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Bad field construction 101...
There is a field at a softball complex near here that is built as follows:
A 4' retaining wall is just beyond DBT along the 3rd base side (the field is elevated, so there is a drop off.) There is no fence past the backstop. The team bench sits just in front of the drop off, just barely in DTB. The bench is open to the field (no protective fence, etc.)
There is a fence at the DBT boundary along the 1st base line. There is a hill (going up) just behind the fence. The team bench sits in front of the DBT fence (i.e. in what would otherwise be live ball territory.) No protection for the team bench here, either.
The ground rule I use at that field is any ball in the vicinity of the 1st base team bench is dead. I ask coaches to try to control the clutter, but recognizing that a team bench will have stuff laying around, if the ball gets into the stuff it is dead, just as if it went into a dugout.
With younger kids, I also request that all players on the bench keep their fielders glove on at all times.
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Tom
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