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The primary purpose for limiting conferences in amateur baseball and softball is to minimize delays in the flow of the game. So if there's already going to be an appreciable delay because the umpires have granted Time to the defense for a discussion, or to take a substitution, or to deal with an injury, etc., etc., then there is no problem for the offense to have meet as well.
As teebob mentioned, the NCAA won't allow runners to vacate their bases for delays involving player-only meetings by the defense, or when the PU is taking a substitution from either team. In those cases should the runners go to meet with a coach in the coach's box, it is an offensive conference. I've been told the reason why is because runners tend to still be trotting back to their bases when play is about to be resumed. But that only applies to base runners. There is no problem when the batter goes to talk to a base coach in these cases.
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"Let's face it. Umpiring is not an easy or happy way to make a living. In the abuse they suffer, and the pay they get for it, you see an imbalance that can only be explained by their need to stay close to a game they can't resist." -- Bob Uecker
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