Some Safety Reminders for LSYLLBManagers & Umpires
March 10, 2018
Thissupplements the Sudbury LL Majors & AAA Regulations and Rules, which in turn incorporate the Little League Baseball Official Regulations & Playing Rules.The parent/guardian of a minor-aged umpire, must read pages 3 & 4: “Additional Reminders to Umpires for their own safety.”
Field and Weather Conditions
Do not start, or continue, a game if you feel the conditions are unsafe.
When there is a potential for playing on moist fields (e.g., dewy mornings), each manager must bring a towel and extra baseballs.When the pitcher needs a drier ball, time will be called, the pitcher will give the rejected ball to his manager for drying, and the umpire will provide a different drier ball to the pitcher. Reminder: All game balls must enter the game through an umpire.
In damp conditions, periodically monitor the slipperiness of the field and the baseball.
Give particular attention to the surface of homeplate as well as to the mound,batter’s box, andbasepaths. Also monitor the baseball’s weight as well as its slipperiness.
If you see lightning, or hear thunder, or a lightning detector sounds, suspend the game in accordance with league policy (30 minute stoppage). Establish a place for managers & umpires to reconvene.
Game suspension due to field conditions requires only one manager or adult umpire to request it.
Game resumption requires unanimous agreement of both managers and the adult umpire.Any perceived abuse of this authority for competitive advantageshould be reported tothe commissioner.
Umpires under the age of 18 are not authorized to suspend or call a game due to safety concerns, BUT if they have safety concerns, they should advise the Home Team manager as to why, and then leave. Rationale: Adult managers are responsible for safety and cannot transfer same to a minor.
Equipment
Players may not wear watches, rings, pins, or jewelry. This restriction applies to non-metallic and metallic items. Exception: Medical Alert jewelry for a specific condition is permissible.
Players may not wear casts while playing. Casts can hurt other players.
Playersmay not wear metal spikes or metal cleatsor spikes on the 60’ or 70’ diamond.
The batter, base runners,and youth base coaches must wear a helmet.
The helmet must have double flaps (i.e., protects both ears) and have the NOCSAE stamp
Bats must meet LSYLLB specifications. Specifications changed for 2018.
The traditional metal batting donut is not allowed for use anywhere at anytime in LLB.
Any baseball entered into the game must go through the umpire and be approved for the division.
LSYLLB uses regulation hardballs in the AAA and Majors.
Catchers
Managers and umpires should be vigilant for looseor ill-fitting catcher’s gear.
Warm-up Catchers must wear a:
* Face mask w/dangling type throat protector;
* Catcher’s helmet;
- A skull cap is not permitted in lieu of the helmet.
- Note: A hockey style helmet still needs a dangling type throat protector.
* Catcher’s mitt, not a glove.
Game Catchers must wear:
*All the above, plus:
*Shin guards;
* Male catchers must wear a long model chest protector and an athletic cup.
* Female catchers must wear a chest protector and should wear a pelvic protector.
Game catchers should not stand when receiving a pitch. It is unsafe at this leveldue to most LL pitchers not having the accuracyto deliver the anticipated high pitch,and much more of the catcher’s body beingunprotected when standing. These factors can potentially result in the standing catcher being hit very hard by the baseball in an unprotected spot.
LSYLLB game catchers should set-up with theirthrowing (“meat”) hand behind their back or knee. They should not put it behind their mitt(e.g., to gain transfer speed) due to the risk of injury to the wrist, forearm, and elbow. The potential loss of a split second while transferring the ball from mitt to hand is especially irrelevantfor divisins in which LLB baserunners are not allowed to lead.
Protective Dugout Fence, No On-Deck Position, No Batboys and Batgirls
The adult manager and adult coaches are responsible for the safety of themselves and the players.
Umpires (adult and youth) focus on pitches, runners, plays, etc. and can’t watch dugout activity.
Managers and coaches must stay in the dugout, except during mound visits or when base coaching; if they do wander from the dugout,it is at their own risk and against the rules.
Players must stay in the dugout when they are not required to be on the field.
The on-deck position is not allowed. Thenext batter, must wait in the dugout.
Batboys and batgirls are not permitted. At the conclusion of play action, the bat should be retrieved by the helmeted next batter, on-deck batter, or a manager/coach.
Players should not wrap their fingers around the dugout fence, or press their face against it. A line drive to the fence can break their fingers, or depress the fence enough to injure their face.
