I've given up.

[Richvee]

On 4/4/2022 at 12:48 PM, aaluck said:

I am not at all familiar with this at all...  

Do you have to actually read something to each team about sportsmanship before every game? Do you actually do it before each game?

Yes. Point of emphasis every year. Used to read it to the captains at the plate meeting to relay to the benches. Seems the state thinks the messages weren’t being relayed. ( shocker). So now we read it to both teams. Not really a huge deal. The plate meeting is much shorter and read to the teams during the opposing teams I/O. And as @conbo61 has said, it gives you backup for dropping the hammer on bench  jockeying. 

[johnnyg08]

Remember this...what we permit, we promote. 

With something like this, it's pretty evident that we're not enforcing it consistently...and for that reason we continue to see it. 

I'll go on the record with this...don't be surprised if we see a softer stance from the federation in the coming years regarding jewelry. 

Until then, do what ya gotta do, but I bet in this entire thread, we have less than 3 ejections (ever) for jewelry...and that my friends is why we still see it. 

[johnnyg08]

On 4/3/2022 at 10:25 AM, ilyazhito said:

And don't forget the residents of PA who also have to recite, verbatim, the PIAA-endorsed sportsmanship message, prior to every game. 

At least now we have one state w/o sportsmanship issues. 

[LRZ]

I will say this about PIAA: it takes sportsmanship issues seriously. Several years ago, PIAA implemented a supplemental DQ procedure, where egregious conduct resulting in an ejection could result in a 2-game suspension, instead of the usual one game sit-out. When filling out the on-line DQ form with PIAA, the ejecting official has the option of checking a "supplemental" box. But, even if the official does not check the box, PIAA will review the report and, on its own, may increase the suspension. I had this happen in a soccer game after I ejected a player. When I questioned the PIAA reviewer about the bump-up, he replied, "We back our officials."

[Catch18]

Ohio is automatic 2 game minimum. I’ve heard through the grapevine that jewelry EJ don’t carry the 2 games, but can’t confirm/deny.

Coaching staffs also pay a fine ($100 maybe??) and attend some class.

[HokieUmp]

On 4/8/2022 at 7:14 AM, johnnyg08 said:

I'll go on the record with this...don't be surprised if we see a softer stance from the federation in the coming years regarding jewelry.

Counterpoint:  Balks are still immediate-dead-ball deals.  I'm not holding my breath jewelry softens or disappears as an issue.  (Not unless we suddenly eliminate personal injury lawyers, anyway.)

[johnnyg08]

11 hours ago, HokieUmp said:

Counterpoint:  Balks are still immediate-dead-ball deals.  I'm not holding my breath jewelry softens or disappears as an issue.  (Not unless we suddenly eliminate personal injury lawyers, anyway.)

We'll see.

[HokieUmp]

3 hours ago, johnnyg08 said:

We'll see.

Oh, don't get me wrong - I'm cheering for *your* argument to be the "winning" one!  Especially when there's not exactly an overflowing portfolio of case files of HS players tragically killed by friendship bracelets and awareness bands, etc.

But when the balk deal is pretty much a paper exercise, and it can't get done, it lowers one's expectations.

[Thatsnotyou]

I’ve also stopped enforcing it over the past couple years. For many years I’d do it in a subtle way, tell the player or coach to have X guy take Y off. Never an ejection - because who wants that reputation. But as time went on, I found out I was one of the only ones at least trying to have no jewelry on the field. Lots of “you’re the first one to say anything” etc. I don’t think it’s much of a safety issue and if I’m in the 5% group enforcing it, I figure I’m worrying about something that just doesn’t need my attention anymore. On top of that, a lot of summer tournaments, though they play Fed rules, have a “just let them wear it” policy when talking to tournament directors etc. At most, like some of you have mentioned, I’ll just have them tuck it in. Playoff time, I’ll circle back on enforcement (as you’ll have admins around etc).

It would be great if this rule disappeared, as then we wouldn’t even have to pretend to care/pretend we don’t see things. 
 

 

[Velho]

This has begun to remind me of stickers and marker on LL helmets. Something which I've been steadily sliding into the same "given up" territory. Don't tell my UIC though  

[LMSANS]

After reading the dreaded sportsmanship statement, I will tell the team “and don’t let me see any jewelry!” They usually get the message and I don’t see it.

[The Man in Blue]

On 4/7/2022 at 6:07 PM, Richvee said:

 Used to read it to the captains at the plate meeting to relay to the benches. Seems the state thinks the messages weren’t being relayed. ( shocker). So now we read it to both teams.

 

Wouldn't it make more sense to make the captains take it back to their bench and read it to the teams?

[Richvee]

2 hours ago, The Man in Blue said:

 

Wouldn't it make more sense to make the captains take it back to their bench and read it to the teams?

I did not make  the rules. As the season goes on here in NJ, I’ve got to say, this is better than reading to the captains at the plate meeting. We read it to each team when the other is taking I/O, or right after I/O. The kids are actually attentive( or at least they pretend to be) I always add at the end “ Look guys, cheer  for your guys, don’t make fun of their guys, and we’ll all enjoy the game”. 
 

