Speaking Fed. Our UIC is asking us to emphasize proper uniform wearing this year aka shirts tucked in. No proplem. It's a pet peave of mine anyway. But the other day at our pregame conference I had a coach tell me, very politely, that they had just bought their new uniforms and that the supplier told her they were designed to be worn untucked. I looked at her players and each shirt was rather form fitting and tastefully 3-4 inches below the waistline. I told the coach that I guess I'd believe her and we played on.

Anyone else have a coach tell them that their shirts were meant to be untucked? Fed 3-2-10 says "players shall wear/utilize uniforms/equipment properly and as designed by the manufacturer". Suggestions

Jimmy,
Yes, I have had one team who's uniforms were designed to be worn untucked - much as those you described. Wearing those shirts untucked is in keeping with the rule.

There are uniforms designed to be worn untucked...they look fine.

I like to use a little common sense here...if the shirts are so short that they will pull out every time the pitcher pitches, instead of having a 4 hour game, let her throw.

It is annoying when a uniform is worn improperly but you do quote a Fed rule and yes some uniforms are designed to be worn out and they do look smart .

However what do you do if while hanging out a pitched ball hits the uniform ?

I would think you call a dead ball and HBP, unless she didn't make an attempt to avoid. She's wearing the uniform properly, according to the rule.

That's really my point. A couple of days ago had a girl hit square in the overhang of a shirt that I just told her to tuck in. Hit by pitch, awarded 1st base. No problems explaining anything.
I like high school softball because of the enthusiasm of the girls but don't care for the fashion emphasis some of them put into uniform wearing. In comparison, what does Fed baseball say? I KNOW this is a softball board but this seems like an area where there could be some similarities.

Don't know, don't care what any brand of baseball has to say, no matter how similar.

What I can say is, if I just told a player to tuck in a shirt, and it was still overhanging and the next pitch hit it, I would seriously consider the possibility that she and her shirt made insufficient effort to avoid being hit.

My only reason for even mentioning the game of baseball here was to determine if the Fed powers that be have one way of looking at guys wearing a uniform and another way for the girls.

Nothing in common about the Fed powers that be other than they all report to the same governing agency. Different rules committees, different rules editors, different rules interpretations, different game.

I have had players who have had their untucked or bloused shirt hit by a pitch. And the call has often been to the effect of "Dead ball, Batter stay here." That's legitimate - if you "expand" the size of the player by untucking the shirt, you must make a real effort to get out of the way.

Jimmy - Fed BB covers uniforms in Rule 1, Section 4. They do not state that they must be worn as designed. Part of the reason may be that tradition dictates they be worn properly. I do know that every BB coach I have seen who notices one of his players with a sloppy uniform or untucked shirt has instructed the player to fix that.

We are supposed to allow a game to play if they don't have the proper type of uniform, but we are required to report it to the state (FHSAA here) and they will deal with the school.
The uniform requirement is simply stated and too bad if you blew your budget on the wrong equipment.......

For real if hit by pitch after you told her to tuck in she is not getting a base but a strike !

The uniforms I've seen taht appear to be meant to be worn untucked all appear a little tighter fitting and thus don't hang out in the way like a regular shirt would.

I'm with debeau; if I'd told her to tuck it, then I'm confident the shirt was in the strike zone and she's getting a strike. If questioned, I'd emphasise that it shouldn't have been in the strike zone to begin with. Tuck it in properly and it won't happen again.

The uniforms I've seen that appear to be meant to be worn untucked all appear a little tighter fitting and thus don't hang out in the way like a regular shirt would.

I'm with debeau; if I'd told her to tuck it, then I'm confident the shirt was in the strike zone and she's getting a strike. If questioned, I'd emphasise that it shouldn't have been in the strike zone to begin with. Tuck it in properly and it won't happen again.

Actually, if it is in the strike zone, it is a dead ball strike regardless of whether the uni is tucked in or not or whether you told her or not.

Steve M, I like your post on this - if the uni is untucked and thereby makes the batter "bigger" then the batter must make a real effort to get out of the way. Otherwise, dead ball, ball on the batter, batter stays (unless ball 4).