MLB glove rules?

[splinters]

I found it odd that the MLB rule only allows gloves that are 12" or under.....Doesn't every outfielder use a 12 3/4" to 13" glove?

Any thoughts?

Here is the rule from MLB website:

1.14
Each fielder, other than the first baseman or catcher, may use or wear a leather glove. The measurements covering size of glove shall be made by measuring front side or ball receiving side of glove. The tool or measuring tape shall be placed to contact the surface or feature of item being measured and follow all contours in the process. The glove shall not measure more than 12 inches from the tip of any one of the four fingers, through the ball pocket to the bottom edge or heel of glove. The glove shall not measure more than 73/4 inches wide, measured from the inside seam at base of first finger, along base of other fingers, to the outside edge of little finger edge of glove. The space or area between the thumb and first finger, called crotch, may be filled with leather webbing or back stop. The webbing may be constructed of two plies of standard leather to close the crotch area entirely, or it may be constructed of a series of tunnels made of leather, or a series of panels of leather, or of lacing leather thongs. The webbing may not be constructed of wound or wrapped lacing to make a net type of trap. When webbing is made to cover entire crotch area, the webbing can be constructed so as to be flexible. When constructed of a series of sections, they must be joined together. These sections may not be so constructed to allow depression to be developed by curvatures in the section sides. The webbing shall be made to control the size of the crotch opening. The crotch opening shall measure not more than 41/2 inches at the top, not more than 53/4 inches deep, and shall be 31/2 inches wide at its bottom. The opening of crotch shall not be more than 41/2 inches at any point below its top. The webbing shall be secured at each side, and at top and bottom of crotch. The attachment is to be made with leather lacing, these connections to be secured. If they stretch or become loose, they shall be adjusted to their proper condition. The glove can be of any weight.

[worldwin]

Oh sure...it is a rule...but it is outdated and never enforced.

The whole thing needs to be rewritten for the 21st century!

[nygiants]

or enforced......

[BretMan]

That's one of those rules that by "gentleman's agreement" is overlooked. Besides, if a manager ever protested that a catch was made with an illegal glove, he would open himself up to having his own outfielders busted under the same rule!

On a related note, some amateur leagues not only allow gloves up to 14" in length, but also permit either gloves or mitts to be used at any position, instead of restricting mitts to only the first base and catcher position. Examples are high school and ASA softball, as well as high school baseball. (I'm an ASA and high school umpire).

But it varies from league-to-league and you can get different rules for different sanctioning bodies. For instance, Little League baseball not only restricts mitts to F2 and F3, but specifies that the catcher must use only a position-specific catcher's mitt.

[robin_buckeye]

What does this mean -- "Little League baseball not only restricts mitts to F2 and F3"?

Also, where can I find the section that states that the catcher must use a position-specific catcher's mitt?
Thanks,

[BretMan]

What does this mean -- "Little League baseball not only restricts mitts to F2 and F3"?

The statement above refers to the fact that they allow only the catcher (F2) and first baseman (F3) to wear a mitt (ie: a glove without individual finger stalls as found on the typical fielder's glove). A mitt is not allowed at any other defensive position- they must use a fielder's glove.

Also, where can I find the section that states that the catcher must use a position-specific catcher's mitt?

Since I no longer officiate Little League, my copy of their rule book is a couple of years out of date. The rules from my outdated book (and from my discussions with other active LL umpires, these rules have not been changed in recent years) that cover these items are 1.12, 1.13 and 1.14.

Rule 1.12 states that "The catcher must wear a catcher's mitt (not a first baseman's mitt or fielder's glove)...".

Rule 1.13 covers the glove or mitt used by the first baseman.

Rule 1.14 covers the gloves that must be worn at all other positions.

Even if the numbering has been changed in recent years, you should be able to find these rules in approximately the same location under rule 1.0 that covers uniforms and equipment.

