NFHS Rules Changes 2009 (Sort of)

[PilotUmp]

So instead of actually dealing with issues, NFHS just publishes these "clarifications." How worthless.

[ozzy6900]

People, try to remember that the NHFS is comprised mostly of coaches and lay people. Tim C. is one of the very few umpire inputs there.

[mbyron]

Well, I don't know that Tee will appreciate being called anybody's "input." But they do have a fairly lengthy survey that they invite all their umpires to complete.

And MTD: remember, OH coaches get a $100 parting gift for ejections starting next year. (They're parted from their $100...) Maybe that will help encourage "professionalism."

[jkumpire]

Guys with the exception of Football, who has a constantly rotating rule set, and wrestling, which is a totally different animal, what we are seeing now in HS sports is the reality that there is not much left on the horizon to change in the game rule-wise. Even in hoops, when guys are thinking about the big change in clearing our the 1st lane spaces (what a waste) or moving the 3 point line back, this is not earth shaking.

Ask yourself, "What was the last major change in HS Baseball, or NCAA Baseball, to the playing rules?" To my mind, it is the FPSR, and that was what, 10 years ago? The only closer one in Fedlandia was the pitching rule change about turning shoulders to 1B, but that is not really significant.

So FED is down to "gardening" the rules, and maybe one day, cleaning up the book so it makes sense, until someone comes up with the next big innovation to the game (Like a 2 batter penalty for rules violations where the defense has to play with 8 guys or something ). In a lot of ways, we ought to welcome this, the rules are pretty stable, it easy to teach them, and the rats don't have new things to mess up.

But it will make for a lot of boring rules meetings in the future. In my state you have a mandatory rules meeting every year for your sport, which means I have 6 of them. And most of them can be done in about 10 minutes, so the interpreters have to fill the hour up with noise pollution, and talking to coaches about eligibility.

My impression is the the NCAA clinics are more like rules review and standardization of mechanics and enforcement than anything else, FBoFW.

Let's enjoy it while we have it! Who knows, someday the FED boys might decide to add the DP/Flex rule or some other miserable Softball crap into our rules, and then we will have a mess on our hands.

[PeteBooth]

[QUOTE]

Originally Posted by jkumpire

Ask yourself, "What was the last major change in HS Baseball, or NCAA Baseball, to the playing rules?" To my mind, it is the FPSR, and that was what, 10 years ago? The only closer one in Fedlandia was the pitching rule change about turning shoulders to 1B, but that is not really significant.

Not quite true.

It seems as though there is at least ONE rule change per season.

We had the appeal rule change. Umpires used to call the infraction.

After the first season of the change in appeal rule, FED did away with the accidental appeal and also added the IBB into the mix. When FED first institutued the appeal rule change F1 could issue IBB's and then still appeal. That was "cleaned-up' the next year.

This past year we had a change in the OBS rule and IMO, the rule still needs clarification.

Therefore, I agree that most of the so called changes are interpretations but there is at least 1 or 2 rules that are either added, or modified each year.

Pete Booth

[MrUmpire]

Originally Posted by jkumpire

Guys with the exception of Football, who has a constantly rotating rule set, and wrestling, which is a totally different animal, what we are seeing now in HS sports is the reality that there is not much left on the horizon to change in the game rule-wise. Even in hoops, when guys are thinking about the big change in clearing our the 1st lane spaces (what a waste) or moving the 3 point line back, this is not earth shaking.

Ask yourself, "What was the last major change in HS Baseball, or NCAA Baseball, to the playing rules?" To my mind, it is the FPSR, and that was what, 10 years ago? The only closer one in Fedlandia was the pitching rule change about turning shoulders to 1B, but that is not really significant.

Where have you been for the last ten years? Appeals, obstruction, pitching, FPSR have all seen changes.

But there are rules that still need some attention:

1. Eliminate the practice of umpires inspecting helmets and bats. The coach should be responsible for the condition of his equipment.

2. Eliminate the courtesy runner, if not completely, at least for the pitcher.

3. Replace Fed pitching regulations with the OBR pitching regulatrions, verbatim.

4. Replace the FED FPSR with NCAA's FPSR

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by MrUmpire

Where have you been for the last ten years? Appeals, obstruction, pitching, FPSR have all seen changes.

But there are rules that still need some attention:

1. Eliminate the practice of umpires inspecting helmets and bats. The coach should be responsible for the condition of his equipment.

2. Eliminate the courtesy runner, if not completely, at least for the pitcher.

3. Replace Fed pitching regulations with the OBR pitching regulatrions, verbatim.

4. Replace the FED FPSR with NCAA's FPSR

5. Replace the FED obstruction rule with NCAA's obstruction rule.

[FTVMartin]

In MI we are now switching to a every other year distribution of rule books. We will get them next year but not again until 2011.

[jkumpire]

With little Respect,

I have done about 800-1000 Baseball games in the last 10 years. Where have you been, calling Softball?

FYI: Appeals, the change was to have umpires call runners out w/o a defensive appeal, now it is changed. Is this a fundamental change to the game? Did it bring a new set of rules to the game? One, maybe, the dead ball appeal. That's a HUGE change .

Obstruction: Are you serious? Please reread the interp./rule change this year and tell me how obstruction has changed? How many more new OBS calls did you make this year over last year? I made one in 44 FED games.

Pitching: What has changed that has made a huge difference in the game? FED has nibbled at the edges, but if the biggest changes are when you can turn your shoulders towards 1B, and making sure the gorilla arm is illegal, then I fail to see the big change.

FPSR: The FPSR is 10 years old. It has not really been changed since that time. That was my point.

If you compare FED Baseball with Football, Wrestling, Basketball, and even Softball, you cannot escape the conclusion that the Baseball Rules are much more stable than the other rules sets in the past 10 years.

Pete,

One or two rule changes every year sometimes happen, though not for 2009. But the rule changes have not been very significant, or have greatly affected the play of the game. At least that is my opinion. I wish I had my 1981-2005 rule books still, so I could run through it and show you the changes that have taken place, and how many fewer we have seen in recent years.