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National Federation rule chances for 2007
The Fed today released the changes for next year's baseball season.
They have been busy in the off-season. Go to Officiating.com and read. No log in required. |
Nothing major, just seems like some stuff that is prevalent in FED and higher. Only thing that strikes me as weird is the restricting the head coach to the dugout for coaches being out of the coaches' box. Should be interesting to see how much that one is enforced.
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I hope they don't plan on trying to enforce the throat guard requirement for umpires who wear HSMs. That would be lame.
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I think the coaching box new rule is one of the most absurd things I've ever read. The rule itself is a little strange, but their reasoning behind it is the worst. Distracting the pitcher during his motion? By moving outside of the box? What if the manager is 3rd base coach and its a lefty? Do I still restrict him to the dugout? Spirit of the rule would say no.
But, of course, coaches can distract all they want as long as they stand in that box. Mooning is allowed, of course. Good job NFHS, for another wacky, meaningless, and pointless rule that will never get enforced. |
LaCrosse Provides Better Umpire Helmet
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Logic dictates that there are many reasons why an Eagle Lexan Throat Guard Clear Hockey Goalie Neck Bib or a NEW RBK REEBOK HOCKEY GOALIE NECK/THROAT GUARD exist in the first place. See 1) http://cgi.ebay.com/Eagle-Lexan-Thro...QQcmdZViewItem See 2) http://cgi.ebay.com/Itech-Ice-Hockey...QQcmdZViewItem See 3) http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-RBK-REEBOK-H...QQcmdZViewItem I would prefer you wear the NEW all-black Larosse helmet made by Cascade and others in place of a HSM. It looks more favovable to a baseball batting helmet with a high-end titanium face mask. The "dangling" throat guard remains optional. |
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Tee: Please tell me that you made a misprint and that FED is looking to require face masks on all offensive players and not defensive. Tim. |
Safety
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Now, I've been hollering about FED rules for a long time now, but now it has gotten out of hand. I want to tell the FED folks the same thing the fans like to yell at the umpires: Let the kids play baseball! |
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YGTBSM is about all I have to say about that. Tim. |
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I'm all for the safety of the players, but at what point does it become just a b@$t@rdized form of baseball? If they're so concerned about fielders getting seriously injured by a batted ball they should modify the BESR rating requirements or just go back to wood bats only.
Tim. |
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Bob |
On second thought
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See "Aluminum bats at center of emotional debate" found at http://msnbc.msn.com/id/13343180/. It will all boil down to the associated league costs. According to this article, 17 baseball related deaths were reported from 1991 to 2001. But how many more serious injuries go unreported? I would estimate that less than one percent of the players actually die from sustained injuries. That would imply that at least 1700 children suffer some sort of serious injury over a ten year peiod. Facial injuries would be the worse (JMHO). If you already endorse the tobacco rules that are already mandatory and in place, then it appears that all defensive players will soon be wearing helmets with face masks. What you think will not matter as much as the local politician who wants to get re-elected. I am sure his bean counters will soon begin doing their cost/benefit analysis and helmet manufacturers will gladly cover the costs.;) |
Just a question .....................
What is the POE concerning umpires professionalism all about ?
Doug |
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It's probably the one that's in there every year about not picking and choosing rules to enforce. I personally would never like to see it be mandatory for defensive players to wear face protection- hopefully it won't carry over to umpires since, if you think about it, we're the closest person to the batter other than the pitcher when we're in B or C, the older guys are not as quick and agile as an 18 yr old boy, and we don't have a glove to defend ourselves. I've generally been a supporter of FED rules, except for 1 or 2 off the top of my head. This new rule, if it comes to fruition, will also be added to my exceptions list. |
"A new signal was adopted that uses the point motion for the start of the game. This will align NFHS officials with other rules codes to begin a contest and put a ball back in play."
this might be a dumb question, but since i have not worked FED previously, what were you previously supposed to do to start a game and put a ball back into play? ive been pointing the ball in since i was 14 and never noticed anyone do it differently. |
use the beckoning motion- palm out towards pitcher, then turn palm towards face and pull inward - i never did it either
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Isn't that the signal for "hey, how 'bout some Gatorade!"
