Softball Face Masks - Should They Be Mandatory?

Interesting that in the article it says the girl lost the ball in the sun. I'm assuming that meant it was a popup. Sounds like an unfortunate accident, but not a reason to mandate face protection in my opinion.

Sports are inherently dangerous. You'll never take all the danger out of them, no matter how many regulations you pass. All it takes is one poorly maintained field, or one kid who misjudges the distance to the fence, to cause damage.

I liked the face cages on batting helmets. I'm not as hip to the face protection on fielders, although I have no good reason to back up that opinion. I have a feeling it is inevitable.

I wonder if face masks on football helmets met the same resistance back in the day?

Please don’t misunderstand me when I say that I think making faceguards mandatory is a bad idea. I didn’t say using them was a bad idea. I said making them mandatory is a bad idea. My daughter is going on 7 (I have 2 older daughters that have played at the national level) and if she shows a desire to pitch we just might have her wear one from the start. This is vastly different from asking a 10-16 year old to wear one when they never have. This could have an adverse affect on the number of pitchers we have in our league as some will quit. What we don’t need is less quality pitchers.

This is a personal decision that should not be mandated. If it is mandated, in my opinion, the league should provide them and should provide them to every player on every team. Why every player and not just pitchers and third baseman? During recreational play coaches should be allowing every player to try every position on the field and not just once to satisfy the “requirement”. If every player is going to try pitching or 3b then they would need a faceguard. The proper fit of these faceguards is paramount. If you put a player on the field with an improperly fitted mask you are asking for trouble. The game is slow enough without taking timeout to adjust a mask whenever you want to switch up players or make a substitution. This could actually change a coaches mind as to whether to substitute or not because he may not want to bother refitting a mask in the middle of a game. Much like changing catchers in the middle of an inning takes time, so would this.

The mask is a personal device that should be kept by the player and not shared. It’s not far from sharing a water bottle and we do discourage that. The mask is an excellent piece of equipment and can save someone from serious injury. Let’s allow the parents to make the decision and make the purchase on their own. If a coach feels that a player should wear one they can highly suggest it to the parents and leave them to decide.

Hi Tim,

Thanks for your detailed comment. Very interesting and for most part I agree.

I just think that over time, it will probably become standard like goalie mask in hockey or cages on batting helmets.

40 feet is not very far for a line drive. They could have a program where they make it mandatory at 10U, then 2 years later, 12U and so on progressively.

I am always for safety

Marc

I don't think face masks on helmets or on defense should be mandated. I just do not think it's necessary. If one wants to use such a device, fine. But it should be a personal decision and not legislation.

The group I'm involved with for spring is recreational. I coach at a local high school also but this is mostly for the recreational league. I did the math..not that money should stand in the way of safety but just for the sake of arguement…

Let’s say you put 6 masks in each team’s bag. 6 would be approximately half of a normal team’s roster. The Gameface faceguard costs $40. Let’s also say that we equip 12 teams, 4 teams at 3 differing levels.

6 x $40 = $240/team This is 6 masks in each team bag at $40each multiplied by the number of teams (12)
$240 x 12 = $2880

10 x $40 = 400/team This is 10 masks in each bag at $40 each multiplied by the number of teams (15) which would include 3 summer teams.
$240 x 15 = $6000

Am I saying that the cost of the masks out weighs the safety of the kids no I’m not. I’m saying that it’s not a league decision it’s up to each family to decide whether they want this or not. They could buy it and try it to see if they like it or not. If they don’t then they stop using it.

Why making faceguards mandatory is not a good idea:
• If as a spring recreational coach you are trying several players at each position you would need more than one or two in each bag.
• Having one or two in each teams bag isn't in the budget, @ $40each.
• If you are preparing your players for high school softball, they don't wear them at that level.
• Sharing faceguards is not the same as sharing catchers helmets as the guard touches more skin/mouth/nose than catchers gear does. Coaches should be discouraging sharing items like this.
• Sharing faceguards could also slow the game down as each guard is sized for each person and adjustments would need to be made each time they changed from one player to the next.
• Making these mandatory could discourage kids from playing and ultimately quit the game. No organization should be adding to this problem.
• We should be following the safety requirements of the governing body.
• Making a player wear this device could have an adverse affect on their ability to perform. Didn't say it would affect their performance but it could. It can be hard to see and it does move around when you sweat.
• If time isn’t taken to fit the faceguard to each player prior to using it and the player gets injured due to the lack of a good fit (obstructed view) we could open the league to include coaches, for a lawsuit that otherwise may not have happened.

Marc,

I agree that eventually it may become like the batting faceguards and get mandated. I still won't agree with it. Making a girls wear one who's been pitching for 4-5yrs could have a serious impact on her ability to throw. She may get used to it after a while but the immediate impact would be huge and could ultimately make her leave the game. Some leagues have a hard enough time getting quality pitching. Why would we make it harder? Move the mound back, restrict the balls, do something else.

Tim

Tim,

I wouldn't impose for all players or even all infielders but where I see the benefit is for pitchers.

I agree that the ball doesn't travel at high velocities in recreational ball. Our point of reference is different. I have seen ton of elite ball and I can't count how many times a pitcher was "lucky" to catch to ball that was hit right back at her with a lot of force.

And playing 3rd base at the elite level of our sport is almost suicidal sometimes when the 3rd baseman sometimes plays half-way between the bag and home plate to defend the bunt.

