OnTheBucket:
You haven't said anything since your original post. Now that you've had your decision dissected to the Nth degree, would you change anything? I'd like to hear something from the OP.
I've been reading the posts and enjoying the spirited debate. Obviously this topic struck a chord with the knowledgeable contributors of this forum.
It seems to me that there was no perfect way to handle the situation. I, and my partner, observed what we both took to be a young player in a dangerous situation. I had not seen this situation addressed in any rulebook or casebook. It was never mentioned in my training. In my 15 years of coaching HS and travel ball I had never witnessed this situation. The situation had never been brought to my attention ahead of time by the coach, the parent or the league. There were no association members close by to quickly consult.
So, at that moment in time, these were my observations. First, the placement of her glove back on her hand was slow and clumsy and she looked down at her hand while doing so. For this young lady to pitch, she must start
without her glove on her only functioning hand. To play any other position allows her to have her glove on her functioning hand. Second, she was not wearing a mask to provide some protection. (Subsequently, we were told that there had no masks available on her team. Sorry for not including that in the OP.) This indicated to me that neither the coach nor the parent were aware of, nor overly concerned with, the danger. (I know...an assumption on my part.) Third, there were girls on the opposing team who had some previous travel ball experience that I was aware of so I knew that there was the reasonable belief that hard hit balls may be hit back at a defenseless girl.
I understand that there are multiple facets to this issue. It is true that as an umpire, I would hesitate to ever tell a coach that he/she would have to move a player back in the infield just because I thought they were not as skilled as they should be. But at least they would have a glove on their hand with the reasonable belief that, since they should be watching the batter, they would have a chance to stop, deflect, or duck from a hard hit shot.
I understand that I cannot mandate that a player wear a piece of equipment, such as a mask, that is not set forth in any rules or league guidelines. Therefore, I didn't do that on that day. I also know that there is another argument entirely on the use of masks. So be it.
An additional thing to clarify, if anyone is imagining that this was some heated argument that made a spectacle of the situation you would be wrong. No one involved raised their voices and, unless you were next to the team's dugout, it may not have even been noticable to the fans on the other side. The mother was not happy but she did not yell. One poster seemed to indicate that we embarassed the young lady. I wish that that wasn't true but I have no way of knowing. I do know that my partner went out to talk to the young lady to explain why we made our decision. I do not know what she said.
Would I change anything? Given the exact situation as it happened on that day. No. I am comfortable that my, and my partner's, decision that day was in the young lady's best interest. If it happens again this year, well...our association meetings will take place shortly and I will certainly bring this up. I'd hope that we can come up with a solution that is reasonable to all involved. I absolutely want this young lady to experience the excitement and joy of fastpitch softball. If she wants to pitch, more power to her. I will be rooting for her to succeed to the fullest measure possible. But it may not be me behind the plate unless she can demonstrate that she can reasonably protect herself via a glove or a mask.
If nothing else, it gave us softball junkies something to ponder for a while!