Skinny on FED Going to Mouth Change

[jkumpire]

Hello again,

Sadly, this year for some reason I was not invited to the annual local rules interp meeting the state organizations holds. So, I am still confused on all the ins and outs of the change in the going to the mouth rule in FED.

My imnpression:

Very little difference:

1. If nobody on base, doesn't wipe before he puts a hand on the ball or gets set, it's a ball.
2. If someone is on base,
A. He has not gotten set on the mound (i.e. before he takes a sign) goes to his mouth, ball.
B. If he has come set, or finished his preliminaries to pich, then goes to his mouth, Balk.
C. If he is not on the mound w/runners on, goes to his mouth and doesn't wipe off, Ball (not a balk as it used to be).

On the NFHS board, there is a long, and frankly confusing discussion, since I guess the Rules committee did not really get what they wanted in the change. The Case Book and FED web site interps are also incorrect. Okay, fine by me, so what is it FED and or your state wants called?

Thanks a lot!