• Shirt - The officials shirt is perhaps the most recognizable part of the uniform, symbolizing neutrality and authority.  While the alternating black and white strips is a part of officiating history, wrestling moved on from those many years ago.  It is still within the rules to wear such shirts but its pretty unusual to do so other than special occasions.
  
  There are two different shirts depending on what level you are officiating.  USA Wrestling Kansas has a designated shirt that must be worn at their events.  It is grey with black pinstripes, but also has black shoulders and side panels along with the USAWKS logo on the left sleeve.   For middle school and high school events, the shirt is all grey with black pinstripes and has the KSHSAA logo on the left sleeve.  Regardless of manufacturer, these days they are all made of lightweight and breathable material.  The best ones have moisture wicking ability, and are easy to care for and keep wrinkle free.  The USA Wrestling Kansas shirt can be purchased from Ump-Attire.com and navigating to the USA Wrestling Kansas section.  The KSHSAA shirt can also be purchased here, but it is also available at several other online vendors' sites which you can find at the bottom of this page. 
  • Recommended:  Cliff Keen or Smitty

• Pants -  Comfortable and professional, black pants are standard attire for wrestling officials.  There are several styles available and acceptable.  Sweatpants, wind pants, track pants, leggings, etc are NOT acceptable.  We recommend golf style pants with adjustable latching belt.  These are super comfortable, the material stretches really well which you need with all the motions you make while officiating.  They also have a rubberized waistband which keeps your shirt tucked in.  We've found great success with brands like Under Armour, Adidas, and Nike.
  • Recommended:  Under Armour Drive - Model #1364407

• Belt - (Optional)  A nice belt will be very helpful to you, not only to keep your pants where they should be but also to adjust for fluctuations in weight (It isn't unusual to lose several pounds over the course of a season due to all the exercise you'll be getting).  An adjustable locking belt is often the best choice.  
  • Recommended: Under Armour Drive Stretch Webbing Belt  Style #: 1383935

• Shoes -  You are gonna be on your feet and moving around alot!  One of the most important parts of your uniform for your sakes is having really comfortable shoes.  This isn't a place where you want to skimp on cheap gear.  Without a great shoe, your feet are gonna kill you.   While there are many amazing brands you can choose from, the things you definitely want is:  Black (or black with white highlights is acceptable).   Non-marking, this is really important because you don't want to mess up schools or clubs mats.  The more cushion in the soles the better.  Moisture wicking and breathability.  You can also wear black wrestling shoes, but we don't ever recommend that. 
  • Recommended:  Under Armour Charged Assert 10

• Socks - A great pair of socks is something you will find invaluable on those long tournament days. Keeping your feet dry and comfortable is really important.  Wet, sweaty feet not only cause odor, but worse can often lead to very painful blisters you don't want to deal with.  Get yourself some moisture wicking high quality socks to make sure that doesn't happen.  Several brands specialize in socks for athletic activity and include technologies such as built-in antimicrobial qualities.   
  • Recommended:  Under Armour Performance Crew socks are the choice here.  Style #: 1379512.  We've found these to be exceptional at sweat control, and providing protection especially for the heel of the foot.  

• Whistle -  This is another item that is absolutely critical to your officiating success.  Having a good quality whistle ensures the competitors, coaches, spectators, and especially your scorer's table to hear you.  Always opt for a pea-less whistle to ensure maximum clarity.  The Fox40 brand whistles are hands above any other manufacturer and are really afforable.   
  • Recommended:  Fox40 Classic, Fox40 Mini (We like the Cushioned Mouth Guard aka CMG) variety

• Lanyard -  To go along with your whistle you are going to need a lanyard.  There are several different styles available to suit your situation.  The most common of which are the clip-on lanyard which is useful for shirts with a whistle loop as most grey shirts have.  The other is a loop lanyard which goes around your neck.  Loops can either be fixed or of the breakaway type which is useful is somehow the whistle is snagged by an errant hand or foot.  It's your choice which one you want to use.  The only important part here is that it is black.  

• Wristbands -  For folkstyle you'll need a set of colored wristbands.  One green band which goes on the right arm, and one red band which goes on the left arm.  These wristbands are manufactured by many different companies included branded companies like Adidas.  More importantly they come in various different lengths from 1" up to 7".  The most common length is 5" followed by 3".  Choose which one is more comfortable for you.  We do NOT recommend 1" bands as they can be hard for table workers to see, and 7" bands look out of place and thus unprofessional.
• • Recommended:  We recommend 3" arm bands, preferably without manufacturers logos on them.

• Flip Disc -  Perhaps the most varied piece of the uniform there is.  You'll need a flip disc which is green on one side and red on the other.  These come in all different shapes, sizes, weights, construction materials.  There are plastic ones, rubber, metal, wood, we've seen them all.  Whats important is that they are two sided and can reasonably be assumed to have an equal chance of landing on either color randomly.
  • Recommended:  Usually a disc which has edges as opposed to being round is preferable because it significantly reduces the likelihood of the flipper rolling on its edge and away from you.  We prefer a hexagon shaped disc, no more than 3" in diameter. 

• Jacket - (Optional)  To go along with your professional look, you are going to want to have a jacket you can wear when you aren't officiating before the event begins, during any breaks, etc.  There are many styles of jackets: button up, zip up, pull over.  Whichever you choose you'll want it to be light weight, and it should be all black with very few highlighting colors and preferably none.  If you would like you can even get your name embroidered on it for an extra touch.
  • Recommended: 
    • Under Armour Challenger Warm-Up  Style #: 1379494
    • Adidas Essentials 3 Stripes Warm-up  Code #: H46101

• Duffle Bag - (Optional) You've got all this gear, you are gonna want something to carry it in.  Your choice of bag is up to you, ideally it will be mostly black, but color isn't particularly important with this item since the only time it is seen is coming to or leaving the event.  
  • Recommended: 
    • Under Armour Undeniable Large Duffle Bag  Style #: 1369224
    • Adidas Defender Large Duffle Bag  Code #: EW9634

Miscellaneous: 

• Undershirt - Some officials will choose to wear an undershirt for various reasons.  The most common are sleeveless compression shirts.  If you are going to wear one, it should be black and the sleeves if it has them should not extend out past the sleeves of your actual officiating shirt. 
• Kneepads / Compression Sleeves - For those with sensitive knees prone to irritation from the pants leg material rubbing on them, a set of kneepads can be helpful.  In addition some officials choose to wear compression sleeves which can not only help with this, but may reduce muscle soreness by keeping blood in the muscles of the legs. 
• Random draw kit - containing chips with each of the NFHS weight classes for boys and girls division.  (This is an item you almost never need particularly in Kansas.  When random draws are done, it's usually done by administration ahead of time.
• Official's Cards / Business Cards - You likely won't need these when you are first starting out but they certainly can come in handy if you want to network and potentially get future assignments and to help coaches remember you for post-season consideration.  You can design and have these printed at tons of online and local print shops. 

A professional appearance instills confidence in the athletes, coaches, and spectators. It demonstrates your dedication to upholding the standards of the sport and ensures that you are taken seriously in your role. By wearing the proper gear, you not only look professional but also show respect for the sport and its traditions.

Visit our recommended suppliers to get all the necessary gear and ensure you're ready to officiate with confidence and authority. Remember, when you look the part, you play the part!

Useful Gear Shopping Links:

Precision Officials

Fifth Region Officials

Purchase Officials

Officially Dalco

Officials Locker

Various online retailers like Amazon, Ebay, etc can be used to procure non Kansas specific gear