The batter enters the box with a cracked helmet. What is the immediate penalty?

• A. The batter is declared out and the head coach is restricted to the dugout/bench.
• B. The batter is instructed to secure a legal helmet and the damaged helmet is removed from play.
• C. Both the batter and the head coach are ejected.
• D. The head coach and the assistant coach are restricted to the bench for the balance of the game.

Answer: (B)

Safety requires all protective gear to be in good condition before a batter continues. A cracked helmet is not acceptable, so the umpire stops play and the batter must replace the damaged helmet with a legal one before continuing. The damaged helmet is taken out of play to prevent use of unsafe equipment.

This is the correct approach because it directly protects the batter and keeps the game moving once proper equipment is secured. The other options involve penalties for people (like ejecting coaches) that aren’t triggered by simply having a damaged helmet.