"FED Legal" Baseballs

[DG]

UMPJM

Why did you ask the original question since you have BRD in hand with a 1999 interpretation?

It is not uncommon for FED to issue an interpretation that never shows up in Case Book, such as this one, from 1999 (gorilla arm another example). It was not long ago that the state made this is a point for discussion at state meeting, apparently unaware of 1999 FED interpretation, that essentially, they really did not mean it when the rule was put in the book.

To answer your very hypothetical question, in the very unlikely event that I was presented with baseballs that did not meet the rule, I would advise the coach that legal baseballs need to be used, and if none were available on site, we would discuss at the plate meeting and both coaches would recognize that official baseballs were not being used, and both were agreeable to their use before we would play the game. Afterwards I would report this to my assignor.