Any weirdest, dumbest, strangest rules

[Joker]

so that guy who mentioned the mercy rules being in effect in the 1st inning if your team has less than 10 in his league got me thinking. whats the weirdest, dumbest, strangest rule that you've had to follow as a player or call as an ump?

other than weird ground rules at some parks, there was one league i played in where you couldn't wear your hat backwards.

 

[RadCon10]

so that guy who mentioned the mercy rules being in effect in the 1st inning if your team has less than 10 in his league got me thinking. whats the weirdest, dumbest, strangest rule that you've had to follow as a player or call as an ump?

other than weird ground rules at some parks, there was one league i played in where you couldn't wear your hat backwards.

We have that rule in league here.

 

[RDD15]

We have that rule in league here.

It is an ASA rule if I am not mistaken.

 

[Firejunkie]

I think NSA and USSSA have the same hat rule in the books. NSA has a no alcohol in the dugout rule...an Umpire here actually enforces it lol

 

[Fireman Crawler]

We have an old ump that is anal about the noo hat backwards rule. I like to have my hair off my forehead when playing, but dont like having a shadow from the bill. Thinking about cutting the bill out to see what he says about that.

 

[TheJackal666]

so that guy who mentioned the mercy rules being in effect in the 1st inning if your team has less than 10 in his league got me thinking. whats the weirdest, dumbest, strangest rule that you've had to follow as a player or call as an ump?

other than weird ground rules at some parks, there was one league i played in where you couldn't wear your hat backwards.

We have that rule in league here.

We have that rule here in Aurora. Doesn't bother me, I don't wear a hat.

 

[CMStacks2010]

No hat backwards or no jewelry either, depending on which ump you get.

 

[irishmafia]

What is weird or strange or dumb about wearing a uniform properly?

 

[Joker]

What is weird or strange or dumb about wearing a uniform properly?

because in a rec league who give a crap?

 

[SevenBizzos]

I played in a league that took the phrase "10 after 5" directly. If the visiting team got up by 10 runs in the top of the 6th, the game was over. Why? Becuase it was "after" the 5th inning.

There was another league that was an automatic ball to the next batter if the infield didn't directly return the ball to the pitcher after an out with no one on base. They banned throwing the ball around the horn. Our pitcher thought the rule was stupid and encouraged the team to throw the ball around. Starting the next count at 2-1 was no big deal.

I've seen the hat backwards rule enforced once. The whole team had different colors on and only two or three had numbers and the ump picked the uniform hat rule to enforce in league play. It wasn't me but the verbal exchange between the "offender" and the umpire was pretty funny.

 

[BretMan]

The men's fastpitch league where I play uses ASA rules as a starting point, with their own modifications. Since they play on non-fenced fields, they let us use four outfielders. They let us "bat the roster", so if we want to use a courtesy runner it's the "last batted out".

Somewhere along the line, one of the old veteran pitchers used a CR each time he reached base. One of the teams had a problem with that (this is a team that has a problem and whines about anything that doesn't go their way), as they felt the other team was gaining an advantage by putting in a younger, faster runner. One of their coaches was on the league board of directors and, the next year, somehow managed to push through a rule change that said any courtesy runner replacing a player could not be a faster runner than the player he was replacing!

Most...idiotic...rule...EVER!

How in the world would an umpire be able to enforce that rule? He would need an intimate knowledge of the running ability of every player in the game. Does he get a printout of the 40 yard dash times of every player on the roster? Should he line them all up with a stopwatch before the game?

It was also pointed out that the only player on our entire roster who wouldn't be faster than our veteran pitcher would have been...me- just because at the time I had a sprained ankle and could barely walk. Even then, we thought it would have been a toss-up!

Thankfully, the next season somebody saw the light and got rid of that stupid rule.

 

[USSSA]

properly wearing your uniform is having respect for the game

 

[USSSA]

I played in Cheyenne this weekend and they have all sorts of silly nonsense "rules".

They are absolute nazis about batters being out of the box and enforce it to the point that it becomes ridiculous.

