Quote:
Originally posted by GarthB
I would assume then that when your PONY teams travel outside your area for tournaments they are in for a few surprises.
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Good Lord, baseball is baseball. The differences are not like NF Football rules as compared to NCAA Football Rules, which have about 200 rules differences between them. Even in basketball the rules are much more difficult to grasp (and it is not hard, let me tell you) between the HS, college and pro ranks. Baseball is baseball and it is still about safes/outs, balls and strikes. Of course their are differences that are worth noting, but it is not like there is a chasm of differences that does not make it doable for umpires, coaches and kids to adjust to. And as youth players get older, they have to adjust to the new rules as they move from LL to HS ball.
Also in Illinois, it is not uncommon for the Summer or Spring Leagues that are not HS ball to use NF Rules. Mainly because the umpires the work those games are most of the time NF Umpires. When I did LL Majors (whatever the level the kids that are of HS age play) in my home town, we went strictly under NF Rules. And my understanding is that OBR is suppose to be used in "sactioned" events. Baseball is not a big sport in this state as it is in other parts of the country, that might contribute for the focus on the rules. This is primarily a basketball state and it is much more common to see kids play in summer basketball than play baseball. Just the way it is.
Peace