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Originally Posted by tcannizzo
I agree with what you write. It ain't broken, but it could use some improvement.
Specifically, there should be a full-time linguistic grammarian who can take the rules and make them make sense. Especially in light of the fact that less than 1% of the 35K umpires out there use nothing more than the rule book and case book.
The book needs to be re-written from cover to cover, if for no other reason that for effective business communication.
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Actually, the NUS has a full-time grammarian and you know him. And we (him and I) have discussed this issue.
The rule book is not a novel. It is a reference document, not a "good read". The purpose of a reference document is to provide information in a manner which will be understood by those to whom it is directed.
Personally, I think the ASA rule book is concise and one of the better written rule books around. Try reading MLB's book or, even better, the NCAA football rules. Part of the issue I believe most people have with ASA rules, as I have preached as long as I have been on this board, is that ASA rules are a package, not just a set of pages in a book. The package includes the rules, POE, the case book and clinics. It is an umpire's responsibility to learn their trade. That includes annual maintenance.
When I note that my concern is the 30K that may not comprehend the rule changes, it isn't so much as those umpires personally, but the manner in which they represent ASA and the integrity of the game. As an ASA umpire, it is embarassing to have an umpire impose a local rule, or myth, during a national championship.