A Pair of Viral Officiating Moments Show the Worst of Sports, Not the Best

A pair of poor officiating decisions in the last few weeks have gone viral on social media, and highlighted a big growing problem in youth sports, both with coaches and officials, that could hurt the future of the movement.

One, from swimming, involved a high school dual meet result being decided by a logo-infraction, while the other, in track & field, kept a state championship defender of this year’s state meet because of a ‘celebration’ disqualification that would not have offended a fly.

Oh Say Can You See, How Big Is That Flag?

Names are intentionally left out, because that’s *not the point*.

At a high school swim meet in New Jersey, the host team, on their senior day, won the boys’ 400 free relay, pulling off a narrow win over a rival school, and cementing momentum heading into championship season.

But the win that was, was apparently not. The host team’s star swimmer was disqualified when the opposing coach complained that the American flag logo on his swim cap was oversized.

According to NFHS rules, American flags are allowed on a cap, so long as they’re under 2 inches by 3 inches in diameter. The rule from Section 3-3, Article 3 of the NFHS Swimming and Diving uniform rules:

One American flag, not to exceed 2 inches by 3 inches, may be worn or occupy space on each item of uniform apparel. By state association adoption, to allow for special occasions, commemorative or memorial patches, not to exceed 4 square inches, may be worn on the uniform without compromising itsintegrity.

The logo was slightly oversized, and so by the letter of the law, was a violation. The penalty for the violation, if not observed until after the race, is disqualification.

There were three breakdowns here. One, the rule, which is archane and archaic. While I understand wanting to restrict advertising on suits and caps, it’s time for the rules to catch up with the fashion. Big logos are in, and kids like them. Let them express their creativity, let them be big, let them find new and different ways to represent the school.

My suggestion would be to remove any size limits on non-commercial logos at a minimum; if someone decides that is untenable, at least align them with USA Swimming rules, so there is less confusion about what is allowed for each organizaiton.

For two, there was a breakdown from the opposing coach who used this technicality to steal a win and upset a great moment of sports. This exposes the ‘win at all costs’ mentality that has set in that a coach would use fractions-of-an-inch from a widely-unknown rule to take a win, even in a dual meet. That’s losing sight forest for sake of the trees. Even his own athletes were on social media, apparently holding the better moral compass. This was not a moral crusade by a young coach who needs mellowing either: that coach, who has been with the program for decades, should have known better.

The third breakdown was on the official. This is the person that I have the most sympathy for in this case, because this is the person of the three breakdown points who is not a professional in what they do, and is probably just there supporting their kid’s teams. They took the easy route, conforming to the letter of the law. And I don’t blame them for that.

But a veteran and more seasoned official might have found a different outcome. There are lots of ways to work around this sort of situation that are vaguely within the rules and more importantly result in the best net-outcome.

This conversation could go something like this:

• Coach A: “I think that flag is too big.”
• Coach B: “I disagree”
• Official: “Let’s measure it. It appears the flag is too big. Unfortunately, I did not observe with certainty that this was the exact cap that he wore in the race. Because of the lack of ‘chain of custody’ of the cap, I’m unable to issue a disqualification. Coach B, I suggest that your swimmer find a new cap for the upcoming state championship meet.”
• Coach B: “I understand. Thank you.”
• Coach A: (Probably storms away fuming, but wakes up the next morning without the pain of regret).

Let Joy Live in Track & Field

High school track & field runner Brody Buffington crossed the line first at the Class 1A West regional indoor track meet in Maryland last weekend in the 300 meter dash, apparently securing the opportunity to defend his state title.

But 20 minutes later, his coach was informed that discussions were being had about disqualifying him over his ‘celebration’ at the finish line.

