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Originally Posted by MikeStrybel
Were you ever required to inspect player equipment before football games? Since that answer is 'no', you are again attempting to compare things that aren't equal.
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We are to review the equipment before the game and ask the coach the same things (in all NF sports BTW). So no it is not a complete unequal thing when the NF tends to review rules changes with other committees. For example the concussion language is the same language used in other sports. The old baseball rule was just silly to have when in other sports where the equipment is much more dangerous to the players we only ask the coach "Are your players properly and legally equip?" And if we discovered an illegal item we removed it in accordance to those specific sport's rules. A helmet in baseball rarely comes into play in a baseball game compared to football where every play might have some head contact.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeStrybel
In high school baseball, for a number of years now, the onus for player safety has been firmly on the shoulders of the umpire(s). The 2012 rule change still provides for the umpires to inspect gear if the coach asks. Umpires are no longer required to do a pre-game check, that is all the rule states. We must ask for confirmation of the conditions but no penalty is mentioned.
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I disagree when you said it was really on us. All we did was check before the game. During the game coaches had more knowledge what their players used or did not use more than us. And considering I have never had a single opposing coach ask to check the legality of the bat or helmet, this was a silly practices. We would just check before the game and unless something changed we would not know necessarily that they were using illegal equipment like a cracked helmet unless we spot checked it and saw the crack ourselves.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeStrybel
As I and others have mentioned, the questions we ask of coaches at the plate meeting remain the same. This year I had players walk into the box wearing a broken helmet (one that I had removed pre-game), using an illegal bat (-10!) and wearing jewelry (too many times) AFTER THE COACH HAD STATED THAT ALL PLAYERS ARE PROPERLY EQUIPPED. The onus is still upon us. Coaches just want to get the game going and we'll agree with almost everything we ask of them. This may have been conceived with good intentions but unless some teeth are added it is a waste of ink.
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And the reason I mentioned football is the fact that is the same exact procedure that is used in that sport in the pre-game meeting that is also required with the coaches before the game. The difference is that we do not bring the coaches together to ask in the same meeting, but we still ask. And we do the same thing in basketball and I cannot think of a single other sport were the NF creates the rules for a particular sport (or in our state for that matter) that does not have the officials penalize or address illegal equipment after that meeting. This new baseball rule is more in line with other sports as if you work other sports you will realize they like to use something in one sport that works and require it in other sports. Mary Struckoff said as much when they consider new rules and she is a former IHSA Administrator and she is the current Rules Editor for Basketball as well as the NCAA Supervisor of Officials for NCAA Women's Basketball. That is why all this mess with the Appropriate Medical Professional was used in every single sport and the change in what how we remove players for a possible concussion. That is not just a baseball rule; it is a football, basketball, soccer, softball and volleyball rule. And soon to be an Illinois state law as to how we handle these things as well. This just puts baseball in the same category with other sports.
Peace