[BretMan]

Here's the story I got...

Our local association's rule interpretor followed-up with the state and national NFHS representatives to help clarify this point. Much of the confusion stems from the fact that the Case Book play covering this is in error. The same incorrect Case Book play was distributed in the NFHS "Preseason" baseball packets widely distributed to its members.

- Case Book play 6.2.1 situation A, part (b) is incorrect.

This example play states that a pitcher going to the mouth while engaged on the rubber is illegal.

That was the ruling for previous years. That Case Book play was inadvertantly left in the book and is in direct conflict with the 2007 rule change. The error was not discovered until the Case Books had been printed and distributed.

- The 2007 interpretations on the NFHS website are correct and reflect how this rule should be called.

The two examples where an engaged pitcher goes to his mouth and a balk is subsequently called involve the pitcher doing something else that is a balkable offense.

For example, after coming set with his hands together, the pitcher separates the hands to lick his fingers. It is a balk because of the hand separation, not for going to the mouth while in contact with the rubber.

- The correct ruling for 2007 is that a pitcher engaged on the rubber may go to the mouth.

If he wipes off there is no penalty. If he fails to wipe, the ball is dead and the penalty is a ball added to the batter's count. This is no longer enforced as a balk.