Pickoffs from the windup?

#1 (**permalink**) Sat Mar 26, 2005, 07:47pm

Quote:

Originally posted by David Emerling

Quote:

Originally posted by LDUB

Quote:

Originally posted by David Emerling
The point isn't whether it's "better" - it's that it's needlessly different. It causes confusion. And the reason so many teams don't realize that they can do a verbal appeal is because their higher comfort level (i.e. familiarity) with OBR rules.

If people are confused by rules they have never read, then that is their own fault. If someone reads the rule book they will no longer be confused about how to appeal.

We can keep beating that drum if we like. That is a worn argument and has been used for a very long time.

"They should know the rules!"

It's a bit naive to expect coaches, players, and fans to sit down and read the NFHS rules and discern the differences.

This is especially true since NFHS rules are so proprietory. You can find OBR rules all over the place. It's proudly available on the internet.

NFHS rules?

[insert mysterious music]

Not available. Hard to find. Cannot be readily checked. And then we wonder why people are not well-educated.

Over the years, I've had unusual things happen in games (OBR games) and the next day, some fan, coach or somebody will come back to the park the next day and say, "Last night I checked that interference rule and it said ... blah, blah, blah," At least they checked! They saw something unusual, or something they didn't understand, they got curious, and they checked. Nothing like that could ever occur in a high school game. The mystery persists.

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

[Edited by David Emerling on Mar 26th, 2005 at 01:15 PM]

David:
The reason umpires say HS kids should know the Fed way of appealing is because the coach should. I don't care that Fed rules aren't available on the internet, they are available through the school they coach for. HS coaches are paid to do a job and should be expected to have a passing knowledge of the game they are paid to teach.