[Dakota]

My occasional rant about about poorly written questions, apparently trick questions, and just plain confusing or nonsense questions on umpire tests.

As usual, the biggest offender (IMO) is the NFHS. Here are some “winning” examples from this year’s test, the “2014 NFHS SOFTBALL EXAM PART 1”, which is a T/F test. After the question is my comment & answer, but use at your own risk since I'm mostly guessing what they want the answer to be rather than answering what is technically correct.

16. A passed ball is a pitch the catcher fails to stop or control when she should have been able to do so with ordinary effort, and allows a runner to advance.

This is a pretty minor complaint, but it does require a bit of word parsing since there can be a difference between what the rule says "a runner is able to advance" v. the question wording of “allows a runner to advance”. My answer: T

19. An on-deck batter may leave the circle to avoid interfering with the catcher's opportunity to make an out.

I can find no rule support for either answer to this question, so the fall back is common sense and if it is not illegal, it must be legal. My answer: T (Maybe someone here can point out where I overlooked this in the rules book.)

43. The ball is live and a runner may attempt to advance if she is hit by a fair batted ball that has been touched by a fielder.

The technically correct answer is false, since there are too many exceptions not noted in the question. What if the fielder is the pitcher? What if the runner could have obviously avoided being hit? Anyway, my answer is T. Very poor question, though.

50. If B1 steps out of the batter's box after F1 has brought her hands together, B1 runs the risk of having a strike called for being out of position.

This question is egregiously bad. As the umpire taking the test, you are left to try to decide if the question author is trying to trick you or is just sloppy. Since this is the NFHS, either could be the explanation, given their history of intentionally (IMO) putting trick questions in the test to limit the number of perfect scores (again, JMO). In the situation described, B1 runs the risk be having a strike called for “failure to be ready” … “while out of position”. There is no penalty for merely BEING out of position. My answer, T, going with clueless/sloppy rather than devious on the part of the question writer.

51. The batter is out when the bat hits the ball a second time while the ball is on or over fair territory.

Like question 41, technically false since being on or over fair territory does not fully describe the conditions for when the batter would be out. So, “batter IS out”? No, not always. Could be out? Yes. My answer: T (Going with the answer I assume the test key would have in it.)

62. The DP can be substituted for by the FLEX or any legal substitute.

This is NOT the way the rule is written. This is a very sloppy question, especially considering the number of people who already have trouble with this rule. In the “Hints” for Umpires in 12-3-1, the NFHS rule book does say,

“The FLEX may be substituted for at any time by a legal substitute or the DP may play defense for the FLEX. In either case, the FLEX has left the game.”

This statement clearly makes a distinction between the FLEX being substituted for and the DP playing defense for the FLEX (note: “In either case…”). This very well may be an intentional trick question, given the emphasis on DP/FLEX understanding by the NFHS, but, taking a risk, I still went with a sloppy/clueless rule author and answered T.

74. Visible or exposed undergarments are considered part of a player's official school uniform.

Is there a difference between “visible” and “exposed”? Do dark undergarments completely beneath a white uniform (and hence not “exposed”, but still “visible”) fall under the rule, which states only “exposed”? Another possible intentional trick question, especially given the brouhaha a decade or so ago at an Illinois HS State Track & Field championship where the winner was DQed after the loser filed a protest because the girl's black bra was visible beneath her white jersey and did not match the rest of the team’s uniforms. But, I did answer T, again assuming sloppy question writing.

92. Substitution rules are in effect after the umpire-in-chief accepts the lineup cards from both coaches before the game.

What? Are we now flat-out copying questions from the baseball test??? I answered T anyway, assuming they really meant plate umpire.

94. The score of a forfeited game is 7-0 unless the offending team is behind; then the score remains as recorded.

Technically false, since the correct wording would be “unless the offending team is behind AND the game is official” (i.e. met the requirements for an official game in terms of innings played, etc.) Continuing with my assumption of sloppy question writing, though, I answered T.