NOCSAE stamp on batting helmet face protector

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by teebob21

I check for these in this order:

• NOCSAE stamp on helmet
• No cracks in helmet (esp. near bill)
• Pads sorta intact inside
• No missing/loose screws on face mask
• Facemask NOCSAE cert (sometimes printed up and under the top bar; tough to see under the brim of the hat)

I hate being the bats 'n' hats police as much as anyone, but if they say we gotta do it...then we got's to do it.

MTD, Jr. and I umpire both H.S. baseball and fast pitch softball, as well as ASA and USSSA fast pitch, and Junior starts umpiring women's college fast pitch this Spring.

That said, we could have not been more happy when the NFHS dropped the requirement that the umpires had to check bats and helmets before the game.

I remember the first year that the NFHS and NCAA baseball rules went to the BESR for its bats. The very first game of the season I found two brand new bats (bought by the school) which were identical except for one small detail: one had a BESR stencil on it and the other bat did not have a BESR stencil, meaning one bat was legal and other bat was not legal.

Things did not get any better when the NFHS and NCAA went to BBCOR bats. Every Sunday night I would print out a list BBCOR bats (a couple hundred bats) from the Univ. of Washington (I think that was the college), that we would have to compare against each team's bats. That was insane.

Earlier this month, Mark, Jr., and I spent one week in Florida umpiring Spring Break college softball and it was insane. Taking the list of bats that each team gave us and check the highlighted bats on the list for the serial number on each bat. One team had 31, you read that correctly, 31 bats and only had 15 girls on the team. Another team had 21 bats, including 6 bats of one model and 4 bats of another model. The serial numbers were of extremely small font and never in the same place on any given bat.

Every male coach that I spoke with in Florida wished that the NCAA would go the route of NFHS and NCAA baseball: The umpires do not need to check the bats, but the coaches should be required to affirm that their equipment is legal and if illegal equipment is discovered then they will suffer the consequences. On the flip side every female coach wanted the bats to be checked by the umpires because, wait for it: Coaches will cheat if the bats are not checked!

It is insane I tell you.

MTD, Sr.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

MTD, Jr. and I umpire both H.S. baseball and fast pitch softball, as well as ASA and USSSA fast pitch, and Junior starts umpiring women's college fast pitch this Spring.

That said, we could have not been more happy when the NFHS dropped the requirement that the umpires had to check bats and helmets before the game.

I remember the first year that the NFHS and NCAA baseball rules went to the BESR for its bats. The very first game of the season I found two brand new bats (bought by the school) which were identical except for one small detail: one had a BESR stencil on it and the other bat did not have a BESR stencil, meaning one bat was legal and other bat was not legal.

Things did not get any better when the NFHS and NCAA went to BBCOR bats. Every Sunday night I would print out a list BBCOR bats (a couple hundred bats) from the Univ. of Washington (I think that was the college), that we would have to compare against each team's bats. That was insane.

Earlier this month, Mark, Jr., and I spent one week in Florida umpiring Spring Break college softball and it was insane. Taking the list of bats that each team gave us and check the highlighted bats on the list for the serial number on each bat. One team had 31, you read that correctly, 31 bats and only had 15 girls on the team. Another team had 21 bats, including 6 bats of one model and 4 bats of another model. The serial numbers were of extremely small font and never in the same place on any given bat.

Every male coach that I spoke with in Florida wished that the NCAA would go the route of NFHS and NCAA baseball: The umpires do not need to check the bats, but the coaches should be required to affirm that their equipment is legal and if illegal equipment is discovered then they will suffer the consequences. On the flip side every female coach wanted the bats to be checked by the umpires because, wait for it: Coaches will cheat if the bats are not checked!

It is insane I tell you.

MTD, Sr.

Of course, they want to go to a non-policed situation because they WILL cheat and expect to get away with it.

NCAA baseball ignored ASA's addressing of altered bats and subsequent actions by NFHS & NCAA softball to corral a bad situation. Their opinion was much like the FP softball community is stating that the altered bat was a slow pitch softball issue and never touch the integrity of THEIR game. So, how did that work out for NCAA baseball?

Well, it has become evident over the past decade that this ignorance was detrimental to the game and players in all games at all levels were affected by the "win at all cost" and "you ain't trying if you ain't cheating" attitude.

And, of course, it is never the coach's fault, just like those who know their pitcher is illegal and will take no action to correct the situation.

I've never had a problem with checking equipment. It is easier and less time consuming to check the equipment before the game than have to stop a game because is comes into question during the game.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Of course, they want to go to a non-policed situation because they WILL cheat and expect to get away with it.

NCAA baseball ignored ASA's addressing of altered bats and subsequent actions by NFHS & NCAA softball to corral a bad situation. Their opinion was much like the FP softball community is stating that the altered bat was a slow pitch softball issue and never touch the integrity of THEIR game. So, how did that work out for NCAA baseball?

Well, it has become evident over the past decade that this ignorance was detrimental to the game and players in all games at all levels were affected by the "win at all cost" and "you ain't trying if you ain't cheating" attitude.

And, of course, it is never the coach's fault, just like those who know their pitcher is illegal and will take no action to correct the situation.

I've never had a problem with checking equipment. It is easier and less time consuming to check the equipment before the game than have to stop a game because is comes into question during the game.

Not withstanding the BESR/non-BESR kerfluffle, I have not ever found an illegal bat during all of the years that I had to check baseball and softball bats per NFHS Rules. Nor have I had an illegal bat in either sport enter that game per NFHS Rules. And the same is true for ASA and USSSA bat checking with one excpetion: Last Summer Junior and I found a slow pitch bat while checking bats in a ASA girls' fast pitch tournament; go figure.

Do illegal bats get into games? I am certain that they do because I have umpired in tournaments where illegal bats have been removed from competition, but they have far and few between. Umpires need to get out of the check the bats pre-game business and take care of business when it need to be taken care of.

MTD, Sr.

[Dakota]

I don't have a problem checking helmets for safety (cracks, or especially loose face guards), since these are not cheating, just being sloppy.

Checking bats is a waste of everyone's time. The only cheaters it will stop are the stupid cheaters.

[Manny A]

I have no issues checking bats in NCAA play, as long as the teams make it as easy as possible on the umpires by ensuring ALL their bats are present and organized in the order of the list. And after a few times of checking, you'll know where to look for those miniscule model numbers.

My frustration grows when our crew enters a dugout to do the bat check, and the team:
- Doesn't have their bat list completed, or it's completed incorrectly
- Doesn't have all their bats present because a couple of coaches are using them in the outfield, a couple of girls are out there swinging them for pre-game practice (after already going through cage work, for crying out loud)
- Doesn't have the bats in any semblance of order
- Supposedly has all the bats ready for the check, but we can see more bats sticking out of bat bags in the dugout

Most teams are pretty good about it. It's just those few that seem to forget how to get it done right away.

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

I have not ever found an illegal bat during all of the years that I had to check baseball and softball bats per NFHS Rules. Nor have I had an illegal bat in either sport enter that game per NFHS Rules.
MTD, Sr.

That seems extremely rare, possibly some other force at work.