sunglasses

[Tru_in_Blu]

What are the opinions about what umpires should do with their sunglasses?

(Yeah, I know, keep them with our white canes or service dogs.)

[EsqUmp]

Originally Posted by Tru_in_Blu

What are the opinions about what umpires should do with their sunglasses?

(Yeah, I know, keep them with our white canes or service dogs.)

If they help you see better, wear them.

[Tru_in_Blu]

Originally Posted by EsqUmp

If they help you see better, wear them.

Certainly true of prescription glasses.

What about regular non-prescription types when the sun goes away and/or it starts getting dark, especially on a field with no lights?

[Rich Ives]

Remember flip-ups? Are they legal when down and illegal when up?

Why do people get so worked up over sunglasses? Year after year someone goes bonkers over sunglasses. Why?

[Little Jimmy]

This is another issue that could solved by a simple line added to a rulebook. "Sunglasses are not considered jewelry. Wearing them on top of the head/hat is not a rule violation..."

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by Little Jimmy

This is another issue that could solved by a simple line added to a rulebook. "Sunglasses are not considered jewelry. Wearing them on top of the head/hat is not a rule violation..."

Have you ever in your life though of sunglasses as jewelry?

The rules don't say what's legal, they say what's illegal. You'd need a truck to carry the rule book idf it listed what's legal.

[AtlUmpSteve]

Right or wrong, here's my logic:

As it relates to players (all but college), when the sun is popping in and out behind clouds, I consider it poor game management to want or need to stop the game multiple times to go get and put on or take off sunglasses. I do understand that sunglasses on the head could be considered an "adornment" in NFHS (as opposed to jewelry; that's a huge stretch), but with game management in mind, I would rather consider it a "hair control" device in that case. If the sun is going down and it is no longer needed, or it is worn in all instances as a decorative item, it may be subject to removal; it is then no longer being used as "equipment". In college, I have zero concern or responsibility, it is the coaches' problem what to allow players to wear. Someone, somewhere, may treat fallen sunglasses as detached player equipment, but it won't be me.

As it relates to umpires, I do not believe the sunglasses should EVER be worn on the hat. Wear them when needed to shade the sun; remove them (on the fence, in your shirt, held with glasses strap), they should never be where they can even possibly fall off and affect any part of any play in the wildest third world play. The NCAA official stance is worn, or removed completely; for the same reason of sun popping in and out for players, I accept within immediate reach, but not possible/likely to drop).