Little League Chapter Gives in to Parents, OKs Use of Safety Ball

Faced with mounting parental pressure and national media attention, officials of a Little League chapter have backed down and authorized the use of a “safety” ball for the rest of the season.

After threatening to expel coaches who attempt to use the “reduced injury factor,” or RIF, ball in the final five games of its division for 7- to 8-year-olds, board members from Rancho Niguel Little League agreed to the switch.

“They called us up and said, ‘You have our blessing to use the RIF ball the rest of the season,’ ” said Felicia Breshears, whose twin sons play in that division. “They came around 180 degrees.”

But Jeanne Peterson, one of 80 parents who signed a pro-RIF ball petition, was upset that league authorities only paid attention to parents after the news media wrote about the conflict. She called it a case of “too little, too late. As far as I’m concerned, they’re a day late and a dollar short.”

Dayton Meyer, president of Rancho Niguel Little League, declined to comment Wednesday. League officials noted that they always have used a safety ball in their 5-and-6-year-old division, otherwise known as T-ball, and in their 6-to-7-year-old division, known as coach-pitch.