jun 12, 2011 8:30 PM CDT
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Specifically, how/why is the NCAA going to allow you to wear those uniforms in your game against Notre Dame?
I am Darth Saban, a poster over on www.rollbamaroll.com. I have nothing against the University of Michigan (except for that one Orange Bowl where we decided not to play pass defense), and have great respect for your University, football team, and traditions.
That being said, the uniforms that the Wolverines plan to wear against Notre Dame on September 10 clearly violate NCAA Rules.
Specifically, the number on the front of the jersey must be at least 8 inches tall and only a single manufacturer's logo is allowed on the uniform. Violation of these rules results in the team being charged a timeout, a delay of game penalty if the team has no more timeouts, and the player is not permitted to play until his uniform is in compliance, and your head coach or his designated representative is required to certify to the umpire before the game that your team is in compliance with these equipment rules, and that the players have been informed of these rules.
To demonstrate that I'm not editorializing here, I shall quote and link the exact rules referenced:
Specifications: Mandatory EquipmentNumerals. The jersey must have clearly visible, permanent Arabic numerals measuring at least 8 and 10 inches in height front and back, respectively, of a color(s) in distinct contrast with the jersey. All players of a team shall have the same color and style numbers front and back. The individual bars must be approximately 1-1/2 inches wide. Numbers on any part of the uniform shall correspond with the mandatory front and back jersey numbers.
[Rule 1-4, Article 4. c. 3]
Mandatory and Illegal Equipment EnforcementARTICLE 8. a. No player wearing illegal equipment shall be permitted to play.
b. If an official discovers illegal equipment, the team shall be charged a team timeout. If equipment becomes illegal through play, the player may not participate until corrections are made. There will not be a charged teamtimeout.
c. Each of the first three infractions in a half carries a charged team timeout, if timeouts are available. Any infraction after a team has exhausted its timeouts is a foul for delay of game and carries a five-yard penalty.
[Rule 1-4, Article 8]
Coaches' CertifactionARTICLE 9. The head coach or his designated representative shall certify in writing to the umpire before the game that all players:
a. Have been informed what equipment is mandatory by rule and what constitutes illegal equipment.
b. Have been provided the equipment mandated by rule.
c. Have been instructed to wear and how to wear mandatory equipment during the game.
d. Have been instructed to notify the coaching staff when equipment becomes illegal through play during the game.
[Rule 1-4, Article 9]
www.fwfo.org/Files/2011Rules.pdf
If you don't trust that source, you can find the 2009-2010 rules book on the NCAA website here: www.ncaapublications.com/p-3926-2009-10-ncaa-football-rules-and-interpretations-2-year-publication.aspx. It was basically the same, except that all gloves had to be gray.
So, all personal opinions and aesthetic taste aside, how exactly is Michigan allowed to wear these uniforms?
Any opinions expressed in Fanposts or Fanshots are not the opinions of Maize n Brew. Peruse at your own risk.
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I saw that they violate
NCAA rules, but the University has said they got permission from the NCAA to wear them. Probably because they are “throwbacks”.
"END THE FREAKING LOCKOUT BECUASE WITHOUT FOOTBALL THIS YEAR MY TIME IN THIS 3RD WORLD SANDY ASS COUNTRY WILL BE FREAKING BORING!"~shanndiggit, a soldier, on the NFL Lockout.
When did Michigan wear this jersey?
I have seen old black and white photos of Michigan players with stripes on the shoulders, just like this one, but haven’t seen the big “M” on unis before.
I just don’t get it. If the NCAA passes rules like these, they should be enforced. Some of the rules seem silly to me (like last year all the gloves had to be gray, and this year you’re not allowed to have any writing or logos on eye shades), but if they’re rules, enforce them for everyone, or take them off the books.
Thirteen.
Money talks
Adidas likely paid a lot of money for these jerseys and they petitioned for the right to do it.
We’re all with you on the aesthetic value. These are not good looking uniforms. And you’re also right, Michigan’s never worn anything like them and neither has Notre Dame. It’s a gimmick, and I hate that they’re called retro, because there’s nothing retro about them.