Now, I don’t know if this procedure  has any effect, but in my 20 or so high school games so far this year, the kids have been pretty well behaved. The one   or two times I’ve heard comments start to get on the other team, I’ve been able to quickly address it with something like, “ hey guys.. that’s we talked about. Keep it positive for your team”. And it’s worked. 
 

So after writing this, I’m sure I’ll have a bench clearing brawl tomorrow. LOL. 

[SeeingEyeDog]

On 3/30/2022 at 7:31 PM, BigBlue4u said:

You will be happy to know that the NFHS will very likely end the jewelry rule beginning with the 2023 season.  I have it from a very creditable source that that the rule will be dropped because it has caused more problems that it has solved.  One of the biggest reasons is safety.  The NFHS has repeatedly claimed wearing jewelry is a safety issue.  However, study after study has proven that the incidence of jewelry-related injuries is extremely rare.  Also, the vast majority of coaches hate the rule, so they are not enforcing it for their own teams.  The other problem is the enforcement of the rule by umpires has been inconsistent at best.  Stay tuned!

This is a great thread. Thank you for starting it up @HokieUmp...and I really hope BigBlue's information pans out here. Regardless of how I feel about this rule, it's good to hear NFHS may be eliminating it. Like many others, I have always felt that the "legally and properly equipped" question lifts the umpires from any liability on a potential jewelry related injury. I'm no attorney, that's just my interpretation...

I think of two things anytime this subject comes up...1)My daughter plays rec-league soccer and I always appreciate how even the teenage referees who work her games have been trained (as we see all the way up in World Cup) to call each team together before the match and basically conduct a brief inspection of the players. Are they wearing proper shin guards? Are they wearing any jewelry? Usually at the beginning of the season, you need a dump truck to haul away the team's jewelry. But, by game 3 or 4, they've learned not to wear it. I don't know if it would ever be in the culture of baseball to have such a "pre-game inspection" like soccer does. It's just not how we do things...but, could it be?

2) This is probably why I am not a high school baseball coach but, to me where the rubber should meet the road on players not wearing jewelry is the coaches. If I were a high school baseball coach, I would explain to my players and families that by rule, jewelry must not be worn on the field for practices and games. (Religious and medical can be taped.) To create that culture, I would stand by the locker room door and check them out as they left for a practice or a game. Eventually, we will come to a point where the culture is...we don't wear that stuff on the field. I know, I know...they've got a great deal far more important things to concern themselves with. But, either this jewelry thing is important and we all agree we have a part to play to "keep the players safe"...or we don't.

~Dawg

 

[The Man in Blue]

My worthless 2 cents ... 

• Asking coaches if their players are "legal and legally/properly equipped" is worthless.  Coaches do not know (or care) what that even means.  Just once I want a coach to reply, "Well, no.  Jimmy over there is wearing his cup under his COVID mask.  Jerry just stole all of his equipment from Dicks.  And that exchange student whose name I can't pronounce ... well we think he was smuggled into the country in a suitcase."
• I used to die on the jewelry hill.  I saw a girl get an earring/stud poked into her neck when a ball hit her helmet in the ear-area, so I was strict on it.  I had a team that I was about to forfeit a game because they had 9 players and one refused to take her earrings out.  USA Softball rules, so an ejection taking you to 8 = forfeit.  I mentioned it to her in the first and second innings.  In the third inning she came out with bandaids over them.  I walked her back to the dugout where I was told "they are permanent earrings."  I offered my condolences that her career was over since NFHS won't let her wear them either and advised I would have to eject her for continually and blatantly disregarding both the rule and my directions ... the coach said "So I play with 8?"  I said, "No, you have to forfeit."  Amazing how fast they came out then. 
• I agree it should be on the coach who equips his team, not me who sees them once in their lifetime for 90 minutes.  Asking umpires to determine if equipment is legal is putting more of an onus on us than taking it off (e.g., bat checks).  For this reason, orgs like USSSA who make jewelry "an umpire's judgment" have gotten as wrong as they possibly can.  The rule should be a black-and-white "YES OR NO" and then enforced accordingly.   I really don't care anymore which way it is, but I will NOT play this pussy-footing around middle-game of kick the can.  I am not determining which fashions can stay and which can go.  We either allow it or we don't.  That said, I am sick of dealing with it and have, in summer ball, stopped enforcing it.  That's on the TD and the coach who keep telling them they can wear it.  
• I imagine NFHS's reported softening stance can also be related to the recent changes on hair adornments.  It is becoming a cultural battle they no longer want to mess with.

 

[HokieUmp]

I know I'm reviving a relatively old thread, but I just received a TASO email, saying the jewelry rule is, in fact, no longer.  I'm assuming that's because it was a national decision that's filtering down to the states this summer, and not something being taken on independently by the state of Texas.

I'd like to think that my public declaration of surrender this season, and my complete and utter IDGAF stance this season was the catalyst The Federation needed to walk away, and I gave them that cover fire.  It would be utter bullSH*#, and a grotesque and undeserved expansion of my ego, but imma grab the chalice.

