Pitcher warm-up area
 

NFHS rules. Have two local high schools with pitcher warm up areas located behind dugouts, and/or wind screen areas, within the confines of the field, but are not within view of the umpires. These are designated warm-up areas. Is this legal?

Sure it is.

The school designates the warm up areas. If they are outside the fencing, but in your view they are, by rule, within the confines of the field. That gives you safety responsibility for that area. In other words, you can order a warm-up catcher to wear proper gear.

If you can't see 'em, you are not responsibile.

WMB

Not so fast.
 

Question #42 on the NFHS Part 1 exam says "A legal warm-up area could be behind the bleachers out of the umpire's view".

This is a FALSE statement according to the graded exam I got back.

Therefore, the pitcher's must warm up within the confines of the field which, by definition, must be within the view of the umpire(s).

Well, if you are going to call games by what you read in a quiz, good luck in your games. Umpire tests from any association are notoriously wrong. I will call by the rulebook.

NFHS 2-15 . . . The confines of the field includes the filed of play, the designated dugout/bench area, and any enclosed or clearly marked area designated as a warm-up area that is adjacent to the field and within the view of the umpire(s).

NFHS 1-7.3 . . . "Any non-adult warming up a pitcher at any location within the confines of the field shall wear an approved catcher's helmet and mask combination and throat protector."

NFHS 3-6.1 . . . Team personnel shall wear or use legal and/or required equipment. Penalty: . . . team warning . . . next offender and coach
restricted to the bench . . .

Those are the rules. Confines of the field are within your view. Catcher within your view must wear mask. Penalty if she doesn't.

There are no rules telling school where to place designated warm up areas, nor is there a rule requiring pitcher to warm-up within your view.

Prior to 2007 Confines of the Field were ruled to be within the enclosed playing surface. If a catcher was outside the confines of field, but within your view without proper equipment, it was suggested in the Casebook that you tell the coach.

I brought that to the Committee's attention and they agreed to expand the umpire's jurisdiction by expanding the confines of the field. So - if you can see them, your are responsible to enforce the rules noted above. If you can't see them, obviously you are not responsible.

WMB

Confines of the field
 

Last year I asked Mary Struckoff for a definition of 'confines of the field' since it wasn't in the NFHS rulebook. She gave me the answer that ultimately appeared in this year's rules.

At our state association rules clinic this year, it was pointed out that pitchers cannot warm up in a gym or other place where they cannot be observed by the umpire(s).

From what I understand, the Federation wants all players to remain in sight of the umpires (within the confines of the field) at all times so as to be under the supervision of the umpires so that the catcher's mask rule will always be enforced.

I'll pass this along to Mary for a clarification.

If that is their desire, then they need to make a rule stating this. Until such time as that rule is in effect, there is really nothing that we can do. And, if any such rule ever does take effect, NFHS will get some serious backlash from all of the schools who have spent all of the tax payers' money on elaborate facilities that are no longer legal. I know of several schools who have batting cages and warm up areas that are really nice, yet they are not in view of the umpires on the field. If that rule ever does pass, it will most certainly have a very short life expectancy.

Before I'm going to rule on a pitcher warming up out of sight of me, I'm going to ask that the NFHS work with Mr. Spock to get us the proper instrumentation to be able to detect it.

I'm not roaming the halls of a HS campus looking for illicit softball throwing.