Replay

[MikeStrybel]

This was posted on the NCAA basebal site a few months ago. I know some of you are fans of it while others cringe.

NCAA Experiments with Instant Replay for 2012 CWS

By Greg Johnson
NCAA.org

Umpires at the 2012 Men’s College World Series will be able to use instant replay to review specified calls under an experimental rule developed by the NCAA Baseball Rules Committee.

The Division I Baseball Committee reviewed and supported the experimental rule at its annual meeting Monday-Wednesday in Indianapolis.

The rule still must be approved by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel (as must all playing rules proposals) before being implemented. The panel meets via conference call on Aug. 11.

The Baseball Rules Committee had originally proposed using instant replay on an experimental basis at the regionals and super regionals in addition to the College World Series, but the Division I Baseball Committee narrowed its use to the CWS since it’s possible that not all regional and super regional sites would offer the same logistical consistency that TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha affords.

The list of reviewable plays will be limited to:

•Deciding if an apparent home run is fair or foul.
•Deciding whether a batted ball left the playing field for a home run or a ground-rule double.
•Spectator-interference plays (only on plays involving home run balls).

“This has been one of the issues that we want to be cautious with and move somewhat slowly,” said Jeff Hurd, the chair of the Baseball Rules Committee and senior associate commissioner of the Western Athletic Conference. “The technology is there. We are not doing due diligence to the sport if we don’t use it. At the same time, there is a fine line as to how far you go with it. That’s the reason for its limited use.”

Division I Baseball Committee chair Tim Weiser, deputy commissioner of the Big 12 Conference, said it makes sense to take advantage of a facility that is “logistically friendly” to review plays.

“We have 17 camera locations available to us,” Weiser said. “If we are really driven by getting the call right, and we have a working model that Major League Baseball uses, it was an easy decision to take advantage of the technology.”

The instant-replay process will operate under the fundamental assumption that the ruling on the field is correct. The only way a call can be changed is if there is indisputable video evidence to remove all doubt that a ruling was incorrect. Otherwise, the original call will stand.

Any instant-replay review would have to occur before the next pitch or play. If it occurs after a game-ending play, it must be called for before all umpires leave the field of play.

There would not be a formal “coaches challenge” opportunity in the instant-replay process. Coaches already have the ability to request a conference among umpires under the “Getting the Call Right” provisions in Appendix E of the NCAA Baseball Rules Book.

The umpire crew chief determines whether to use instant replay.

If instant replay is used, the calling umpire and the crew chief and other members of the crew, as deemed necessary, would go to the designated video-replay area to review all relevant video coverage. At least one umpire would remain on the field.

During a video review, the defensive team players would be required to maintain their positions on the field and would be allowed to practice throw if desired. Baserunners and the on-deck hitter would remain at their positions. All players and coaches would have to remain in the dugout. Any defensive or offensive conferences would be charged as during any other part of the game.

While there is no time limit for the video review, lengthy reviews (more than two or three minutes) are discouraged and would be considered possible evidence that there is no indisputable video evidence to change a call.

The crew chief may confer and discuss the replays during the review with other members of the umpiring crew, but the ultimate final decision is with the crew chief. This final decision may not be contested by either coach.

If a reversal results in the need to decide the placement of baserunners, the crew chief would use his best judgment to determine their locations as if the call had been made correctly. Again, coaches cannot question these decisions.

If a call is changed, the crew chief would notify both head coaches and the official scorer of the ruling.

During the 2011 Men’s College World Series, there were a few plays where the committee believes the umpires could have been aided in getting the call right, including a possible home run that ended up being a double.

“We were kicking around this idea before that incident of the play in Omaha,” Weiser said. “It kind of reinforced the benefit that video replay can provide.”

Hurd added: “Omaha is ideal because the new stadium was built to be fan friendly, media friendly, umpire friendly and team friendly. ESPN has cameras to cover all the angles, and you have a room available where instant replay reviews can be done. We can take advantage of that.”