Hats

[Wolrabs]

Hi

With this rather inclement weather, and the fact I wear glasses, can I wear a baseball cap whilst I ref?

Before anyone says, "Get Contact Lenses", I am! Two week wait for them though, but in the meantime is it OK to wear a cap?

Regards.

Sean

 

[OB..]

With or without the cap you are going to get rain on your glasses.

 

[Wolrabs]

Not as much though, surely.

 

[Guyseep]

I've worn a tuque during games where it was near freezing.

 

[dave_clark]

i wore specs when reffing. better that than not being able to see. i also wore gloves, due to reynauds.

but never a hat. i guess i never thought of it.

 

[Lee Lifeson-Peart]

Gloves? Hats?

I can hear the harrumphs from here!

:biggrin:

 

[Dixie]

You know that the answer is contacts, and for two reasons. As OB says, you'll get rain on your glasses. But for me the main issue is that you are putting on display a very common and very slight physical disability - albeit corrected. Nonetheless, you are planting a negative idea in the players' minds even before the kick-off.

Until your contacts arrive - a visor/peaked cap is probably better than none. Make sure you have plenty of spactacle-cleaning material in your pocket - you may need it!

 

[Simon Thomas]

Hi

With this rather inclement weather, and the fact I wear glasses, can I wear a baseball cap whilst I ref?

Before anyone says, "Get Contact Lenses", I am! Two week wait for them though, but in the meantime is it OK to wear a cap?

Regards.

Sean

Not sure Nigel is a fan of refs wearing hats.

Be sure not to wear one if you stray across the border into Hampshire to do a game.

 

[Guyseep]

I've seen a ref wearing sunglasses, and it looked like he was having a day at the beach. Got heckled by the crowd too.

 

[Davet]

I don't see how you can ref safely in specs.

 

[dave_clark]

i don't see how i could have reffed safely without them

(i can't wear contacts. tried them, just couldn't get on with them).

 

[Davet]

then perhaps you shouldn't be reffing?

 

[dave_clark]

i don't

in all seriousness, do any societies have official guidance on whether specs can be worn while reffing? i recall my father used to ref in glasses, and i quite regularly see double digit referees at my club wearing them on the field.

 

[damo]

I wear contacts pretty much only when doing physical exercise, otherwise glasses. I tried reffing some games in glasses but I learnt it was just another thing for the crowd and the players to have a go at me about. I wouldn't do it again.

Dave you must have done very well to ref in glasses - it just didn't work for me.

 

[Simon Thomas]

Our Society advice is to wear contacts not glasses - both on a safety angle at Society appointed matches and professional appearance.

What happens at Club Ref level is up to them, but at U13 levels up with full contact I would regard them as a safety concern.

 

[dave_clark]

advice, but not policy? i guess the question is would you refuse to appoint a ref who insisted on wearing glasses rather than contacts?

 

[Simon Thomas]

advice, but not policy? i guess the question is would you refuse to appoint a ref who insisted on wearing glasses rather than contacts?

I am continually suprised by various posters who seem to want Societies to issue edits, policies, and instructions. You completely misunderstand the role of a Society and how they are run. Also many people, including the Executive paid staff at Twickenham, seem to not understand the respective roles of RFU (as home union), CBs and Societies in England anymore.

We are the elected volunteer Committee of a volunteer organisation working with, and for the benefit of, our membership to provide suitably trained and competent referees to all matches in our county, ensuring we and our members execute duty of care, and above all safety, to all involved.

Hence we give advice and guidance, not orders and instructions.

In answer to your question "would you refuse to appoint a ref who insisted on wearing glasses rather than contacts ?", I have no idea as we have never faced it in the last 10 years, and so we would have to discuss it at Committee if it arose as an issue, consider the level of match, safety implications, and approporiateness of wearing glasses at that match.

 

[dave_clark]

in 10 years, you've never come across a ref who chose to wear specs rather than contacts? obviously eyesight is better on the south coast than in essex!

however, i'm happy to leave it there.