Coach, do your pitchers wear masks?

[JayW]

It didn’t have anything to do with pitching, hot bats or having time to field a hard liner. Anybody on the field has a chance to get hit by an errant throw or get in the way of a throw. She was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Unfortunate, sure. Freak accident, no.

 

[CoachJD]

do you feel if you have any liability if one of your pitchers ( high school?) Doesn't want to wear a mask then get seriously injured on a line drive to the face? You think your covered with "well, she didn't want to wear one and there's no rule for it"? I mean, she is a minor, and in the eyes of the law, they really don't know any better.

Are you talking legal liability? Because you might be surprised to learn it works the other way.

Because no facemasks have NOCSAE certification, from a liability standpoint, we have to be super careful with this. If we say "You have to wear this protective device" and then it doesn't actually protect, because there's no certification, we become liable. Since there is no certification and there is no state association rule (because of the lack of certification), there is actually no liability if they don't wear them and get hurt. In the past, I've mentioned that they exist and I think they're a good idea, so nobody could say I was negligent in informing parents.

But I want them to wear the masks. I tell them they have to wear the masks (pitchers especially). But I also cannot really enforce it. I could bench any players who won't wear them, I suppose.

 

[uncdrew]

FSN sports science episode 7 tried to measure force of both. Jennie Finch broke the machine.
Mathematically I cannot figure out why. Both momentum and energy should be slightly higher for baseball.

I heard she broke the machine because a seam hit the glass the right way.

 

[daywalkerdad]

I heard she broke the machine because a seam hit the glass the right way.

Thank you.

 

[Vertigo]

Are you talking legal liability? Because you might be surprised to learn it works the other way.

Because no facemasks have NOCSAE certification, from a liability standpoint, we have to be super careful with this. If we say "You have to wear this protective device" and then it doesn't actually protect, because there's no certification, we become liable. Since there is no certification and there is no state association rule (because of the lack of certification), there is actually no liability if they don't wear them and get hurt. In the past, I've mentioned that they exist and I think they're a good idea, so nobody could say I was negligent in informing parents.

So honest question because I honestly don’t know the correct answer - are boys’/mens’ athletic cups safety certified? They
have always been pushed to be worn at all levels of various different sports but I can’t figure out if they are certified or not. Wonder if there has been any lawsuits related to them?

 

[CoachJD]

So honest question because I honestly don’t know the correct answer - are boys’/mens’ athletic cups safety certified? They
have always been pushed to be worn at all levels of various different sports but I can’t figure out if they are certified or not. Wonder if there has been any lawsuits related to them?

That's a good question. I have no idea.

I also wonder if there's a difference between "wear a mask/cup" and "wear Brand X mask/cup" in terms of liability when there is no certification.

 

[wheresmycar]

FSN sports science episode 7 tried to measure force of both. Jennie Finch broke the machine.
Mathematically I cannot figure out why. Both momentum and energy should be slightly higher for baseball.

It broke the machine, because that makes for good TV.

 

[RJK]

Never really understood why we make girls wear a mask, but same age group baseball they don’t wear mask? Why?
Maybe we aren’t teaching the girls how to play defense very well? i see them wearing them in the outfield?

I think it more has to do with protecting our DD faces.

 

[RJK]

I coach 12u. Yes, our pitchers absolutely wear masks as well as our infielders. Being a first year 12u team, we have played some 2nd year 12u teams and the size difference and power is recognizable so its especially important at this level. I have had my OF take a bad spin off the facemask. I dont think there is any need to argue the science of exit velocity and pitching distance. In our modern day society, it's quite simply to protect their face.

 

[_MIA_]

I coach 12u. Yes, our pitchers absolutely wear masks as well as our infielders. Being a first year 12u team, we have played some 2nd year 12u teams and the size difference and power is recognizable so its especially important at this level. I have had my OF take a bad spin off the facemask. I dont think there is any need to argue the science of exit velocity and pitching distance. In our modern day society, it's quite simply to protect their face.

The argument really had nothing to do with the topic (at least in my case)...welcome to DFP.