[Jim Porter]

Originally posted by PeteBooth
Originally posted by Rich Ives

What advantages would you anticipate in a LL conversion to FED?

Rich I would recommend conversion starting with the Jr.'s and above. RE: Many of these kids play HS ball anyhow, so there wouldn't be much of a conversion factor unless you play in a state that did not adopt FED rulings, however, NY isn't one of them.

How about a state that didn't adopt any FED rules, never mind rulings. There are two of them, you know. And a third state has no high school baseball, so you can throw them into the mix as well.

Also, as you know from Eteamz, there has been many a discussion in which there wasn't a specific ruling in OBR but made clearer using FED. ie; the one described in this thread. A prime example would be verbal Interference. As you know the word verbal is absent from the OBR definition and is not recognized in authoritative opinion.

When's the last time you saw someone in MLB called out for verbal interference? However, the FED has both a definition and case book plays covering this very issue.

Professional baseball players know enough not to scream at an infielder who's about to catch a pop up. Verbal interference most certainly fits within the OBR definition. Perhaps you're talking about verbal obstruction, which in my mind is one of the most ridiculous of the FED rules.

There are many instances where FED has a specific ruling but OBR is vague.

Judging from the FED discussions I've seen all over the Internet for the past three years, OBR does not hold the patent on vague and confusing rulings.

IMO, what LL really needs is their own case book which defines Their Specific Game When we talk about in the act of making a play it's not feasable to apply the authoritative opinions of the PBUC or J/R and try and equate it to 11 yr. old LJ.

While I agree on the casebook idea, I have not had a problem applying the OBR to any level of Little League for the past 21 years. "The act of making a play," is the same thing whether you're 10 years old or 20.

The FED at least trys to bridge the gap between the game played by the Big Boys vs. the game played by most of us.

As a high school umpire from a state that has never adopted the FED book, the constructive changes that the FED has employed can easily be adopted to the OBR without having to change code numbers, or overhaul what are common sense rules. We are living proof that you can have your cake and eat it, too. You don't have to have ridiculous balk regulations and a good bat rule. You can have both the time-tested common sensical approach of the OBR, and the few good ideas that FED has implemented, all together in one league!