I think having a face mask for pitchers will be the same as in other sports when you introduce a new equipment, it takes time to get used to it.

If you want to be a catcher, you wear a mask. If you want to be a hockey goalie, you wear a mask. Football players play with one. I don't think in a few years, wearing one for pitchers will be a big deal.

My other points of references might be that on my own 16U travel team (first time back at that level in 10 years), 2 of my pitchers and one corner on my team are wearing Game Face like it is part of the usual equipment.

And the funny thing is that 2 of these young ladies are probably the most self-conscious athletes on my team about how they look, what is fashionable and what is not, etc.

You can't change the nature of the game. Increased protection is just a natural evolution of all sports.

Marc, This is a great subject for debate such as seatbelts for drivers and helmets for motorcyle operators and passengers. I live in West Virginia where both of these are laws and there is still much debate on the issues. Anytime change is suggested we will have conflicting opinions which is good. So here is mine. I believe as you do that it will become mandatory for pitchers,my daughter is a pitcher and it is mandatory for her(my rule) to wear the gameface when pitching. She has been wearing one for four years and would not think of pitching without it. She is fourteen now and when she was 10 she was hit in the face with a line drive from the bat of a ten year old who could have passed for sixteen easily. She was wearing sunglasses at the time which took some of the impact although probably contributed to the two black eyes she received, she was also sporting new braces on her teeth which caused an emergency call out for an orthodontist to repair along with several teeth which were loose but saved. The facial x-rays showed no broken bones and we were thankful for that good news, so you may say I would not be opposed to it being mandatory for pitchers and first and third. Yes the gameface is expensive but I could have bought them for the league for what that one incident cost Incidentally she has had several close calls in the last four years but she does react very well to the ball and defends her position after release. I love the game of softball and the crack of the bat but I never want to hear that sickening sound again when the ball hits a pitcher in the face.

Are any of these masks approved by a testing agency like NOCSAE? As far as I know, none of these are and from a legal standpoint, no league should make safety equipment mandatory without that piece of equipment holding up to a certain standard.

Hi Paul,

I would not be able to say. I am not sure - I imagine they have tested their equipment though. Good question.

When your daughter started wearing the gameface did it take long for her to get use to it and does she find if fairly comfortable? My 10 year old daughter started pitching last year and I am coaching the team and not only worry about her but all the infielders.

Were would anyone recommend getting a good quality face mask?

We went with the Game Face mask: http://www.gameface.com/whatis.asp Rachel says it feels a little funny but other than that she likes it. Ifyou look around on line you can find them as low as $23. I found there newest model for $28

Hi Kristen:

Check this site - there is a good choice. You can contact the owner of the site - knows equipment well.

http://www.infieldermasks.com/

A review by the same owner on his Fastpitch TV Show having girls giving their opinions on the various masks - could give you more info about them.

http://fastpitchtvshow.com/?p=479

Hope that helps!

Marc

I just got popped yesterday in the eyebrow. I was catching and the batter tipped the ball and it went over my glove. 4 hours later and 7 stiches, I would recommend a mask. Kinda late now after the fact.

Sorry to hear that. I hope you are alright. Accident do happens. That is why prevention, even if not popular or sexy, is important.

Thanks for sharing.

I have to agree with Mr Whorton. My Daughter loves pitching and she plays 8U but next year she moves up-girls get bigger ball gets bigger and harder but distance is all the same. When shes not pitching shes at 1st or 3rd so I'm going to make in mand (mom&dads rule)My daughter also catches and we got her the best we could to keep her safe - is not expensive if it is making my daughter that much safer. Whats worse having a player trying to get used to the mask and affecting there ability till they do or having a player get hurt and affecting there playing forever some never go back to before after getting a ball to the face.

I agree with use of game face: Here's why. !. @ 40.00 per player, (I think parents should provide them if their child is gonna play, just like they provide bats and gloves) The expense is minimal for protecting your child and $40.00 is much less expensive than a trip to the ER or worse. I have seen at 12U level FP , a girl get hit in the eye orbit from a line drive while on 2nd base. It almost cost her her eye.(Oddly enough, next game and thereafter, she was wearing Game Face!) Game face will prevent that sort of thing from happening. My own daughter has had grounders take a bad hop and smack her in the mouth at SS and 3rd, as well as outfield. She has been wearing one since 10U. SO GLAD we have the Game face! (she also pitches but has been lucky there so far!) I also know of pitchers taking a "bad hit," on the mound and then never being able to get back on without fear of injury. Some are never the same after a BAD hit. How expensive is it then?
I think it SHOULD be mandated because of the injuries I've seen it prevent, and injuries that have happened without it.

Just like the mask on the batting helmet, Girls will learn to play with it on, if it's used at every practice/game. If EVERYONE is mandated to wear them, the "playing field" will be even for everyone. Every player/coach/team will be dealing with the same thing and over time I tink the manufacture of the game face can refine it and make it easier to adjust/use/see.
Just my 2 cents worth…

Our Varsity Softball team requires pitchers to wear masks. Also our Middle School now requires it. Reason? I was coaching in a varsity game last year and one of my big hitters hit a line drive back at the pitcher. It hit her in the right shoulder. She was a very athletic pitcher but because of the power of the girl and these new composite bats she couldn't even move to defend herself. I would rather be safe then sorry. Our pitchers have taken no time at all to get used to these masks. Our kids prefer the worth mask but we have 2 different kinds.