Richvee

Go to YouTube and the umpire classroom channel.

Agree 100%. But NCAA’s constant obsession with it… interps, videos, bulletins….it can make your head spin. And with it all- at least to me- the differences between legal and illegal is still sometimes very minute and blurry.

Ok I get it. The first picture above is not considered where his windup begins. So the hands come up as he steps to the side. (picture 2) THEN his next moves are the beginning of his windup. The step back to sideways is his one step, then delivery...Got it. Thanks (My association's rules interpreter agrees)

1.Hands together, windup position, paused. “The pitcher shall stand facing the batter with their pivot foot in contact with the rubber and the other foot free. 2. step to the side. Pause 3. Step back in front of rubber. Pause. “ the pitcher may take ONE step…..” sorry for being stubborn. I don’t see how this isn’t two steps and then a delivery.

I’m specifically speaking to NCAA

So basically you guys are saying he’s not ready to start his windup when he’s on the rubbber and hands together…. And only after he raises his hands up, steps to the right is he in position to begin his windup? I think that’s a “stretch” ( no pun intended)

I’m seeing hands together, a step to the side then another step to parallel , and then a delivery. I thought NCAA was bent on ONE step sideways or backwards.

I’d guess that would be their “excuse”. I’ve got hands together, then two steps prior to delivery. I’m pretty sure this is textbook for what the NCAA doesn’t want.

Let me try again. IMG_3336.mov

IMG_3336.mov Correct me if I’m wrong. This should be illegal under NCAA rule.

No. He had no gripe with us. The whole thing came out of nowhere. You see the score? Both teams were very lighthearted sort of playing out the innings. Then, out of nowhere, T3 tags up, forearms F1 backing up and yells out “stay out of my F’in way. And all hell broke loose. Both coaches were screaming. It was crazy. Coaches were actually apologetic and understood the rule and why we couldn’t continue.

Yup. I made it up🤣 I’m a wiz at video editing 🤣🤣 I would have to look at the ejection report, but F1 and R3 got 4, then someone who ran in from the RF pen reignited the fight, got 4 along with another Ulster guy who just started throwing haymakers in the second “round”.

I had a similar bench clearer a few years ago. We stopped the game. In a follow up zoom meeting that night with my assignor, we wrote the report by listing the few people on the field that didn't approach the scrum. Every bench player, including bullpens, were ejected and one game. We picked two two main culprits from each team and gave them 4. Granted this was a little more than in the OP..But still. I thought the new interp was just not to eject guys that may step out of the dugout and stay away from the actual scrum.

We can quibble all we want on if either player committed MC… But this is the question I want answered. How did this game continue? There should have been about 40 ejections. With at least BR getting 4 games for fighting, and all the others ejected plus one game for “leaving the vicinity of the dugout, bullpen, or position on the field at the time of a potential altercation or fight. “ What am I missing?

100%. But I got to say, at least there's Patrick Farber @ Umpire Classroom is trying to raise the bar for NFHS education. Some...if not all of his videos, especially new rules and interp videos should be required for any NFHS umpire

Running out of play intentionally after a catch awards two bases when it’s done because the runner left early and has passed the next base when the ball went into DBT, making his return illegal and out on proper appeal. I fielder cannot intentionally run out of play to cause this appeal. That’s when it’s a two base award. This rule assumes the fielder knew the rule (doubtful). Otherwise, there’s no reason to catch a fly and intentionally run out of play.

Thanks. One more question. Will they fit other masks… Specifically a Nike Ti? @DerekGDS

I’m looking on the site. How can I order these pads? I only see them listed with the mask.

I try to shut it down early. Whenever it's about the other team, stop it. I'll start by asking the coach to help out and take care of it. Usually they agree. When I get an answer like "What did they say?" or "I didn't hear anything". I'll just tell them "There shouldn't be any negative comments directed at the other team." Next step. walk up to the dugout between innings. Tell the kids calmly. "look guys, you know how this works. Cheer for your guys.Nothing about the other team from your dugout, OK? That usually stops it, rarely does it go to a bench warning, and ejection for any further nonsense. Stopping it the first time you hear it also stops the inevitable first question..."But what about them?? They've been doing it the whole game. I'm OK with the comments like "Leave it for the worms", "That's 6 in a row", 'NOOOO NEVER" .. But just like our cues for ejection, when it gets personal, I try to stop it. ... "Give him a bucket he's throwing up" (one of my favorites, but over the top for high school).."noodle arm", etc. have to be addressed I have mixed feelings on stuff like "Rattled", or Nightmare" and the like. I tend to let that go early. but if it escalates to anything else where I've talked to the coach and/or the bench. then those comments need to stop also.

Joe Gambler has no problem losing a bet to a flawed computer outcome that has no basis in the rules, but God forbid a human makes a call and “cheats” him out of his winnings.

I think the more interesting play is R3, 2 outs, ball 4 wild pitch. R3 scores, BR doesn't go to 1B.

Common sense and fair play. Call out R3 on appeal, put the runners on the bases, bases loaded one one, let's go. What do we expect the baserunners to do after touching the next base?? Stand there indefinitely because maybe R3 missed home? When are they "allowed" to leave and join the celebration? And the defense protested why? Because they wanted a triple play after all the base runners advanced, touched the next base and then started celebrating? While in the dogpile should the baserunners have all been aware an appeal was going on on R3 and they needed to scamper back to their bases? C'mon...

In all honesty, I've given up on OBR clock rules. I don't use them in any games I officiate. If they start adding more clocks at the NCAA level, it will probably be time for to move back down to high school only. I'm not getting younger, and have no plans to advance above where I'm at now. It's so true. Joe West knew...He it saw coming.

It's at the point we are going to need another umpire/secretary to keep track of all the challenges remaining, and an official clock keeper to track all the different limits. Check swings... another reach into the MSU rulebook so a computer can "call" things it's not capable of given the current rules. In addition, the success rate on stolen base attempts has declined from 80.2% in 2023 to 77.8% in 2025. In an effort to address these trends. Why is it that every "trend" needs a rule change? And they call them "trends" after one or two seasons. They're literally two points on the graph, not a trend. 2.4% over 3 years? a Trend? It's almost and insignificant change. And who says 80% is OK and 78% means we need to change the rules. I'm old. I'm grumby. MLB doesn't care about me. I don't give then my money anyway. They're losing me as a fan.

Where is this rule that says only pitchers and catchers may warm up in a designated bullpen area?