Question about eye black

[jmason]

I have been though a couple tournaments now. One ASA and one NSA. They are telling my girls (12U) they can only have straight lines under their eyes. Is this really a rule??

The girls like to mimic what the see the college girls doing and we've been asked to wipe it off twice now. They aren't doing anything offensive.

 

[mogsoftball]

I have never heard of such a thing

 

[BretMan2]

I'm not aware of any such rule (and I try to keep up on that kind of stuff ).

If my memory is correct, high school softball made mention of eye black in one of their preseason rule guides. I'll have to check it out when I get home later tonight. I believe that they said it was okay to "get creative" with eye black, but they prohibit any sort of design that could be judged as offensive or unsportsmanlike.

 

[jmason]

BretMan- how could I ask the official to cite the rule without offending them?

 

[jmason]

http://umpire-empire.com/index.php?/topic/61997-question-about-eye-black-in-girls-fastpitch/

 

[poden-smoden]

Few years back old Lasers Grey catcher looked like Kiss reincarnated! Loved it!

 

[BretMan2]

It took some digging, but I found this:

https://www.piaa.org/assets/web/documents/2015 Softball Bulletin I(1).pdf

This is from the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (I see that our poster is from PA). It applies to high school softball and I don't think that would affect ASA or NSA. But, if this rule is floating around in PA, I can imagine that some of their umpires might incorrectly think it applies to all softball games.

From page 3 of the handout:

Policy Regarding the Use of Eye Shade

The use of eye shade must be worn as a single, solid stroke under the eye.

There shall be no numbers, words, logos, symbols or other detail located in the eye shade.

The eye shade shall not extend below the cheek bone and extend no further than the width of the eye socket.

Players having eye shade that does not meet the standard are to remove it or comply with the PIAA interpretation before participation in the game.

If the players do not comply, the officials may impose unsportsmanlike conduct type penalties as determined by their respective rules code.

Somebody in PA has way too much time on their hands...