Metal softball cleats can give a player excellent traction when playing the sport, particularly under inclement weather conditions. When it has been cold and the ground is hard, metal cleats can help a player gain a toehold and keep from slipping. They are also beneficial when it is slippery after rainy conditions. Metal softball cleats can be dangerous, though, if the wearer is not careful.
Legalization of Metal Cleats
In many leagues involving youth players 12 or under, wearing metal spikes is forbidden. League officials are concerned about players getting spiked by opponents wearing the shoes. However, the National Federation of High Schools legalized metal spikes in 2008 to help girls play the game at a higher level. "Metal cleats provide better traction for athletes on nearly all surfaces, including hard, wet or under-maintained fields," said Cindy Simmons, chair of the NFHS Softball Rules Committee, quoted on the youth sports information website MomsTeam,com. "They also help prevent slippage on the bases, especially home plate."
Sliding into the Base
The biggest problem with metals cleats occurs when a player slides into a base. Players may not under any circumstances slide with their spikes "high." The NFHS says that if the spikes are above shin level, they are high. Girls who slide with their spikes high will be declared out for getting their spikes at a level where they could injure another player.
Intent to Injure or Intimidate
While this is open to interpretation, umpires have the right to remove players who are reckless with their spikes. If the umpire believes that the player sliding is attempting to intimidate or injure her opponent, the umpire can remove that player from the game. This can be a difficult decision to make, because the base runner may slide awkwardly and her spikes may come above the level of the shin as a result. In that case, an umpire should not throw the sliding player out of the game. However, if the slide is a good one and the spikes come up high, the player needs to be ejected from the game. That ejection will also keep the player out of the following game as well.
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