NFHS Equipment Inspections

[youngump]

Originally Posted by CecilOne

Please comment regarding NFHS only:

Rule 3 Section 2 Art 15 states: "ALL EQUIPMENT SHALL BE INSPECTED BY THE UMPIRE, AND IS TO BE PLACED OUTSIDE THE DUGOUT/BENCH PRIOR TO THE START OF THE GAME."

​This mean ALL bats and helmets. Many of the girls have more than one bat. Some may leave them in their equipment bag in plain sight in their bench/dugout area. They must place them outside the dugout to be inspected or they will be removed from the dugout and placed where they cannot be accessed during the game. Do NOT let them tell you, "Oh, I'm not using that bat." Do not let them keep them in the dugout.

Even if the equipment is illegal (and not just uninspected), by what rule are you going to confiscate it and secure it for the duration of the contest.

​If they don't comply with your first request, it's a team warning. If they don't comply on your 2nd request, then the head coach will be restricted to the dugout - and yes - that means he/she will be restricted before the game has even started. (of course, allow the coach to attend the plate meeting!)

I'm skeptical about this too. By rule, the only way you have this option available to you is that you've ruled this either failure to remove illegal equipment (which I thought meant take it out of the game not dugout) or to rule this minor unsporting conduct. I don't think it's unsporting conduct but if it is it seems serious enough that telling him to go sit by the illegal equipment seems off.

Finally, I don't see how he can attend the plate meeting, you restricted him to the dugout.