Question from 2004

[HugoTafurst]

Without digging for 7 year old manuals, I can tell you this:

NFHS: The key phrase is:
From the NFHS 2011 Umpire Manual (page 19):

"A ball bag the color of the slacks is mandatory for the plate umpire. "

That being said, I can only remember seeing heather gray ball bags being used once on twice - and never by our higher ranked umpires
I really never looked up that rule before, but have been to many clinics (state and local) as well as State final games - I can count the number of gray ball bags that I've seen on one hand (OK, two hands if you count BOTH bags - ;-).
I have never had a negative evaluation due to using Navy Ball bags.
I don't know if this is an official State Waiver (I can't find anything in our State Guidebook) or just one of those things.

Also as I think back, I seem to remember using black bags several years ago - I don't know if that was because I didn't know better or that was specified....

Also, FWIW,
NCAA: From CCA Softball Umpiress Manual
(P49) says
"Navy Blue Ball Bags with no insignia or logo"