Players and Play Action
Be aware that the option to swing away after initially showing bunt has been an allowed tactic in SLL, LLB, BRL, AAU, NFHS, MiLB, MLB, for numerous good reasons which are beyond the space constraints of this document. Defensive players need to learn to not charge or play “in” until the bunt is for sure, this lesson teaches them the more failsafe way to protect themselves.
Pitchers are prohibited from delivering a pitch until after the batter is reasonably set.
A batter who launches the bat must be addressed/reprimanded by the manager and umpire.
A base runner must avoid the first infielder attempting to field a batted ball.
A base runner must give himself up, slide, or avoid a fielder who has the ball to make the tag.
A base runner may not slide head first when advancing. Head first slides are okwhen retreating.
A defensive player without the ballshould not be in the runner’s way. First baseman and pitchers covering home after a wild pitch or passed ball are frequent offenders. The only potential exceptions occur when a fielder is fielding a batted ball, or a thrown ball draws the fielder into the base path.
A runner obstructed by a fielder should rely on the umpire to notice the obstruction.
Flagrant contact to “make sure” the umpire sees the obstruction will lead to an ejection.
Additional Reminders to Umpires for their own safety.
(Required reading for minor-aged umpires and their parent/guardian.)
* Umpires mustwear protective footwear and long pants.
- Feet need traction, and protection from foul balls.Sandals or vibrams are not allowed.
-Long pants reduce chafing/abrasion from the shin guards and from balls with bad hops.
* Weara baseball cap to shield your eyes from the sun when doing the bases.
* Male umpires must wear a cup. Female umpires should wear a pelvic protector.
* Arrive early enough to locate, try on, and properly adjust league provided umpire gear.
- The league provides: mask/helmet, chest protector, shinguards, balls & strikes indicator.
* Keep your hands and elbows behind the outside chest protector, and keep the protector “up.” Have your partner observe your stance and comment on your body coverage.
(continued on next page)
Additional Reminders to Umpires for their ownsafety (continued…)
(Required reading for minor-aged umpires and their parent/guardian.) (continued…)
* Be vigilant of activity around you. This applies both during and between innings.
*Always know where the ball is. During warm-ups there are multiple balls. Be alert!
* Stay away from home plate and the backstop during warm-up pitches.
- Stand midway between home plate and 1stbase, or home plate and 3rd base, whichever side keeps you away from the lead-off batter.
- Watch the fielders’ and pitcher’s warm-up throws.
- Watch-out for the numerous incoming balls that whiz in when the warm-up is finished.
* Monitoralead-off batter who is practicing aswing during pitcher warm-ups. Keep him/her and the other players asafe distance apart from each other. Keep the batter far enough away from the plate to avoid being hit by a wild warm-up pitch.
* Do not be too quick to remove your umpire mask after the ball is batted.
Reason: Inexperienced catcherssometimes removetheir mask unexpectedly, and don’t knowwhere/when/how to place it. They might carelessly and impulsivelytoss it toward you and hit you with it.
* When behind the plate, resist the temptation to turn your masked & protected facesideways. - Turning you head will expose the unprotected side of your masked head to the ball. - Ironically, thiscan beparticularly important to remember with slower pitches because such pitches allow more time to turn your head. For this reason helmets are a wiser choice.
- Focus on keeping your mask, chest protector, and shin guards directly between you and the incoming ball.
* Umpires should avoid throwing a baseball to the pitcher. Give the ball to thecatcher and let him throw it. This may also help keep the players more focused.
* If you feel unsafe due to weather or field conditions, advise the managers and then leave.
* Do not accept a catcher who cannothandle catchablepitches. You’ll recognizesuch catchersafter a few pitches. Ifyou encounter this situation,quietly and as privately as possible, ask themanager to insert areplacement catcher, or a pitcher he can handle. The catcher andpitcher might appreciate this too.
If that fails, then officiate from behind themound, without making a show of it, and report theincident to theassigner. If calling balls & strikes from behind the mound be aware that you might be in the path of a batted or thrown ball and you will not have a glove to protect yourself; therefore, you must wear a mask or helmet and be particularly alert.
- END OF DOCUMENT –
Lincoln-Sudbury Youth LL Baseball, Inc., Art Krusinski. Page 1 of 4.
All Rights Reserved. Telephone: 978-443-0791. E-mail: