with all due respect Mbyron, How can I answer my own question????? I am asking YOU how you handle that situation..

Not true in HS. Any granted TO to confer with any defensive player is a charged conference, whether or not that player then goes to talk to the pitcher.

You would if, as Mbyron qualified his suggestions, you understand the purpose of the rule:

"OK, then you should be able to answer your own question, if you reflect on the purpose of the defensive conference limitation."

If you don't know why the rule exists, then you will need help of others.

OK, I guess I need to know more about your question: are you just taking a poll of what people do, or are you asking what the right approach is?

If the former, then you're right, there's no substitute for taking a poll. I apologize if I mistakenly assumed that you were asking the more interesting question.

I also apologize if all you want is for me to explain the rule to you. In my experience, when people figure things out for themselves they tend to understand it better and remember it longer.

Because I am not an OOO, and I get to decide what is an "unauthorized purpose" since the rule book does not. It was brief, did not delay the game, and I don't mind.

If a coach is coming onto the field prior to a BR reaching first base, I've got a stop sign until the BR reaches first (ball is still live). Then I've got "Time" if that is what the coach wants. Depending on his actions after that i may have a charged conference.

I just didn't understand why you would have a coach coming out talking to his catcher during a live ball.

Maybe i misunderstood your situation.

I am not saying the coach walks out on the field. But many times a coach or the head coach will signal or yell to the catcher information, inbetween batters. the catcher will all of a sudden ask for time and walk out to the pitcher. It is to relay information to the pitcher the same as the coach would.

we all know that a coach uses a conference to determine the status of the pitcher, talk about how to pitch the next batter or discuss a defensive philosophy based on runners on base.

If the catcher can call time to give out this information or relay to the pitcher something, the team has created a free conference.

I have never said anything, but I wondered how many of you handle an overuse of this process. and I guess the key word is overuse.

That's not a conference.

If there's "overuse" (and I can't imagine it), don't grant F2 time.