BMBA requires all coaches to reinforce the following safety rule during all league activities (clinics, practices, games, etc.) to avoid player injuries. Please support us by implementing this rule in your team’s activities and keep an avoidable injury from ever happening to one of our kids.
RULE: All players are required to hold the bat by the barrel when moving from place to place. The only time a player is allowed to hold a bat by the handle is when they are preparing to swing* at a ball.
*There are only two instances players are allowed to swing a bat during a league sponsored activity:
1. When standing at a spot that is designated by a coach/adult for working on the swing (i.e. on deck circle, batting tee, soft toss, etc.)
2. When standing at home plate during batting practice, a scrimmage or a game
Also:
3. When multiple batters are swinging a bat (whiffle ball batting, tee work, etc.), no batter is allowed to move from their designated swinging spot until all participants have set their bats down.
4. No player is allowed to toss a ball up in order to swing at it. i.e., ‘pitch to themselves’, play ‘golf’ with a bat and a ball that is on the ground or any other such bat swinging activity not clearly defined by a coach/adult.
The BMBA executive request that the coaches and adults involved with a baseball or softball activity take a diligent approach to enforcing these rules all day, every day, all season. We should only see kids holding a bat by the handle when they are getting ready to hit a pitched/tossed ball or when standing at a tee. Any other time we see our kids around the ball field they either do not have a bat in their hands or a carrying it by the barrel.
How do we motivate our kids to establish the safe habit of always holding the bat by the barrel when carrying it from place to place? By ensuring as coaches that we lead in the behaviors we want our young ball players to emulate, and to let them know that is how the pros do it (and point this out to them); and the pros are cool.
Starting today, let’s teach our kids how to be cool …and remain safe.