Any volunteers to work this league?
 

A few days ago my partner and I were driving up to north Jersey for a college doubleheader when his cell phone rang. The caller was an umpire new to our association, and my partner had assigned him a rec league girls' FP game.

"Hey, I'm here at the field, and I told the coaches that the girls have to take their jewelry off. One team isn't wearing any jewelry, but the coach of the other team says ASA doesn't require all jewelry off. What should I do?"

"What kind of jewelry is it?"

"Earrings, necklaces, bracelets, that kind of stuff."

"Tell him they have to take off their jewelry or they'll forfeit. Do not umpire the game unless they take their jewelry off."

"OK."

A few minutes later, another call came in:

"It worked out great!"

"They took their jewelry off?"

"No, the coach gave me $45 in cash and said that since it was a pre-season game, he would ump it himself. I'm on my way home."

This is one of my pet peeves. We are all told to get them to take the jewelry off. In Michigan, at the HS Rules meeting, the guy from MHSAA specifically said, "No rubberbands or Lance Armstrong bracelts, either".

Then, my partner and I catch static in May at a Varsity game for doing as we are told...a LOT of umps must just ignore this.

Joe in Michigan

I can understand the coach in the rec league mentioned above, since, strictly speaking, ASA does not require all jewlery to be removed - it is a matter of umpire judgment regarding safety.

However, NFHS (and presumably, MHSAA) give the umpire no leeway. Remove the jewlery or don't play.

No one should ever say (or hear in a clinic) "remove the jewelry" as opposed to "you can't play with it on".

Jewelry is one of my hot buttons. If the rule says no jewelry, then that means NO JEWELRY. ASA wording has softened from not allowed (at all levels) to dangerous in the judgment of the umpire. I feel that adults can make that choice for them selves, but children can not. For all girls fast pitch games I do all the jewelry comes off or they don't play. NSA allows jewelry if taped or hidden under tape, that is their rule. But in NFHS ALL jewelry must be removed including jewelry hidden by tape. At the plate meeting for a NFHS game this week one of the team captains in attendance (with the head coach) had a band aid on her nose. After I had asked the coach, "Are all your players legally and properly equipped?"
"Yes they are."
I then asked the player, "What is under the band aid?
She volunteered, "My nose ring, it don't come out".
"Well you need to remove it or you can't play."
"The other umpire let me wear it." (If I ever met this other umpire, we are going to have unpleasant words.)
"Well, today on this field, you need to remove it or I can't let you play." Out it came.
I then asked the coach again, "Coach, are your players legally and properly equipped? Because if we find they are not, both you and that player will be restricted to the bench." After the plate meeting before they took to the field, I saw in the dugout at least two other girls removing some piece of jewelry.

Bottom line, we all need to enforce the same jewelry rule. Kudos to the guy who got paid to not umpire the game because he was enforcing a rule.

Bugg

In addition, a lot of guys must be letting girls (and guys in Baseball) wander around outside the box after pitches. Guess what? The game takes longer when the umpires let the batters imitate Mike Hargrove and Nomar!

I have had to call a strike on a few batters, only in JV-the Varsity gets the idea quicker, in order to finally get the point across that I am going to abide by the "one foot in the box" rule.

Like Bugg said, bottom line...enforce the stinking rules!

Joe In Michigan

Meanwhile, I don't believe jewelry is not that big a deal.

Speaking ASA.

If it isn't dangerous to ANOTHER player, I don't care. Even in JO, I don't believe umpires should be held to a higher responsibility than the parent or coach.

have had to call a strike on a few batters, only in JV-the Varsity gets the idea quicker, in order to finally get the point across that I am going to abide by the "on foot in the box" rule.

Joe In Michigan[/QUOTE]

Joe,

What "one foot in the box" rule are you refering to? What rule set?
ASA, NSA, NFHS ??

Sorry about that, NFHS.

I'm not aware of any "foot in the box" rule in NFHS softball. I remember having one in baseball but not softball. Am I mistaken here?

I may be the one mistaken. I beter go look that up. I was sure I remembered that one. But, I have been wrong MANY times...ask my wife.

[QUOTE=jwwashburn]I may be the one mistaken. I beter go look that up. I was sure I remembered that one. But, I have been wrong MANY times...ask my wife.[/QUOTE]


Been there many times................ROFLMAO:D

If a man speaks in the woods, and there is no one around to hear, is he still wrong?

Check rule 7, section3, C in ASA. There's your one foot in the box rule with all of its exceptions.