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Just a ball?
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I see a stubborn moment
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My mask has a throat guard on it, it's an extended frame mask...
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I need to be told what to wear? I'll wear a dangling throat protector the next time I cover 3rd base as the PU on a triple. |
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Of course, the National Federation system calls for that mechanic, which is the way the pros did it in the two-person system from 1905 to 1970 or thereabouts. I'm always amazed that "modern" umpires, like you, know so much more than those in the Hall of Fame. BTW: I won't wear the dangler, either. It's not a rule that can be enforced unless the State Association does it. Who will police it? It's among the more stupid moves they've made. Two rules where I think they screwed up worse are: (1) Allowing the pitcher in the set position to check the runners by swinging his shoulders; and (2) reinstating the appeal rule. Lah, me. |
How Bout Keeping Your Eyes on the Ball
Wear the throat protection. :confused:
Assignors must be asking how they are going to enforce this rule. :p The NFHS must insure that everyone is properly equipped as mandated. :( PUGIL STICKS. :cool: Take boxing lessons to learn why you keep your chin down or just wear the thing. :D Test the foot, the shin, the knee, the cup (lightly), the chest, the throat and the face before each ballgame. :eek: Breath in and cough twice and then let's strap it on. :) |
why do you continue to make posts like that?
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no, im just wondering why you string the most random thoughts together all the time. you went from the demand "wear the throat protection", to "breath in and cough twice and then let's strap it on."
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Oh, you had me worried
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Think about the connection though. Anyone gets hit in the throat. It caves in easily. He loses whatever breath he had. Nothing else moves in or out. He cannot make a sound because his air passage is blocked. Those vocal chords are now useless. His brain begins to transmit a rapid sequence of his entire life span. His mind is working overtime and all he can do is HOPE for the best. His friends and relatives will soon learn the details and ask why you permitted him to play without a $5 throat guard. Did I leave anything out? Not on my watch. If I can hear air flow (breath in) or sound (cough twice), then everything is going to get better from that moment in time. If I cannot hear anything, then I know things are not in my hands anymore. I have a throat guard strapped on both masks and carry a spare. It is not an option. I know umps who have been rocked in the sac, struck in the throat and blasted over their snapped collar bone. All of this occurred in my first three years. It is not a pretty picture and it is not where I want to see anyone here anytime soon. Understood? Any more questions? Good, strap it on, now point and PLAY! |
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Thanks for letting me know, though, that the NFHS hasn't changed this mechanic since I toss my manual away every year the second it arrives. With the far superior CCA manual, who needs it? |
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You expect the players to do what you want. But you don't. That's dishonest. If you want to be a rogue, don't take NFHS money. |
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I have no integrity? OK, now you've taken some good natured bantering and have gone too far. Carl, you know my thinking on this. I work for LEAGUES and SCHOOLS, not the NFHS. I've never had a check signed by the NFHS. It's ridiculous for me and my REGULAR partners to work differently in NCAA and NFHS games. And I have no irregular partners, since we don't have an assigning association here and I have to market myself and my partner for all the games (non-NCAA) we umpire. The NFHS book is an antique that needs to be eliminated in favor of the CCA manual -- and some states are moving in that direction. |
FED is asking (requiring?) the use of a throat protector. How strictly that's enforced in your area is up to your state or local association. I see it as a personal matter.
