An Eye on a Game Delay

There is a sign in the employee break room of the nationally known Nordstrom's Department Store that reads ...

Nordstrom's Rules for Employees:

Rule #1 Use Good Judgment
In All Situations.

There are No Additional Rules.

Now while there are ten rules in the NFHS book that officials need to be proficient in, we are also challenged, just like the workers at the respected department store chain, to exercise good judgment in all situations from the moment we step onto the floor.

In this issue of "60 Seconds" we are going to help clarify your judgment to properly rule on a game delay involving a player and his/her displaced contact lens or glasses.

Indeed, NFHS rule 5.11.3a provides an exception when NO TIME OUT shall be charged while specifically addressing displaced eyeglasses or lens (i.e. the lens popping out of a pair of glasses, and presumably, contact lenses).  This exception allows the official to stop play while a player immediately takes care of this specific problem with no time out being assessed.

However, officials must use good judgment to determine what type of "eye" delay falls under this exception, and what should be handled as any other delay for injury.

Per the exception, officials should honor the player's (A-1) request for a stoppage of play to allow A-1 adequate time to find his/her displaced contact lens (on the court or in their eye) and resume play without charging Team A with a timeout.

While the interpretation implies an "unlimited" amount of time to perform this task; good judgment must be a part of this scenario and offer "within reason" as a balance.

Once the player finds the contact lens, if he/she requires the attention of the trainer (or requests cleaning solution to wash the lens themselves, etc...) the official should inform the coach that A-1 needs to be removed from the game or Team A should be charged with a timeout.

There is no "eye injury" exception.

The exception relates to the safe recovery of a player's contact lens from the court, from his/her own eye, displaced eyeglasses, or the lens in a pair of glasses, and not to permit medical treatment for a special type of injury.

An injury involving the eye is treated like any other body part injury a player may have during the game.

Beyond the "immediate" allowed period of time to correct the contact lens, or pop the lens back in his/her eyeglasses, A-1 would have to be replaced, or Team A could request a timeout to attend to A-1 optical needs to avoid removing A-1 from the game.

So in closing, keep a watchful eye out for this kind of optical incident in your game, and be sure to use good judgment to properly handle the scenario.

This good judgment will please your partner, your assignor, and no doubt the good folks at Nordstrom's Department Store.

NFHS Reference: 3.3.6; 5.8.3 and 5.11.3

Special thanks to Peter Webb, IAABO National Coordinator of Interpreters,
and Vince Iandoli, IAABO Board 34 (Camden, NJ) Interpreter, for their assistance.       

Comments

[R. McDaniel]

NFHS needs to add an equipment rule that a player wearing eyeglasses is required to wear a strap which will hold the glasses in place. Unfortunatley, they would probably also require that the eyeglass strap be black, white, beige or the primary color of the uniform with no more than one visible logo.