New American Legion Rules

[Umpire in Chief]

By now most of us are aware of the new American Legion Rules stating base coaches must wear helmets. However, I only know of this rule through my heavy involvement in the online umpire community. This has never been addressed to us by our commissioner or anybody else. I am probably only 1 of 5 or so umpires in my association with over 120 umpires who know of this rule.

In my Legion games Saturday morning I did not bring it up, neither did the coaches or anybody else and the base coaches did not wear helmets.

My question is, is this something I should even bother with? We as umpires (in my association) have not been officially informed, the vast majority of guys don't even know the rule exists. I think this would be stirring up trouble if I were to bring it up and potentially cause a divide between me and the higher ranking umpires I generally work Legion ball with. This hasn't been an issue in the past 37 years since helmets were mandated for batters, or for the past 140 years of professional baseball as a whole. So I am personally not buying the safety issue, but I am there to enforce the rules of the game.

How should I handle this?

[Kyle_Stevens]

I might bring the subject up during your pre-game/changing clothes. Just see what your partner thinks of it or if he has heard of it. I think you are correct that you could stir up trouble if you were to walk out and start enforcing the new rule. Is this in the rule book? I have not been fortunate enough to delve into Legion ball around here. If the rule is in the book then it is a rule just like any other. I would think a good way to get the rule enforced and help out the umpires would be to make it a point of emphasis at the next meeting, umpires and coaches alike. I am sure that there will be alot of heart ache.

Just my $0.02.

[StoneyK]

I learned about this rule when we started legion on Memorial weekend and most of what I hear is that there is not enough helmets out there to outfit everyone yet. So what we are not enforcing it if both teams do not have them. Also I "we" have not been informed of this new ruling and I do not seen anything in the AmLegion rule "book".

Now FWIW, this is just my opinion but these "helmets" are nothing but old fashioned skull caps that have been banned by NHFS (5 years ago) and Little League (forever), and from the looks of them they wouldn't do much in the way of protection unless the coach took a shot above the ears or straight on th the fore head. The coach that got all this started (Coolbaugh from Tulsa) actually got hit in the neck/throat area that caused his death. Even the full batting helmet with ear flaps would not have saved him.

[LMSANS]

Our assignor sent out an email at the beginning of the legion season about the helmet rule. I haven't had any legion games yet but saw one and the coaches were wearing the cap style helmet.

He also sent out a message that we would be using legion rules, not Fed. In the past all the coaches would agree in the pregame that we were using Fed rules. Then the winner would advance to the next level and be shocked about the rule differences. This was allowed because most of the umpires are Fed umpires and didn't want to be reading other rule books.

[Umpire in Chief]

Well were were finally officially informed of the rules this week, so now I must enforce.

[LMSANS]

Our assignor sent out an email at the beginning of the legion season about the helmet rule. I haven't had any legion games yet but saw one and the coaches were wearing the cap style helmet.

He also sent out a message that we would be using legion rules, not Fed. In the past all the coaches would agree in the pregame that we were using Fed rules. Then the winner would advance to the next level and be shocked about the rule differences. This was allowed because most of the umpires are Fed umpires and didn't want to be reading other rule books.

Lo and Behold.... we are back to using NFHS rules. No helmets for the coaches.

[Umpire in Chief]

Lo and Behold.... we are back to using NFHS rules. No helmets for the coaches.

That seems to happen a lot here too. At the plate meeting the coaches agree they want to play under FED rules. So thats fine by me. They say they will worry about Legion rules when the season starts....