https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/clips/ucld738f1a40c1780676624623

When this happens, the head coach remains the "head coach" they simply coach from the bench/dugout area. Correct? 

My question is: Can the assistant coach...let's say the asst coach who was at the plate meeting come out to discuss plays with the crew or is that still the responsibility of the head coach who has been restricted? IOW, the umpire would need to go over to the bench/dugout area to discuss plays or request the crew conference on a play? 

I feel as though the HC is still the HC, he's just restricted to the bench for his failure to attend the plate meeting. 

For the purposes of this, assume that the HC refused to attend the plate meeting.  

R1; Outs don't matter. 

Batter hits a pop fly along the first base foul line.  R1 interferes with F3.  F3 touches the ball and drops it while the ball is in (a) foul or (b) fair territory.

With (a), R1 is out and BR goes back to bat.

With (b), R1 is out and BR is awarded first base.

Is this proper for both Fed and NCAA?

Interested in everyone's thoughts (real play, just watched it happen).

How many games would it take to feel like you’d be varsity softball caliber? Besides rules, what are the biggest differences…could be mechanics, game management, etc. Would it be hard to teach a baseball umpire…softball habits? 

Quote

External Defibrillators.--(a) Each school entity and nonpublic school that participates in interscholastic athletics, as defined in section 1602-A, shall have an automated external defibrillator situated in such a manner that is readily accessible for students participating in interscholastic athletics and practices.

So the question for discussion - is this going to be "my problem" to ensure that it's there?  Or is that 100% a school administration issue and we don't have to worry if it's there or not?

After a first year of working rec with a couple sprinkles of travel, I'm ready for both a more thorough level of training and a higher level of play, and that sure sounds like trying to work high school baseball this year! Our first meeting of the year is tonight over Zoom, which feels like a good place to start this thread.

I appreciated everyone's advice last year and if you have anything specific for working HS in terms of a higher level of play, weird quirks of NFHS vs OBR, etc I will still continue to be all ears!

I'll also probably be using this to document what else I end up working this year, I'm hoping to go the whole year only working games on 90-foot diamonds, but that'll seemingly be up to the org I worked with last year that has u15 rec and some travel. 

There's lots to learn from this clip...so what can we learn. What do the rules say about handling a play like this? 

How are you being instructed to handle these situations? 

Are you treating it like drawing a line? 

What state are you in? 

Here's the new NFHS interp from 2026. Does it apply here?

SITUATION 9: May a runner who chooses not to slide, go into a base in a force play situation and make contact with the fielder; be hit by the throw; or alter the play in any other way? 

RULING: No. In a force play slide situation (while a runner is never required to slide), if the runner chooses not to slide, the runner must run to the side of the base in a direction away from the fielder to avoid making contact or altering the play of the fielder. If the runner goes to the base standing up and makes contact with the fielder; gets hit by the thrown ball; or in any way alters the play, the runner is out and the batter- runner is also out. The only time the runner might be able to go into the base standing up on a force situation is if the fielder is nowhere in the vicinity of the base. (2-32-1, 8-4-2b)

Not shown in video, B/R returns to 1B and after B/R on 1B, F3 tags the B/R.

Initial call by BU is safe, F3's foot was off the bag and the appeal wasn't clear.

Thoughts?

• Pitchers wearing white or gray below the elbow / white or gray on the glove
• Fielders wearing play sheet wristbands on their belts
• Running lane violations

Since the interference has to be intentional, I imagine the ruling they want is to leave the runner at second base (first option).

I disagree with the notion that “golf swinging near the ball” is accidental and NOT intentional.

What say you?

Home team lineup includes: Smith as F2, batting 2nd.  Jones is DH batting 3rd for RF Evans. 

In the top of the inning, following multiple errors by Smith, Home HC makes a defensive substitution by declaring to the UIC "I'm killing the DH." and sends Jones in to catch (removing Smith from the field and Evans remaining in RF.)  No substitution is announced to Visitor HC (and no one realizes or objects) and the half inning eventually ends.

During the bottom of the inning, Smith's spot in the order is set to lead off, so Home team sends a new sub, Baker, to the plate to bat in the 2nd spot.  Former DH (and now F2) Jones is on deck, planning to bat in his correct 3rd spot in the order.  Visitor HC realizes the illegal swap and appeals to the umpire.

How would you fix this at this point?

To me, the "illegal" participant is Evans in RF (who should have come off the field when the DH Jones assumed a defensive position.)  Evans no longer has a "spot" as a participant in the lineup, which reverted to 9-man when the DH took the field.  Obviously, it is too late to reverse any actions that occurred in the previous half inning with the illegal defensive sub.

Would you declare Smith (or Baker?) OUT in the 2nd spot in the lineup and proceed to Jones batting with 1 Out? 

Or, permit Baker to bat with the understanding that he (or another new sub) will need to take the field defensively in the next inning, with RF Evans being declared illegal (and now restricted to the bench for the remainder of the game)??

Any reasoning where you would consider DH (now F2) Jones to be considered the illegal sub?

1. Increasing suspension from one game to two for unsportsmanlike behavior since an administrative ejection for batting out of order was not the intended target of the two-game (or more) penalty.

Since when do we eject for BOO?

1. Foul ball directly to my brand-new mask.

2. Partner getting hit in C for umpire interference

3. Batter's Interference where the batter never moved his feet (hit the catcher with his follow through).

4. Bat to the mask when it slipped out of the batter's hands

5. Pop up in the infield that hits the mound and ended up being touched foul.

6. 4 FPSR violations on the same team on their brand-new turf field. They apparently haven't learned how to slide properly on turf.

7. Pitch into the forearm because the catcher doesn't like to block balls in the dirt.

8. Ejected HC for screaming F*#K at me across the diamond.

9. Made a call at third base sitting on my ass because both feet ended up in front of me when I went to stop.

So, either I have gotten all the craziness out of the way the first week, or I am going to have an interesting season.

Anyways, the winning team had used a player as a pitcher, removed him to another position and the inning ended.  The start of the next inning or the one after that, they inserted the same player back as pitcher.   I can't find where that was illegal other than the player can return to pitch only once an inning. (3.1.2) Nothing I can find says he can't return to pitch, legally, like was mentioned. Am I missing something?

R2 & R3, no outs.  The batter attempts a bunt and pops up to the pitcher, who intentionally drops it:

a) ball is immediately dead (the answer did NOT include a statement that the batter would be declared Out)

b) ball is alive and in play

c) blah blah blah

d) blah blah blah

a & b were the only viable options, I'm quite sure.  Before answering, my gut told me that I would have officiated this as option b) as first base was open (no force situation) there would be no advantage gained by intentionally dropping the pop up.

5-1-1j states "an infielder intentionally drops a fair fly, line drive, or bunt in flight with at least first base occupied and less than two outs."

Case play 5.1.1 M has an R1, but concludes with this blanket statement:  "The ball becomes dead immediately when it is intentionally dropped by and infielder except in the case of an infield fly."

Against my instincts, I ultimately landed on answer a) due to that sentence in the case play, plus the "AT LEAST" phrase in 5-1-1j.  (Is R2 + R3 not MORE - at least - than R1?)

Personally, I believe that since time was called and they met, I don't care if the meeting was for 1 second or 1 minute. I would have charged them with a conference.

What sort of guidelines for player conferences do you have personally or as directed from your association?