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I couldn't agree with you more, Pete. It was about this time last year that I started lurking on the boards, and boy were my eyes opened up. After 11 years of umpiring I thought I knew it all until I was exposed to the NAPBL, J/R, JEA, the BRD, and boards such as these. I've more in my 2 years of "internet umpiring" than I have in the 11 years of clinics. And that's not a knock on my trainers, who I have a lot of respect for, it's just that back then they didn't have the resources we have now.
Now, I'm trying to figure out why youth leagues don't adopt FED rules instead of OBR. FED was written for amateur ball, they come with built-in safety rules, procedures for reprimanding players and coaches, and just seem to integrate nicer with youth ball than pro rules. In fact, a lot of the youth leagues and tournaments use FED safety rules, such as the slide rules. It must be frustrating for HS coaches and players to play by one set of rules in the spring, only to switch over to the "men's" rules in the summer, only to switch back to FED the next spring.
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