NFHS walks for 2018

[Tex]

The coach, pitcher or catcher of the defensive team may request an intentional walk either before or during the pitch count.
Rationale:This change to allow intentional walks was enacted to align fast pitch and slow pitch rules, to keep up with current trends of the sport, and also to maximize the flow of the game.

Question is: What is the limit, how often, conditions, etc. this intentional walk can be used. If no limits, a game would never end from all the walks (everybody walks).

[RKBUmp]

There is no limit, the coach can walk as many batters as they want. Why would any sane coach walk every batter? I could see walking in a run to avoid the teams best hitter that has burned you every at bat, but why would you just continue to walk every batter that came to bat?

[Little Jimmy]

I think this new rule will be disrespectful to the game. We don't need to speed up the game, and if a pitcher can't put a catchable ball somewhere near the catcher for 4 pitches then we have a big problem. Yes, of course, I've done crappy games where the pitcher stinks and has a hard time hitting the broad side of a barn. But rules like this cheapen the game in my opinion, as well as deny the offense a chance to advance on a passed ball. Suck it up, pitch the ball 4 times, and move on.

[teebob21]

Originally Posted by Tex

The coach, pitcher or catcher of the defensive team may request an intentional walk either before or during the pitch count.
Rationale:This change to allow intentional walks was enacted to align fast pitch and slow pitch rules, to keep up with current trends of the sport, and also to maximize the flow of the game.

Question is: What is the limit, how often, conditions, etc. this intentional walk can be used. If no limits, a game would never end from all the walks (everybody walks).

There isn't one, until you see it in the rules. The game governs itself...if I, as a coach, want to walk 38 batters in a row in the top of the first, I can. I'm down 34-0 at minimum at this point, so the run rule will get me eventually. As an umpire, if I believe the coach is using the rule in violation of the spirit of the game, I have tools to curb the behavior as well as eventually remove the coach. If every adult on that HS bench chooses to intentionally walk every batter ever....well, we will run out of coaches and have ourselves an easy forfeit. The incident report writes itself.

This is an extreme example, but a valid one. As officials, let's not overthink this rule change.

Do I like it (the rule change)? HELL NO, make the pitcher throw 4 pitches if they want an IBB. Can I do anything about it? Again, no.

[RKBUmp]

Not sure why the game needs to be brought in line with slow pitch or why they think they need to follow the NCAA. There are not that many intentional walks to begin with and it will only save a few minutes a game at most.

[Tru_in_Blu]

Originally Posted by RKBUmp

Not sure why the game needs to be brought in line with slow pitch or why they think they need to follow the NCAA. There are not that many intentional walks to begin with and it will only save a few minutes a game at most.

Agreed. I'm OK with the rule, though. As I mentioned in a reply on another post on this subject, I don't recall an IBB in NFHS games that I've worked.

[Insane Blue]

In 30 years of umpiring I might have seen a dozen Intentional Walks.

The biggest problem was getting the pitcher and catcher to do it properly as most do not understand the mechanics of it.

[Crabby_Bob]

Originally Posted by RKBUmp

Not sure why the game needs to be brought in line with slow pitch or why they think they need to follow the NCAA. There are not that many intentional walks to begin with and it will only save a few minutes a game at most.

Or Major League small ball. The defense gets all the benefit without the risk of uncorking a wild pitch or passed ball. The game does not need this rule.

[teebob21]

Originally Posted by Insane Blue

In 30 years of umpiring I might have seen a dozen Intentional Walks.

The biggest problem was getting the pitcher and catcher to do it properly as most do not understand the mechanics of it.

In twenty years, I've seen six or eight. Half of them were in Men's FP, where the F1 and F2 knew what they were doing. Of the (maybe) four I've seen in girl's/college softball, at least two resulted in disaster due to a wild pitch.

WHICH IS AS IT SHOULD BE. THROW THE BALL.