"Foul Ball"

[NM FP Ump]

I called two scrimmage games (NFHS) this weekend. The evaluators did an excellent job of pointing out my weaknesses and suggesting improvements, for which I am grateful. I pride myself in my ability to quickly modify my behavior/mechanics when suggested and I want to progress in the quality of my assignments. One evaluator suggested a mechanic that has been previously discussed on this site that I want to re-visit.

Verbalize and signal “Foul Ball” vs. the silent, just signaled “Foul Ball”. (FB)

I have been taught to verbalize and signal “FB” on EVERY foul ball, whether 1 inch off the line, or 3 feet off the line. The inflection of my voice is the barometer of the closeness of the ball to the foul line. The NHFS Rules Book shows the little picture of the proper mechanic for “FB” and a caption under that reads, “Verbally, calls ‘Time’, ‘Foul ball’ or ‘Dead ball’.” Now my evaluators want me to verbalize “FB” only on the borderline calls (around the batters box, foul balls hit directly to the backstop, down the line between the line and the coach’s box, and close to the line in the outfield). This is contradictory to my previous training and I am having a hard time mentally transitioning from the old mechanic to the new mechanic.

I am obviously going to try my best to change my mechanic, (no doubt about that) but why is this mechanic deviating from the NFHS Rules Book? Do other evaluators on this site modify NFHS mechanics? And what is the reasoning for changing a mechanic?

Just curious, but for some reason this bothers me enough to post on this site.