NCAA DH Rule
 

Gentleman-

I don't think I'm delusional but I believe I'm a pretty intelligent guy (maybe the jury is still out on that one). I'm an accomplished chemist and a successful high school baseball and basketball sports official. I got the opportunity last fall to "try out" to be a collegiate baseball umpire. I was fortunate enough to get the nod so I'll be working my first season this spring. I quickly bought a NCAA rules study guide to add to my collection of reference books (ie BRD, J/R, etc).

Nonetheless, I cannot wrap my mind around the NCAA DH rule. I asked two veteran college umpires and they both said, "just carry a copy of the DH rule with you and refer to it if needed". Is there any trick anyone has found to help one learn this rule? I like knowing the rules and this is driving me nuts that I cannot learn this one.

-Josh

It is easily the most complicated rule.

Just know the most common occurrences -- the P is often also a good hitter, so the coach want him to be P/DH. So, you can go from a 9-person line-up to a 10-person lineup.

There is an "offensve role" and a "defensive role" -- keep those separate, and recongnize that the same player/person can fil both roles, but treat them as two separate "positions" and you should be okay.

To piggyback on
 

+1 with Bob's advice.

To learn the DH rule you have to break it down into it's component parts in the rule book. Take your time, and work hard on each section until your clearly understand it. Flowchart it, or set up a series of if/then statements like you are writing a computer program in BASIC. You'll get the rule if you work on it.

Once you grasp it, then find some situations and apply the rule to them. Even if you have to write out situations on your own do it. Then after you write the situation down, leave it for a day and come back to it, so that you are looking at it as an unknown situation.

As to the other advice, there are many places where you can find laminated cards with the rule printed on it. I know umpire.org/ABUA has them, and I think Honigs does too. Until you have it in your brain, that's the way to go.

Just take it one section at a time until you understand it.

+1 on both previous posts.

Bob has the most helpful simplification I've read and as JK says, get the laminated rule card. There is no shame in carrying it. I've seen skippers with the card.

The NCAA DH rule is legendary. I've heard NCAA assigners and an NCAA umpire coordinator complain about it, but there's no indication it will ever be changed.

Like Bob said remember they are seperate positions, but I tend to approach it a little different and it helps me keep it straight. Every game I work has a 10 man line-up until a change is made that makes us go to a 9 man and stay there. Even if we have a pitcher/DH, my mental approach is that we have a 10 man. We have pitcher Jones and hitter Jones and they are 2 different people on my line-up even though it is the same person. I am going to create a presentation for this rule this summer. I'll post it up after I finish it.

Thanks Guys. I wouldn't say I'm a perfectionist but I like to know the rules. That's one of the main reasons I don't officiate football. I don't feel like I've mastered them well enough. I guess it's good (for my ego) that not many can really master it.

-Josh

That would be awesome! I've asked my mentor to send me a situations throughout the week so I can learn the rule through practice.

-Josh

Don't do any NCAA ball anymore however, there was once a rumor going around, that actully stated that a human was alive that could fully explain the entire rule.

Having said that, I also always carried the plastic card. The latest edition of BRD does a decent job of helping to understand it completely. Good Luck

Josh, I don't do college ball anymore either, but I suggest that you just ask two veteran college umpires and heed their advice.

The dugouts back then didn't understand the DH rule any better than the game crews, but they had their "cheat-sheets" handy and were quick to jump up and down when they suspected a violation.

If you treat the P and the DH as separate positions, remember you can start with 9, to to 10, and return to 9, or you can start with 10, go to 9, and return to 10.....as long as the DH doesn't play a defensive position other than pitcher....or it's Tuesday in an odd-numbered month.....

JJ

Ken, there was a good one on Eofficials when that site was up and going.. I know you know tom, maybe he can put that up on arbiter for us?

Josh -

If you have time, would you care sharing the situations he provides you?

I definitely will. I don't know when he is going to get to it but I'm sure it'll start soon.

-Josh