Cleat Question From Dad/Hoops Ref

[Coltdoggs]

Hey BLUE!...Hoops official here...I don't call baseball so I am not sure about this...

My son is a Freshman this year and hopes to be playing for his HS team.

Are any of you Umps from Indiana and can you tell me if there are any restrictions on cleats in the IHSAA. Up to this year his travel and rec teams (there are no Jr High teams in our school district) have not allowed metal cleats.

Before I invest, I'd like to find out what's legal for Freshman and JV baseball.

Thanks guys...

C-Doggs

[johnnyg08]

honestly...call the school...ask to speak to a coach, or the Athletic director...no matter the state...we don't spend much time inspecting cleats...if any esp at the HS level. there's my 2 lincolns

[etn_ump]

Metal.

[DG]

In my playing days cleats were round and on the bottom of football shoes. There was no soccer in my neighborhood, or anywhere I else I knew of, but if there had been they would have been wearing cleats also.

My baseball shoes had spikes on them, as in "Ty Cobb was sharpening his spikes". When did we start calling basebal spikes cleats and why did we do that?

The usual age at which players moved up from rubber spikes to metal was age 13, coinciding with move up to 90 foot bases. Local variations may apply. And it may be notable that you can buy baseball spikes that are not made of metal and everybody 13 and above does not use metal. It's not mandatory to use metal on the big bases.

[mbyron]

FED prohibits using track spikes. Ohio adds nothing to that. I don't know about Indiana.

[DG]

Originally Posted by mbyron

FED prohibits using track spikes. Ohio adds nothing to that. I don't know about Indiana.

Every state should. Track spikes and baseball spikes ("cleats") are two different things.