Team members smoking in ASA SP
 

ASA SP. Is there any rule against team members (including scorekeepers) smoking in dugout areas? I can't find any such rule in the ASA book. Lately, I've had scorekeepers and a few players smoking cigarettes in dugouts that are just a few feet away from home plate, and the smoke is right in my face.

I did a search, and found this post from Mike back in 2003, which sounds like one approach to this problem:
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Tue May 13, 2003, 09:23pm
IRISHMAFIA
As an umpire, not my problem. If residual smoke is too much for you, just call time and move to an area free of smoke. When teams ask why you are not continuing with the game tell them that you will continue when you can comfortable occupy the areas you need to perform your duties.
Mike Rowe
ASA Umpire
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Any other thoughts or info. on this topic?

A few years ago, as BU in a SP game, I made an out call at 1B after a ground ball to F6 and then did a double-take as I realized that what was dangling from F3's lips was a lit cigarette.

The guy was a veteran ballplayer who had never given me any trouble, and I simply looked at him and said, "Aw, come on."

He froze and stared at me for a second in what I believe was sincere puzzlement, and then quickly threw away the cigarette and said, "Sorry, Blue. I swear to God I didn't do that on purpose."

Well…

We have a local rule of No Smoking in the dugout and that includes non-players.

Watched a bit of the first weekend of what is billed as the second-largest SP softball tournament in the country. (They had 260+ teams, but that's about 100 fewer than in recent years.)

Anyway, whenever the teams would change sides, many of the players took lit cigarettes out on the field with them. They were supposed to play by speed-up rules (no throws down to 2B, one pitch between innings, no infield balls). However, the catcher at one point told the first batter of the inning, "Take your time, man. At $5.85 a pack, I gotta get some more out of this one."

So the batter took his time approaching the plate, and the catcher was able to take 4 more deep drags before flicking his cigarette to the backstop.

Incidentally, that catcher made only one out in three games, and that was a sacrifice fly. He seemed to be able to hit soft liners over the infield at will. And he did it cross-handed.

So I guess I won't begrudge him his smoke.

It's a lack of respect for the game. That's the main reason I don't do any slo-pitch in our local league. I played for 10 years until the kids came along and we played. What we did after the game had no bearing on how we played. Totally different today.

When you start seeing the players smoking in 10U then you really have to start worrying!

Mens/Womens SP league games I dont go looking to address stuff like that. The exception would be on the field while playing which I think "aw come on" is an appropriate warning.