Requiring Facemask for pitchers... Possible league policy... THoughts?

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Jul 24, 2013
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It is pretty obvious that you had already made up your mind before you posted. So what is the purpose of this post? It is looking much more like trolling than seeking insight as you claimed.

not at all. I have a strong opinion, but always interested in other viewpoints. I had thought about the NOCSAE angle, but the opposing view of other safety equipment we already use that isnt certified was something I hadnt thought of.

I am sorry my rejection of certain peoples arguments,and acceptance of some valid points reads as trolling, you can always like... read something else. ;)
 
Nov 18, 2013
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IMHO , a softly thrown ball to the grill is not a realistic risk of catastrophic facial injury like a line drive is.

At 10U a swiftly thrown ball to the grill is just a realistic risk as a line drive. A live drive to any position is as much a risk to other players as it is the pitcher. On most 10U rec teams the pitcher is one of the more athletic players and outfielders are often complete novices. With outfielders standing on the fringe of the infield if they're hit in the grill it will do just as much damage as the pitcher. The OF will have greater reaction time, but lack the skill to catch or block the ball anymore than the pitcher has.

The masks on the market today aren't designed to protect against catastrophic injury. They'll protect against throws or soft line drives and they're better than no mask. If you want them mandated to protect against catastrophic injury, shouldn't we demand masks designed for the purpose? People often use concussions as an example, but face masks offer zero protection from a concussion.

I'm all for players wearing masks and would have no problem if they were mandated for all players at 10U/12U. The pitcher/corner argument just doesn't fly though. At older ages I'd need to see studies showing the masks will hold up to a 60-70mph line drive every time. We know Rip-It makes good masks. For me the reason NOCSAE certification is important is ensuring an ACME mask is as safe as Rip-It or Schutt and that all masks will perform as the public expects them to.
 
May 20, 2016
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Our towns LL requires facemasks for all the players in 10U. I cringe when we play teams that don't use them as there are a couple of girls that can rope the ball on my DD's team. Pretty sure ours is the only town that does as many of the girls on other teams don't use them. My girl pitches so required or not i'd have here put one on. I guess it should really be up to the parents but i think it would be good to recommend it and have them sign a waiver if they choose not to. Doesn't make you bullet proof in litigation but does show that you tried.
 
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Sep 29, 2014
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To OP I would be OK with mandating it but it just seems like you are adding a layer of possible liability by providing them. Just make the pitchers buy them like any other equipment, the issue is suppose someone gets hit then you don't inspect the mask for damage and the next time it takes a hit something goes wrong with the mask since it is the leagues mask it's the leagues responsibility.

I guess I should ask since we have LOTS of experience here...has anyone ever seen a girl get a serious injury while taking a hit wearing a mask or a mask break?, to another posters point there don't protect you on the side.

[MENTION=10413]riseball[/MENTION] you called poster naive, maybe you should explain that. I think we all understand in this sue happy culture anyone can get sued for anything and crazy things happen when courts get involved...It would be interesting to hear why Rip-It and other provide masks for sale if the possibility of a lawsuit is such a big concern. I do always remind people when elected to the Board of exactly what their legal exposure is as an officer of the organization. You can always talk to your insurer and see what they say, most of the time suits don't go to trail they just file to get the maximum amount that the insurer will cover since most of us individually don't have lots of personal fortune to go after.
 
Feb 17, 2014
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Orlando, FL
Ill stand proud if some dirtbag lawyer sues me for a kid being barely hurt with a mask vs hiding behind that baloney and her getting her face crushed.

... [MENTION=10413]riseball[/MENTION] you called poster naive, maybe you should explain that. I think we all understand in this sue happy culture anyone can get sued for anything and crazy things happen when courts get involved...

Any lawsuit valid or otherwise is not a trivial matter. In the end it will cost you money, and possibly much more. There is a myth that if someone files a frivolous lawsuit, you will be awarded attorney fees and other costs. That is a very rare occurrence and only in the case of a truly frivolous lawsuit. However, if the lawsuit has any merit whatsoever and then is ultimately dismissed, you will still be out thousands of dollars, lost time from work, etc. Maybe the OP understands this reality has the resources to back the bravado and cavalier attitude. Most people do not.
 
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Jul 24, 2013
91
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Any lawsuit valid or otherwise is not a trivial matter. In the end it will cost you money, and possibly much more. There is a myth that if someone files a frivolous lawsuit, you will be awarded attorney fees and other costs. That is a very rare occurrence and only in the case of a truly frivolous lawsuit. However, if the lawsuit has any merit whatsoever and then is ultimately dismissed, you will still be out thousands of dollars, lost time from work, etc. Maybe the OP understands this reality has the resources to back the bravado and cavalier attitude. Most people do not.


My words were sarcastic and cavalier, fair enough... but my opinion wasnt formed that way... as was mentioned by djcarter, we can get sued for anything, any time... so I am thinking to edge towards safety improvements... Can I get sued if a girl gets drilled no mask? Yup. Can I get sued if a girl wears a mask? Yup...

Appreciate your thoughts!
 
Jun 11, 2013
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I have no problem with mandating Pitchers wear a mask. I know our league used to hand out helmets for teams until they
found out almost every kid had their own and they would just hand out if coach asked. Buy some masks and give to the team
so they can have a couple if they need them. The pitchers have no time to react. MY DD has hit 7 pitchers over the past year on
line shots up the middle. Fortunately none were above the stomach.

As far as making them mandatory for all players I think that's a little too much. I don't hold it against a player that wears them
but for most positions I think it would be crazy to make them wear them.
 
Jul 28, 2015
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I looked into this in the past. This quote basically shows why NOCSAE currently will not address standalone fielders mask:

"We talked to (NOCSAE) a number of times and the reason there is not a standard for the standalone mask is that while the mask provides some protection, the lower part of the face and the side of the face are still not protected, based on their testing. We’ve looked at a couple of masks and done some tests on them, and we saw that they did not fully protect the players.”

Now because of this NFHS and most states have not mandated use of masks, and leave it up to individual schools and players.

NOCSAE approved batting helmets without a face mask don't protect the lower or sides of the face either but no one tells leagues to not mandate batting helmets.
If a parent sues a league for their kid getting hit in the side or back of the head because the parent believes wearing a mask made that more likely I can't see that getting very far.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Feb 3, 2011
1,880
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Does GSSA = Sacramento?

There's nothing wrong with a rec league strongly suggesting the masks, but I still think this decision should be left to the players and parents to decide. As league president, why don't you feel comfortable with that? How often do you see someone get hit in the face with a batted ball at 8u? My anecdata says they get hit in the face or head with throws at least 10x more than with batted balls. 10u? Maybe there's a smaller gap, but it's slight.

If you ask coaches to collect data for you this fall and next spring, I can almost guarantee that the numbers will tell you that such an overreaction - specifically, a league MANDATE of non-approved safety equipment - to the possibility of a facial injury is not necessary. And just because you take this position as a league, it does not mean that you don't care about the safety of your players in that often-heard and very much overused "but what about the children?!" way.

As the local governing body, it is my opinion that the more responsible course of action is to preserve choice whenever possible. On balance, your parents and players will appreciate it. Believe it or not, most people actually like being able to take ownership of their own decisions.
 

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