A&H

Players in glasses?

T

teltheref

New Member
I feel I know the answer to this one - but its so long since I was last asked pretty sure I got it wrong. I've recently moved the focus of my refereeing from open age to youth. Yesterday I had an under 17's game and a player approached me during my pitch inspection "Ref I normally play in goggles but I've forgot to pack them, can I play in my glasses"?

The player was wearing conventional lightweight spectacles and I called over the coach. I explained I wasn't happy about the situation and couldn't referee the game differently because of the spectacles but agreed to him starting the game wearing them??? Ten minutes the player chose to remove the glasses and play without them.

No harm done on the day other than I created an unhealthy precedence. The correct answer a sympathetic "I'm sorry but no" Never to old to (re)learn.
thanks
 
The Referee Store
For safety, they have to be approved for sport. The danger you have by allowing a player to play in spectacles is that if they were to go up for a header (either unchallenged or challenged), there is a huge potential for the glasses to shatter which could easily blind the player.

Unfortunately, this has to be something that you have to be extremely strict about - it is a matter of direct safety which could potentially result in a life changing injury. Explain the situation for the player and stand your ground. In most instances, the player will take off his glasses and play the game without them.
 
As the player is 16/17 I'd be telling them no however in younger football, if the couch and parents sign the teamsheet I'd let it fly
 
I was always of the impression that they had to be secured as well essentially turning a pair of specatacles into goggles. So not secured, not playing.
 
I haven't really heard nothing of the secured part but what I do if I see a player wearing glasses I first ask the player if there not rimmed to remove if they are then I ask are they going to be playing with them on then if that's the case I then ask the manager and parent if they are ok to accept responsibility if they break plus there safety for there son
 
I am a bit sensitive to this one as I wear glasses refereeing - I can't wear contacts. I have done my research on this and spoken to my RDO in the past.

"Sports Spectacles" are allowed and specifically mentioned in law. But that's not just goggles; they can be glasses made of proper materials (including the lens) - I wear very normal looking Oakley glasses on the field which are safe. Glasses fall under the same category - "other equipment" as goalie headgear, facemasks etc. The main criteria as mentioned above is player saferty (wearer and others). There are no specific stipulation on having a rim around the lens (as the lens can be shatter proof) and there are not stipulations about them being secured. I have never had it, but I have worried about a player showing up in normal looking glasses claiming they are sports glasses or safe - it can be hard to tell. The smart thing to do as a player (and what I did) is to go with a full rimmed, sports branded pair to make your case clear that they are safe.

It would no doubt suck to play in glasses - maybe they should take up refereeing? Despite what some may think, in my years refereeing I have never had my glasses knocked off, or fall off, and the grand total of player/spectator comments referencing my glasses totals less than 10...which compared to comments about my general incompetence - well you know.... (not that you asked but I told you I was sensitive on the subject :))
 
TopCat said:
What are people's views on casts (mainly on the arm I would presume)
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Depends how flexible they are. An old style plaster cast would be a complete non starter, but the new sports style ones are softer and have some flexibility.
 
It's simple really. Sports goggles, and plastic lenses = good to go. Glass lenses - no way.

I'm a glasses wearer myself and played for years wearing glasses. Many balls in the face, and many pairs of glasses, have lead to a good understanding here!
 
TopCat said:
What are people's views on casts (mainly on the arm I would presume)
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couple of years ago i broke my arm playing in goal and (finished the game) took a few weeks off and was itching to get out and play again (as an outfield player i hasten to add )
So one week i kitted up and approached the ref and asked him what he reckoned... he said to me that i really shouldnt but he'd allow me if i covered it with my sleeve.
I didnt play that day as i felt he was compromising himself with his response to me. We regularly get other referees come over and watch (our first team) so you never know.
And i actually felt a bit bad about having asked him and putting him in that situation in the first instance, as i certainly wouldnt have allowed a cast such as the one i had on at the time.

From the other side of things though, I did continue to ref with it on, it just made writing difficult. It was also a great source of amusement for players / coaches alike.
 
Thanks for the comments everyone - I asked the question of the league secretary and he went to the County before coming back with the following "Hi the player should only play with the sports goggle type as these are safety ones normal glasses should not be allowed as they may cause injury to others or the individual themselves"
Pretty much what I should have said, I allowed myself to be taken by surprise by the question - lesson learnt thanks again folks.
 
teltheref said:
Thanks for the comments everyone - I asked the question of the league secretary and he went to the County before coming back with the following "Hi the player should only play with the sports goggle type as these are safety ones normal glasses should not be allowed as they may cause injury to others or the individual themselves"
Pretty much what I should have said, I allowed myself to be taken by surprise by the question - lesson learnt thanks again folks.
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Agreed - I'd have thought that pretty much every player in my area was well aware that normal glasses were not acceptable. I've never been approached by a player asking to wear normal glasses and haven't witnessed it for over 30 years I guess.
 
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