High school baseball interpretations came out a couple of days ago.

Here's one that seems a little stupid to me.

SITUATION 1: Smith is the pitcher and Jones is the catcher for the home team. In the second inning, Smith walks and CR1 (Evans) legally enters as a courtesy runner for Smith. In the fourth inning, with Smith struggling, the home coach has Smith and Jones trade positions. Smith is now the catcher and Jones is now the pitcher. In the fifth inning, Jones comes to bat and walks. The home coach puts CR1 (Evans) in to be a courtesy runner for Jones. RULING: A courtesy runner may run for either the catcher or the pitcher but not both. Evans, having been a courtesy runner for Smith when he was the pitcher, may only be a courtesy runner for any pitcher of the home team. Once a player is a courtesy runner for a position, he can only continue to courtesy run for that particular position. Evans, at this point in the game, is eligible to be a courtesy runner for Jones, but not for Smith. (Speed-Up Rules)

So... a courtesy runner runs for a particular DEFENSIVE position... okay?

I've yet to read the others. But you can find them at:
http://www.nfhs.org/scriptcontent/va...OOT&NewsImage=

I can see explaining this "SPEED UP" rule and watching everything "SLOW DOWN" from there.

My favorite is Situation 3.

This is not a change. It's been the rule for at least 8 or 9 years. A substantially similar case has been in the case book.

Bob,
I had not previously seen that very well spelled out in either the rule book or the casebook. Perhaps it is just that I have always had an improper interpretation. When I read pitcher/catcher or F1/F2, I thought of them as people in the batting order not as a defensive position.

I'm looking in an old NFHS book (2003)

Under Suggested Speed-Up Rules at the end of Rule 10
At any time the team at bat may use courtesy runners for the pitcher and/or catcher. The same runner may not be used for both POSITIONS. Neither the pitcher or the catcher will be required to leave the game under such circumstances.

In the same year's casebook

CR 5 Situation: McCormick is a courtesy runner for F2 in the first inning. He then is a courtesy runner for F1 in the sixth inning. Ruling: Illegal. The same player cannot be a courtesy runner for both POSITIONS. The illegal substitute is declared out and ejected.

In the past, when I tracked courtesy runners it was always "Number 12 for number 24 in the 3rd inning." It sounds like it should have been "Number 12 for F1 (the pitcher POSITION) in the 3rd inning." And I shouldn't care who the pitcher is or what his number is.

And next inning when F1 (Abel) and F7 (George) switch positions, so that George is now pitching, I can again let number 12 be a courtesy runner but now for George. And number 12 cannot ever run for F2 (Billy) in any inning, as long as Billy is not pitching.

I wonder how many times I let that get hosed up and never knew I was wrong? :(

I'll bet you I'm not alone on misunderstanding this. ;)

Perhaps I am alone !
 

chickens!
:D

Big problem a few years ago
 

Yeah, we had a big problem a few years ago in the HS playoffs. We had been doing CR per the rule book in our area, but we call playoffs out of our area.

Coaches were a little upset when we wouldn't let them run little "speedy" for pitcher and then next inning for catcher etc.,

Thanks
DAvid