Babe Ruth Softball glove/mitt for pitcher

[jodibuck]

In Babe Ruth District tournament.
10U game, pitcher is using a first baseman's mitt.
I tell the coach mitts are not allowed by pitcher in Babe Ruth Softball. He advises the District Commissioner approved this. I again tell him that the rule book states: "each fielder, other than the first baseman or catcher, may wear a leather glove".
We do not begin the game until the District Commissioner is contacted. He says the rule says "the fielder may wear a glove", but does not state she cannot wear a mitt. We allow the girl to pitch with the first baseman's mitt.
Afterwards, I contact the State UIC, who says she cannot wear a mitt while pitching. He contacts Babe Ruth Headquarters to verify this, and they tell him the rule does not specify the difference between a glove and a mitt, and if the mitt is less than 14" (which applies to the length of a glove), then she may use the mitt.
Has anyone else run into problems like this?

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by jodibuck

...I again tell him that the rule book states: "each fielder, other than the first baseman or catcher, may wear a leather glove".
We do not begin the game until the District Commissioner is contacted. He says the rule says "the fielder may wear a glove", but does not state she cannot wear a mitt....

I have no clue what Babe Rule meant, but following the logic of the District Commissioner, the rule clearly says that it is illegal for the first baseman or catcher to wear a glove!

[BretMan]

Now this is an official basbe Ruth glove. Hey, kid, ya better use two hands!



No, I have never had a problem with this, for a couple of reasons. One, it never has come up. Two, I make it a point to understand the equipment rules and how they are interpreted for whichever sanctioning body I'm working a game under.

ASA lets either a glove or mitt be worn by at any position. So does high school softball (and baseball, too). NSA rules say that only catchers and first basemen may wear a mitt. Those are the only ones I've had to worry about, so far.

But, I have had some "rule challenged" league or tournament official make a ruling that is completely opposite of what the printed rule really means. Sounds like that is what happened here. Every single rule set that I've run across with "glove/mitt" restrictions has been the same- gloves for fielders, mitts for F2 and F3. Kind of hard to believe that the Babe Ruth organization interprets this rule exactly opposite of all the rest!

[greymule]

The sentence quoted above was not complete.

"Each fielder, other than the first baseman or catcher, may wear a leather glove not more than 14 inches wide."

It's a poorly written attempt to indicate that the 14-inch restriction doesn't apply to F3 or F2. Without the size restriction, it would appear that F2 and F3 couldn't wear gloves, at least not of leather.

The book is also misleading when 1.12 says, "The catcher may wear a mitt of any size, shape or weight," and 1.13 follows with, "The first baseman may wear a leather glove or mitt . . . ," by omission indicating that the catcher cannot wear a glove but the mitt doesn't have to be leather.

Babe Ruth–ASA rules differences are extreme and numerous. Wait till some coach tries to appeal a baserunning infraction and only you as the ump know that there are no dead ball appeals. Everything follows OBR, which has the most complicated appeals process of any code.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by greymule

Babe Ruth–ASA rules differences are extreme and numerous. Wait till some coach tries to appeal a baserunning infraction and only you as the ump know that there are no dead ball appeals. Everything follows OBR, which has the most complicated appeals process of any code.

And as an ASA umpire you would realize that the coach cannot make such an appeal.

[greymule]

And as an ASA umpire you would realize that the coach cannot make such an appeal.

Correct. I cited the coach because it's the coach who usually instructs the defense to appeal, and it is the coach who'll need the explanation when the appeal fails.

[TwoBits]

Two weeks ago in a USSSA tournament, the same situation came up with a centerfielder catching a fly ball with a first baseman's mitt. USSSA makes no distinction between glove and mitt, so the catch was allowed. Offensive coach went on to say that "in another tournament, the same thing happened to us...", so there are a lot of umpires who are misapplying the rule as well.

[snorman75]

We had a Babe Ruth u16 National Qualifier this past weekend, and we all agreed the Babe Ruth rule book is Sh#t. It is confusing at times, missing effects, and missing when a rule is enforced, like a appeal or strait call. I caught the mitt thing too.