Does NFHS 4-1-1 ever create conflict?

[orangebird]

So I'm doing a bit of my own studying for NFHS rules with the hopes of working HS this year and found...seemingly last year's test as a PDF? Anyways, one of the questions was about who decides if the field is playable pre-game, which is the home coach. However, once the game starts, the umpires make that call.

This struck me as a rule that seems kinda awkward if the ump and coach disagree on the field's conditions in either direction, but I haven't worked a HS game yet, so perhaps I'm wrong. Has anyone had an argument, or at least a mildly tense conversation, stemming from this rule? 

[Kevin_K]

It can.

I have had at least one situation where a HC really really wanted to get a game in and the weather was simply not cooperating. The mound was a mess and the batters boxes had standing water in them. After inspecting the field with my partner we spoke with both head coaches and one was insisting that the field was playable and everyone else recognized the situation for what it was. In the mean time, the rain kept falling.

My partner and I explained that we felt the field was unsuitable and posed a significant risk to pitchers and batters alike. I mentioned that once the game started that the umpires had sole discretion to stop play and that if he wanted the game to start it would, but then it would be terminated after the 1st pitch. He finally recognized the folly of his position.

Most people are reasonable when it comes to the safety of the players. The rule is more applicable to calling games prior to the teams and umpires arriving for a game at a field that would never be playable.

[The Man in Blue]

I have heard of umpires saying, "OK, whatever", then holding a plate meeting (now paid) and calling it.  Not a good look I ever want to be a part of, but once in a while they just aren't as rational as @Kevin_K says.

 

Not NFHS, but a HS tournament on wet, slick turf on a drizzly day.  We called it because the pitcher was slipping.  Tournament rules were NFHS, but with authority to end a (weather) delay ceded to the TD.  

TD sent kids out with towels to wipe the mound down, told us it was fine and get back out there.  Pitcher slipped on his first warmup back out, we came back off.   Rinse and repeat . . . four times.

Finally the coach thanked us for trying, then pulled his team and went to chew on the TD (who simply didn't want to give any refunds).  

Thankfully, it was our last game for the day, so we didn't have to keep dealing with it.

[JSam21]

I had this happen during a college game. Home team pulled the tarp late, standing water in foul territory (the entire length of the 3rd base line wrapping around home plate) and in the outfield (the entire length from first base to 2nd base just beyond the dirt), along with frozen ground that was thawing was going to make it that we simply could not safely play on this surface that day. Visiting team (in the 3rd base dugout and had to walk through the water) was adamant that they were not going to play. Home team was just as adamant that they were. I got a phone call from my coordinator, who received a call from the conference commissioner, and was told to go check the field condition. Home HC was saying that we were going to play... I asked him to bring his AD down to the field. I walked the AD around and pulled out the line "Our number 1 priority is the health and welfare of the student-athlete." I also told him that if they insisted on starting the game, the moment that someone slipped anywhere on the field, we were going to pull them and we would not be playing anymore. He made the decision to kill it for the day. 

[BigBlue4u]

On 1/19/2026 at 4:51 AM, JSam21 said:

I also told him that if they insisted on starting the game, the moment that someone slipped anywhere on the field, we were going to pull them and we would not be playing anymore. He made the decision to kill it for the day. 

Good work.  Always remember that sometimes a coach wants to put it on the umpires to call the game.  He knows the field is unplayable, so after the umpires whack the game, he can always tell his AD, "Well, I wanted to play."

[Velho]

3 hours ago, BigBlue4u said:

he can always tell his AD, "Well, I wanted to play."

Sometimes you got to be the one to wear the navy black hat