On a side note: The past two years I've helped coach our JV softball team so that they'd have a first base coach. My Junior year in high school I did it without anyone ever saying anything and without a helmet on. However, my Senior year, when I'm actually 18, a fellow volleyball official recognizes me, remembers that I'm a high school student, and makes me put on a helmet. Of course I wasn't very happy seeing as a I was heckled for the rest of the season. The only thing that upset me was that I looked in the UIL (I'm in Texas) Softball district rule and the NFHS rule book and never found anything saying I had to wear a helmet. When I politely asked her where the rule was she said she just knew it was a rule and told me to ask the local assigner (who's been around softball forever, it seems) and said if he said I didn't have to, I didn't have to. Well he said I didn't have to, but she went back on her word and said I had to anyways. The next day, she came up to me and pointed out a rule about players having to wear helmets when coaching first base. I simply asked her, "If I was a player, wouldn't that make my team ineligible?"
Needless to say, I had to continue (resentfully) wearing a helmet for the rest of the season. If anyone knows the rule that would require me to wear a helmet, I'd love to know which one it is.