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Pete said, "Now LL does have a book called the 'Right Call' but has not been updated recently."
That's not entirely accurate, Pete. The "Right Call" was updated just last year, to take into account a few recent changes, although for the life of me I can't remember what those changes were. They were very subtle, I guess.
The problem with the "Right Call" is that it doesn't go deep enough on some of those sticky issues, or even bother to mention others. The best publication I've ever seen from LL HQ is the "Rules Instruction Manual" I've often mentioned in other forums. It's the manual that umpire school instructors are supposed to use when they talk about the rules in regional and national clinics/schools. But unless you actually attend a regional/national clinic (and assuming the instructors use the manual), you'll never know what's in there. They are not free for general use.
The other manual that's not too bad is the blue-covered "Umpire Clinic Manual" that is given out during state and higher clinics. That's the one that speaks of correcting a botched Infield Fly call. I've got a few copies from the three or four weekend clinics I've attended and that Andy Konyar was the primary instructor. The only drawback with that manual is that it states it is not authoritative and should not be used as a substitute for the rulebook and casebook.
I've never done FED so I can't speak for it, but I'm curious to know why there's such an extensive casebook for FED rules. Was there a rash of protests in high school games in the past? Did high school managers/coaches/players try everything under the sun to win games, and umpires needed specific written guidance to steer the culprits in the right direction? Why is FED so much "better" than any other organization?
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