FED: Batting helmets in batting cage
 

Scrimmage game. Fenced in field. Adjacent to the fence is a fenced in pitching area. Next to the pitching area is a fenced in batting area with a pitching machine. All are clearly visible to the umpires. Batters are in the batting area taking pitches from the machine. No batter is wearing a batting helmet. Is this allowed? I can't find any references in the Rule Book, the Case Book or the Umpires Manual. (I'm cross posting this on another forum.)

This year, NFHS expanded their definition of "confines of the field" to include all adjacent warm up areas. So, in that sense, this means that this was within your domain. If you felt that this was a safety issue, then you probably should have addressed this with the coach.

As far as finding a rule that covers wearing batting helmets while in the batting cage, no, NFHS doesn't cover this. However, there is a likelihood that it will be covered in future rulebooks, as more and more umpires, like yourself, discover that while NFHS has expanded the area for which we are responsible, they haven't given any guidelines as to how they want certain situations as this one treated.

I emailed our state association about this and just got a response back. Batting practice is not allowed during a game. This may only be true for our state (SC).

There are 2 state associations, one for public schools and one for private schools. The scrimmage was between public schools. I'll have to find out how the private school association wants this to be handled.

Thanks for the feedback Skahtboi. I hope for others that this covered in the future.