Properly Equipped
 

FED. The opposing coach made a pitching change. While this was being done, one of the players involved in the switch removed his cup and took it to the dugout. PU told the coach that all of his players needed to be wearing a cup. The coach said that they did not have to and PU turned to me and said, "You heard that. If I get sued, you are a witness. He told me his team was properly equipped." I later heard the coach saying that properly equipped had nothing to do with wearing a cup. It had to do with helmets, bats, jewelry, etc.

Who is correct here?

harmbu,

Under FED rules, there is no provision requiring anyone other than the catcher to wear a protective cup.

JM

Both right & both wrong.

The catcher is the only player required to wear the cup, unless your league has more stringent rules. So the ump was wrong not everybody has to wear a cup.

When asked if his team is properly equipped that includes the cup the catcher is required to wear as well as all other safety measures. So the coach was wrong.

As I understand the conversation, the coach denied the claim that all of his players must wear a cup. That denial is correct: not all players must wear a cup.

It does not follow, and the coach is not reported to have said, that no player must wear a cup.

I think that's included with what the coach "later said." :)

What the coach said was that properly equipped has nothing to do with wearing a cup, when it most certainly does. Properly equipped means that your male catcher is wearing his protective cup, and that nobody is wearing jewelry other than medical alert jewelry.

And the coaches are not allowed to say any of that "to the best of my knowledge" crap, either. They must directly state "Yes" when asked if their players are properly equipped, and that includes the catcher wearing his cup.

In our association, it also includes any player who warms up a pitcher either on the diamond or in the bullpen.

And in every other association in the country.

Or, Harmbu said that the coach said this, so we're getting a second hand account and something might be getting lost in the translation.

Regardless or who said what, the rule is the rule. In FED baseball a cup must be worn by the catcher or any non-adult warming up a pitcher at any location- and only then if the catcher or warm-up person is a male!

The umpire who reportedly said all this was trying to enforce a rule that doesn't exist. He's kind of goofy, too, for making comments about lawsuits and witnesses. If you really think that a player is violating an equpment or safety rule, why would you just go ahead and let the player play and worry more about covering your own butt? If you know for a fact that a player is not properly equipped- no matter what the coach told you at the pre-game conference- you do not allow him to participate!

As long as they squat, yes. If they don't squat (crouch), neither head gear nor a cup is required.

I guess you do know squat after all.:)

I once had a partner tell a coach he had to wear a cup to warm up a pitcher. That led to an interesting discussion.

I originally worded it, "It also includes any player who warms up a pitcher either on the diamond or in the bullpen."

I included, "In our association" so that you would not pick my statement apart.

You did anyway. How long must your games take?

It must be a FED thing, because in 36 years (and some 2200 games), I have never once posed the question, "Is your team properly equipped."

Properly Equipped
 

Yes it is, goes right along with inspecting bats, batting helments, and catcher's helmet.