[WestMichBlue]

Originally Posted by AtlUmpSteve

Let's put this where it clearly belongs. When NFHS wrote its own softball rulebook, it copied many sections from NFHS baseball.

Once again, the NFHS bashers make this (erronous, false, incorrect - your choice) statement; I suppose to support their fantasy that ASA is the PURE form of softball and NFHS is just a wanna-be.

The truth is that back in the late 50's the NFHS and the NJCAA co-created a set of rules for 12 Inch Baseball. This was very similar to the original Women's Professional Baseball created in 1943. They used baseball rules with modifications (pitching underhand, larger ball, and smaller diamond). They proudly proclaimed their goal to create a single set of rules for their high school and JUCO umpires.

HOWEVER - that expiriment was junked, and NFHS COPIED ASA when they wrote their own softball book. Not verbatim, obviously, but you may be suprised how identical the playing rules were. Example: NFHS obstructed runner would get at least one base beyond the last base achieved when they were obstructed. Baseball rule - yes? No - exact copy of ASA rule at that time - which was 1979 - almost 30 years ago.

So, for a while, the NFHS rule stated that "A pitcher is required to pitch until the first batter facing her has completed her turn at bat or the side has been retired." ASA never had that rule;

You gotta be kidding! That was an ASA rule for over 50 years! NFHS simply copied it from ASA.

NFHS chose to add the phrase "IS NO LONGER; I am sure the NFHS apologists (WMB, et al) find that easier to accept, but ASA never required it, so "no longer" would be inaccurate in the ASA rulebook.

Wrong again, Steve! Those are ASA words, and they existed in the ASA book for 10 years. As noted in earlier post, ASA dropped the sentence completely for a couple years, and replaced it with the current statement in 1998.

In '99 the NFHS handled it a little differently. They said that a starting pitcher could be removed before pitching to the first batter, but then could not re-enter as a pitcher. However, a sub pitcher still had to pitch to the first batter. (Note that "could be removed" is a positive statement; much easier to understand than ASA's negative statement.)

By 2002 the NFHS decided to drop the restriction on the sub pitcher, and to make sure everyone understood, they adopted . . . . . guess what - the old ASA statement that "the pitcher is no longer required to pitch to the first batter etc etc. In 2006 NFHS simply dropped the statement from its book. As ASA did in '96, but (so far) NFHS has not seen fit to add the dumb statement that ASA did - the one that is the subject of this post's controversey.

So, David; easy fix. Take out the word "not", apply/understand your baseball rule, then apply "not", making it not required.

So, David; relax. Read the NFHS book for a clearer understanding of this situation. There is no need for a negative statement to authorize an action that is not prohibited in the first place. (edited by wmb)

WMB