need to wear wingtips and nothing else then they set the standard of what needs to be worn by everyone. I worked for a company that actually sent people home to change when they came to work in something in contrast to the work attire. This wasn't some small company, it was a huge company that was really good to work for. You know who violated these rules the most? The younger employees, by age, but also sometimes new employees as well, but by far more, younger employees, and most of the time they squealed like stuck pigs when they had to go change.

I don't get the attitude people have of doing something different than what is stated for employment. Do they think they are better than everyone else and such petty rules don't apply to them?

In this case with the football team, if the coach said black socks only, then wear black socks only. Could it be he is trying to find out who is listening to him? Could be, but I think it is more along the lines of making sure everyone on the team is on board and the same vision as he has.

I think it is more along the lines to see who will be the better teammates and if a player decides to go against a simple rule of the color of his socks, that shows that player thinks he is above everyone else on the team. If the coach can't trust the player to buy in with such a simple rule, how could he trust that player to buy in with everything else he is trying to do?