[PeteBooth]

Originally posted by blacktiger

In the top of the 1st yesterday in a Junior Varsity game, the second hitter came to the plate with a necklace on. The homeplate umpire proceeds to eject him from the game without warning. I was upset as the home team coach because I thought the umpire should have used some judgement here. I was prepared to tell him that when after the inning he asks me if I minded if the player reentered later in the game. I was glad that he had changed his mind.

My question is: What is the exact rule for jewlery? Is it an automatic ejection? Earlier in the year I saw a varsity game worked by association members who do thing by the book and they gave a team warning in a similar situation. Somebody help me here. I am a coach who doesn't know all of the rules. I hate to say that as a basketball official but it is true.

Ozzy quoted you the rule. As a fellow official yourslef (even though basketball), you know the importance of getting to the game early. In baseball I know sometimes it is difficult to get their early becasue of the starting times of games, but if at all possible an official should be at the site preferably 1/2 before start time.

1. We need to have a solid pre-game with our partner,

2. We can ispect the field for possible trouble areas and

3. Check the equipment

While checking the equipment, we should also observe if players are wearing jewlery at that time and do some preventative umpiring.

At the plate conference, we simply say Coaches make certain your players are not wearing any jewlery. For the most part if an umpire is doing his /her job properly, the jewlery issue is no big deal.

If I do catch a player afterwards, I will issue one more warning to the coaches. Ejections should be for more flagrant type activities. The ejection rule is there as a penalty for individuals who blatanly disregard the rules and the game doesn't constantly slow down in order for players to keep removing jewlery. If there was no penalty, chances are no-one would pay attention to it.

As far as why blue did this in your game, I would have to ask him. He could have done his due dilligence and then after all that a player still had jewlery on which according to the rules could warrant ejection.

Pete Booth

[Edited by PeteBooth on May 2nd, 2002 at 01:00 PM]