New NFHS Baseball Rules

[johnnyg08]

Originally Posted by MrUmpire

Here they are. Note number 22. Someone

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

Or you could just teach the kids the rule. Personally I like the rule.