None of us disagree with you. If the rules had been enforced, these things wouldn’t exist. And that wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Maize n Brew
Because Football is Better with Beer
by Maize n Brew Dave on Jun 12, 2011 9:46 PM CDT up reply actions
I don't have a link...
but if the university and Adidas unveiled these abominable "throwback"uniforms before they had been cleared through the proper channels, I will be the first one lining up outside Ann Arbor Torch and Pitchfork to properly outfit myself for the siege on the athletic department.
But in all seriousness, the only time the NCAA objects to someone making fistfuls of money off college football is when it is a student athlete. /ba-dum-cha
I see what you are saying, but I don’t think it is a big deal. Didn’t Alabama have only an “A” in the early years before helmets? I could see the Iron bowl going 1800s on our asses sometime soon.
by Pinchy The Lobster on Jun 14, 2011 2:50 AM CDT reply actions
I don't understand your post.
It’s a big deal because there is a rule specifically saying that players can’t play unless the number on the front of their jersey is at least eight inches in height, and requiring your head coach to certify in writing before the game that your players’ uniforms meet these requirements. Back in the days before helmets, these rules were apparently not yet on the books, or else there would have been numbers on the jerseys. And, you know, helmets.
If teams are not required to comply with the numeral size requirements, do they have to put numerals on the front of the jerseys at all? Can they put the same numerals on every player’s jersey? Can they put a different numeral on the front of the jersey than on the back? Do they have to put numerals on the back of the jersey? Even if a team has numerals on their jerseys, can they make the numerals the same color as the rest of the jersey? Can players change their numbers in the middle of a game? Can our wide receivers be numbered 50-79, and our offensive linemen be numbered 1-40, or 80-99? There are rules against all of these things because they are attempts to gain an unfair competitive advantage by confusing your opponent as to your players’ identities, but this is exactly why the numeral size requirements exist, as well.
I’m really not trying to troll, I’m trying to understand why no one seems to think this is a problem. Wasn’t there just something that happened in the Big TwEleveN about a coach lying in a written certification to the NCAA? Or is your coach not going to be required to make the mandated written certifications prior to this game? Which, if any, rules has the NCAA explicitly waived, why did they waive them, and for whom did they waive them? Hell, can Alabama shrink/obscure/remove the numerals on our jerseys when we play LSU, Tennessee and Auburn this year?
If anyone could provide me a link to an article or something that says that the NCAA has allowed these jerseys in this game, despite the fact that they clearly violate NCAA rules (unless the player in the photo is ten feet tall), that will at least give me somewhere to look.
Thirteen.
Actually,
(unless the player in the photo is ten feet tall)
Would probably have to be closer to fourteen feet tall, but you see what I’m saying.
Thirteen.
Yeah. I see a good point there. Coming out of the huddle on offense with those tiny numbers could be very confusing for the defense to identify a player they are covering.
by Pinchy The Lobster on Jun 15, 2011 12:08 AM CDT up reply actions
Yup
This is a good point. Probably a better question for the NCAA though, than Michigan fans. Clearly they signed off on this.
Personally, I don’t really care, and don’t think it’s a big deal at all, especially because it’s for one game, and is against a team that was ok with the uniforms. If this were a more regular thing, we might care. But this is a non-issue.
I had tigerblood in my veins long before Charlie Sheen went crazy.
Go Tigers!
From an article
According to Adidas Director of Sports Marketing Chris McGuire, the company went through approximately eight different renditions and also worked with the athletic department to make sure they were legal for game play.
With the block ‘M’ on the front of the jersey being the biggest feature, the numbers on the front were the biggest problems. NCAA rules require teams to have numbers on both sides on their jerseys and that they be at least an inch-and-a-half wide.
"We worked with the officials, and with the conferences and we worked with Notre Dame to capture that element in a way that we don’t think will affect the competition but really gives us a chance to fully develop the theme," Brandon said.
Link: http://www.michigandaily.com/sports/michigan-unveils-legacy-uniforms-night-game?ref=nf
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