Would you ignore Local Rule?
 

Umpiring a game last night where teams were starting to get annoyed with other and one team complained that the opposing pitcher was wearing sunglasses.

The local association has made a rule that batters and pitchers cannot wear sunglasses. (Not sure why because it's nowhere in the rulebook.)

The orientation of the field is such that the pitcher was going to basically look right into the sun to pitch. Would you enforce the local rule even if you felt that it was a safety issue?

When you accept an assignment, you are agreeing to enforce the local rules, however dumb you may feel they are.

I wouldn't enforce this one.

Then don't accept the assignment. As Eastshire said, "When you accept an assignment, you are agreeing to enforce the local rules."

I couldn't possibly care. I work more games than I probably should anyway -- they can protest (like that would go anywhere) and not hire me again (except they will, cause they need umpires). I refuse to enforce rules (that are not well thought out) that I think make the game less safe for athletes. There's no possible reason to ban sunglasses on pitchers other than someone heard of a rule myth and figured it was some kind of a real rule.

Most leagues where I'm from don't exactly distribute their local rules to the umpires/officials anyway. If a coach tells me it's a local rule that the kid can't wear sunglasses, why should I believe him over the coach of the other team who wants his kid to wear them?

In that case it shouldn't be too hard for you to find something to replace this assignment with. But don't be that guy who comes in and makes up his own rules as he goes along.

I would enforce the rule as written. I would then make a point of mentioning the dangerous rule to my UIC. If the rule stays, I'd continue to enforce it.

I wouldn't *ignore* the local rule. But if you feel there's a danger to the pitcher or other players from the sun, you could suspend the game until there's no longer a problem.

Here is the answer --- +10

The best way to change a rule is to enforce it. Then when they figure out how silly the rule is, then they will likely change it or not create a silly rule in the first place.

Peace

I wouldn't enforce it, unless asked to.

You would definitily not have a problem of too many games if you worked my leagues, with that pompous attitude.

Exactly! Make sure the rule is actually a written rule first, then you are obligated to follow it. It's your job!

About five years ago my son was playing in a LL District tournament in Everett WA and we had a 20-minute "sun delay" as the sun was setting out near center field, right in the batter's eyes.

We though that was amusing, a sun delay - only in the Pacific Northwest! We'll play through rain, but sun? No way!

This is a direct reflection upon your integrity. If you know you can't or won't enforce a league rule then decline the assignment.

When it gets to the point where you are picking and choosing which "rules" you enforce, then it is time to find another hobby. If you don't like FED rules, then don't do FED ball. If you don't like 'local league rules', then don't do those games. But to say you will ignore rules you don't agree with is just plain wrong.

That is the difference I guess between where you work and where I work. They are desperate for umpires where you live. Out here they would cheerfully tell you that they no longer require your services. No umpire shortage here. Can't swing a dead cat in California without hitting an umpire.

As much as I rail against, complain about, and can't stand FED rules, I have never used it as a reason not to work the games and call them strictly by those rules. One does not have to like the law, just as long as one obeys the law.

This is a STUPID STUPID RULE!
 

This is a STUPID RULE made by STUPID PEOPLE who are not medical doctors. Ophthalmologists have been telling us for years and years that sunglasses with Polaroid lenses should be worn to protect our eyes. Now we have stupid people who are not medical professionals telling parents that they are to ignore medical professionals with respect to proper eye protection.

What if the batter or pitcher is wearing prescription sport (read safety) glasses and have Polaroid lenses? Are you going to tell the player's parents that their child cannot wear his glasses?

I am 60 years old and started playing golf when I was 9. When I first started playing I was having trouble with my eyes (not vision problems, everybody who knows that I officiate basketball and umpire baseball and softball know that I have always been blind in one eye and can't see out of the other), and our family ophthalmologist recommended that I wear sunglasses when I played golf. My eye problem was solved.

Furthermore, a local rule that cannot be supported by the rules of the game, cannot and should not be enforced.

MTD, Sr.

When I lived in California, we never swung dead cats, the ASPC would be all over us. They considered that 'abnormal behavior', but that's another thread...

Good thing I don't work where you live then. Or really care. One advantage of not answering to an association or a single assignor is that I can pick and choose where I want to work. I tend to avoid leagues where they try to rewrite the rule books anyway.

Some of us like doing this umpiring thing but don't really need the work. I'd spend more time on my boat and with my kids.

Let's back up a second. Clearly I don't work leagues like this -- I work college baseball, high school baseball, summer adult baseball, and some other youth stuff where the rules are well defined. I appreciate you folks who are forced to deal with Calvinball rules, but I really don't have to deal with that. NCAA and FED rules are well defined and I don't run into people who would insist on such idiocy as banning eyewear. I wear sunglasses everywhere, including the plate and I couldn't imagine telling someone they aren't allowed to protect their eyes, but I guess some of you feel that's OK.

I was just telling you that you would not be getting called back in a desperate attempt to find an umpire. I don't think I've ever heard of a local "no sunglasses" rule (which is asinine) because I would have to stop umpiring, as I too wear sunglasses all the time when outside. Plus, there is no "freelance" umpiring here. It's assignors and associations only. You can't go around drumming up your own business.

You would not work any league here if you refuse to call "their" rules. Try telling your NCAA or FED assignor that you don't like a rule and not going to call it. I am not particulary fond of some FED rules but I enforce them. Personally, I think a pitcher wearing sunglasses is dangerous, but there is not a rule against it unless a league makes it so. Sounds like you need to spend all your time on your boat.

To the OP, did the league officials happen to tell you WHY they have such a strange rule? Did some kid put pine tar or a fingernail file inside his sunglasses once upon a time? LOL

I bet it was a safety rule, batter or pitcher get hit in the eye wearing sunglasses could be more hazardous than getting hit without. Kind of like other safety rules, FPSR for example.

Heck, BBCOR bats are a safety rule.

I didn't even see the written rule but both teams did confirm that it was a local rule. So no official word as to why the local rule was there but the coaches both said that it was so everyone could see the batter's/pitcher's eyes.

We all agreed that the breaking glasses from getting hit wasn't a good reason because then all players with prescription glasses would also have to remove them but that wasn't the case.

Because I wasn't given the local rules to see myself and the rule didn't make any sense, I allowed the pitcher to wear the glasses......I guess I would have be in the wrong according to the majority of the posters here.

I've emailed the local association to see if I can get a further explanation.

I think we all applaud you for avoiding leagues with dumb rules... however, if you've accepted an assignment, enforce their rules. I really don't care that your area is desperate for umpires - if you accept the job, do the job. To not enforce a rule (even a dumb local one) is disrespecting the profession and reflects badly on all of us.

After a couple of emails, as usual the coaches didn't know what they were talking about and in fact what the rules stated was that pitchers/batters ARE allowed to where sunglasses.

I guess there was so much confusion as to whether the pitchers/batters could where sunglasses that the local association specifically put in the rule that specified that sunglasses were permitted.

As usual the coaches either didn't read the document or assumed what they wanted and said that sunglasses weren't permitted.

" #29 (permalink) Yesterday, 09:33am
tibear
Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Canada
Posts: 352

After a couple of emails, as usual the coaches didn't know what they were talking about and in fact what the rules stated was that pitchers/batters ARE allowed to where sunglasses.

I guess there was so much confusion as to whether the pitchers/batters could where sunglasses that the local association specifically put in the rule that specified that sunglasses were permitted.

As usual the coaches either didn't read the document or assumed what they wanted and said that sunglasses weren't permitted."


NEVER MIND, :D

MTD, Sr.