goody14

The online version has the complete rules in the "2014" format in the back. I find this odd. Must be a "soft" launch. I wonder if they will phase out the old format over time

Well...looks like I have some work to do for RuleGraphics Second Edition. I just threw up in my mouth a little. Wonder if Babe Ruth, Little League and other OBR based books will follow suit.

In FED isn't the balk technically a start/stop (and not exclusively for going to his mouth) when the pitcher is on the rubber. He is bringing his hand up to come set and then not coming set (see case 6.1.3 P). If this is true, then couldn't you use the same logic to get a balk for blowing into the hand while on the rubber.

Obviously personal preference plays a role. Used a WV Gold for first two years I umpired. Protects fine, but I felt like a football player with the way it sits on the shoulders. Doing all the mods people here talk about might help this. Bought a Douglas (and DF harness) this winter and have loved it so far. Low profile the top curves to fit on shoulders rather than sticking out. This one just "fits" me better. But the Gold is fine...I have it in my trunk in case something goes wrong with the Douglas.

Well that (possibly) explains the $110 Williams Sonoma charge that caused me to cancel one card and get a new one last week....

​Fair point...a 3rd world play from a 3rd world brain.

How about this one.... A league rule stipulates that if a pitcher pitches any part of an inning it shall count as a full inning pitched. Johnny is the ace and the coach wants to get maximum innings from him. Coach is pretty sure that his opponent missed the plate and there are 2 outs. He puts in Billy to pitch (Billy has never pitched in his life). He takes his warm-up tosses. Ball is put in play and Billy executes the successful appeal. Billy has satisfied 3.05(b) since the side was retired, right? Johnny starts next inning with a clean slate.

Some great things mentioned here already. Some of my thoughts: Take notes, ask questions, study answers, repeat. All will make mistakes just make sure you are a guy who only makes a mistake once Be receptive to feedback. Those who aren't stop receiving it (other umps won't help a "yeah, but" guy). Then they magically never get better Watch other umpires. Drives my wife crazy but half the time now when watching a game I am commenting on the umps Take all the games you can. While you are at it volunteer to do the plate Fake it until you make it. Dress the part, look the part, act the part and eventually all else will catch up. The league by my house let's the young guys wear shorts to umpire. When I help him out for a game and come dressed in full uniform, the coaches automatically give me more respect even though they don't know me Above all else - have fun with it. No one like to be around or work with the guy who is there to grab his paycheck and then speed off into the sunset. If you don't enjoy the process after awhile, find a hobby that you do enjoy.

Met Brent at the Doane clinic last Feb. Good guy. Gave me some great feedback on working the plate.

This is my first season of calling varsity ball so none of the coaches know me. At the end of today's game I see my partner chatting with one of the coaches. Post game he tells me the coach asks if I was new. Partner goes on to tell me the coach only had one real issue with the way I called the plate....he thought my timing was too slow. Certainly never been told I was too slow before.

Fielder getting possession of an in flight ball in glove provided he did not use his equipment... And I re-read the rule on when a batter becomes a runner - it says he is out the instant the ball is caught...I clearly had a catch. The coach was so adamant I was just making sure I did not miss anything. It was such an odd exchange.

FED game (although I don't think it matters). No on and no out. Pitch comes in about batter's shins that he swings and misses at for strike 3. Catcher turns his glove over to catch ball. Ball hits his glove and pops straight in the air. He collects himself and catches the ball. I signal the batter out. Coach starts yelling that his guy can run because it was "not a clean catch". It did not matter as the catcher slapped a tag on the BR anyways. But...this is a caught third strike right? Am I missing something?

If the pitcher brings his hands together, stops, and then assumes a stationary position, he can attempt a pickoff. If the bringing of the hands together is accompanied by by any other movement associated with the pitch, he cannot attempt a pickoff. That is the way I read Section 8.1 of the PBUC.

For FED there are numerous cases for this situation. It is also right in the rules. 2-16-1 (e) ART. 1 . . . A foul is a batted ball: e. that touches the ground after inadvertently being declared foul by an umpire.

