Catcher's removing her helmet- driving me crazy!

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Jan 22, 2011
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My DD was exposed to Covid, so to be cautious and avoid getting any of the team sick a week before Zoom Into June, she is skipping the tourney this weekend. We are trying to watch the game on GameChanger. The catcher on the other team is removing her helmet every time a ball is hit, even a foul ball. It is driving me crazy! Making the game unwatchable for me!

 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
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My DD was exposed to Covid, so to be cautious and avoid getting any of the team sick a week before Zoom Into June, she is skipping the tourney this weekend. We are trying to watch the game on GameChanger. The catcher on the other team is removing her helmet every time a ball is hit, even a foul ball. It is driving me crazy! Making the game unwatchable for me!


🤷‍♀️ maybe it doesn't fit well and it's better off?

Non fitted or lose helmet / mask can be a visual impairment.
 
Apr 20, 2018
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SoCal
🤷‍♀️ maybe it doesn't fit well and it's better off?

Non fitted or lose helmet / mask can be a visual impairment.
Helmets should fit well (tight). They sell kits to add a little more padding and make them tighter. Another pet peeve: Baserunner grabbing facemask to steady her helmet as she rounds the bases. Unacceptable! Wouldn't she be a little faster if her arms were free and not wasting time to grab her facemask.
Amazon product ASIN B00DGFBIEI
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
Helmets should fit well (tight). They sell kits to add a little more padding and make them tighter. Another pet peeve: Baserunner grabbing facemask to steady her helmet as she rounds the bases. Unacceptable! Wouldn't she be a little faster if her arms were free and not wasting time to grab her facemask.
Amazon product ASIN B00DGFBIEI
Unfortunately not everybody looks at equipment details as being important.

In other words, in this case it could be easier to just chuck helmet/mask
on the ground.
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
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I will throw a little spicy twist into this conversation and say
Why is it such a big deal that the catcher continue to wear her helmet and mask after the batter leaves the Box?
Not everybody else on the field is required/must wear a helmet and mask.

They are in a predicament of the batter hitting the ball at them. And pick offs and collisions with Runners stealing. Plays at bases.

If it's so critical to wear a mask why isn't everybody wearing one?
 
Jan 22, 2011
1,610
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Note my statement is in regard to hockey style HELMETS, if the catcher is using an old style MASK then it is highly likely the proper play is to remove the mask.
1) Safety- if I look, I can find video of catchers losing teeth from collisions at home without a helmet.
2) Hockey style helmets are designed to stay on and provide good vision.
3) Most softball foul ball and shallow pop ups don't go high enough to give the catcher time to find the ball when their vision is obscured taking the helmet off. If its' high enough to warrant taking off the helmet, the 1B or 3B likely has a better play on the ball.
4) Safety- if its on the ground, the catcher or umpire might trip over it.
5) Safety- concussion risk if their is collision at home without helmet on.
6) Back in 2007 I was convinced that the governing sanctions would start mandating masks for pitchers and corners within 3 years. Because no one has paid for an NOSCAE certification for the fielder's mask, no one has mandated them. ASA softball mandated masks on batting helmets I believe for the 2004 season. Masks were not NOSCAE certified until 2005, so all the helmets bought in 2004 couldn't be used.
7) When I coached and people asked me my thoughts on fielding masks, I told them I didn't think they should be mandated, then pointed at my DD wearing one playing 3B, 1B, Pitching and sometimes outfield. The worst injury I've seen in person is from a ball that took a bad bounce off the raised lip of the infield during a 10u game with the OF playing a couple steps behind the edge of the dirt. I also told people that with how aggressive I felt 3B should play, parents were foolish to let their DD's play the hot corner without a mask.
8) My DD is 16 and it is now her decision. Will have to review video, but I am 100pct sure she still wears the mask when pitching, and uses it when playing 3B-- unless our P1 who lost her mask borrows my DD's to wear while pitching and my DD is playing 3rd.
9) I'm responsible for the dental bills, not the dingbat telling my DD to remove a perfectly safe with good field of vision hockey style helmet.

Video review confirms DD wears a mask at 3B, but not at 1B.
 
Last edited:

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
There was a no mask third baseman in the Big West Conference who lost teeth from getting smacked in the face. They actually had to delay the game to look for teeth in the dirt.
She has recovered.
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
Appears there is some conversation making an argument for everybody to wear teeth guard...
at least🤷‍♀️

Add, Just remembered a story with a hitter who hit a bomb out to the center fielder ball ticked off center Fielder's glove and went right at her mouth and chipped her tooth.
 

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