Originally Posted by MrUmpire (Post 848960)

22 8-4-1l (new) Modify:...l. After a fair batted or bunted ball he steps back toward home plate to avoid or delay a tag by a fielder. The batter-runner is out and the ball remains live.

Rationale: By not having a batter-runner retreat rule we allow the offense to have an advantage over the defense. The lack of the rule enables a batter-runner to run toward first base, stop, and then run backward toward home plate in order to create a near run-down situation, confusing the defensive players and prohibiting them from tagging the batter-runner and making a subsequent play on another advancing runner. I have no problem with a batter-runner stopping halfway up the line to allow a defender to tag him, but retreating to delay the inevitable gives the offense too much leeway. Jim Angele Nebraska

Originally Posted by Tim C (Post 848974)

The NFHS baseball Rules Committee is Chaired (permanently) by an umpire. All other members of the committee are coaches, ADs etc.


T

Originally Posted by Tim C (Post 848927)

Baseball Rules Committee at its June 3-5 meeting in Indianapolis. All rules changes were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

The new note in Rule 1-3-2 is as follows: “The NFHS has been advised that certain manufacturers consider alteration, modification and ‘doctoring’ of their bats to be unlawful and subject to civil and, under certain circumstances, criminal action.”

“Not only is it a violation of NFHS baseball rules to alter a non-wood bat, this new language emphasizes that an individual could be subjected to a civil or criminal lawsuit for tampering with a bat,” said Elliot Hopkins, NFHS director of sports and educational services and staff liaison to the NFHS Baseball Rules Committee.

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