NFHS Rule 1-6-3

[wadeintothem]

Originally Posted by charliej47

Around here in Ohio if you are a student then All students in high school are not considered as adults. After you graduate you can come back and coach all you want without the helmet.

How do you determine that for the average base coach? Ask them for their student IDs?

[charliej47]

Ask if they are a student, if so then they wear a helmet.

[Skahtboi]

Originally Posted by charliej47

Ask if they are a student, if so then they wear a helmet.

There are some 18 and 19 year old students, though.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by Skahtboi

There are some 18 and 19 year old students, though.

Doesn't remove in loco parentis responsibility from the schools. They err on the side of caution here.

[Skahtboi]

Originally Posted by Dakota

Doesn't remove in loco parentis responsibility from the schools. They err on the side of caution here.

Did you just say I have "crazy parents?" Them's fighting words!!!

[BretMan]

Originally Posted by DaveASA/FED

"1. to chase or follow after; pursue.
2. to go after and bring back; fetch.
3. Baseball. to retrieve and throw back (fly balls) in batting practice."

Above is from Dictionary.com for shag.

I prefer Austin Power's definition of "shag".

To "shag": (verb)...well, never mind...

Over on the baseball side, FED added a rule last year that said the "protector" (player protecting the pitcher while warming up in an area not fenced off from the playing field) was mandatory.

While the actual rule requiring a "protector" reads that the player must wear a glove, there is no mention of a helmet. However, the pre-season interpretive literature noted that a helmet must be worn, as an extension of the usual helmet rules.

There is a "Point of Emphasis" in their rule book this year about the protector also wearing a helmet.

I would apply the same standard on the softball field.

[BlitzkriegBob]

Dragging out an old threat to give an update on my experience with this. After reading everyone's responses, I was completely convinced that requiring the "protector" to wear a helmet was the right choice. The reason I originally brought this up was because, like DaveASA/FED, I questioned whether or not the "protector" was actually a ball shagger. Anyway, I decided that if I ever encountered this situation, I would make them wear a helmet.

Of course, not two weeks later, I'm PU in a JV game where the warm up area is in LBT. I actually notice out of the corner of my eye in the fourth inning that home team has someone warming up down there, but I'm not being OOO so I don't even notice if there is a protector. However, in the bottom of the fifth inning there is a foul ball down the left field line and my attention is drawn to that area, where again someone is warming up. I notice the protector does not have on a helmet, so I inform the home team coach to have her put one on. Home team coach complies immediately. From behind the backstop, I hear someone complaining about how he is so fed up with umpires who make up rules and blah blah blah, which I completely ignore and Mr. Loudmouth shuts up after a minute or so, but not before announcing that he is going to call Julie Johnson from Indianapolis (yeah schmuck, you obviously know her well since you don't even know she doesn't live in Indy). I find out after the game from my partner that Mr. Loudmouth was actually the varsity coach. I've done varsity games there before but I wasn't playing match the voice/face so I didn't realize it was him. I decide I'll call Julie the next day to give her my side of what happened since I have no doubt this coach who suffers from cranial rectosis will contact her.

When I call JJ, she tells me she hasn't heard from the coach, but when I explain the situation, she tells me that she does not consider these "protectors" to be ball shaggers (much like Dave suggests) and that she even includes this in her area clinics that they are not required to don a helmet (Dave, did you attend one of these?).

Now I'm not sure what the big deal about putting on a helmet is, and in my situation neither the head coach nor the "protector" had any problem with my ruling, but since JJ said "don't make them put one on", I decide I won't make them put one on. Next game after that I'm working with a really good veteran umpire that I've worked with previously. I'm relating this information to him for discussion after our doubleheader is done. He informs me that our association has discussed this in the past, and that no one is more hard nose about it than our assignor, and he has worked games with her before when she stops the game to have the "protector" put on a helmet. He also poses the question that if they are not considered a ball shagger, and they are not wearing a helmet, what happens if they actually do shag a ball while they are out there? Do you now issue a team warning for a violation of Rule 1-6-3?

I know none of this is ground breaking stuff that will influence what any of you might do as part of your game management but I thought I'd share this as food for thought.

[DaveASA/FED]

Bob,
I might have been to one of those rules meetings. I also might work 10-12 games a year with JJ. My favorite line is if protector has to wear one, then why doesn't right / left (pick which dugout they are outside of) fielder have to wear one? They are both equipped with a mitt and they are both facing the batter ready to "field" a ball hit at them.

Also in Fed Softball there is no rule that states they have to have a protector out there. There is a local coach that doesn't feel it is necessary to have one out there, throws a fit if you try to make him put one out there....I tell you one thing if it was my dd warming up pitching she better have someone out there watching her back.....but that is just me!!

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by DaveASA/FED

Also in Fed Softball there is no rule that states they have to have a protector out there. There is a local coach that doesn't feel it is necessary to have one out there, throws a fit if you try to make him put one out there....I tell you one thing if it was my dd warming up pitching she better have someone out there watching her back.....but that is just me!!

There is also no rule that says you have to allow them to warm up in live ball territory; even if there is no other area available. Coach, if you want my permission to allow it, it is conditional on you having a protector. Period.

[DaveASA/FED]

Steve,
In FED what rule are you citing when you require this protector?

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by AtlUmpSteve

There is also no rule that says you have to allow them to warm up in live ball territory; even if there is no other area available. Coach, if you want my permission to allow it, it is conditional on you having a protector. Period.

Reading my mind, Steve.

If the field has an area inside the fence for warming up players, then that portion of the field should be declared DBT.

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by DaveASA/FED

Steve,
In FED what rule are you citing when you require this protector?

In FED, what rule are you citing that forces you to allow them to warm-up in live ball territory? 3-6-6 prohibits all team personnel from being in unauthorized areas; you simply refuse to authorize under conditions you deem unsafe. Other than that,

10-1-1 "Any umpire has the authority to order a player, coach or bench personnel to do or refrain from doing anything which affects the administration of these rules, and to enforce prescribed penalties."

10-2-2 "The plate umpire .... has jurisdiction over any rules matters not mentioned in 10-2-1 and not assigned to the field umpire in 10-3-1."

10-2-3(g) "make final decision on points not covered by the rules."