2003 FED rule changes

[PeteBooth]

For those interested, please go to the below site for the 2003 NFHS rule changes

http://www.nfhs.org/sports/baseball_rules_change.asp

Pete Booth

[greymule]

Well, they got rid of appeals after intentional walks, but apparently they kept the accidental appeal on a force play. So if B1 hits a triple but misses first, you call him out if F5 leisurely applies a tag while B1 is standing on 3B.

And if B1 hits a home run and you're the only one in the park who saw him miss 1B, you call him out if the catcher hands him the ball for a souvenir.

Glad I retired from Fed and will never have to call such idiocy.

[Bfair]

Originally posted by greymule


And if B1 hits a home run and you're the only one in the park who saw him miss 1B, you call him out if the catcher hands him the ball for a souvenir.

You've sure got 'em trained to chase those HR baseballs much
better than they do around here..........LOL

BTW, the ball would be dead, wouldn't it?
Wouldn't there have to be verbal appeal?


Just my opinion,

Freix

[greymule]

You're right, Freix. I should have said "inside-the-park home run." (That's what I meant.)

Hey, I'm glad you mentioned that. What about, B1 hits one out of the park but misses 1B. Ball rolls down hill and floats away in river rapids. Umpire throws pitcher new ball, new batter steps in, ump says, "Play." Pitcher overhears B1 saying, "Dad, that's my first home run. Too bad it washed away, 'cause we could give it to Mom when we visit her in the hospital later." Pitcher figures he'll be a sport and give B1 the ball as a souvenir. Pitcher walks over and hands live ball to B1.

And ump BANGS B1 out on the accidental force play live ball tag before the next pitch!

[bob jenkins]

Originally posted by greymule
You're right, Freix. I should have said "inside-the-park home run." (That's what I meant.)

Hey, I'm glad you mentioned that. What about, B1 hits one out of the park but misses 1B. Ball rolls down hill and floats away in river rapids. Umpire throws pitcher new ball, new batter steps in, ump says, "Play." Pitcher overhears B1 saying, "Dad, that's my first home run. Too bad it washed away, 'cause we could give it to Mom when we visit her in the hospital later." Pitcher figures he'll be a sport and give B1 the ball as a souvenir. Pitcher walks over and hands live ball to B1.

And ump BANGS B1 out on the accidental force play live ball tag before the next pitch!

The umpire who did that would be wrong. The "accidental appeal" (really -- the literal interpretion of force play / force out) applies only during continuing action.

If you're going to bash FED rules, then please bash them for what they say, not for something that's covered correctly.

[greymule]

We went through all this earlier this year, and there seemed to be no general agreement on the definition of "continuing action." For example, most posters believed that R1, starting at 1B and missing 2B on his way to 3B after B1 hit a single, would be called out if he is standing on 3B and F4, with play stopped, kicks some dirt off 2B as he walks the ball toward the mound.

Others felt that it wasn't even clear that intentional walks or pick-off attempts—even if successful—turned the "continuing action" switch off for the accidental appeal.

The consensus was that Fed would do away with the rule for next year, but they didn't. The Fed interpreter for NJ felt that the catcher handing B1 the ball after an inside-the-park home run would indeed result in an out if B1 had missed first.

My post was intended to be light. No one has to invent Fed rules to bash.

[Bfair]

Originally posted by greymule

What about, B1 hits one out of the park but misses 1B. Ball rolls down hill and floats away in river rapids. Umpire throws pitcher new ball, new batter steps in, ump says, "Play." Pitcher overhears B1 saying, "Dad, that's my first home run. Too bad it washed away, 'cause we could give it to Mom when we visit her in the hospital later." Pitcher figures he'll be a sport and give B1 the ball as a souvenir. Pitcher walks over and hands live ball to B1.

And ump BANGS B1 out on the accidental force play live ball tag before the next pitch!

Greymule, I think that play was already well discussed in this thread:

http://www.nimrods.com/personalissues

Just my opinion,

Freix

[greymule]

Is this a practical joke, Freix?

[PeteBooth]

Originally posted by greymule


Glad I retired from Fed and will never have to call such idiocy.

IMO as far as the amateur game goes FED is the Rules of Choice for amateur sports. FED isn't perfect but they have a case book that's unprecedented in youth sports.

For every youth league that does use OBR, other than LL's the "Right Call" (which BTW has not been updated in years), they don't have a case book outlining situations that pertain to THEIR game only.

Those leagues rely on interps from JEA / PBUC and J/R except those interps are for the BIG BOYS. There are no safety caveats when dealing with Strict OBR.

Let's take VERBAL Obstruction. No such animal in OBR but there is in FED.

The problem with the FED Appeal rule is that IMO they had it right to begin with before all the changes.

OBR has not been re-written in years and who knows when it will be. At least FED, reviews their rules on a yearly bases and while not perfect the rules FIT the amateur game.

I'll give you a good one - OBSTRUCTION Go to just about any site when this subject comes up on any of the Boards. Is it Type "A" , Type "B"? Do I have to protect a runner somewhere? Do I call Time Immediately or allow play to continue? We could go on and on. In FED Obstruction is practicaly a No Brainer as far as how to judge it to begin with and the runner ALWAYS gets at least one base.

Then there are the speed-up rules. In OBR B1 can take all day at the plate. In FED if B1 delays the game - we ring up a strike.

Give me FED anyday.

Pete Booth