Who resolves a question about the legality of a player's equipment?

• A. The umpire-in-chief.
• B. The head coach of the player's team.
• C. The concurrence of both head coaches.
• D. The concurrence of the opposing head coach and the umpire-in-chief.

Answer: (A)

Authority to resolve equipment legality questions rests with the umpire-in-chief. When a question comes up about whether a player's equipment meets the rules, the official in charge on the field has the final say after inspecting the gear. Coaches may request a ruling, but they don’t determine the verdict, and it doesn’t require the agreement of both teams’ coaches. The umpire-in-chief may confer with the crew, but the decision belongs to him. For example, if a glove or bat’s legality is in doubt, he evaluates it and rules accordingly before play continues.