Hi folks..FED Rules....Can someone please tell me at what point do you enforce the penalties for an illegal glove worn by a pitcher. We are now told that additional colored glove requirements are to be enforced. (red white blue, black and brown and of course white and gray)
Is it when he toes the rubber or does he have to pitch the ball or is it only being involved in a play, either by fielding or receiving a ball? I have told a lot of our officials that I am using preventative umpiring and making coaches aware of the new glove requirements for the pitcher at the home plate meeting hoping that heads off potential problems.
Thanks
Bake17

I have never seen a pitcher go to the mound with a red, white and blue glove, but if I did I would ask him to change before he started warmups. I have never had a complaint about pitcher's glove color so I would ignore black and brown unless the other team complained.

Nothing in the NFHS book stipulates " when " you make the call that the glove is illegal. I would check it out as soon as I spotted it - during warm-up pitches, warming up before the game, etc. and if it is IYO illegal, I would ask him to change it immediately.

If you want to be preventive then just get rid of it when he starts to warmup, but leave it out of your pregame. As a matter of fact leave as much as you can out of your pregame. Get everyone introduced, exchange lineups, discuss groundrules, and ask if the teams are properly equiped. Leave all the junk out, it serves no purpose except possibly putting you on the wrong foot with a manager.

NFHS Rule Book: 6-2-1 (f) states " Illegal acts include: wearing any items on the hands, wrists or arms that may be distracting for the batter." While he's taking his first warm ups, I'll be looking for any of the above.

6-2-1 (h) "wearing a glove/mitt that is white, gray or multi-colored." Our state interpreter informed us that two shades of the same color (as pictured on the covers of the Rule Book/Case Book)is not in violation of the above rule.

IMHO, preventative officiating should be used, address it as soon as you see it.

IG3

You did'nt quote 6-2-1h completely. The last part says "that may be distracting to the batter." Not the umpire. I would wait to it is brought up and then address it.

I believe I had to address this once in 20 years. IMO it is one of those "don't pick boogers" items. Unless, it is a total local enforcement type of thing. I guess that is their perogative though.

No, it doesn't.

IMHO, you're better off addressing this as soon as you see it. Otherwise, some manager is going to wait until F1 fields a ground ball, and then complain. If you now agree the glove is illegal, you'll have to enforce the penalty for touching a batted ball with an illegal glove (3 bases). (See the FED interps of last year and the year before.)

(The above assumes, of course, that you agree that the glove is illegal -- multi-colored, for example. If you've decided that the glove is just two shades of the same color -- dark brown and tan, for example, then just tell the coach that when he complains.)

Bad morning when I answered this and the day did'nt get any better.

I agree Bob. As Rosanna Danna use to say, "NEVER MIND".

JI,I believe it was actually Emily Latella who
used that line,lol.......(although they were both
played by the same actress,Gilda Radner).

[Edited by umpduck11 on Mar 7th, 2005 at 10:20 PM]

As I said , it was a bad day .

speaking of illegal gloves, does FED rules state that a fielder (except 1B) cannot wear a firstbasemen's mitt? If so, please state the rule. According to 1-3-6 the only exception is for the catcher.

No. In fact, just the opposite. Any fielder may wear any type of glove / mitt as long as it meets the size requirements.

See 1.3.7B and 1.3.7C

Bob, looking at the 05 Fed book, I only see 1-3 going up to Art.6 the last citation is 1-3-6c on the bottom of page 13. Top of 14 starts with 1-4-1. Anyway, thanks for the info.

1-3 is in the rule book. 1.3 is in the casebook.