You're welcome, America.

[Kevin_K]

12 hours ago, HokieUmp said:

I know I'm reviving a relatively old thread, but I just received a TASO email, saying the jewelry rule is, in fact, no longer.  I'm assuming that's because it was a national decision that's filtering down to the states this summer, and not something being taken on independently by the state of Texas.

I'd like to think that my public declaration of surrender this season, and my complete and utter IDGAF stance this season was the catalyst The Federation needed to walk away, and I gave them that cover fire.  It would be utter bullSH*#, and a grotesque and undeserved expansion of my ego, but imma grab the chalice.

You're welcome, America.

On behalf of the umpiring community, I want to thank you for your considerable personal efforts and sacrifices.

Now that this has been resolved, I hope the NFHS gets to work on the other significant problem of players, coaches, and fans referring to us as "Blue". That's my pet peeve.

When coaches call me blue I now say 'Kevin." It usually stops them cold in whatever they happen to be doing. Most of the time they look at me askance and I follow up with,"My name is Kevin." For the rest of the game many actually call me by name. Others, however, are painfully dense.

[MadMax]

On 7/8/2022 at 6:23 PM, HokieUmp said:

I'm assuming that's because it was a national decision that's filtering down to the states this summer, and not something being taken on independently by the state of Texas.

That’s all well and good, but how long will the filtering take before “my boy” Clarence Callsafew stops stating at a plate meeting, “No jewelry! If I see it, I’m ejecting people!”? 

Then again, it would probably help Clarence’s knowledge of these rule adjustments if he went to an umpire training session (or three!), instead of being excused from them on a “legacy” basis… since Clarence and Bud (the association president) are drinking buddies. 

 

[LMSANS]

On 7/9/2022 at 7:45 AM, Kevin_K said:

On behalf of the umpiring community, I want to thank you for your considerable personal efforts and sacrifices.

Now that this has been resolved, I hope the NFHS gets to work on the other significant problem of players, coaches, and fans referring to us as "Blue". That's my pet peeve.

When coaches call me blue I now say 'Kevin." It usually stops them cold in whatever they happen to be doing. Most of the time they look at me askance and I follow up with,"My name is Kevin." For the rest of the game many actually call me by name. Others, however, are painfully dense.

I would try that, but my name isn’t Kevin.😜

[noumpere]

8 hours ago, LMSANS said:

I would try that, but my name isn’t Kevin.😜

But the coaches don't know that.

[kylehutson]

8 hours ago, LMSANS said:

I would try that, but my name isn’t Kevin.😜

 

[Vegas_Ump]

Little League rules specifically prohibit jewelry.

We had a softball player with ear studs, and she took a line drive to the side of her head.  The stud punctured through to her Eustacean tube which allowed germy stuff to seep into a place in her head that's supposed to be sterile.  Three days in the ICU on antibiotics took care of it.......

Now the boys are wearing ear posts!  I had a kid with diamond studs in his ears who came to the plate conference in a District Tournament game.  I told him he had to take those out.  He said he would.  He was very furtive around home plate with his batting helmet, and when he went to play center field, he dashed out when I wasn't looking.  At the plate, I asked to see his helmet, as it may have been unsafe.  There were his diamond studs.  I ejected him and the manager for safety rule violations.  The DA was there, and he backed me 100%.

In a pro league, a player had a very wild gold necklace on.  As he slid into second base, the necklace snagged on the base and garroted his neck open!  The second baseman happen to be a paramedic, so he applied pressure to stop the massive bleeding.  Saved the guys life.

If your rulebook prohibits jewelry, enforce it.  When the parents sue for damages, guess who's first on the defendant list?  "So, what other safety rules didn't you enforce?"  I know what my answer will be.

Mike

Las Vegas

[Velho]

[The Man in Blue]

15 hours ago, LMSANS said:

I would try that, but my name isn’t Kevin.😜

Makes it more effective ...

My name, coach, is Montague H. Buttlesforth, III.

(What's the 'H' stand for?)

(Hell if I know.)

[The Man in Blue]

On 7/11/2022 at 9:20 AM, MadMax said:

That’s all well and good, but how long will the filtering take before “my boy” Clarence Callsafew stops stating at a plate meeting, “No jewelry! If I see it, I’m ejecting people!”? 

Then again, it would probably help Clarence’s knowledge of these rule adjustments if he went to an umpire training session (or three!), instead of being excused from them on a “legacy” basis… since Clarence and Bud (the association president) are drinking buddies. 

 

 

Excerpt from Clarence's next plate meeting ... 

"OK, coaches.  They told me that I could no longer eject people for expressing themselves through jewelry.  So if I see ANY of it, I'm going home and you all can figure it out.  It's dangerous and I won't be a part of it!  NOT GOING TO BE A PARTY TO IT.  Understood?  Now, where's that line up card ... "  {Clarence rummages in his ball bag, pushing aside his keys, wallet, cell phone, and a banana in case his sugar gets low or he cramps up.}