In the top of the 1st yesterday in a Junior Varsity game, the second hitter came to the plate with a necklace on. The homeplate umpire proceeds to eject him from the game without warning. I was upset as the home team coach because I thought the umpire should have used some judgement here. I was prepared to tell him that when after the inning he asks me if I minded if the player reentered later in the game. I was glad that he had changed his mind.
My question is: What is the exact rule for jewlery? Is it an automatic ejection? Earlier in the year I saw a varsity game worked by association members who do thing by the book and they gave a team warning in a similar situation. Somebody help me here. I am a coach who doesn't know all of the rules. I hate to say that as a basketball official but it is true.

The rule is warn and eject. The warning is a team warning so anybody else can be ejected. I find it easier to just telll the guys before the game to take anything off. It saves a lot of headaches.

JV uses FED rules and the reference is FED 3-3-1c

FED 3-3-1 --- A coach, player, substitute attendant or othere bench personel shall not:

Item c - wear jewelry (players participating in the game)

PENALTY: At the end of playing action, the umpire shall issue a warning to the coach of the team involved and the next offender on that team shall be ejected, except for (e), where the coach shall be ejected. In (a), it is also obstruction(8-3-2).

Actually coach, the jewelry policing is your job! If your umpire/s is/are having a proper plate meeting with you and your opposition, one of the responsibilities that gets transferred to you is jewelry (the other is proper equipment - such as cups for male players).

I am not going to say if the umpire was correct or not, I was not there. But now you know the rule (you can look it up for yourself). Basicly, the rule of thumb is if the players can't sign a legal document (age 18) then no jewelry. If you take a few minutes to police this yourself, you will save a lot of hassle later.

[Edited by ozzy6900 on May 2nd, 2002 at 10:51 AM]

<i> Originally posted by blacktiger </i>

<b> In the top of the 1st yesterday in a Junior Varsity game, the second hitter came to the plate with a necklace on. The homeplate umpire proceeds to eject him from the game without warning. I was upset as the home team coach because I thought the umpire should have used some judgement here. I was prepared to tell him that when after the inning he asks me if I minded if the player reentered later in the game. I was glad that he had changed his mind.

My question is: What is the exact rule for jewlery? Is it an automatic ejection? Earlier in the year I saw a varsity game worked by association members who do thing by the book and they gave a team warning in a similar situation. Somebody help me here. I am a coach who doesn't know all of the rules. I hate to say that as a basketball official but it is true. </b>

Ozzy quoted you the rule. As a fellow official yourslef (even though basketball), you know the importance of getting to the game early. In baseball I know sometimes it is difficult to get their early becasue of the starting times of games, but if at all possible an official should be at the site preferably 1/2 before start time.

1. We need to have a solid pre-game with our partner,

2. We can ispect the field for possible <i> trouble areas </i> and

3. Check the equipment

While checking the equipment, we should also observe if players are wearing jewlery at that time and do some preventative umpiring.

At the plate conference, we simply say Coaches make certain your players are not wearing any jewlery. For the most part if an umpire is doing his /her job properly, the jewlery issue is no big deal.

If I do catch a player afterwards, I will issue one more warning to the coaches. Ejections should be for more flagrant type activities. The ejection rule is there as a penalty for individuals who blatanly disregard the rules and the game doesn't constantly slow down in order for players to keep removing jewlery. If there was no penalty, chances are no-one would pay attention to it.

As far as why blue did this in your game, I would have to ask him. He could have done his <i> due dilligence </i> and then after all that a player still had jewlery on which according to the rules could warrant ejection.

Pete Booth

[Edited by PeteBooth on May 2nd, 2002 at 01:00 PM]

I am not sure which rule books are being quoted for the player jewlery rule for high school (Fed). But the 2002 rule book does not "Eject" a player for jewlery violations it restricts the player to the bench.

Fed 1-2 Art 9 Penalty

<B>Penalty- If a player violates the jewelry rule, the umpire shall issue a team warning. Any subsequent offender on that team shall be restricted to the dugout for the duration of the game</B>

Fed rules have made ejections pertain to unsportsmanlike conduct, instead of rule violations for the simple reason then players are not penalized the next game.

This player was not my player. He was one from the opposing team. There was no warning. He simply removed him from the game without warning. I believed that the rule was a team warning then the next one was an "ejection." I am just trying to clarify for myself.

I don't know or see your rule cite in the the 2002 Fed book. I do however see 3-3-1 that says to warn and eject. Maybe you can give a page number because the rule you quoted doesn't exist.

You have it correct and the suggestion to check your players before the game was to keep you from having to worry about it.

I apologize, I was quoting the softball rules.

<B>MY BAD!</B>

So you're saying they don't eject in softball but restrict to the bench instead? I would think it would be a bigger problem in softball.

Early in the season it is a problem and we usually give some slack by just making them take it off. I have had to restrict girls to the dugout because they just plain forget after a team warning. But what you usually get is that they try to cover up new piercings with tape (no) etc...

Softball used to have the ejection rule but opted to basically allow umpires to restrict coaches, players etc.. instead of ejecting them. You can also use this for unsportsmanlike conduct instead of ejecting a coach or player.

Just a tool to use so that players and coaches do not loose eligibility. You figure after restricting a coach to the dugout, if he sneezes the wrong way you dump him.

"At the plate conference, we simply say Coaches make certain your players are not wearing any jewlery. For the most part if an umpire is doing his /her job properly, the jewlery issue is no big deal."

This is not a warning. It's a reminder. An official warning must be give during playing time.

Bob

I think the reasoning you restrict to the bench instead of ejecting in softball is that there is a bit of concern about sending that 14 or 15 yoa girl to the parking lot unsupervised. A comment of present day society and the number of bad guys out there.

As a side note, for most player ejections in NC we allow the player to remain in the dugout unless there are enough team or school personell to accompany him or her to the bus/parking lot. Again safty & libiality concerns. The ejected player must sit in the dugout and breathe very quietly though.

Roger Greene

Coach:

A while back, I belonged to a different association known to produce some real red-*** umpires. Then, if a player showed up with jewelry, we warned the team against further similar displays, after ejecting the coach.

Why eject the coach? Remember when the ump asked: "Are all your players legally equipped?" To that association, a player with jewelry was evidence that the coach lied, provided he answered "yes" to the question.

Thankfully, my current association is little more enlightened. I just thought I'd related this to you to show you things can be worse.

GB

Restricting a player, substitute, coach, or bench personnel to the dugout under NFHS baseball and softball rules means that the person has conducted himself/herself in a manner that does not require an ejection but is still a serious violation of the rules. In all of the sports for which the NFHS writes rules, when a player, substitute, or student bench personnel is ejected from the game, the game officials do not have the student removed from the bench; the student is to remain on the bench under the supervision of the coaching staff. Therefore, in baseball and softball, you can have a player restricted to the bench that would not require a game report because while the player cannot play for the remainder of the game it is not the same as being ejected from the game which would require a game report.