Upon Further Review: Scrunchie rule sounds like a joke
Over the past couple of weeks a new thread on CoachT.com has caught my attention.
The subject is the new rule the TSSAA has supposedly installed in this years girls fast-pitch softball over the use of scrunchies.
Now for those of you that don’t know what a scrunchie is, it is a rubber band, so to speak, that girls use to pull their hair back with. The rule is not for using it in their hair, but for when they use it to hold up their sleeves.
Pitchers often use scrunchies to keep their sleeves out of their way when they pitch. There is even a special velcro device you can buy which is made just for holding back rolled-up sleeves.
Some say they feel more comfortable with their sleeves rolled up out of their way when they’re pitching, explaining when the sleeves are hanging down in bothers them when they start their arm motion.
Should this be that big of a problem, and be so wrong the TSSAA bans these items?
According to some, the new rule will not allow a girl to even roll up her sleeves. Is this some type of uniform rule or some type of safety measure?
Some seem to think it is a little of both.
If it’s part of a uniform rule, then what about all the girls out there in different toboggans, sweatshirts, shoes and all sort of different things?
I have even read this rule was adopted because of possible health issues.
What? Health issues? Give me a break.
They are trying to compare this to football players taping their sleeves so they can’t be tackled so easy. Some players have even taped their arms so tight that it actually cuts of the circulation.
I can just see it in the paper, SCRUNCHIE POSES HEALTH THREAT. I don’t think a pitcher could pitch if her sleeves were tied up so tight it cut off her circulation.
You say just alter the sleeves and cut some of the length off. Sorry, no. The rule supposedly states you can not alter your uniform in any way.
Who could have possibly come up with this insane rule, or even have a problem with girls rolling up their sleeves to play softball?
Could this just be a rumor started my some coach who doesn’t like the look of rolled-up sleeves?
I have tried to find this new ruling in the TSSAA rulebook, and so far have had no luck. I even e-mailed the TSSAA and have not received a response from them as of yet.
Maybe there is no such rule. If so, they probably think I’m crazy for asking about such a stupid thing.
I am convinced this has to be a bad post; just some coach or player that has a problem with seeing girls roll up their sleeves like guys do all the time.
Maybe I’m missing something here. But until I see this rule in black and white from the TSSAA, I just have to think somebody out there is sitting back laughing at everybody who is getting so upset about this on the Internet. This person just wanted to see how many people would get so upset over something so stupid.
I think you should all be in the same uniform and dress in a respectful manner, but using a scrunchie to hold your sleeves up out of your way so you can pitch is going just a little too far.
If this is a new rule put into place by the TSSAA, I’m sure they have a good reason for it.
But I do know one thing. They are going to have a lot of explaining to do to some very upset ball players out there.