For reference, this is the celebration:

Catoctin’s Brody Buffington (U.S. No. 1 in the 55) won’t be able to defend his state title in the 300 after getting DQ’d for his celebration at the Maryland 1A West region meet. pic.twitter.com/MOYA2pRXqu

— Andy Mason (@Andrew_M_Mason) February 4, 2023

Mason later confirmed that this was it. There wasn’t something beyond which was clipped out in the video. It was that small raising of the arms as he crossed the finish line that resulted in a disqualification.

“I was extremely angry and confused,” Buffington said in an interview with the Frederick News Post after the disqualification. “No meet officials approached me after the race or anything. I had no idea.”

The meet’s head official said that “turning around to his opponents and hand waving all the way down the straightaway is in disagreement with that [NFHS] rule.”

That official, Tim O’Keefe, admitted that he did not see the alleged behavior himself, but it was reported to him by the finish line judge.

But the video above does not appear to show him waving anywhere, let alone down the entire straight away.

What’s more, the only two other runners in his heat were his teammates Furious Trammel and Asher Clingerman.

More than a dozen Olympians have supported him on social media, disagreeing with the ruling.

Not only does it knock him out, but it hurts his team’s chances at defending their team title.

The disqualification was appealed and upheld by a panel of three preselected coaches from other schools. It was then appealed to the state association, which also upheld the ruling.

Buffington, for his part, said the celebration was a spontaneous one. He was expressing his joy in sport. The same joy that we express as sports fans when watching our favorite teams. The same joy I express on a pickleball court when I hit a good shot. The same joy that Lebron James expresses when he breaks the NBA scoring record.

What are we really protecting or teaching him by this disqualification?

Are We Killing Youth Sports?

There are two opposing problems right now in youth sports. One is parents who are becoming way too involved with coaches and officials, leading to a very real national shortage in both.

The other is officials over-officiating ‘behavior’ penalties that are killing the joy of sports.

In the former case, there was no advantage. Nobody knew. Nobody checked. Nobody really even cared. But a disqualification was issued to nobody’s benefit. The swimmers who won know that they didn’t deserve the win. The swimmers who lost were robbed of the joy of succeeding in the way we’re taught that sports are supposed to bring us that joy.

And if you don’t think that policing fashion in sports is killing sports, you’re wrong. Fashion is absolutely a critical component of the sports industry. Check TikTok for Nike videos.

In the latter case, a VERY muted celebration led to a disqualification, and apparently nobody was willing to be swayed even by a video contradicting the initial report of a single individual, who was afforded the right to be the moral compass, unopposed, of an athlete.

There are some red lines of course that I think most would like to keep out of sports. He didn’t turn around and finish the race backwards while pointing at his opponents (aka teammates). He didn’t yell out any four-letter words. He didn’t make any vulgar or crude motions.

He lifted his arms in celebration.

My favorite exercise on these matters is to read viral social media lists about why we put our kids in sports, and see if the decision checks those boxes. Here’s one from September that had 69,000 shares on Facebook:

Which of those boxes were checked by these decisions? Was the team disqualified for a cap violation somehow motivated to work harder? Was the athlete who was disqualified for “enjoying his sport” taught to respect that official? Were either of those athletes encouraged to spend more time “in the gym” instead of “in front of a screen”?

I love rules. Rules give order, especially in sport, where order is needed to maintain fairness. But neither of these situations were worthy of the punishments levied. Give them warnings, if you feel that you absolutely must act.

But above all, let them experience the joy of victory. Let them experience creativity. Let them experience the sting of defeat, and the drive that creates for the future. Let them experience learning, and growth. If you want them to get off the couch and away from the screens and participate more deeply in athletics, make it worth their time. Allow them to express themselves in athletics the way they can in Minecraft.

You can still teach them discipline, you can still teach them how to respect their opponents and be gracious winners and losers, how to work hard, how to be focused on goals. None of the above disqualifications did anything to achieve those Utopian motivators for the youth sports industry.

If we’re going to tell them to play sports, then remember that they’re just playing. Remember the moments where it’s important to be serious, and the ones where it isn’t.