FED 6-2-2c

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

I have only "officially" enforced this rule once, and it was on the softball side of umpiring. I believe that we, as umpires, want to keep the game moving. I remind coaches at the pre-game to have their players hustle on and off the field between innings. There are many subtle ways for umpires to keep the game moving while "unofficially" enforcing NFHS R6-S2-A2c. I may suggest that someone warm up the pitcher if the catcher was on base when the third out of an inning was made or remind the catcher to hustle his or her teammates on or off the field. Catcthers are an umpires greatest ally in getting teams to hustle on and off the field.

But HHH put it, if you need a reason to dump someone, then go for it. By the way, during the USSSA girls' fastpitch softball game that I enforced the USSSA rule, the coach of the offending team didn't complain about my enforcement of the rule until the next half-inning when his opponent get her full allotment of warm-up throws in less than one minute.