Semantics ?

[Guest Grumpire]

Fed: Batter steps on plate while bunting, I call batter interference . Is this actually B.I. or is it called something different? Thanks.

 

 

[MadMax]

Fed has to go lowest common denominator, and not every Fed-based game (again, think Frosh and JV) has individual boxes defined by four chalked lines each. More often than not, I'm looking at something like this:

[   #   ]

... with # being the plate. Then, within 1 or 2 slide attempts at home, the RHB box is obliterated. I can always do the lay-down-the-bat thing to (re)draw the front and back of the box(es), and with the act of batting (specifically), if one is outside the box to the outboard side, it's unlikely you'll hit the ball anyway, so that leaves the inboard (or plate) side. With its location rather ambiguous (in game), Fed makes it real easy on umpires... either he's not touching the plate (legal) or he is (illegal... and an illegally batted ball).

As far as the "knees" provision, I have a hunch this is an legacy article so as to prevent a "mockery of the game" moment. A Batter cannot kneel inside the box (thus altering his strike zone). If told by the umpire (and the rules) that one cannot kneel, as that then the feet are outside the box, I'm sure there was a jack@$$ somewhere who positioned himself so his feet were within the box while kneeling. So, "knee" had to be included in the definition.

Just like multi-sport athletes can reap benefits and applicable skills across the sports they participate in, so too can officials. I developed tremendously good eye-hand (and shin) coordination, and I was a standout Wide Receiver (football), catcher (baseball), goalie (hockey... at least between the pipes... outside the crease was a challenge), and goalkeeper (soccer). Certainly, as an official, you're not going to throw a flag at a F4 for OBS (how weird would that be?), but the understanding of positioning, timing (within each respective game) and game management is a major advantage. 

[BretMan]

1 hour ago, scrounge said:

I could offer you the central Ohio area as about as close as you're likely to get to that. We're almost exclusively FED-based here, for good or ill (IMO good, but that's another thread to discuss that). Obviously all the school ball is FED, but the largest youth ball org is primarily FED-based with some minor local exceptions, etc. The major tournaments are FED-based, except for a small handful of Nations/USSSA tournaments. If you avoid those - and I do, for many reasons - and don't do MABL/MSBL, it's pretty much all FED. You could do well over 100 games a year and never touch a different rule code.

The one local rec league where I still do games here (in central Ohio) is FED based. And they only have a ten page handout of league rules that deviate from FED!

[BretMan]

4 hours ago, White47 said:

I'm not sure any batter could be fooled so bad, as to end up with their knee on the ground out side the box. The kid would have to have some pretty dirty off speed stuff for it to happen. 

It did happen, and it happened about four years ago in a high profile state playoff game- and it caused quite a controversy when it happened. The next year, FED added the "knee" provision to their written rule...which is probably appropriate since this seemed to be a knee jerk reaction! 

[Cav]

34 minutes ago, BretMan said:

...which is probably appropriate since this seemed to be a knee jerk reaction! 

Oh, that's rich.

[noumpere]

6 minutes ago, Cav said:

Oh, that's rich.

No, it was Bret.

[Cav]

52 minutes ago, noumpere said:

No, it was Bret.

Oh, I'm quite certain that if it were Bret, then he would have attributed it to Rich.

 

Now, stop.  I have an important pre-game nap coming up.

[BrianC14]

4 hours ago, noumpere said:

1) IMO, an official can improve by working more than one sport.  And, an official who works one sport can be better when starting a second sport than someone new to officiating all together.  And, most sports need more officials.  So, you can help yourself and help sports in general by picking up a second (or third) sport.

2) Not (exactly) true, at least in FED and NCAAW (I don't know about USA or NCAAM).  #10 can only "reenter" in that spot, but if #5 has entered for #7, #10 can come in for #5.  It's in this regard) just like the batting order and re-entry for FED baseball.

1) That may well be true, but I'm at a point in my life where I would rather be spending time with MY family rather than some strangers' families.   One sport is enough for the officiating avocation.

2) I don't know what rule set middle schools out here use, but I've had it explained to me by a referee when I was 'volunteered' to be a linesman.