To minimize misunderstanding, Olds concluded that wearing stripes would be the best option. He had a friend create him a black and white striped garment, which he debuted at the 1921 state basketball championships. When other referees saw his costume, they began to imitate it. As they say, the rest is history!
Today, basketball referees wear uniforms similar to those of baseball umpires. The main difference between the two types of uniforms is that basketball referees can wear multiple colors while baseball umpires can wear only one. Black and white are the most common colors for basketball referees because they are easy to see in low-light situations.
In addition to being visible, the color scheme of basketball referee uniforms helps officials distinguish themselves from players. Games with more experienced referees tend to have more black refs and fewer white ones. This is because blacks are used to signal fouls while whites indicate balls inside the lane. Experienced referees also know how players will respond to different signals so they use this information when making calls.
Finally, the color scheme of basketball referee uniforms matches that of NBA arenas. The majority of referees work games in cities where basketball is popular so they need costumes that match what people expect to see on court.
Black and white are the easiest colors to match since there are less options outside of these two shades.
According to legend, he generally wore a pure white shirt. The visiting side wore white as well during a collegiate football game in 1920. When their quarterback inadvertently delivered the ball to the Olds, he realized he needed to change his clothing. Thus, the modern rule was born: Guests must wear colored clothes when they play college football against Old Dominie.
In fact, the tradition dates back much further than 1920. College athletes have always worn colorful uniforms to attract attention on the field. In 1892, the first season of what would become known as the Big Ten Conference, all members except Illinois wore striped jerseys for home games.
The origin of the term "stripe" is more than just interesting; it's also helpful for students who want to learn more about sports history. A stripe on a jersey means that the player has one act of violence recorded against him or her over the course of a season. If that player got three stripes, then he or she would be expelled from school.
However, not every athlete who played in the early years of big-time college football had an act of violence recorded against them. Some people believe that coaches gave certain players stripes as awards for good behavior or artistic performance. Either way, stripes are a clear indication of how important winning is to a university or college team.
Why? Although their striped jerseys got them the moniker "Zebra," referees did not always wear them. The solution can be found in the early days of soccer. Initially, the players would settle conflicts among themselves, but they quickly understood that an unbiased judge was required. So referees were hired for the first time, and they were given white shirts with blue stripes.
There are two reasons why basketball referees don't wear stripes. First, because they're judges, not officials. They make calls on plays during timeouts and at the end of each period, not during actual games. This is why they do not have flags hanging from their shoulders like other judges-they are making judgments, not rulings.
The second reason is cost. In an effort to be more affordable for teams, referees are asked to waive their rights to exclusive apparel manufacturers.
Officials in high school and collegiate basketball in the United States wear black-and-white striped shirts with black side panels, black pants, and black shoes. They also wear white hats with the same stripes when working home games.
The shirts are manufactured by Nike, who also makes the balls used in the game. The official ball is a standard size basketball that is white with dark blue stripes around it. It has the letters "NBA" on it in dark blue print.
Officials are assigned to games by the National Association of Basketball Officials (NABO), who use criteria such as experience and reputation to pick officials. There are several paths to becoming an NBA official.
In addition to working home games, officials work exhibition games during the pre-season and throughout the regular season to get more experience at different positions. They can also call their own number during a regular season game if there is an injury to a referee or linesman.
There are about 70 people on the NABO staff, including one supervisor, two athletic directors, and one medical director. They include three former players and one former coach. No women have ever been elected to the position.
The average salary of an NBA official is $60,000 per year.
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