ASA/jewelry/youth

[BuggBob]

When umpiring an ASA youth game, the players remove the jewelry or they don't play. Period! They are minors and technically cannot make a decision on what is safe and what is not. Adults I don't care, wear the crown jewels..

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by BuggBob

...They are minors and technically cannot make a decision on what is safe and what is not. ...

I agree, but this should not be up to the umpire to deal with. The responsible adults here are the parents (first), and coaches (second). Passing the buck to the umpire is cowardly and shirking of parental responsibility. The ONLY thing in this area that the umpire should be concerned with (IMO) is a player wearing something that is judged to be dangerous to ANOTHER player.

High Schools have a different legal situation entirely, so a complete ban there makes sense.

[SRW]

Originally Posted by Dakota

I agree, but this should not be up to the umpire to deal with. The responsible adults here are the parents (first), and coaches (second). Passing the buck to the umpire is cowardly and shirking of parental responsibility. The ONLY thing in this area that the umpire should be concerned with (IMO) is a player wearing something that is judged to be dangerous to ANOTHER player.

Exactly.

Risking wrath, in an ASA JO tourney on the field I'm working, nose studs are her business. Earrings are ok as long as they're not hoops. Livestrong bracelets are fine. As long as it's not harmful to the others on the field, I could care less. I assume that these young women have had their rights signed away with their own liability waiver that says something like "you're playing a sport and you might die."

Besides, getting hit with a pitch into the elbow happens more often (and hurts a heckufalot more) than that freak third world play where the helmet pops off and the swipe tag catches her earring and it pulls it off but not before her finger rolled under the Livestrong bracelet and broke it off and then her medical alert necklace choked her and the nose stud popped out and all the other crap that you guys make up to justify being a jewelry cop.

[Little Jimmy]

Thanks for the responses. I'm not sure why last night I was so inclined as to say I didn't consider the nose stud dangerous. Since the vast majority of my games deal with organizations specifically not allowing jewelry, I usually just let that same stand flow into the few ASA youth games I do. But since the coach was honest and upfront in his asking, I thought that merited my decision. I know it beats the heck out of Mondays coaches who, when asked if there was jewelry under a variety of bandaids and tape, said "I don't really know".

Today I see the same two teams again in a continuation of the same game (rain yesterday). I'm still allowing it today. But after the game I believe I'll tell both coaches that to be consistent I'm joining my fellow umpires in the banning of all jewelry. Which brings up the issue of what to do if the tape slips and reveals an earring? Would the proper ASA penalty be to remove the now exposed jewelry or not be allowed to play in the game?

Either way, the whole jewelry thing is a quagmire.

[bellnier]

Back to the OP...where the offending bauble was covered by tape. As a coach I've spoken to many umps about this. With few exceptions they expressed that it was none of their business what was underneath the tape or a bandaid...whether it was recent surgery, jewelry, or a small thermonuclear device....it didn't matter what the coach said it was...they didn't have x-ray vision and they weren't about to ask the player to take off the tape. I concur.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by bellnier

...whether it was recent surgery, jewelry, or a small thermonuclear device.....

That would be Chicken Little,er...Homeland Security's department.

[greymule]

My favorite warning label was on the package of a Superman costume in Toys 'R' Us:

"Warning: The wearing of this costume does not enable the wearer to fly."

No, I'm not making it up.

Warning labels are for people smart enough to read labels but dumb enough to stick a pencil in their eye. In other words, nobody.