Can You Play Baseball With A Cast? (2 Points Of View)
Broken bones and a cast are something that most people will experience in their lifetimes. Getting your bone broken certainly does hurt, but the most annoying part is the cast that can stay on for months. With that said, if you love a sport such as a baseball, it’s horrible not to be able to play it. Or can you?
You can’t play baseball with a cast in little league as the rules prohibit it. In other leagues, you can play with a cast if your doctor has approved it, and you make the necessary demands to your cast according to the rules. Recreationally, you can play with a cast, although you never shouldn’t.
Even when the rules might not always say that you can’t play baseball with a cast, you probably shouldn’t. If you have a cast and a broken bone, you shouldn’t play demanding sports, as it will impact your healing.
You will need most if not all of your bones for baseball, so it isn’t wise to play the sport with a cast. For batting, you will need both of your hands and the whole torso; for throwing and catching, you need both of your hands, and for running, you will need your whole body, especially your legs.
That being said, if you even could play baseball properly with a broken bone which I highly doubt, you will still be moving it in some way that affects your healing process.
Think about it. If you need a cast in the first place, why could you play a demanding sport such as baseball the following days? If a qualified doctor says that it is okay to play baseball with a cast, the only exception is that it is okay. Then, of course, it would be okay, but still, I would consider twice before doing so.
Check out the Little League and National Federation of State High School Association rulebooks below to learn more about the rules considering a cast and baseball.
- Little League Rule: ”A player or board-approved coach wearing any type of cast is not allowed on the playing field at any time, without exception. They may be in the dugout but not leave to the playing field.”
- NFHS rule 1. sec 5. art 8: ”Hard and unyielding items such as casts must be padded with a closed-cell, slow-recovery foam padding no less than 1/2” thick. Each state association may authorize exceptions to NFHS playing rules.
Contents
Can You Pitch With a Cast?
If you decide to play baseball with your cast, there are some rules you should know before entering the baseball field. One of the most important rules to know is pitching with a cast?
You can’t pitch with a cast in baseball if the cast is in your pitching hand, as it would be a distraction. A cast may be used on the nonpitching hand if it’s not white or distracting to the batter or umpire in the umpire’s judgment.
That being said, you can pitch if the cast isn’t in your pitching hand. Depending on the severity and location of your cast, it might be wise not to pitch or play any baseball anyways. However, if the cast is in a decent position, you don’t feel pain, and it is approved by your doctor, go ahead and pitch away!
Moving on to recreational baseball, you can pitch even if a cast is in your pitching hand if it is okay to the others. However, common sense should state that pitching with a cast arm isn’t wise. Still, it’s a matter of severity and location.
Can You Play Sports With a Cast?
Whether you can play a sport with a cast depends on where you have a cast and what type of sport you are playing. Sports that fully activities your body won’t let you play with a cast so easily, and you might not be able to. However, sports such as darts can be easily played with a cast, depending on where.
I have listed some of the most popular sports below and shortly answered whether you can play it with a cast or not.
Softball
Recreationally, you can play softball with a cast, but it might not be wise. Similarly, like baseball, you can’t play softball with a cast in a little league, but you can play in other leagues if your cast is sufficiently wrapped/padded, so it isn’t a safety hazard or distracting. This will be the umpire’s judgment.
Soccer
You can play competitive soccer with a cast if it is properly padded so it won’t be a safety hazard for you or others, and recreationally you can play it under your doctors and own judgment. However, the American Youth Soccer Organization won’t allow youth players to play soccer with a cast.
Ice Hockey
In short, you can’t play ice hockey with a cast because it is too physical and dangerous. However, if the rules and your doctor allow it, you can play ice hockey with a cast but certainly not right after the injury has happened. Although, you should never play ice hockey with a cast.
Basketball
According to basketball rules, you can’t play basketball with any kind of cast that has any unyielding substance. The rule would apply to the elbow, hand, fingers, wrist, and forearm, even if they were padded. You may play with a cast in other body parts if properly padded and approved by the referee.
Running
Generally, you can run with a cast. Otherwise, there are no issues with it. However, you still need to consider that running makes your hand movement and transfers vibrations to it. Therefore, if you experience pain, discomfort, or your doctor has ordered you not to run, then you shouldn’t.
Tennis
You can play tennis with a cast if you feel it won’t be harmful. The serving might present some difficulties; however, you can balance the ball on your strings, throw the ball upwards, and serve from there. Still, ask your doctor and think whether it is safe to play tennis with a cast with common sense.
My Favorite Baseball Equipment
Thanks for reading this article. I hope it brought you great value that you can implement into your own life! Below you can find my favorite baseball bat, baseballs, and a glove that I think will take your game to the next level!
- Bat: My favorite baseball bat is the Easton Project 3 Fuze. This bat has a composite end cap, reduced post-impact vibrations, balanced swing weight for the fastest swing speed, and a carbon core that makes this bat perform very well! As I’m not a professional baseball player, I like to use alloy bats as you can swing faster and hit further.
- Baseballs: Rawlings Competition Grade Practice Balls are my choice for something to hit. I love these balls because they fit all levels of play, so regardless of who you are playing with, you can use them. They come in a 6 or 12 balls box, and you can choose between raised or flat seams! I prefer flat seams as the balls tend to fly further!
- Glove: When it comes to the glove, my choice is the Rawlings Sandlot Glove. This glove is available for both lefties and righties. The same glove is also available for infielders, outfielders, pitchers, catchers, and 1B mitt. This glove has a nice vintage look, and it’s made from oiled leather. It has palm pads that protect your hand from impact, and it is pre-broken-in, so you are good to go as soon as you have it! A glove I’m proud to recommend.
- Fan Equipment: If you’re a fan more than a player, you don’t want to miss Fan Equipment by Fanatics. You can find items from various sports that bear your favorite team’s logo, such as jerseys, gift ideas, or other surprising things.