[Skahtboi]

Originally Posted by Bluefoot

A couple of years ago, I remember that it was emphasized to us that we were to stop teams from holding defensive huddles, and exceeding their warm-up time each inning. Particularly after the 5 warm-up pitches have already been thrown, then the infield huddles at the mound before starting the half-inning. And also after defensive half-innings also.

In an NFHS game yesterday, the home team held a defensive huddle after the warm-up pitches were thrown, and before starting the top of the first inning started. The PU told the team "No defensive huddles allowed," and the huddle broke up. In each successive inning, the home team continued to huddle in this same manner, and the PU kept telling them to stop their huddling. After a few innings, he stopped saying anything and just let them continue on. If he had a spine and chose to impart the correct penalty, what would that be by NFHS or ASA rules? I cannot find anything in either set of rules prohibiting huddling, but I do remember that it was emphasized to us a couple of years ago to stop teams from doing it.

Can the PU rule that they have exceeded their one minute warm-up period and call ball one on the leadoff batter, even though an excess of 5 warm-up pitches had not been thrown?

The result of this team and umpire's behaviors gave the impression that the home team could dictate the terms of their warm-up as they chose.

Also, the after the home team made each defensive third out of all 7 innings, all nine players on the field gathered at the mound to form a line and high-five each other, as most teams do at the end of games only. Is there any rule against this type of action? Once the third out is made, is the defense obligated to vacate the field of play immediately? Is this considered another huddle?

All of the actions described above gave the sense to everyone present that the home team could do whatever it wanted, regardless of rules, umpires, or common courtesy.

Is the team described above doing anything against the rules? And if so, what should the umpire(s) do?

There is no rule to prevent a huddle on the mound after the warm up pitches are thrown, provided that the team is still within their one minute allotted time between innings. The emphasis that you are talking about from two or so years ago, was to prevent teams from huddling outside of their dugouts between innings while teams were warming up. (It was deemed a safety issue)

I am a firm believer in teams sticking to the one minute rule, which incidentally begins with the third out of the previous half innining. However, don't be overly officious when enforcing this. If you notice that a team huddles after warm-up pitches have been thrown, then reduce the number of pitches they throw the next time by informing the catcher on the third(or even second or first) warm up pitch that it is time for balls in and the warm-ups to cease.