The 2011-12 NFHS Umpire Manual is in the trash.
 

Yet again, I'll have this worthless book for less than 2 minutes.

They still have the plate umpire cover third on a bases-empty triple and tell the base umpire to cover the plate.

Yeah, right, when hell freezes over.

Ah, the sound of a book hitting the bottom of my trash can.

BU goes over the bump to get the play at the plate. Terrific. What's really scary is there are those who actually think this is a good idea.

I don't think it's a good idea normally and a lot of unnecessary motion but: I have seen hits to RF where the base ump doesn't read the triple right away and is back to the throw while setting up for the play or is watching the throw to ensure not getting hit and has to do an "exorcist" to set up for the play at 3B. Anybody think it's an option with a hit to RF?

Not if U1 comes in on the hit. U1 doesn't need to "read the triple", he only needs to read "trouble ball or not" and react accordingly.

Really?

I started reading it this year too, then about 3 paragraphs in, called 'er good.

I gave it to my one-year-old daughter. She wanted to keep taking the Case Book from my hands, so I gave it to her as a compromise.

On further thought, I should make a copy of the PBUC manual and give it to her. That way, she won't learn bad habits.

The sad part about it is there are young umpires out there who will actually take time to read that manual, and think it's going to help them become a better umpire. Old habits die hard.

Why the PBUC manual? Use CCA or Evans' Maximizing the Two Umpire System.

It's a miserable shame that the NFHS wastes money printing this outdated piece of garbage. I understand that at one point these were probably considered modern mechanics, but times change. And the day I can't cover 3rd from A on a triple is that day I pack it in.

If anyone has any questions, I could probably dig it out of the trash. But only until tomorrow night -- Monday's trash day.

The thing I don't understand is that there are competent umpires out there who have some pull with the Federation on this type of publication. Heck, I'd be willing to make all of the edits to the case book under the promise that the change would be made for free...simply because it's the right thing to do. Of the three rule sets, this is the one set that is different from NCAA and OBR for no reason other than stubbornness.

Maybe I'll keep it for another week so I can simply mock it when I have a free moment.

The R1, R2, R3 bologna makes any FED book nearly impossible to read...the label stays with the runner...makes no sense.

And then they get sloppy and forget to mention which base the runner's on sometimes.

I know softball has resisted making that change, too, for whatever reason. There's absolutely no reason for softball organizations (and I don't work softball, so I couldn't possibly care what they do) or the NFHS to not make that change except for the fact that they don't want to be seen as changing cause someone else did it first.

If only...
 

The state that I work in is now on a crusade to standardize mechanics in HS, using pure FED mechanics, including the threat of not giving umpires post-season assignments. It will be interesting how this works out, since this is a trend in all other sports in this state as well.