Question: In high school baseball and softball, are fielders allowed to wear a first baseman’s mitt? Any penalty for wearing this glove type when play is made wearing it?
Answer: As long as glove meets proper dimensions/specs/color, no distinction is made between fielder’s glove or mitt; hence, no penalty if play is made with mitt. (BB- Rule 1, Sec. 3, Art. 6; SB- Rule 1; Sec. 4 Art. 1-5) Glove/mitt worn by a catcher may be any size.
Question: If a fielder makes a catch and the offense appeals that the glove has a sticky, tacky substance in the pocket area, is there a penalty? Is player removed from the game? Is batter allowed to return to bat?
Answer: B.B – Three base award from time of infraction, and only illegal glove is removed from the game. Rule 8-3-3 (b). S.B. – When fielder is found to have made a play using illegal glove and appeal is prior to next pitch, offended coach has choice to accept the result of the play (including outs recorded or runs scored) or have entire play nullified with runners returning to bases at time of pitch and batter returning to bat assuming the count. Illegal glove is removed from game and team warning issued. (SB- Rule 8-8-15 and 3-6-1)