Taking Helmet Off
 

IN LL play, if a runner takes off his batting helmet and the umpire has not called time and see him, is he out?

No.

Why do you think a player removing his helmet during live ball play wout constitute an out?

Note: I'm not being a wise a$$, I just want to know where you got this idea from. I am amazed to find where these myths originate from.

Because some uninformed, ignorant umpire called this somewhere, I'm sure. It's the same umpire who called a player out for "not sliding at home" when the catcher didn't have the ball waiting to make a tag.

Yeah, I remember doing that many eons ago. I was doing a "squirt's" game and I was told that "The players must slide into home at all times". I tried to explain to them that this was inconsistant with the rule book, but I was told "You are new here and this is how we do it!". So I did what I was told and when a little guy came into home (no play being made and he didn't slide), I called him out.

The was a "discussion" about the play to which I reminded the coaches that I called exactly what you told me to call. After a few minutes, they walked away talking to themselves and the game went on. Little guys sliding into home play or no play!

A meeting was called the following evening and I was asked to explain my actions (new guy, remember) so I gave it to them with both barrels right out of the LL & OBR rule books. They couldn't believe the "new guy" was quoting rules to them without a book. They asked me to be the UIC for the remainder of the year. I was 20 years old then and the job lasted 5 more years.

Rich,

I am sure you are referring to LL rules, especially since the original poster's name is LL DAD and he specifically asked about LL. Some youth organizations do have such a rule.

Here is the Dixie Youth rule:
1.16(c) The batter's helmet shall be worn by any offensive player while on the playing field, such as a bat boy, on-deck batter, batter, base-runner or player base coach.
Penalty - For a first offense the player shall be warned by the umpire; for second and subsequent offenses in the same game, the player shall be called out. If the violation is by a bat boy, on-deck batter, or player base coach the penalty for their second offense is removal from game and from the field.

WOW! I just went on the web-site for Dixie and you are correct, Rich! I feel inadequate now (I only do OBR, NHFS 7 NCAA rules). Naw! It's a stupid rule to call someone out for removing the helmet. I like the NHFS better, warn, warn the team, eject.

Dixie has a lot of add ons to OBR for the sake of safety. Allegedly.

I call a lot of Dixie and have seen the helmet issue arise only once. Bases loaded, batter walked, R3 coming home takes his helmet off about halfway down the line, and then starts "dancing" down the base line, apparently to show off to and taunt the other team, who they were beating pretty well. Plate ump warned him, kid didn't put it back on, so he then tossed him for what he deemed unsportsmanlike conduct. And yes, all hell did ensue. :D

Not Rich, someone else gave that answer. I have no clue what the Dixie rules are. I find it silly to call outs for non-baseball things like this, myself.

There is no out in Little League (R) baseball for this.

I'm sorry, Rich, it was Blue37 that found that diddy in the Dixie Rules. You can go back to sleep, Rich. Sorry I disturbed your slumber! :D

Thanks
 

Thanks for your replies guys. I am the Dad of a Little League player in his second year and the coach of a team was having hits over the players taking their helmet off while on base to wipe off the sweat. He sited it as a safety violation and wanted the kids called out. The ump just shrugged his shoulders.

Thanks again, just trying to find some answers to those odd calls you see now and then.

That same umpire also gives the tie to the runner.

And you don't? What are you some kind of commie or something?:eek:

Next you'll try to tell me that the hands aren't part of the bat and that you can slide into first base. What other myths don't you believe in?:rolleyes::)

Those ba$tards! :eek:

Well, I try making friends and influencing coaches whenever possible:rolleyes: but I continue to disappoint coaches that believe a pitch that bounces to the plate cannot be hit.:)

well I was recently chastised severely for my ignorance by a coworker and baseball coach who swore up and down that squaring around to bunt, in and of itself, was enough to be a strike, even if the batter made no attempt at it and the ball was 5 feet overhead. He just shook his head in disbelief when I claimed that there was no height requirement on an infield fly or a time requirement for the stop on a pitcher throwing from the stretch.

and no, we weren't talking NCAA on the bunt. :D

Reminds me of the time (1988) I was involved in a traffic accident while on my way to my game. It was a Colt game (serious business in this league) and my girlfriend tried to go through a yellow and nailed a car turning left. Needless to say I was late for the game, arriving in the bottom of the second.

Right off the bat, I had an Infield Fly situation and the ball was hit into short left field. It was hit very high and F6 was camping out under it, so at the apex of the ball's flight, I called and signaled IF.

The offensive coach went ballistic and came out on me. He was screaming that "it can't be an infield fly because it's out on the outfield grass! It has to be inside the dirt." I assured him that he was wrong, and that as long as an infielder can catch the ball with ordinary effort, that as long as it is in fair territory it doesn't matter where the ball is.

He didn't agree, made a big fuss, and managed to get the crowd all over my a$s too. They kept hollering things like, "why did you even bother to show up," and other funny stuff like that. He stopped just shy of getting run, but the damage was already done, thanks to my late arrival I was persona non grata.

This is the game where this drunk old lady came up to us after the game demanding to know our names and my partner didn't miss a beat and said "I'm Doug Harvey, H-A-R-V-E-Y." To which I added, "and my name is Harry Wendelstedt, would you like me to spell that?"