Thanks all who mentioned our book. It was designed exactly for this...someone who wants to learn the rules but gets stuck reading through dense material. I also dabble with a blog (https://betterrulebook.wordpress.com/). It is not nearly as formal as the book, but I try to link to situations and then explain them. This seems like the sort of thing the OP would be interested in. I will also echo the thoughts of others - the BRD is great. The Fed illustrated guide is good for FED rules (even though some of their examples are there only to add pages). I have not seen anyone mention this book - http://www.amazon.com/Baseball-Field-Guide--Depth-Illustrated/dp/0306816539/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1428592476&sr=8-3&keywords=baseball+rules While not my favorite in the space I think it does a good job of covering basics. This David Nemec book (someone already mentioned the other) http://www.amazon.com/Rules-Baseball-David-Nemec/dp/1558212809/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1428592775&sr=8-8&keywords=david+nemec is also good. Other than that, just ask tons of questions. As evidenced by my history here, there are no dumb ones (and if there are, people are very tolerant as long as you are willing to learn). Good luck!

And if the protected fielder wasn't F1, then the play could be OBS (if the ball was fair) Example of a play with one protected fielder and another fielder in the way obstructing. Runner had to veer around non-protected fielder and umpire called obstruction.

Umpire shall determine which fielder is entitled to protection. 7.09 (j)

I was calling them at sternum. He counseled not to get much above the belly button.

Did my first varsity double dip ever today. Nothing of note (not even a whacker) on the bases. A few gripes behind the plate but nothing out of line. Partner gave me some good feedback around the high strike at that level. He said I was grabbing strikes a little too high. All in all a good day.

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Generally, I still feel shaky at plays at the plate. It is just hard to get reps since close ones don't really happen all that often. You are lucky to get more than 2 in a game if that. I did have one last night though and still don't feel confident I am in the right spot. Plus, my timing was quick, but that is my own issue and will work on "slowing things down". Regardless, I had R2 and 2 outs. Clean single to center field and runner is coming home. I start point of plate and move to 3BLX as throw comes in. Throw is a up the 3rd baseline. By the time F2 gloves it the runner is almost even with him - F2 came in front of the plate to field it so no worry about collisions. As F2 turns to make the tag, the runner has passed him but not quite to the plate. So F2 attempts more of a swinging arm tag and not a swipe tag. I hear nothing. I see no change of direction in the arm. I call safe (of course I should have waited a half second and called safe after he touched the plate...but again, I realize my timing quick). No objections of complaints from anyone. Of course, I did not really "see" the miss as I was straightlined because F2 was trying to tag a runner running by him. Hopefully I described this well. My question - what did I do wrong? Do I hang on point of plate longer and read this throw as one circumstance I try to get 1BLX? Do I need to go from 3BLX more towards fair territory if I read this type of throw?

If the options are between a late slide or trucking the catcher, late slide is better for all involved.

Glad you like it. We are constantly expanding our online footprint. For those on the fence, you can download a sample and other fun stuff on our link page. http://betterrulebook.com/Links.html

I wear the NB in between tights and a shock doctor pocketless jock. I did not like the NB jock strap. Works great for me.

I took the Part II test today for the state of Indiana. Numerous folks have posted that the intent of the FED tests are to "get you into the book" possibly at the expense of being tested on the rules that happen frequently on the field. I decided to do some analysis. Here is how the 100 questions were distributed by part of the book (Note - some questions can be answered in multiple places, I chose to assign each question to the section of the book where the language was copied to make the question): Rule 1 Players, Fields and Equipment: 16% Rule 2 Playing Terms and Definitions: 15% Rule 3 Subs, Coaching, Bench Conduct and Conferences: 19% Rule 4 Starting and Ending Game: 6% Rule 5 Dead Ball Suspension of Play: 8% Rule 6 Pitching: 13% Rule 7 Batting: 6% Rule 8 Baserunning: 10% Rule 9: Scoring - Record Keeping: 3% Rule 10: Umpiring: 4% I have no idea what, if anything, this means. It was just an interesting exercise.