It could be that they're just covering their behinds in the event of an umpire getting injured and looking to file a lawsuit. If you get hurt and you're not wearing the equipment they suggest or require then you're going to have a hard time holding them responsible. Shin guards are required but I've worked with someone who didn't wear them. (Don't ask.) I know people who don't wear a cup or plate shoes. If you’re allowed that level of flexibility in what you decide to wear and are willing to take the risks associated with foregoing certain items of protective equipment that's your choice. |
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Well, I guess that I am on the FED list of defecation too! To make the ball "live", I point and call "PLAY" rather than use that idiotic beckoning gesture in the FED rulebook. I've been doing it that way for eons so I am probably "excommunicated" on top of everything! :eek:
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Now me? I always used the approved NFHS signal. (grin) |
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Besides, there isn't any better sound in sports than the crack of a bat--and not the PING of a bat--hitting a baseball. |
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A Safer Option Exists - A Rubber Ball
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If serious about safety, pass new playground equipment rules. A pitcher standing 60 feet away from an adult hitter places himself at risk. One way to reduce the risk from being struck by a batted ball is to place a screen in front of the pitcher. To protect our children, require the use of protective mask/helmet combos and redesign the baseball as they have in Japan. In Japan, the youth simulated baseball is made of hard synthetic rubber. A dozen rubber baseballs are a lot cheaper than a dozen fielder's helmet with face mask. If everyone agreed to play baseball with a hard rubber ball, than with a plastic helmet-face mask combo wouldn't be needed. That would save everyone a lot of money. |
Your analogy is faulty, for it is the bat and not the ball that is in question at the high school and NCAA levels. A BB gun carries nowhere near the force and potential lethality that a rifle carries.
No one ever said wooden bats were immune from causing injury, but they are less dangerous than metal bats. One need not be a physicist to understand how and why. If metal bats were no more dangerous, then why do their manufacturers and the various baseball regulatory bodies tinker around with the exit speed ratios and other characteristics of such bats? We don't see continual changes to wooden bats the way we do with metal bats. Simply put, metal bats are more dangerous. |
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Wood bats would decrease the speed that the ball comes off the bat, hence increasing reaction times for players, hence keeping them safer. So how are wood bats not safer? I like the other poster's analogy of Rifle vs BB gun. |
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"The best major league bat yielded a BESR of 0.728, which the NCAA then set to be the maximum allowed value." http://www.npl.uiuc.edu/~a-nathan/po...WhitePaper.pdf |
Consider the round slug
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Think of the evolution of weapons timeline. Fire off a wooden musket from the early 1800, then fire off a cold steel revolver from the early 1900, and finally fire a hard plastic resin 9-mm pistol a century later. Also look at another sport, tennis. Their racquets follow the same timeline of wood, steel and plastic resin polymers. The serves and volleys now reach speeds of 145 mph. I don't see anyone in the tennis circles demanding a reduction in serving velocity. I am sure plastic resins are cheaper and last forever. Now imagine the dangers of plastic resin polymer bat designs. There wouldn't be a need for steroids. We can make bats out of ceramic, if need be. However, the risks will always remain until we decide to redesign the ball. |
I don't know about the rest of the guys here, but I'd much prefer to get hit by a tennis ball at 145 mph than a baseball at 95 mph.
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Just wondering..... |
~Snicker~
Hahahahaha,
Regards, |
Jurassic - funniest post in weeks. Thanks.
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Probably passed down
I would think is going in the direction because so many of the 'small ball' players have grown up wearing helmets.
I know all of our local leagues (my son is playing in least) requires all batters to wear a helmet with facemask, I would guess FED is going that way since many of the kids have grown up wearing them? But it does seem kind of strange since we played in a tourney that did not require facemasks and the first thing some of the kids did was take their face mask off (g) But for the defense to wear a helmet, that's going to be strange ... Thansk David |
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better yet, just use wiffle balls. as long as no one is standing less four feet from the batter, there will be no fatalaties. |
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It appears from the article that the testing was done with a pitch speed of 70mph and bat speed of 66 mph. Don't know about the bat speed estimate but many HS and college pitchers are throwing fastballs at greater than 70 mph and the difference could be signficant. Having worked spring HS and college games with aluminum and college summer leagues with wood, I can say from observation that there is signficant difference. BESR does not produce an aluminum bat that approximates wood, it just sets an upper limit standard for aluminum, that may come close as long as pitchers will throw 70 mph or less.