You can't have your sunglasses on your hat (or on the back of your head).

They allow players ejected for serious offenses to play in the next game.

where did u play in cheyenne or at the base

 

[irishmafia]

because in a rec league who give a crap?

Okay, but since you are playing "rec", why the need for the hot bats, worrying about a run scoring, league standings and constant whining about the officiating? After all, it is only rec league, who give a crap?

BTW, some day when you decide to play with the big boys, you will find that the whining and disrespect for the sport doesn't go away when you step out of the sandlot.

 

[eddieq]

I wouldn't say it's "weird", but in the 14U girls FP, we have a couple of umpires that insist on the girls all having their shirts tucked in when they come to bat. At the beginning of the game, I'm always telling them to tuck in their shirts and they always complain. Sure enough, we get the ump that says, "Tuck in your shirts" and they go right in. The last guy to enforce that at least explained it. He said it's to avoid having to unfairly award first base for a hit batter just because her uniform is baggy. I have no problem with that, personally.

A couple of fields I've played slowpitch on have ground rules and signs up that say, "No sliding". Probably for insurance purposes. If they slide and hurt themselves, the facility gets to say, "but we told them not to slide".

 

[Lurker765]

The men's fastpitch league where I play uses ASA rules as a starting point, with their own modifications. Since they play on non-fenced fields, they let us use four outfielders. They let us "bat the roster", so if we want to use a courtesy runner it's the "last batted out".

Somewhere along the line, one of the old veteran pitchers used a CR each time he reached base. One of the teams had a problem with that (this is a team that has a problem and whines about anything that doesn't go their way), as they felt the other team was gaining an advantage by putting in a younger, faster runner. One of their coaches was on the league board of directors and, the next year, somehow managed to push through a rule change that said any courtesy runner replacing a player could not be a faster runner than the player he was replacing!

Most...idiotic...rule...EVER!

How in the world would an umpire be able to enforce that rule? He would need an intimate knowledge of the running ability of every player in the game. Does he get a printout of the 40 yard dash times of every player on the roster? Should he line them all up with a stopwatch before the game?

It was also pointed out that the only player on our entire roster who wouldn't be faster than our veteran pitcher would have been...me- just because at the time I had a sprained ankle and could barely walk. Even then, we thought it would have been a toss-up!

Thankfully, the next season somebody saw the light and got rid of that stupid rule.

I have seen leagues that say anyone can have a courtesy runner, but that runner can only advance one base on any hit unless it is an over the fence home run. That seems like a better solution than this crazy rule.

 

[dinoriggin]

I didn't really think this was a stupid rule but some people might....
I played in a local fundraiser tournament this weekend that the ump got so tired of foul language he told everyone that if he catches a batter using the "F" word they were out and the on deck batter was out. If he heard a fielder say it then the next batter for the team was an out. Needless to say he didn't have to enforce it because no batter wanted to take the chance of getting two outs over saying one word.

 

[Joker]

Okay, but since you are playing "rec", why the need for the hot bats, worrying about a run scoring, league standings and constant whining about the officiating? After all, it is only rec league, who give a crap?

BTW, some day when you decide to play with the big boys, you will find that the whining and disrespect for the sport doesn't go away when you step out of the sandlot.

cool, so you took what i said about hats and twisted it and made an argument has nothing to do with what i said. good job.

 

[Frisco Kid]

We have an ump here that goes NUTS if, as the on-deck batter, you don't pick up the batter's bat IMMEDIATELY after it hits the ground. He straight up YELLS at you if you're not like some kinda ball boy in tennis and don't run after that ****.

 

[x25]

What is weird or strange or dumb about wearing a uniform properly?

I'd imagine it's because many leagues don't even require uniforms of any sort - enforcing the hat rule in a rec league seems pretty arbitrary when you're allowing guys to show up in gym clothes instead of jerseys.

I don't have a problem with the spirit of the rule, but I'm sure you can see how following the letter in some rec environments is a LOT different than something as fundamental as keeping score, right?

