Simple Question ?
 

We had a sitch yesterday come up and I apparently am confused. :confused:

ASA rule set.....When a coach makes a pitching change that still counts as a charged conference ? I have been living under the impression pitching change = no charged time out.

I looked through my rule book last night and couldn't find anything to back up my position.:eek:

So even a pitching change counts as a charged conference ?

A charged defensive conference is for when a manager or team rep asks for suspension of play to deliver a message to a defensive player on the field. If he simply announces a pitching change to you, that's not a charged conference. That's, at most, a substitution.

Now, if the coach leaves the dugout to talk to the pitcher on the pitcher's plate, that might be a different story, and my instinct says that MIGHT be a charged conference just based upon how the rule is worded. However, I might be wrong, so I'll let the other guys pipe in. Honestly, I've not had this happen, nor have I been given instructions about this.

Fortunately, there's a national school coming near me sometime soon, and I'm pretty stoked about it. :D

Speaking ASA only. Any time a coach advises you he intends to make a change prior to talking with the players, that is a change, not a charged conference. The coach may continue to talk with the players during the "one minute to throw no more than five warmup pitches" game stoppage. If the coach talks (confers) with the players first, then announces a pitching change, it is a charged conference, regardless any changes made after the conference. Unless coach says he just wants to make sure they are okay; then the umpire should go with the coach, to be sure conversation is limited to a possible injury or illlness.

NFHS rules as you understood previously; if a pitching change, no conference.

In NCAA, it is a moot point; they use the old version, one allowed conference per inning per pitcher. Nothing accumulates, so the new pitcher gets one conference, no matter what you call the previous "discussion".

What he said. ;)