# No caps in women's softball? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 6, 2011, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-caps-in-womens-softball/584503 "2011-06-06T14:41:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dingbang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac8455/32.png) [@Dingbang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dingbang)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-caps-in-womens-softball/584503/1 "2011-06-06T14:41:17Z")
I was watching some of the women’s college softball championship over the weekend and noticed that none of the players in the field wore caps. The umpires did, and the coaches did, (sometimes visors instead of a full cap), but none of the women playing in the field. Is that typical for women’s softball? If so, why don’t they wear caps the same as baseball players or men’s softball? ---
**Author:** ![jonesj2205](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecc23a/32.png) [@jonesj2205](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jonesj2205)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-caps-in-womens-softball/584503/2 "2011-06-06T14:48:39Z")
Some wear visors, most wear headbands. My daughter plays high school softball and she and one other girl who both grew up playing baseball are the only ones who wear caps. Daughter does say that a lot of caps don’t fit well or stay on with pony tails. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-caps-in-womens-softball/584503/3 "2011-06-06T17:34:56Z")
The pony tail thing is probably the main reason. The size and high visibility of the ball also make wearing a cap less necessary than in baseball. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-caps-in-womens-softball/584503/4 "2011-06-06T18:18:38Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > The pony tail thing is probably the main reason. The size and high visibility of the ball also make wearing a cap less necessary than in baseball. Huh? Hats are worn more to block the sun than see the ball. As said above hats aren’t worn because they don’t fit on a head too well if hair is braided or in a pony tail. Most girls now will wear a visor if they want a bill. Most don’t wear them because they just don’t like them. \*this is anecdotal only; from someone who has umpired Fastpitch Softball for almost 20 years in every age group from 10 & U rec league; to 6A high school; to NCAA, to adult fast pitch. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-caps-in-womens-softball/584503/5 "2011-06-06T18:19:49Z")
Moving to the Game Room. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-caps-in-womens-softball/584503/6 "2011-06-07T00:55:01Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > Huh? Hats are worn more to block the sun than see the ball. Right; blocking glare from the sun helps see the ball, especially on pop flies. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-caps-in-womens-softball/584503/7 "2011-06-07T01:35:48Z")
I’m just saying that the bigger the ball, the harder it would be to lose the ball in the sun. But the main reason is the pony tail thing. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-caps-in-womens-softball/584503/8 "2011-06-07T16:32:41Z")
I think if MLB players with afros back in the day kept their hats on, girls can manage with their hair as well. Plus that look of a pony tail poking out of the back of a cap is kinda cute. ---
**Author:** ![jonesj2205](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecc23a/32.png) [@jonesj2205](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jonesj2205)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-caps-in-womens-softball/584503/9 "2011-06-07T17:18:58Z")
The better hats are fitted and don’t have the hole above the adjustment strap that the pony tail comes out of. Daughter was not happy the year her Little League team’s hats were upgraded. ---
**Author:** ![Dingbang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac8455/32.png) [@Dingbang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dingbang)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-caps-in-womens-softball/584503/10 "2011-06-07T17:31:25Z")
In the league my son plays baseball in, the girls’ teams use batting helmets made specially to accommodate the pony tails. They either have a hole in the back that the tail sticks through or a big curved ridge down the back of the helmet. If they can find ponytail-friendly helmets, it seems they should be able to find ponytail-friendly caps too. Just sayin’.