NFHS and MLB/OBR balk rule and the hidden ball play.

[JJ]

Originally Posted by UMP25

How about saying simply the "mound," which would refer to the hill. It's a lot easier to determine if a pitcher's standing on the hill than if he's "approximately" 5 feet away from the rubber.

They didn't say "mound" because some fields not only don't have grass on the infield, they don't have a mound, either. We umpire on all types of fields.

JJ

[TussAgee11]

Originally Posted by UMP25

OK, this has got to be one of the best examples of FED's rule silliness. "Approximately" 5 feet??? Now how the hell am I gonna determine that? Do I haul out a yardstick--oops, that's 2 feet short--or measuring tape? Can they make it any LESS definitive?

Well, how high is high on the IFF rule. How imminent is imminent on INT at the plate?

At least they are giving us a number... what if they just said "near the pitcher's plate". That would be even more confusing.

[UMP25]

Originally Posted by JJ

They didn't say "mound" because some fields not only don't have grass on the infield, they don't have a mound, either. We umpire on all types of fields.

JJ

Yeah, I know. But hardly any fields have an "18-foot circle," either.

[UMP25]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

Well, how high is high on the IFF rule. How imminent is imminent on INT at the plate?

At least they are giving us a number... what if they just said "near the pitcher's plate". That would be even more confusing.

"Approximately 5 feet" is quite different from "high" in the Infield Fly Rule scenario.

[aceholleran]

Had a beef on a successful HBT (for defense!) in LL this year. LL uses MLB rules, and F1 was not anywhere near the slab, much less toeing or straddling it. Ole Uncle Acey made sure of this as R1 wandered off 1B and F3 tigged 'im.


Ace in CT

[bluezebra]

"Are you crying? There is no crying in baseball."

Anyone who believes that, never saw the picture of Enos Slaughter in the St. Louis Cardinals clubhouse when he was told he had been traded to the New York Yankees.

Bob