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V(ball exit) = Vbat( BESR + .5 ) + Vball( BESR -.5) |
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verify or certify the BESR of bats. They simply take the word of the manufacturer. Who's to know if the testing done on the bats is accurate? Also, wasn't there a former employee (engineer?) of one of the bat companies that claimed that the BESR is BS ? :confused: |
I think Windy posted about a company that offers to re-paint bats so they look like the real thing. Imagine a -8 bat in the hands of a college kid or good HS hitter.
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Well, once the helmets for the defensive are completely in, we will probably see foam padding placed in the outfield so no one gets hurt when they make a diving attempt.
Give it time....... before too long, none of us will be on the field anymore. Instead, the games will be loaded onto a PlayStation 1000 so that Little Timmy has the chance of hitting a home run too. We can only hope it stops somewhere, but the chances are they won't. |
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BESR is only an accurate comparison of wood to metal if the weight of the bat is the same. Metal bats are lighter, in general, and can be swung faster, so even though the BESR might be identical between two bats, the speed (which is multiplied by the BESR) of the bat is higher. There is no question that the ball can be hit with greater velocity by an aluminum bat than a wood one.
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Fed Rule Change - 6.2.1.e
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Previously (i.e. in 2006), 6.2.1.e was treated the same as 6.2.1.(a-d), which allowed for an immediate dead ball, and umpire discretion on ejection. Now, you are to award a ball for each infraction. Where it is unclear, and the point of our debate, is should a ball be awarded if it is a balk situation (i.e. if there is a runner on base, do you award both a balk as well as a ball on the batter). I was staunchly on the side of doing awarding both a base to the runner(s) and a ball to the batter, but in the publication "2007 High School Baseball Rules by Topic", on page 52, there is a comment section, part of which states "When a balk is called, it never includes the awarding of a ball in addition to an advance by the runner(s)." Based on this, I believe now that you do NOT both award a base to the runner(s) AND a ball to the batter, but only the award to the runner(s). However, as is often the case with Fed, the rulebook doesn't specifically make this distinction, and the emphasis on "a ball shall be called each time" makes it confusing. I suppose I was reading too much into it, and the fact it would be a balk with runners on would supercede this, and you would not penalize the defense twice. Thoughts? |
That sounds right!
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I don't really understand the logic behind the rule change, but it is what it is. Speaking of meetings, we discussed the crazy rule change about coaches being in the boxes etc., No one could seem to find any logic behind that change - more like typical FED changes. Thanks David |
Resubmit Question
Failing to wipe places the batter at a disadvantage, so I can reason that adding a ball to the count and leaving the runners in place is justified when the pitcher toes the rubber. How can it be a balk if the pitcher hasn't come set? How does it deceive the runners? Again, I am asking for clarification. Is that a balk?
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However, the question is still out there...do you award both a balk and a ball in the case where a runner is on? I'm leaning toward no (even though I stand to lose $20 I bet when I was sure you would award both a ball and a base), but I suppose I'll have to wait until our state rules clinic on Thursday to see how we'll handle this one in the great state of SC. Though, we have one state association ruling I love...no appeals allowed!:D |
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And please, as Bob Jenkins pointed out to me awhile back, use dashes for rule book citations, such as 6-2-1e, and dots for case book citations, such as 6.2.2g. This way, folks can tell whether to look in one book or the other. Thanks. |
Nope, it's not both a "ball" and a "balk".
For this infraction the ball becomes dead and the penalty is a "ball" added to the batter's count. Runners are not advanced. See the attached link for 2007 NFHS interpretations regarding this rule (situations 7 through 14). (Note: There are a couple of those situations where a balk IS called, but that's because the pitcher did something else besides just licking his fingers.) http://www.nfhs.org/web/2007/01/2007...erpretati.aspx |
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And Steve, I'll certainly get the dots and dashes correct the next time. Thanks. |
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