NFHS has again brought up the issued of awarded bases and the
three-foot lane.

When there is a base-on-balls award, the BR is <u>required</u> to
use the three-foot running lane. A walk is treated the same as a batted
ball. When the BR runs outside the three-foot runner lane and, in the
judgment of the umpire, interferes with the fielder taking or receiving
a throw to 1B, interference shall be called.

Team Huddles is another issue.

Teams should not assemble in front or outside of dugouts when their portion
of the inning has been completed. Further, teams should not huddle during
the course of the game unless a <u>conference</u> has been charged. This
practice assists with minimizing risks to participatns and keeps the pace
of the game moving. This should be discussed during the pregame conference,
including 6-2-5, five pitches or 1 minute thingy.

Would you now be required to charge the team a conference, if the catcher
calls time and she and the infield meet to discuss their options?

>>>>YUCK<<<<

Rulings like this are keeping NFHS just below the level of respectability, IMO. The umpire has ample tools to deal with a walked batter who is deliberately interfering (for example to allow a runner on third to advance or to allow herself to continue to 2nd), but creating this "dodge ball" play by the defense as somehow legitimate defense against an awarded base is just plain idiotic.

I have no problem with their intent, here, although if NFHS is actually concerned with keeping games from growing hair, they should be paying attention to baseball, not softball, and make rules limiting the scratching, tugging, and spitting and landscaping of the mound and batter's box. This rule, though, seems punative against team spirit and just plain scrooge-like, IMO. Regardless of team conferences between innings, the 1 minute clock continues to run, and all it takes is a word from the umpire to keep it moving. Sounds like the sour-faced coaches won over the exuberant coaches.

As you have observed, Glen, it also seems to be ill thought out in terms of the definition of a charged conference.

I intend to query Walter Sparks on this conference thing.
He usually answers within a couple of days. Will advise
if I get an answer.

Team conferences at the end of the 1/2 inning ar not as frequent as the beginning of the 1/2 inning and I feel the enforcement of 1 minute or 5 pitches takes care of most situations.

I guess I don't know why everyone is making a big deal over this. All bases have to be run properly, just because the umpire awards a runner a base doesn't change this fact. If a player hits the ball over the fence, doesn't she have to touch all the awarded bases? If a batter/runner enters the dugout before reaching first base, isn't she out? IF A RUNNER IS OUT OF THE THREE FOOT LANE AND CAUSES INTERFERENCE, SHOULDN'T BE OUT? It shouldn't matter if it is on a hit, or walk. ACTUALLY THE RULE IS CONSISTENT WITH ALL THE OTHER RULES THAT COVER INTERFERENCE AND BASE RUNNING.

No need to shout. The issue, for me, is there must be a play to be interferred with. The play is not on the BR achieving first base, since that is an awarded base. Is there another play being made? Maybe, maybe not, but the NFHS rule says the BR is out anyway.

BTW, you can find a link to the 2005 rules changes in the News section of [b]Softball Umpires.

NOT SHOUTING.....EMPHASIZING :)

On a walk, isn't the ball still live? Doesn't the defense have the right to make a play by throwing the ball to first base and holding the runner there, if they choose to? The umpire isn't going to call interference UNLESS interferece happens. Therefore, only the guilty are penalized.

jj,

A walk is an awarded base. (NFHS 2-63-1)

Four pitches thrown out of the strike zone <b>awarding</b>
the batter 1B.

Then they come up with this ruling that they can be put out. That
is everyone's problem with the ruling. They need to change the
wording.
JMHO

Ahhh, there's the rub. The defense has "choosen" to create a phantom play, not the offense. You want to stop the BR from advancing, throw the ball to the pitcher. There is ZERO opportunity for the defense to put out the BR, hence, there is no play at 1B. Umpire's are not fortune tellers and only make calls on plays they see, not presume. Now, if you want to let me make presumptions and rule on them, you'll see my 42 come and go real quick ;)

Quote:

The umpire isn't going to call interference UNLESS interferece happens. Therefore, only the guilty are penalized.

Guilty of what? Having their back turned to the catcher and becoming a target? IMO, the interpretation is laughable.

I gotta admit that I dont like this. It look like they have gotten into solving problems that dont exist. The huddle in front of the dugout is not a huge problem. Most high school girls are very good sbout hustling... why make this an issue? It is THEIR game after all... and who in their right mind would ever think that the three foot lane on a walk is an issue..... good grief....

I'd be willing to bet that somewhere along the way, a stray ball, or maybe even a bat, struck a player or coach in one of their "huddles" and this is how NFHS has decided to fix it.

Less cynicism needed. More likely a game or games ended because of weather or darkness and the losing coach(es) complained about stalling to delay the game.