[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

I want to start out by apologizing for what will be a long post but it is partly rant and partly a request for learned observations, opinions, recommendations, and rules interpretations (The league being discussed uses NFHS Baseball Rules.).

The rules of baseball define where teams are to have their on-deck batters warm up. NFHS Baseball R1-S2-A3 states: “The on-deck circle should be to the side and away from home plate, 37 feet if space allows. Neither team's players shall warm up in the other team's on-deck circle. The on-deck circle does not have to be occupied, but if a player wishes to warm up, he shall do so only in his team's on-deck circle, provided the
on-deck circle is located safely away from home plate.” In fact all major baseball and fast pitch softball rules codes (NFHS, NCAA, ASA, USSSA, and MLB/OBR) literally the same with regard to the on-deck circle.

High school baseball and fast pitch softball teams have no problem with this rule, but when it comes to summer baseball and fast pitch softball, my partners and I have been getting a lot of grief from coaches, parents, and leagues/tournaments when we require on-deck batters to warm up on their team’s dug out side of the diamond. These people have the misguided belief that it is safer for the on-deck batter to be directly behind the batter, as close as ten (10) feet in some cases. This trend has been around for at least five years or more.

Our two sons (Mark, Jr., the umpire, and Andy) both play on a summer Knothole (15-18) baseball team in a league that uses NFHS Baseball Rules. This summer is the third year (and second year for this particular team which we will call Team A) that Mark has played in this league and the first year for both the league and Team A that Andy has played.

The first two years that Mark played in the league, Mark always took a warm up position on the same of the diamond as his team’s dugout, just like the rules require, but this year, the umpires, the league, and his own coach are adamant that on-deck batters are to be directly behind the batter, no matter what the rules require.

The league had a mid-season tournament this past weekend and Mark’s team occupied the first base dugout for their Saturday evening game. Mark was listed in the line-up behind a right handed batter. The second time the batter before Mark in the line-up took his place in the batter’s box, Mark took a position along the first base fence line about 45 feet away from home plate. Before a pitch was thrown, the PU instructed Mark to move to the third base side of the diamond. Mark looked at me for guidance and I told him to stay put. I know I should have kept my mouth shut, but it is difficult to have respect for a PU who is wearing khaki colored cargo shorts and not wearing hat under his mask; the umpires in this league, both PU and BU, wear khaki colored cargo shorts. The umpires in a crew are not required to wear the same color shirts. At this point, Mark’s head coach orders him to go to the third base side of the dugout. Mark moves across the diamond and takes a position along the third base fence line approximately 45 feet away from home plate. But wait, just when it can’t get any worse, the PU orders Mark to take a position about twelve (12) feet directly behind the batter. By now I am not a happy camper, but I say nothing more.

But things do get “better” the next afternoon. Mark’s team is assigned the third base dugout on the same diamond and again Mark is batting behind the same player as the evening before. The first time Mark was the on-deck batter he took a position along the third base fence line approximately 45 feet away from home plate. But wait, the head coach of our son’s opponents comes out of the first base dugout and orders, yes I said orders, the PU to have Mark to take a position about twelve (12) feet directly behind the batter.

How can this be you ask. Easy, the head coach of Mark’s opponents was the PU in their game the previous evening and is the league’s UIC. Can you see where I am going with this post: coaches, umpires, and a league that doesn’t believe in following the rules, and a UIC who thinks it is okay that he can umpire in tournament in which he is coaching a team and that he can also the UIC in a game that he is coaching a team.

Since then I have exchanged a number of emails with members of the league’s board of directors over NFHS R1-S2-A3 and everyone one of them give the same excuses for ignoring the NFHS rule: 1) the league has always done it this way, and 2) they have this misguided belief that the on-deck batter is safer when he is directly behind and only twelve (12) feet or so away from the batter. The amazing thing about this whole affair is that the local high school has played their freshmen boys’ baseball games there in the mid-1990’s and I umpired games there and the NFHS rule was never a problem. I was even told by one director that he discussed this matter with baseball fans, high school umpires, and college and professional baseball players and they all agree that the NFHS rules are wrong and should be ignored. I told him that baseball fans and college and professional baseball players do not qualify as experts of the rules of the game, and any high school umpire that would knowingly disregard a rule should not be allowed to umpire a baseball game.

I can understand the coaches and league directors not understanding the rules, they are only concerned with doing the same old thing the same old way even if it is wrong. But someday a player is going to get hurt because they are not where the rules require them to be.

Thanks for letting me rant. But I will entertain comments. Maybe some of the league directors will read this thread and come to their senses.

MTD, Sr.