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Dragging out an old threat to give an update on my experience with this. After reading everyone's responses, I was completely convinced that requiring the "protector" to wear a helmet was the right choice. The reason I originally brought this up was because, like DaveASA/FED, I questioned whether or not the "protector" was actually a ball shagger. Anyway, I decided that if I ever encountered this situation, I would make them wear a helmet.
Of course, not two weeks later, I'm PU in a JV game where the warm up area is in LBT. I actually notice out of the corner of my eye in the fourth inning that home team has someone warming up down there, but I'm not being OOO so I don't even notice if there is a protector. However, in the bottom of the fifth inning there is a foul ball down the left field line and my attention is drawn to that area, where again someone is warming up. I notice the protector does not have on a helmet, so I inform the home team coach to have her put one on. Home team coach complies immediately. From behind the backstop, I hear someone complaining about how he is so fed up with umpires who make up rules and blah blah blah, which I completely ignore and Mr. Loudmouth shuts up after a minute or so, but not before announcing that he is going to call Julie Johnson from Indianapolis (yeah schmuck, you obviously know her well since you don't even know she doesn't live in Indy). I find out after the game from my partner that Mr. Loudmouth was actually the varsity coach. I've done varsity games there before but I wasn't playing match the voice/face so I didn't realize it was him. I decide I'll call Julie the next day to give her my side of what happened since I have no doubt this coach who suffers from cranial rectosis will contact her.
When I call JJ, she tells me she hasn't heard from the coach, but when I explain the situation, she tells me that she does not consider these "protectors" to be ball shaggers (much like Dave suggests) and that she even includes this in her area clinics that they are not required to don a helmet (Dave, did you attend one of these?).
Now I'm not sure what the big deal about putting on a helmet is, and in my situation neither the head coach nor the "protector" had any problem with my ruling, but since JJ said "don't make them put one on", I decide I won't make them put one on. Next game after that I'm working with a really good veteran umpire that I've worked with previously. I'm relating this information to him for discussion after our doubleheader is done. He informs me that our association has discussed this in the past, and that no one is more hard nose about it than our assignor, and he has worked games with her before when she stops the game to have the "protector" put on a helmet. He also poses the question that if they are not considered a ball shagger, and they are not wearing a helmet, what happens if they actually do shag a ball while they are out there? Do you now issue a team warning for a violation of Rule 1-6-3?
I know none of this is ground breaking stuff that will influence what any of you might do as part of your game management but I thought I'd share this as food for thought.
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