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Do make sure to keep your blocks up-to-date. Assigners HATE declines and hate turnbacks even more. Some assigners keep the assigning fee when you turn back a game. You'll move up quicker if you are religious on keeping your schedule in order.

Just arrived via UPS today: the limited edition “Kuta.” Same plates as the Enduro, with a different pad and color way. Same great quality coming from Derek and his team. Looking forward to strapping it on in 4 weeks!

The OP clearly describes a petty but retaliatory (intentional) act after a fake tag during a dead ball. If he ends up on the ground, I don't think you HTBT. 😎

There are many opinions when discussing DF, but I find it easier and more friendly than Arbiter. I do wish you could see which peers were on which game, but overall DF does very well what I need it to do. Just remember your assigner will appreciate you putting in schedule blocks (times/days when you're not available) as soon as you know about them, as well as accepting assignments as soon as you can (so he can not worry about you covering as he's scheduled you to). Happy to help you navigate DF as you need--drop me a DM.

Bought a pair of Mizuno plate shoes from @Thunderheads--yes, @Velho, another pair. 😏 Super flexible and responsive. Thank you sir!

We've been down this road before, but raising your arms and bracing for a collision is instinctual. What we should be watching for is what happens next: either the arms act as shock absorbers and take the impact (legal), or he unloads (illegal). I've had to make that explanation to coaches both ways (ejected and no penalty) and have never had an argument when explaining it that way. FWIW, I would call "incidental" contact and "instinctual" contact two different things.

NFHS did define MC in it's 2014 Rules Interpretations. Why they never put it in the rule book, nobody knows. Contact or a collision is considered to be malicious if: The contact is the result of intentional excessive force; The contact occurs close to the bag or home plate or above the waist of the receiving player; or There was intent to injure. Malicious contact can occur without these conditions if determined by the umpire, but these provide a starting point.

Same here for the Ump-Life harness and Sandy Colbolt helmet. After adjustment, I don't have any issues. However, my eyes might be deceiving me, but at first look I thought the smooth helmet had a more vertical rear - which I thought was a drastic change. On second look and comparison, there is a 3 degree difference between the Sandy and the Smooth. Yes, my Superman eyes were able to discern that. In all seriousness, I think I see a slight change in the rear and maybe it is smaller than I thought it was. But, maybe that is all that is needed to grab or hold the strap back there.

If it will be of help, California has a definition of malicious contact: Malicious contact is violent, avoidable contact between two opposing players. It often occurs when a runner collides with a fielder in an effort to dislodge possession of the ball. Malicious contact can also occur when a fielder unnecessarily applies a hard tag to a runner. Intent and play situation must be a consideration in determining malicious contact. Hard contact is not, in itself, malicious contact. From what I understand, California has submitted a definition to the NFHS rules committee on numerous occasions without success.

I'm not disagreeing, just asking for some help on this one . . . Can you point me to the differences between malicious contact, unsportsmanlike conduct, and fight rules? I get where you are headed with MC being lumped in with the interference rules, but the book explicitly says the defense can be guilty of MC. I thought we had a book definition of MC, but I appear to be wrong on that (or bad at my research today).

Please email me directly derek@gerrydavis.com so I can look into the issue for you. If I cannot assist I'll forward to the appropriate person who can assist further.

Congrats on moving to the next level. I think, overall, you will find HS baseball easier than rec or travel. For the most part, the players do more of what you expect them to do and you'll have less funky plays to officiate. I'm sure your training will cover HS rules. Some of the major differences: ALL obstruction is a delayed dead ball, and ALWAYS results in at least a one base award from the runner's position at the time of the obstruction. There is no "in the act of fielding" in HS. The fielder either has possession, or he doesn't. Force Play Slide Rule - it's different from the bonafide slide rule in OBR Runner's Lane Interference - pay close attention on how your association wants it to be called. Follow-through interference (sometimes called backswing interference) - same as batter's interference. Someone is going to be out. Pitching positions - I'm not up-to-date on them, but they'll be different from OBR Dugout Restrictions - nothing similar in OBR. Part of your "toolbox" to manage a game, which will be important in those freshman games that might only have one babysitter coach. You'll likely be asked to confirm game details a few days in advance via email with the coach or AD. Game date, time, location (JV field, varsity field), and if you'll have access to a locker room (more for varsity). Get examples of emails from a varsity umpire you trust. We always asked our umpires at all levels to arrive no less than 45 minutes before game time, wear decent clothes (business casual) and then go to the field and find the coach to let them know you have arrived and to reconfirm game time and when you'll come back for the plate meeting. There have been several times in my career that the visiting team will be late because of bus issues or traffic. Good to know before you show up 10 minutes before the game starts for the plate meeting and only the home team is there. Your association may do things differently.