NFHS Rule Change - Bats

[Tru_in_Blu]

Originally Posted by Big Slick

If it was played in 2019 or earlier, the Illegal bat penalty is ejection of player and coach.

I personally like the rule change, for this reason.

From NFHS 7-4-2

PENALTY: The ball is dead immediately. All runners must return to the base occupied at the time of the pitch. When the illegal bat is an altered or nonapproved bat, the batter and head coach are also ejected. Runners would not return if they were put out on the play.

That seems to read that if the bat is illegal, but not altered or nonapproved, that it would just be an out.

[DaveASA/FED]

You are correct. There are now (starting in 2019-2020 season) three different actions for bats in NFHS:
1) Damaged-remove the bat from the game with no penalty.
2) Illegal-Batter is out, remove the bat from the game
3) Altered or nonapproved- batter is out, remove the bat from the game, batter and head coach are also ejected.

Actions 2 &3 are unchanged from last year the only difference is the addition of action 1.

[Big Slick]

Originally Posted by Tru_in_Blu

From NFHS 7-4-2

PENALTY: The ball is dead immediately. All runners must return to the base occupied at the time of the pitch. When the illegal bat is an altered or nonapproved bat, the batter and head coach are also ejected. Runners would not return if they were put out on the play.

That seems to read that if the bat is illegal, but not altered or nonapproved, that it would just be an out.

I stand corrected. And it seems silly that by (previous) definition that bats were legal or illegal, then having two tiers of illegal under 7 4 2 but not under the definitions (I know they mention these two types of illegal under 2 4 1 and 2 4 2, but they should be called nonapproved and altered under the definitions and penalties).

Like I said, this is a good change.

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by Big Slick

Like I said, this is a good change.

It's only a good change from the perspective that it protects coaches from failing to do their due diligence in ensuring all bats are legal. We've gone from umpires doing pre-game checks, to expecting coaches to take responsibility and relieving us from those pre-game checks, to now this.

I'm guessing enough coaches pissed and moaned about the fact that their teams were getting penalized when they themselves failed to ensure bats weren't damaged. So NFHS caved and changed the rule yet again. Now coaches have even less incentive to check their players' bats.

[Crabby_Bob]

^As above^ This is a pathetic change.