Quote:
Originally Posted by Crabby_Bob
Agree. Rule 3.4 doesn't specify that the glove/mitt must be made of leather and bound with leather. Thus, plastic gloves are OK. (ugh!)
Rhetorical question: would you allow the glove/mitt if it was bound with bailing wire? 3.5.F Warning: The game of softball involves certain risk, including but not limited to death, [etc.] No problem there, fair warning given.
How about this?: 3.7 Note: The characteristics of any approved equipment cannot be unnaturally changed. The drawback is that we won't find any gloves/mitts on an approved equipment list.
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Okay, I was addressing the plastic ties and only the plastic ties. But I still would not make a wholesale decision without actually holding the glove.
Even then, on what basis would I have in disallowing the glove? And I'm sure you are going to be informed this glove has been allowed in hundreds of games.
Considering the whipping action or just the distance of the protrusion, should players be required to trim the long extra pieces of leather lacing from the glove?
Let's talk about comparable situations. Should we ban sliding feet first on tags plays? After all the metal or poly spikes can be quite sharp.
All that said, yeah, if I thought the glove was a danger, I would probably have a discussion with the coach to see if s/he can adjust the glove to eliminate any safety issue there may be.