OHSAA Equiptment Question

[MD 20/20]

I'm curious, and I can't find it anywhere. Is it REQUIRED that all softball batting helmets have a facemask? I'm seeing other equipment regulations but cannot find anything on the batting helmet. Thanks

 

[Louuuuu]

2016 NFHS Rule Book

Rule 1-6 Article 6: All fast pitch batting helmets shall be equipped with a NOCSAE-approved face protector.

So, I'd say "yes".

 

[MD 20/20]

Thank you Lou. Side note, Why are they "required" I wonder. I'm not a guy who screams equality from the mountain tops, but boys baseball is not "required" to have a mask. If we want these girls to start thinking of themselves as athletes, maybe we should try treating them as such. That being said, neither of my dd's would ever want to take the field without their facemask on, so I'm certain they would want it on their helmet. I was just curious. Thanks for the info!!

 

[Comp]

Every softball association I am aware of except NCAA and ISF has required batting helmet face masks for at least the past 10 years.

 

[Louuuuu]

Why are they "required" I wonder. ... baseball is not "required" to have a mask....

I'm guessing that boys, and their parents, let it be known to the powers-that-be that Real Men Don't Wear Masks. (My take. 'Not necessarily agreeing with the concept.)

 

[Dougk30]

Side note, Why are they "required" I wonder. I'm not a guy who screams equality from the mountain tops, but boys baseball is not "required" to have a mask. If we want these girls to start thinking of themselves as athletes, maybe we should try treating them as such.

I think that it is probably the same reason fielders don't wear face mask in baseball, its a slower game. At 12 years old boys play on a 54/80 field at 14 I think they play at 60/90. That is a lot safer than 43/60 at the age of 14 and up.

 

[Louuuuu]

That's a good point Doug. But we're talking about Batters helmets. The difference in time from Mound-to-home is negligible , and I believe the number of foul tips into your upper lip in baseball is probably about the same.

 

[SoCal_Dad]

I think that it is probably the same reason fielders don't wear face mask in baseball, its a slower game. At 12 years old boys play on a 54/80 field at 14 I think they play at 60/90. That is a lot safer than 43/60 at the age of 14 and up.[/QUOTE]
Baseball distances vary by sanction.
- LL 12U is 46/60.
- PONY 12U is 48/70 and 14U is 54/80.

 

[MD 20/20]

I know there are a lot of different field dimensions in Baseball, (my son plays 11-12 Ripken on a 50/70) but I'm talking about HS athletes and batting helmets. There is no requirement for defensive masks, I was merely stating that my 2 wouldn't want to take the field without their def. mask. I'm sure they have never considered batting without masks on their helmets. I was just curious as to why the requirement on the batting mask.

 

[brownsfan]

I think based on what ESPN's Sport Science episodes have shown.

1) A batter has 0.1 less reaction time. A batter has .433 time to see the ball once the ball leaves a baseball pitchers hands, whereas a batter facing a softball pitcher has 3.2...numbers are approximate and I'm too lazy to look it up

2) Same study has shown that a baseball has less surface friction than a softball which allows the spin of the softball to "grip" the air, thus allowing greater movement.

Those two things combined, means greater movement AND less reaction time. With girls still learning their bodies as they develop different than boys, there's less room for error. On a personal note, I've seen more boys able to move out of the way more quickly than a girl when a ball is coming towards the head. I'm for keeping those masks on because it saves me money

 

[mike_dyer]

I know for a fact that in other sports the OHSAA completely ignore certain rules until the post season, they completely ignore other rules all the way through the season and post season, they enforce rules that don't even exist, and they pay a small army of people to send out weekly "clarifications" on how they have changed their rules from last week to this week.

Here is a solid example. At the OHSAA wrestling tournament this year there were roughly 180 of the 672 participants who were over their maximum weight. The rule says you can step on one scale, if you are over you can step off, let the scale reset, then step back on. If you are still over you get one attempt on every other scale on site. If you are over after that your spot is filled with an alternate.

They "recalibrated" the scales instead and everyone made it.