How long until the face mask rule is in effect?

[roscoe545]

I have no clue as to how the new rules/rule changes are discussed and voted on in the different
associations. I am curious as to whether any sort of face mask rule being implemented has been
discussed in the last few years??

 

[Comp]

As far as I know none of the organizations passed any fielders facemask rules.

 

[MTR]

I have no clue as to how the new rules/rule changes are discussed and voted on in the different
associations. I am curious as to whether any sort of face mask rule being implemented has been
discussed in the last few years??

As far as I know none of the organizations passed any fielders facemask rules.

Thank goodness. At least there are some folks out there with common sense.

 

[chinamigarden]

the rule is in effect right now. If you want your dd to wear the mask, she wears the mask. If you don't want it, she doesn't wear it. The best rule there is really, its up to the parent. Much better then waiting for an organization to make it a rule.

edit to ad. Its sort of like the batting glove rule.

 

[roscoe545]

The original post was not intended for everyone to post their opinion on whether there should be or not.
I was curious as to whether there was any discussions in the different associations about implementing one.

But since you went there, I'll give you my opinion. Organized youth sports at every skill level are designed to
let kids have fun, compete against each other, learn a few life lessons and be safe. The importance of winning
varies among the skill levels and coaches/parents expectations.

Most kids under the age of 18 are clueless when it comes to safety issues and the value of a dollar. I can
most likely include a high percentage of parents and coaches as well. Whether me going thru a near death
experience at 12 years old, or just being a softie, I have a safety first attitude when it comes to kids that
are young and naive. I do believe a lot of life lessons are learned by mistake, but permanent damage to
a kid in an organized sport isn't included.

That being said, a kid charging a fake bunt or a pitcher with limited time to prepare themselves for a line
drive are very vulnerable. Bad hops happen in baseball/softball all the time as well. Balls that hit every
other extremity other than the face rarely cause permanent structural or visual damage. Hits to the face
however can be brutal and require multiple surgeries/dentist trips to fix. I can guarantee every kid and parent
of a kid that has been hit in the face without a mask, on the way to the hospital, wishes they had one on after the fact.

It seems silly to me that a kid warming up a pitcher, coaching a base during a game, or running bases has to wear a helmut,
but close infielder's don't have to wear any sort of face protection. No brainer for me.

 

[MTR]

The original post was not intended for everyone to post their opinion on whether there should be or not.
I was curious as to whether there was any discussions in the different associations about implementing one.

But since you went there, I'll give you my opinion. Organized youth sports at every skill level are designed to
let kids have fun, compete against each other, learn a few life lessons and be safe. The importance of winning
varies among the skill levels and coaches/parents expectations.

Most kids under the age of 18 are clueless when it comes to safety issues and the value of a dollar. I can
most likely include a high percentage of parents and coaches as well. Whether me going thru a near death
experience at 12 years old, or just being a softie, I have a safety first attitude when it comes to kids that
are young and naive. I do believe a lot of life lessons are learned by mistake, but permanent damage to
a kid in an organized sport isn't included.

That being said, a kid charging a fake bunt or a pitcher with limited time to prepare themselves for a line
drive are very vulnerable. Bad hops happen in baseball/softball all the time as well. Balls that hit every
other extremity other than the face rarely cause permanent structural or visual damage. Hits to the face
however can be brutal and require multiple surgeries/dentist trips to fix. I can guarantee every kid and parent
of a kid that has been hit in the face without a mask, on the way to the hospital, wishes they had one on after the fact.

It seems silly to me that a kid warming up a pitcher, coaching a base during a game, or running bases has to wear a helmut,
but close infielder's don't have to wear any sort of face protection. No brainer for me.

The player may wear anything they choose to protect themselves that is not dangerous to others. So, if you choose not to have the player wear that, why would that be anyone else's responsibility? Any parent expecting someone else to be responsible for their child, IMO, is silly.

 

[YOCOACH]

MTR...while I agree with you in principle, I have to say that I disagree with you in general. The NFCA has totally disregarded the men's FP pitching rules in both the national and international rules as far as replanting goes. They have decided to take a top down approach. Why in the interest of our childrens' safety, as both parents and organizations shouldn't we take a bottom up approach to this issue? Even the NFL is doing studies now on how to limit concussions and is doing more in mandating player safety in the younger age groups. Why shouldn't the NFCA and professional softball be doing the same things in limiting injuries in softball?

 

[GOINGDEEP]

This is always a touchy subject, and it is a bigger picture than just a child's safety.

Most "Americans" absolutely hate being mandated to do anything, from protective masks, healthcare, taxes, seatbelt laws, religion, etc. To believe one person or even an elected group decide "what's" best for each individual and their own personal beliefs will rub some the wrong way. Start taking a person's "choice" away and logic usually gets tossed out the window merely because they feel forced to do something, even if they had planned to do the exact thing on their own accord.

Best you can do is give arguments and statistics from both sides and let the individual decide, but also they need to understand whatever happens is their responsibility.


Now for me and my opinion IF they make this mandatory, I'd say start it at the very beginning of said year 20__ for 6-8u. That way no one knows the difference ( choice ) from the start. Then you have a "choice" to play the game or not.

Another thing is I can catch DD with one on, but I seem to have a tad bit of problem fielding hard shots and making fast throws/plays. This goes back to my above line, it's probably just a mental block of playing 20 years without one and my eyes and brain have been conditioned a certain way. I also know girls who can't stand them on their face either, and refuse to wear them.

Do I think it's a added layer of safety, yes. If I was back in 10u would I force my players to wear one, no.

 

[Comp]

So if any of the associations do decide to make them mandatory, where do you draw the line on who is required to wear them? My daughter played her entire softball career in the outfield and is the only girl I know of personally who took a ball to the face and did any damage (it barely chipped her tooth). And, it happened in practice, so are they going to require all defensive players to wear them, and at all times including practice?

 

[roscoe545]

MTR,

My opinion is based on making the game as safe as possible for everyone involved, as I'm sure every association is when they make safety rules. If the associations had the same opinion as you,
helmets would be optional for batters as well.

Look at all contact sports and sports that use hard objects, and the safety changes that have been implemented in the last 15 years: football, hockey, and auto racing to name a few. With technology
and atheletes training harder than ever, head and neck injuries have been #1 priority for safety changes in most sports.

My DD is not my biological DD and I have no say in what safety gear she wears, all I can do is make suggestions. I tell her at least once a week during the season, "if you were my child, you would have a mask on". Personally, I would rather see her wear a mask when playing 1st, 3rd or P, than wear a helmet running bases.

She has been hit with 2 line drives while pitching and has had numerous close call line drives and 1 hoppers while at 3b and P, and not once been hit by a batted or thrown ball while running bases. And just like GOINDEEP said, if you get statistics together, there is a great argument that playing the 1st,
3rd and P positions are more dangerous than running bases, or coaching a base, as far as ball contact injuries. If you must wear a helmet to run bases, you must wear face protection at minimum in those 3 positions.

If you left safety up to parents and kids, half of the dad's would have their DD's standing in the batter's box with no helmet on, claiming DD struck out last AB because the bars on her helmet cage are hindering her vision.