 

[bigyankesfan]

at a local league we played in last year they put a chalk line about 6 inches in front of home plate and if your foot even touched or crossed the line they would call you out.

 

[BretMan]

That's kind of dumb. If you're going to the trouble of laying down chalk, why not just mark off a regulation sized batter's box and use the standard batter's box rules?

A line 6" in front of the plate cuts off nearly three feet of the box that batters legally have to work with.

 

[bb666b77]

We have an old ump that is anal about the noo hat backwards rule. I like to have my hair off my forehead when playing, but dont like having a shadow from the bill. Thinking about cutting the bill out to see what he says about that.

i use an under armour skull cap,keeps the sweat out of my eyes and no bill to deal with.

We have an ump here that goes NUTS if, as the on-deck batter, you don't pick up the batter's bat IMMEDIATELY after it hits the ground. He straight up YELLS at you if you're not like some kinda ball boy in tennis and don't run after that ****.

yep right up till the time the on deck batter get's drilled by a throw or accidentally interferes with a play at the plate.
i try but won't make a mad dash for it till i know for sure there is no play.

 

[mikegilham]

co-ed tourney this weekend... can't walk if there is a person on first unless they throw 4 straight balls... so get 1 strike and throw absolute garbage as long as you want after that

 

[joncon]

A local city league had a rule where, if you don't retrieve your HR ball before the guy who hit it was up again, he was an out.

I thought it was a fair rule but boy did it cause some rage.

They have since removed that rule.


The same city decided that HR's had to be run out. The guy in charge of parks and rec came out to the fields and saw guy's just touching 1B ion HR's and he thought it was wrong.

The have also removed that rule.

 

[MIDplyaCDM]

we are in the field, runner is rounding third to go home, ball is coming in hot. The guy would have been out easy. His third base coach grabs him and pulls him back to the 3 bag. Obviously you can't do that...auto out right??? Nope, Ump calls us for interference and lets him go home!!!!! A few of our guys had some words for him and got booted. haha He later says he thought it was our third baseman who grabbed the runner.

Not really a weird rule, just a blown call. Thats what happens when you don't get out from behind home plate.

 

[stork]

Have hat and jewelery rule at a couple leagues.
The one that drives me nuts is in Glenwood Sp where they a pitching rubber that starts about 4-6 inches in front of home plate going towards CF. Any play at the plate is a force, regardless. Catcher stands on this 'rubber' and you have to touch home before he catches ball. It is ASA-ish w/ Utrip bats league. If they really wanted to make it safer, they would use yellow balls instead of the dirty white balls that disappear/reappear in the night when you are in the OF.

 

[CarlsbadDrew]

-An ump in our league calls guys out for giving fist bumps to the base coaches when they get a nice hit, etc. I know that base coaches and runners cannot make contact while a ball is in play but taking it that far is a little ridiculous.

-I don't know a single league in my area that lets you "hit&sit" on homers. You have to run them out. We have an hour to play. Lets freaking get to it! Especially on our 275' fields with NO HR rules. Unlimited jacks. 20+ a game is not uncommon for upper teams and running those out wastes so much time!

 

[Joker]

Have hat and jewelery rule at a couple leagues.
The one that drives me nuts is in Glenwood Sp where they a pitching rubber that starts about 4-6 inches in front of home plate going towards CF. Any play at the plate is a force, regardless. Catcher stands on this 'rubber' and you have to touch home before he catches ball. It is ASA-ish w/ Utrip bats league. If they really wanted to make it safer, they would use yellow balls instead of the dirty white balls that disappear/reappear in the night when you are in the OF.

i hate those leagues. i understand its a safety thing, but making every play at home a force annoys me

 

[Frisco Kid]

yep right up till the time the on deck batter get's drilled by a throw or accidentally interferes with a play at the plate.
i try but won't make a mad dash for it till i know for sure there is no play.

Idiocy. As an umpire I'd much rather the on-deck batter stay out of the way until the play is over. I can't stand guys running right in front of me as I'm trying to watch a play. Plus they have to dodge runners coming home.

My thoughts exactly, on both counts.