Helmets required for adult base coaches

[BigBlue4u]

Two questions:  1) Anyone know of states other than California and Florida that require adult base coaches to wear helmets.  2) The NFHS is the only major baseball organization that does not require adult base coaches to wear helmets.  Is it time for the NFHS to change its rule?

[Kevin_K]

@MadMax is going to be shocked by this....... NJ requires base coaches to wear helmets as well

[MadMax]

6 minutes ago, Kevin_K said:

NJ requires base coaches to wear helmets as well

🥱 

I gave you the confused reaction face so as to give you ↑ this more appropriate response. 

Old news. Doesn’t surprise me at all. What does surprise me about New Jersey baseball is that they don’t have a mandatory 15-minute break during the middle (changeover) of the 4th inning, and if the game goes into extra innings, the coaches, umpires, and school representatives have a meeting to (re-)discuss how everyone is expected to conduct themselves. 🤨

16 hours ago, BigBlue4u said:

1) Anyone know of states other than California and Florida that require adult base coaches to wear helmets.

Yup. Arizona. 

… California likely requires helmets, but also states / claims that they cause cancer. 🙄 

16 hours ago, BigBlue4u said:

2) The NFHS is the only major baseball organization that does not require adult base coaches to wear helmets.  Is it time for the NFHS to change its rule?

Hold on, hold on, hollllllllld on. There are plenty of other “major baseball organization(s)” that don’t require base coach helmets. 
USSSA, TripleCrown immediately come to mind… someone will have to voice up about Little League… 

If NFHS (still) doesn’t require it in its rules, it’s likely so as to not disenfranchise (less funded) schools who cannot provide base coach helmets, or not imperil the playing of the game based on “less-priority” items… (I’m searching for terms)… 

… which, of course, is it odds with the “umpire shall wear a navy shirt” rule. What if I cannot locate a navy shirt? What if I cannot afford one? What if I have an allergy to navy? What if I simply forgot it… am I supposed to postpone or cancel the playing of the game because I, as “Umpire In Charge*”, don’t have the codified navy shirt?? 

* – Which state / city was it wherein the related government board actually held meetings (at taxpayer 💵), discussed, and enacted the removal of all references to “chief” because it implies racism? Oh yeah, this happened. 🤨 

[Velho]

59 minutes ago, MadMax said:

someone will have to voice up about Little League

Nope. 60 feet is enough for coaches to get out of the way. They "used to play" you know.

[SeeingEyeDog]

To me this is kind of like most safety rules in and out of baseball...no question wearing a helmet while coaching the bases is safer than not wearing one and when I coached the bases, I wore one.

Human beings frequently need laws and rules to help keep them protected...seat belts and air bags come to mind. Which laws and rules and how invasive those laws and rules should be is the challenge...

~Dawg 

[834k3r]

19 hours ago, BigBlue4u said:

Anyone know of states other than California and Florida that require adult base coaches to wear helmets.

Conversely of the OP, I'm only aware of American Legion requiring helmets be worn by adult base coaches.

[johnnyg08]

They play the budget card b/c they don't want to wear them. Tale as old as time.

[Jimurray]

On 4/17/2024 at 11:53 AM, SeeingEyeDog said:

To me this is kind of like most safety rules in and out of baseball...no question wearing a helmet while coaching the bases is safer than not wearing one and when I coached the bases, I wore one.

Human beings frequently need laws and rules to help keep them protected...seat belts and air bags come to mind. Which laws and rules and how invasive those laws and rules should be is the challenge...

~Dawg 

Shouldn't the states that require helmets require the helmets to go all the way down to protect the jugular?

[Richvee]

On 4/17/2024 at 10:50 AM, MadMax said:

What does surprise me about New Jersey baseball is that they don’t have a mandatory 15-minute break during the middle (changeover) of the 4th inning, and if the game goes into extra innings, the coaches, umpires, and school representatives have a meeting to (re-)discuss how everyone is expected to conduct themselves

🤣🤣

[Richvee]

On 4/17/2024 at 10:50 AM, MadMax said:

California likely requires helmets, but also states / claims that they cause cancer

🤣🤣

[Richvee]

On 4/17/2024 at 10:50 AM, MadMax said:

* – Which state / city was it wherein the related government board actually held meetings (at taxpayer 💵), discussed, and enacted the removal of all references to “chief” because it implies racism? Oh yeah, this happened.

🤦

You need to break up your posts so I can respond properly to each. 😁

[BDad]

On 4/17/2024 at 11:51 AM, Velho said:

Nope. 60 feet is enough for coaches to get out of the way. They "used to play" you know.

"These kids can't hit it that hard!"

[beerguy55]

On 4/18/2024 at 8:10 PM, johnnyg08 said:

They play the budget card b/c they don't want to wear them. Tale as old as time.

Meh - just have the insurance rates go up, with a discount to organizations that mandate coaches wear helmets...you'll see a different budget conversation.

 

On 4/17/2024 at 10:53 AM, SeeingEyeDog said:

Human beings frequently need laws and rules to help keep them protected...seat belts and air bags come to mind. Which laws and rules and how invasive those laws and rules should be is the challenge...

This is less about protecting people from themselves and more about cost savings.  You can put motorcycle helmets into the conversation too.    People who don't wear seatbelts and helmets cost more to everyone else - whether that's medical costs, potentially taxes, insurance premiums, the therapy needed for the first responders, or any number of other costs created by injuries that would be otherwise preventable.   And one way or another those costs get filtered down to Joe Blow who does wear his seatbelt.

Then again, I'm the guy who says if you get lost in the mountains and you need government-funded search and rescue you should be getting an invoice for it.