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USSF Referee Memorandums

To:  State Referee Administrators
State Youth Referee Administrators
State Directors of Referee Instruction
State Directors of Referee Assessment 
National Referee Instructors and Trainers 
National Assessors 
National Referees 

cc:  State Presidents 
Affiliated Members 

From:  Alfred Kleinaitis 
Manager of Referee Development and Education 

Subject:  Jersey Sleeves Rule Suspended

Date:  November 4, 2002

USSF has been informed by FIFA that it has decided to temporarily set aside the new provision regarding jersey sleeves found in International Board Decision 1 of Law 4.  Accordingly, effective immediately and until further notice:
  • Referees will have no responsibility for determining the legality of jersey sleeves or for enforcing the provision in Law 4 related to jersey sleeves. 
  • Referees are directed not to include in their game reports any information regarding the presence, absence, or altered status of jersey sleeves unless required to do so by the rules of competition under which a particular game is being played. 
  • The only concern a referee has with respect to the condition of a player's jersey is safety. 
  • Referees are, however, expected to enforce all relevant provisions in the Rules of Competition governing a match, meaning, if a state association, organization, league or tournament has a rule regarding jersey sleeves, that rule should be enforced.