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Pete:
I will not umpire for any "league" or association which deviates from a set of official rules (OBR/FED/PONY/NCAA/Babe Ruth, etc.)if they do not have their deviation in writing.
I used to hear coaches say things like "we only give one base on throws into DBT", too, only to find out that upon investigation that there was no such "rule". They were just attempting to institutionalize a myth.
99% of the time you run into crap like this, it is the same. They really don't have a "rule" that runs afoul of reality. Instead they have a "practice" that runs afoul of reality. Instead of bowing down to nonsense, this is an opportunity to educate.
When I get calls asking me to work in or assign for a league with which I am not familiar, or one that has a reputation for strange rules, I ask them for a copy of any and all rules that vary from official rules. In those few instances where they have something in writing, they are invariably rules that affect safety or participation.
I never accept a coach's word on anything that violates real baseball rules, and I have never had to defend utilizing the real rules with league officials.
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GB
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