SAFETY IN SOFTBALL
Motto: A Minimum of Accidents in Softball this Season.

BATS

No bat should be allowed on the playground that--
1. is cracked or broken in any way.
ee is not properly taped.
Se has the knob worn off,
4. is larger than the Official Softball Bat.

Note: We have purchased two types of bats--a smaller, light-
er bat (No. PG) that is to be used by the smaller children only, and
an Official bat (No. 90) for the larger children,

The Side at Bat
All children waiting their turn at bat should stand at least 15
feet (5 full steps) from the batter---behind the backstop or in some
other position where it is impossible to be struck by a bat that is
thrown or that slips from the batter's hands is better,

Throwing the Bat after Batting

All children should be trained to develop the habit of laying the
bat down by home plate after hitting a fair ball, For the safety of
the other children, bat throwers should be deprived of the right to bat
unless the fault is corrected immediately.

Letting the Bat Slip Out of the Hands

All children should be taught to wrap the fingers around the bat
and grip the bat tightly when batting. If a child does let a bat slip
that was properly taped and had a good knob, it is my suggestion, ex=
cept under careful supervision, to not allow that child to bat during
the remainder of the season because of the danger to the other pupils,
The child may play his position on the field but pass his turn at bat
on to the next batter,

Swinging the Bat Carelessly on the Playground

Home Plate is the only place where a player should swing a bate
In batting for fielding practice it should be understood by all cone
cerned that he is going to swing the bat. There should be no bat
swinging whatsoever on the way to and from the diamond, It is my suge
gestion to principals and teachers that responsible monitors be ap-
pointed to take full charge of taking the bats to and from the diamonds
at the free play time and the physical education periods, and these
monitors be instructed and trained to eliminate this danger of bat
Swinging, On the signal for the close of the period, all bat swinging
should stop immediately and the monitors should take charge of the
bats, Some of the most serious accidents occur in that moment of re-
laxation just after the signal when some child takes a lusty swing with
the bat as the others are starting to leave the field,

Home Plate the "Danger Zone"
Non Players Crossing the Diamond During a Game

All childrén in the schools should be taught that home plate, dur-
ing a ball game, is a very dangerous spot and they should no more run
or walk near it than they should run or walk into a busy street, It
is my suggestion to principals that, if possible, the assignments of
play spaces be so arranged “bie it will not be necessary to cross a
diamond to get to an assigne nspace, and to assign small children to
play spaces as far from home plates as possible, Train children to
avoid home plates,

"The best treatment in case of accident is to avoid the accident."

Approved by Le P,. Dittemore,
Ae Je Stout, Supervisor of Physical Education,
Superintendent of Schools, Elementary and Junior High Schools.