[chapmaja]

Had these three issues come up while I was on the bases Friday night, again HS JV game.

First play I was simply told about by my PU in between games. The home teams comes out for the top half of an inning (3rd I think), and has a different pitcher pitching. The PU goes over and tells the home coach that he needs to report changes in the pitchers position. The switch was moving the CF to pitcher, previous pitcher to 1b, and previous 1b to CF. I know the home coach argued this with the PU, but I was in my position and did not feel the need to enter the discussion.

In HS ball, the position changes are not required to be reported to the umpire are they? I could not find a reference to the requirement to list position changes, only changes to the lineup. Am I wrong? I know it is much easier to have a coach report changes to the pitcher or catcher for CR purposes, but is it required. I think NCAA requires all position changes to be reported, but not NFHS.

Second situation, D3K. Ball gets away from the catcher some, but she goes picks it up and throws to first. F3 is standing trying to catch the throw while standing in the base path (on the foul line). The throw does not touch the runner coming in, and arrives to F3 before the runner arrives, but F3 drops the ball. A collision ensues with both players on the ground. Since this was the leadoff batter, I am positioned near 1st base. I call obstruction on the play since F3 did not have the ball. Both players are shaken up. As the coaches are coming out to check on their players, my PU comes up and tells me he has interference on the B-R because she was inside the foul line, not in the 3 foot running lane. Who has this call, and given the fact the throw did not touch the B-R, and simply was not a caught ball by F3, do we still have interference? I deferred to my partner on this call, and we went on with the game (my to the OC's displeasure about the call).

The third situation was later in the same game, again with me on the bases. The pitcher for the home team had established her position on the pitchers plate almost immediately after getting the ball back from the catcher. The batter had stepped out and was getting a sign from the 3B coach. The batter stepped in and before she was set in the box, the pitch was on it's way. My plate umpire ruled no pitch and instructed the pitcher to wait until the batter was set. The coach for the pitching team was arguing that the PU needed to keep his hand up to prevent the pitcher from pitching (not that it had stopped the pitcher in question previously in the game). The PU indicated that he did not have to put his hand up and the pitcher was responsible for not throwing the pitch until the batter was ready. What is the correct rule on this? My impression is that nothing in the rule prohibits a pitcher from pitching the ball while the batter is in the box, but at the same time, if the batter is not ready, the umpire should hold up the don't pitch sign to the pitcher.

That situation was further complicated by the fact that one assistant coach (possibly Varsity coach) decided he wanted his opinion to be heard from the dugout as well. That was quickly shut down by the plate umpire who very quickly made it clear that comments from the dugout were not tolerated. On this play I was again position with nobody on, but I did walk in about halfway down the first base line in order to hear everything that was being said, in case an officials report were to be needed for an ejection.