Did I answer correctly?
 

In the dressing room following some games last night was asked a question by a fellow umpire that I believe that I answered correctly BUT it never hurts to ask for other opinions.

Situation: NFHS rules - pitching change during an inning.

While the pitcher is taking his eight warm up pitches 6 or 8 offensive players are outside the dugout swinging bats. They are all further away from the plate than the on-deck circle and they all have on helmets.

My Answer: I told him that I couldn’t think of any rule against doing that. When I got home I looked in the rule book and the case book (that’s the extent of my high school reference library) and couldn’t find anything.

I don't see an issue with that. I also don't think there is a rule preventing it during the warm up.

3-3-1j: A player shall not be outside the designated dugout (bench) or bullpen area if not a batter, runner, on-deck batter, in the coach’s box or one of the nine players on
defense.

If additional players want to "warm up", they can go outside the fence.

+1 --- absolutely not allowed in NHFS. Personally, I wouldn't allow this "kiddie-ball crap" in any game.

No mention if the ball was dead as it was in this case.

I'm embarrassed to say that I read right past 3-3-1j and missed it. Thanks again for the help, I'll pass it along to the other umpire.

It is customary, in my experience, to have two players taking swings during warm-ups...the player who will be the batter, but it isn't yet, and the player who will be on-deck, but isn't yet. I have seen, at times, three and since this is a deadball situation, and none of them are close to the plate or dirt circle, I have no problem with that.

Probably because it doesn't make any difference. Don't allow it.

Gentlemen, sometimes you just have to umpire. As PU everyone better be in place when I say play and make the ball live.

Taken literally, 3-3-1j would say that players can't go to (as opposed to already being in) the bullpen, there can't be a batboy, players can't chase foul balls, etc.

The casebook heading for 3-3-1 is "Leaving the dugout/bench during a live ball", and it says the intent of the rule (presumably 3-3-1a) is to limit offensive players from flooding the plate area. I'm dubious that 3-3-1j applies between innings or during an in-inning pitcher change.

Even during live balls, other folks besides those mentioned in 3-3-1j are authorized to be outside the dugout. For example, it specifically says that the batboy is OK, and that players can go down the foul line to the bullpen.

I wouldn't pick the boogie...esp w/o rule support.