Because I know the TD personally, and she would have said the same thing. I wasn't going to waste the time trying to get a hold of her to get an answer that I know quite well what it would be.

Except that if someone got hurt, you would have been duly authorized to make the exception instead of hanging out there on your own.

OK....but that decision on your part contributed to the game getting of to a 'bumpy' start, and as indicated in your OP, got bumpier from a game management standpoint.

And what do you suggest I should have done differently to prevent the 'bumpy' start? Ignore the missing chin straps and not say anything? Gotten the TD involved?

I thought what my partner and I did was rather reasonable under the circumstances. Neither of us came across as jerks. We asked the question, they told us they didn't have any and that previous umpires didn't say anything, and we decided to play the game without them. We made no rude comments like, "Well, your previous umpires were wrong," or, "Don't you guys know the rules?" We simply told them they needed to get some for the next day, and we went on with our checks.

I think we're pretty unanimous on "gotten the TD involved". Waiving that requirement is NOT your call, even if you knew what the call would be. (PS - exactly one TD I work with would have waived this requirement --- too much liability).

Agreed. Even though the chances of a player getting injured due to not having a chin strap is small, and even though many of them wear them so loose they provide no practical safety benefit, our society is so litigious it is just not worth it.

Besides, this is NOT a new rule. ASA has required chin straps for maybe 10 years. This is all on the team for being woefully ignorant and unprepared.

And might actually add risk.

Any chance wearing them snugly comes under wearing equipment properly or dangerous ITUJ?

So noted. But I still don't see how that would have eliminated the 'bumpy' start that we experienced, to address KJUmp's point. In fact, it would have made things more 'bumpy'.

I suppose that's possible. It might depend on how you went about it. "Coach, I don't have the authority to ignore that rule, we'd need Tony do decide on that... let's have someone get Tony over here."

Then again --- he could still be a jerk to you after that. He is, after all, rat enough to not know they have to have chin-straps. It's not like that's new.