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What the Heck is the Point For?
At a training session over the weekend, a colleague brought the most recent NFHS Preseason Guide that Referee magazine puts out. For those who don't do high school ball, it's a 16-page document that covers rule changes, tips, guidance, etc., for the softball umpire's upcoming season.
In it (and I can't pinpoint the page number since I don't have a copy of the guide), there's a column about obstruction. It includes a PlayPic diagram of what the umpire should do when he/she sees a violation. The diagram has the umpire holding the arm out to signal delayed-dead ball, but shows the umpire pointing with the other hand at the infraction. Pointing? That's how a baseball umpire signals obstruction!
Is this just the latest goof by Referee magazine, which is notorious for putting out bad info in the past? Or has the mechanic in softball changed for this season?
BTW, I also think the PlayPic shows the umpire holding out the right arm for the DDB signal, while the point is with the left arm, but I could be wrong on that.
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"Let's face it. Umpiring is not an easy or happy way to make a living. In the abuse they suffer, and the pay they get for it, you see an imbalance that can only be explained by their need to stay close to a game they can't resist." -- Bob Uecker
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