What B.S. Title 9 has nothing whatsoever in it that requires "equal rules." What utter balderdash. Gibberish. Twaddle. Poppycock. Lawyerphobia. If this has any merit whatsoever, then by the same logic, the softball games should be 9 innings (or baseball 7).

In Texas baseball and softball both play seven innings. :D

Here in Illinois we play spring HS ball but fall Jr high softball. No time limit for either. A good HS varsity contest takes less than 90 minutes. We also have the standard 10 run rule after 5.
The Jr. High state assoc adopted 15 after 3. I wish the HS would too.

I have to agree that in the spring you have a lot of rainouts as I have had five of nine games cancelled. I have heard that Iowa has their HS games in the summer. As the saying goes the climate in your area makes a big difference.

This is kind of a sore subject with me. In my city we play with a time limit because we have double headers every night. None of our schools have fields as of yet, so we play on public fields. What I don't like about it is that all the other areas in our state don't use the time limit or run rule. As we all know it is a different game if we don't use a time limit. I feel as the NFHS book states that this is a state adopted rule and should either be used state wide or not.

If reading all these posts is an indication, it looks like we were the few if not the only state that had a time limit. I guess I became spoiled before knowing that a 25 - 20 game could end mercifully when my timer went off or shortly after. Now we may play 3 hours on that same game, but that is life. Dave

Here in Seattle metro area we have no time limits on most of our varsity or JV games (couple exceptions I can think of where teams use public facilities and must be done by a certain time). Run rules are up to leagues/conferences, as is timing of ITB: one major league here starts it in 9th, another in 10th.

Ed is right.

The NFHS rulebook leaves several things up to "state adoption". To me, that means all HS games in the entire state play with the same set of rules concerning time limits, game ending procedures, etc.

I'm surprised to hear from some of you that different HS leagues and schools have different procedures in the same state. Doesn't each state have a HS athletic governing body that decides what adoptions that state will make?

It also seems that by allowing this practice, certain teams could have an advantage or disadvantage when participating in state playoffs where hopefully, there is a uniform set of rules and adoptions.

One of my pet peeves with NFHS is even allowing "state optional" rules.

Either it is a rule or not a rule. Options shouldn't be included in a rule book. That, however, doesn't mean an area couldn't opt out of a particular rule.

The state adoption option gives the local associations the idea. Remove the option and most states will hang with the rule book. Sort of, "out of sight, out of mind" way of looking at it.

Make a rule THE rule, period.

One rule would certainly be easier on those of us working multiple states, just leave those that are dependent on climate, time of year, etc.

I agree. Last year in NC the state rule did not require a pitcher to pitch for the IW. This year they have to pitch. NFHS says pitch. If NC did it by the book consistently, that rule would not change from year to year.

We also have something else you don't deal with there: rainouts. In our case, lotsa rainouts.