PIAA: Central Bucks South won’t receive penalty after wearing wrong jerseys vs. Norwin

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Wednesday, November 15, 2023 | 5:47 PM

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The PIAA said there is no penalty for a team that does not bring the proper colored uniform to a playoff event.

Philadelphia-area school Central Bucks South and Norwin wore white uniforms in a PIAA Class 4A boys soccer semifinal Tuesday night at Chambersburg, causing a stir among Norwin fans, who took to social media to voice their displeasure.

Central Bucks South, which wore bright green mesh pinnies over their jerseys, defeated Norwin, 1-0.

Central Bucks South players indicated they did not enjoy wearing the pinnies and seemed frustrated during substitutions when they had to take them off or put them on.

Justin Farrell, the athletic director at Central Bucks South, said what happened was “an honest mistake.”

“I felt terrible and apologized to Chambersburg and Norwin,” Farrell said. “I felt guilty. It was an honest error.”

Norwin coach Scott Schuchert said it was a challenge for his players to connect on passes and to make quick decisions with the ball on the ground when they looked down and only saw white socks.

“It’s a shame that happened,” Schuchert said. “There was some confusion (with the uniforms) on their goal. It was frustrating, but nothing was done. The bottom line was we needed to score a goal, and we didn’t do that.”

The PIAA follows the National Federation of High Schools rulebook, which states:

“When an illegally uniformed team is unable to correct the situation or cannot verify state association approval of the uniform, the game shall be played. The referee must, however, notify the state association following the game.”

Said PIAA Chief Operating Officer Mark Byers of the game officials: “I was made aware of the situation. They followed proper procedure.”

The PIAA notes in a postseason memorandum that the team on top of the pairings in the bracket is the designated home team and is required to wear dark uniforms and socks.

“We traditionally do not have any issues, but it has occurred in prior situations,” Byers said. “Anecdotally, we have had this across many sports, with teams sometimes wearing the host school’s uniforms to avoid identical jerseys on the field or court when the error is discovered.

“I thought the officials and all involved made the best of the situation by playing the game and avoiding similarities through the use of pinnies.”

Norwin made one last push at the Titans. With 30 seconds left, the Knights moved everyone forward, including goalkeeper Anthony Scalise, to get as many bodies in front of the net as possible.

With about 30 seconds left, Daniel Maddock sent in a free kick from 45 yards, but it was low and did not pose a threat as the Titans sent the ball away.

“We tried everything,” Schuchert said. “We went from four back to three back to two back. That was our best chance there at the end.”

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Norwin