SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Short football pants this season aren’t suitable in South Dakota.
It’s part of the point of emphasis on illegal and improperly worn player equipment.
Activities directors from two high schools said there are times when high school players want to follow what they see in college and professional games, and that includes short pants.
“You’ve seen it across the country and see in the pros and college games, the pants keep getting shorter and shorter. By rules players need knee pads,” said South Dakota High School Activities Association Executive Director Dr. Dan Swartos. “The pants are getting shorter and shorter and the kids are not wearing knee pads.”
Brad DeBeer, the activities director and dean of students for Deubrook, said the district has had players who “don’t think they need to wear knee pads.”
“We order uniforms where the pants are meant to be below the knee. We’ve had a few kids who try and pull the pants up (above the knee),” DeBeer said.
“I think the students want to shorten the pants because that is what they see at higher levels of competition,” Jon Meyer, the superintendent and activities director at Waverly-South Shore, told KELOLAND News.
Generally, players are good about following the rules but sometimes, they need to be reminded that wearing the pants above the knee could be penalty, DeBeer said.
Meyer said the rules don’t allow short pants and “we need to follow the rules.”
“We have been transitioning to football girdles that have the knee pads, thigh pads, hip pads, and butt pad build in for our players so wearing the short pants really isn’t an issue—the pant needs to cover the girdle, so we need the longer pant,” Meyer said.
Swartos said players need to wear knee pads for protection which is why there is emphasis on not wearing the short pants.
Four classes of high school football start the season Friday, while all seven classes will start next Friday. KELOLAND Sports will have coverage from 10 high school games Friday night.
Some players and even coaches may say that players have less restrictive movement without long pants and knee pads.
“Problems arise when players remove padding or don’t wear the girdles or knee pads because they believe they have better range of motion without the protective gear,” Travis Nolan, a clinical athletic trainer at University of Utah Health, said in a university posting in 2023.
Mercy Pediatrics of Connecticut said this about knee pads: ‘Football pants should fit properly so that the knee pads cover the knee cap.”
Short football pants aren’t just a recent choice for college, professional or high school players.
Forbes reported in 2018 that the then Big 12 college conference was going to crack down on short pants in football.
According to the Football Archeology website, Oklahoma tried short pants in the 1930s and Missouri tried short pants in 1948.
Swartos said the SDHSAA has been discussing short pants for a few years. “We’ve been talking to schools about it for a number of years,” he said.
The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) in May decided to make improperly worn equipment a point of emphasis for this season.
Swartos said the SDHSAA decision fits with the NFHS.
The NFHS said on its website that examples of improperly worn equipment “include pants not covering the knees as required, tooth and mouth protectors not being worn as play starts, and shoulder pads not properly covered by the jersey. Incorrectly wearing these items can diminish their protective effectiveness and potentially endanger players.”
Other states are also paying attention to short pants.
The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association is an example of a state that follows NFHS rules for uniforms and equipment.
The Amarillo Chapter of Texas Football Officials Association posted on its website in 2024 that football pants must cover the knee.
What about those mouthpieces?
Another part of the SDHSAA point of emphasis is appropriate mouthpieces.
Swartos said mouthpieces can now be found with spinners and other attachments. Those types of items will not be allowed. “There’s always something new that kids see and want. Some of them serve no purpose,” he said.
Big box retailers, sporting goods stores, online websites and others all offer spinner or mouthpieces with other accessories.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association posted the NFHS approved requirements that ban attachments to mouthpieces that do not serve a purpose or could pose a health risk or general risk or danger to players.
Sportsmanship is another point of emphasis. “With football is more the taunting. One player taunting another player,” Swartos said.
Emphasizing sportsmanship is not a new point for sports, Swartos said.
Pay increase for officials
Two new rule changes for officials will happen this fall.
The SDHSAA will increase the official per game pay from $125 to $150. The SDHSAA sets the pay for all officials.
“We assign all the officials for every contest. We don’t do that for any other sport,” Swartos said.
The pay for game officials was at $125 for a few years after being at around $110, he said.
Non-driving officials for the game will also get paid .18 cents per mile for each game. The driver gets the federal mileage rate rembursement.
DeBeer said the increase in pay should help attract and retain football officials.
As a school near Interstate 29 it hasn’t been as difficult for Deubrook to find officials as it is for other high schools, DeBeer said. Still, the state “has a tough time every year keeping officials,” he said.
The 18 cents per mile for non-driving members of the crew helps when an official needs to leave work early to get to a game, DeBeer said.
