[PeteBooth]

Originally posted by Jerry

IMO ONLY!!!

If one is concerned about liability and repurcussions, you become ineffective as a professional.

Baseball after all, is a GAME. Research the reasoning behind the BESR ratings, or any of the differing rules in this game, and you'll see why a particular rule or "safeguard" was adopted.

It doesn't alter the fact, that baseball is a GAME.

If all participants, officials included, begin the contest with the understanding that folks are there for purposes of amusement only, there is no problem whatsoever.

If everyone on the field agrees that a branch from a tree can be used for a bat, a sewn-together wad of yarn as a baseball, and someone's borrowed purse as a base . . . who are we to say, "We can't PLAY"?

For God's sake . . . let's "Play Ball" and have some FUN!

I'll agree . . . there are SOME coaches (a few) and SOME parents ("little Johnny's, of course) who want to blame their loss on someone other than their own inabilities. Don't let that happen to you. Have fun; officiate to the best of your ability; and let "kids" (no matter what their age), play the GAME.!

Jerry, first of all I agree with you and that's how WE played when we were kids. We played in the dark, snow, rain etc. We played with a ball until there was literally no more cork left. We played REAL baseball meaning no safety rules. The game took care of itself.

We didn't need 9 players. Whoever showed, showed and we made up rules to fit the number of players we had. You know "sandlot" rules.

However, today is different. The association or at least the association I work in EXPECTS an official to call the game the way the rules are written, especially safety.

Let me give you an example. In our association if there isn't a Fibulator near-by there is no GAME and that was made quite clear to us during our prior meeting. Near-by means within 3-5 minutes reach if you are playing at a School or ON THE PREMISE if you are playing at an "off site"

At the beginning of the season there is a coaches meeting to go over all the RULES, so there should be No problem. Now I think most of us do not follow the Uniform rules "to the hilt". I am not going to tell some kid he /she can't play because they don't have a proper uniform, but if F2 doesn't have "protection" or the proper helmet, throat guard etc. that's where I "draw the line" and I am expected to.

TEE has a good question in "Do we know of some Huge lawsuit out there" not setlled out of court. I personally don't but I don't want to be the first either.

I'm all for letting the kids play within limits.

Pete Booth