Quote:
Originally posted by Tim C
Just a further extrapolation of "not calling rules" . . .
I was surfing umpire websites one day when I found this one:
http://www.hartfordumpires.com
Always being interested in Association websites I went into visit the site.
While working my way through the site I found an area called:
"Interpreter's Corner":
In that space were comments on the 2005 NFHS rules changes.
The following was included:
"The 2005 Casebook page 42 Situation J a) allows the pitcher to make an "abrupt" and quick shoulder turn while on the rubber with hands separated. The case book ruling 6-1-1-SITUATION J is "partially" incorrect The RULING should read illegal in (a)and legal in (b). NFHS is aware of the incorrect ruling and will be changing it in next year's case book. This has been confirmed with Ray Faustich - State Interpreter. In the unlikely even that a "studious" coach refers to the ruling in the case book, the umpire should simply tell him that there was a mistake during printing of the case book."
Now this is just a false statement.
It sounded to me much like a local group "not liking" the new rules and were leading their members down a road.
I contacted Elliot Hopkins at the National Federations of High Schools and asked him if, indeed, the test (question #88), the Case Book example and the Interpretation posted on the FED website were all in error.
Elliot's answer was:
" . . . the rule is very clear in all of our publications as you made note in your e-mail. I know Ray very well and am not sure why he would say that the rule is incorrect when clearly it is not. If the NFHS Baseball Rules Committee and the high school community feel that the rule needs to be tweaked, then it will be expressed to the committee and appropriate measures will be taken. I can tell you we do that similar evaluation with every rule annually. I hope this helps in clearing things up for you."
If you go to the Hartford site now you will find that the referenced material above has been removed.
The POE about professionalism was entered into this years book PRECISELY because of local groups that would not call FED rules they did not like.
We have a job . . . that job is to call the rules of our client.
We have people here that work Little League I don't remember them complaining about those rules. We have people that work NABA I don't hear them complaining about those rules.
I am not sure "why" people have so much heartache about FED Baseball Rules. He!!, FED football and basketball have different rules, I don't see those areas of websites having the problems we seem to have in baseball.
[Edited by Tim C on Apr 7th, 2005 at 05:22 PM]
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Tim: You did the FED a real service by calling the CT error to the attention of Mr. Hopkins.
Perhaps you recall the screaming about my play in the BRD concerning a lodged ball: "We ain't calling it in Illinois," someone posted. "Our interpreter told us...." Umpires from other states chimed in. They were all wrong, of course. When the interpreters met in January, the FED administrators put a stop to all that nonsense.
You pointed out that FED umpires are always complaining about the rules rather than doing what their "bosses" (the NFHS) require.
As Marisa Tomei said in
My Cousin Vinny, You are "balls on accurate."