batting cage for all?
 

Home team has built a batting cage on their side of the field, about 20 feet away from their bench. They have started using it between innings for batting warm up. Would the visitors have any legitimate gripe about the home team using it, but not them? I ask because it's playoff time, the stakes are higher, and teams from other areas may be coming in. Any thoughts?

No, if that team wants such a set up, they can provide it.

What ruleset? I know of nothing like this for HS, but NCAA rule 5.1.1 specifies that the visiting team shall be granted equal access or equal facilities (for example, batting cages, field space) as are available to the home team for pregame warmups. And yes, I know that's not quite applicable to the scenario presented, but it is the closest I can come up with.

Check with your state or section rules or bylaws. In the section I work the rule paraphrased : "All facilities available to the home team must be available to the visiting team."

I should have said Fed rules.

As I read the book a little more (always a good thing to do), how about Fed 3-6-6 not allowing any use of the cage during the game. It's not really in the bench/dugout area. I could see that particular rule allowing an on deck batter to potentially use the cage before coming on the field, but no one else. Maybe?

Could be argued that the cage is a "designated warm-up area"

Assuming HS ball...

If they are using it to hit - prohibited.
If they are using it to throw - it must be made available to the visitors as well.

Their are teams in So. CAL. That have built over sized dugouts so that they can do soft toss or tee work into nets without leaving the dugout.

Since it is in the dugout we are told it is legal.

LJ, some clarification, please.

Was this batting cage a permanent structure, or a temporary structure assembled for this game/tournament?

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.

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.

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

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