This same conversation happens every year.
This has always been, and remains, the most problematic rule that on-field officials are charged to enforce. Even in NCAA, where coaches have no direct influence on officiating assignments, officials get tired of constantly having to try to cajole players into compliance, with little, to no, support from coaches. If officials were to enforce this rule as strictly as is needed, almost no “skill” players would be allowed to play. While making star players sit out until they get pants and pads that comply is exactly the thing that is needed, the grief from conference executives that a crew would get by doing just that can be overwhelming. No coordinator is going to last very long if his staff makes the stars sit out. Sad, but true.
The situation is compounded for UIL because the teams have the power of the assignment of officials. Make a star player sit out, and the crew - and, perhaps their chapter - runs the very high risk of getting ‘scratched’ by that team.
The first thing out of coaches mouths (any level) when a violation is pointed out is, “He’s got long legs, and that’s how the pants fit.” Of course, even at the HS level, that’s pure hogwash (you know the word I’d rather use). The pants manufacturers can give them pants in any combination of waist size and inseam length. The coaches simply have no desire or incentive to help. But they have no problem criticizing us for enforcing, or attempting to enforce, this rule.
Of course, this is caused by the NFL. I don’t know their actual rules, but they obviously allow the knees to be unpadded and not covered by pants, although, apparently, their legs must be covered by either pants or leggings. College players want to emulate the NFL guys, and HS guys wants to emulate both. They don’t care about rules or safety, they just want to look cool. Yeah, loosely fitting knee pants/pads allow for less restrictive knee movement. But the knees can be covered/padded, and still offer free movement.
Coaches can fix this problem. They (NCAA in particular) can put a little pressure on the pants manufacturers to solve the problem. Instead, they choose to take the easier path and just put this on the game officials, and then whine when things don’t go their way.
Even if officials in Texas were to be freed from the bondage of “coach selection,” this particular problem would not go away. Not until college teams comply with the rule. That won’t happen voluntarily. Sadly, that will take financial penalties for violations, enforced at the conference level, to fix this.
Not much point in complaining about UIL crews not enforcing this rule. It will never be enforced as it should, by the on-field crew.
Wish it was. But it won’t. Get over it.
Robert