[tcblue13]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

The rule is to prevent participants from obliterating valid field demarcation, not to prevent a game official from correcting an obvious error.

For that matter, TELL the players and coaches to wipe them out prior to the pregame meeting. They will enjoy it AND get a point across to the ground crew.

Mike,
You are correct about the intent of the rule. It was instituted in 2005 to prevent the slap hitters from wiping the front of the box out. The batters box extends 4' from the break of the plate toward the circle. That is usually plenty of room for a slap hitter.

But, there are specific penalties in Fed ball for wiping out lines. It is a clearly defined violation of the rules to do so. I would NEVER encourage a player to break the rules of the game. It's just not a good practice even if the lines are drawn incorrectly. As a matter of fact, I can guage the correct position of the line by the placement of misdrawn line.