[softball66]

I think it was in 1991 or '92 the Major League officials decided that they were going to inforce the 12" rule. Word went out to umpires. Of course outfielders and few others were playing with 13" and 14" gloves. The glove manufacturers pannicked and started changing all their dies to conform. But tacitly it seems no manager called the rule as was mentioned already. "You call the other guy; the other guy's gonna call you. So, it seems, word got around and no manager called and things went back to the 13-14 unwritten rule. Right, they should change the rule to fit the present game. When I interviewed Elmer Blasco, a longtime Rawlings executive, he told me Rawlings was always upset at MacGregor for making oversize (illegal-over 12") gloves in the 1950s and griped about it to no avail. Now the controversy did swell in the late 1940s when the rolled-laced webs extended the gloves reach an inch or more and that led to the rule where no rolled lace web gloves could be used.
Re: "the mitts used only at 1b and catcher," I was playing in a softball game years ago and one of our guys hit a line drive to the outfield and the outfielder was using a first base mitt to make the catch. One of our teammates-- surprise to me and the rest of us--called time out and protested to the umpire and our batter was allowed a hit on the play. This event probably doesn't come up much.

[BretMan]

In the softball world, high school softball (and, even baseball) have allowed either gloves or mitts to be worn by at any defensive position for as long as I can remember. Their reasoning behind this has always been presented as "participation". Their stance is that a child should not be forced to purchase specialized gloves or mitts to participate in their games.

ASA softball changed their rule to match the high school rule only about two or three years ago. The change was promted by the Akadema "near-fingerless" fielder's gloves. The ASA rulesmakers had initially ruled this glove to be catagorized as a "mitt", thus preventing its use at any position other than catcher and first base.

Following that season, the Rules Committee reviewed the issue and determined that use of either a glove or mitt presented to real advantage. The rule was then changed to allow gloves or mitts at any position.

Some softball organizations, most notably NSA, still carry the glove/mitt distinction and restriction in their rules.

[robin_buckeye]

A coworker told me that at her son's LL game last night the pitcher wore a batting glove inside his fielding glove. When the umpires noticed it, they made him remove the batting glove.

I didn't know that this was not allowed. Can anyone point me to the relevant rule(s).
Thanks,

[Cowboy7130]

I have heard of this rule for years, and have seen it enforced. I never bothered to look it up, and assumed that the umpires were within their rights to have a kid take off his batting glove under his fielding glove. I have no complaint with the "Rule."

But I can't find it. ANYWHERE. The closest thing I found online is this:

http://eteamz.active.com/baseball/rules ... g%20glove/

WEARING A BATTING GLOVE RULE
It is not stated in the rule book, but the N.A.P.B.L. Umpire Manual states:

"No pitcher shall be allowed to wear a golf glove while pitching. Other defensive players may wear a golf glove on their glove hand, but they shall not rub the ball with the golf glove on their hand."

For Little League, the pitcher may wear a glove underneath his glove, provided it is the same color as the baseball glove.

A league may make a rule that completely disallows any glove underneath.

[Bubdoggy]

The batting glove rule was news to me. I told my son this weekend to keep his batting glove on his hand for his first tournament (40 degrees with 25+ MPH gusts on Saturday here in the sunny south, crazy playing baseball in that). He pitched as well and the umps didn't call him out.

Funniest quote he had last year was fielding a high throw at first. He came off the field saying he had used all 13" of his 12" glove.

[dwknowles]

the rule about the batting glove might be in the uniform code or even the area adressing the background (Like not allowing fans to sit dead center because it makes it hard to pick up a baseball being pitched), instead on in the pitching area of the rule book.

Generally when a pithcer is asked to remove a batting glove it is because it is white, or light in color and the additional white can disrupt or confuse a batter (who is looking for a white ball)during a wind up. The same is also the case when players who are wearing colored uniforms but try to wear white undershirts that may have longer sleeves allowing the sleaves to hang out. I have seen umpires require players to roll up, or cut sleeves, and or take off the undershirt and or a batting glove.

[awarsoca]

Bubdoggy...you in Columbia? we had 5 of the 13 players on my son's LL team not come because of the weather Saturday. My son got moved to catcher for the game and loved it, so much for me getting out of LL cheaply (c: