batting cage for all?

[Little Jimmy]

Permanent structure. Big enough to hold two batters with netting in between. They started building it at the beginning of the season and began using it toward the end.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Little Jimmy

Permanent structure. Big enough to hold two batters with netting in between. They started building it at the beginning of the season and began using it toward the end.

If that is the case, I would change my response. If it is part of the facility, both teams should have access to it.

[UmpireErnie]

Should we really deal with this as game officials? Access to facilities at the game site should all be prearranged between the schools involved, and if not, the teams can come to a mutual agreement then and there.

I'm not going to rule on batting cage access rights or locker room assignments or whatever. That's what school administrators are for.

[Dakota]

Where is equal access to batting cages covered in the rules?

[twotakedown]

Could make the case with 10-2-3g "make final decision on points not covered by the rules."

[Little Jimmy]

I just want to be prepared. It's the Boy Scout in me.

[EsqUmp]

Note: I'm fortunate enough not to have to work high school games under the awfully constructed, out of date and out of touch with reality NFHS rule set.

The equal access to warm-up facilities is generally focused on pre-game warm ups, even at the NCAA level. You don't have a member of the offense team walk 200 feet around the backstop to get to a warm-up cage for practice.

I think that things are changing as more and more softball fields get these types of structures. The issue I have is whether it is going outside the bounds of the rules to use them once the game starts. I would never allow softball behind the dugout, as this area really isn't the team area, nothing by rule allows it, multiple rules prohibit it and it is a significant safety issue. It amazes me how many people lack enough common sense to realize that you can't have three players swinging at whiffle balls and parents walk by to get to the bleachers.

Fully structured and safe batting-cages are a different story. They are built as an extension of the team area and are much safer.

I would have to do some digging to see what NFHS actually says though.