2027 NFHS Rules

[BigBlue4u]

Does anyone have an update on the 2027 NFHS baseball rules?

[johnnyg08]

 

Beginning next year, high school baseball teams will be given the option to use an 18-inch first base or the double first base. The larger base is presented as an alternative to the previously mandated double first base, which goes into effect in 2027.

The larger first base option was one of seven rules changes recommended by the NFHS Baseball Rules Committee at its meeting last month in Indianapolis and which were subsequently approved by the NFHS Rules Review Committee and NFHS Board of Directors.

In conjunction with the double first base, allowing a larger first base has proven to be effective in reducing player collisions and enhancing player safety.

“The NFHS Baseball Rules Committee believes that providing schools with the option of using either an 18-inch first base or a double first base gives administrators the flexibility to enhance player safety while recognizing the varying needs and resources of member schools,” said Elliot Hopkins, director of sports and liaison to the NFHS Baseball Rules Committee. “Both options are designed to reduce the potential for collisions at first base and support a reduced risk playing environment without changing the fundamental nature of the game."

One-way electronic communication will now be allowed from the coach to the pitcher and/or the catcher for the purposes of calling pitches. Prior, the catcher was the only defensive player allowed to receive communication from the coach. While the coach must still be located in the dugout/bench area, the committee believes this change responsibly integrates electronic communication that enhances game management.

Bat certification was addressed with USA Baseball assuming bat-testing standards. Effective in 2028, there will be an additional class of permitted non-wood bats. Bats that are not made of a single piece of wood shall meet either the USA Baseball Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution (USA Baseball BBCOR) of .50 or the USA Baseball Bat Performance Standard (-4, -5, -6). Bats must be labeled with a silkscreen or other permanent certification mark.

“In addition, the NFHS remains committed to fostering the growth and development of high school baseball players,” Hopkins said. “As the game continues to evolve with the adoption of the USA Baseball BBCOR standard, expanding the available drop-weight options provides younger and developing players with additional opportunities to build proper mechanics, confidence and skills while maintaining the safety and performance standards expected in education-based athletics.”

Additional rules changes include:

• Eye shade must be a solid stroke and not include words, numbers, logos or other symbols within the eye shade.

• Use of electronic communication devices by players on the field is prohibited (except as outlined with one-way coach to player communication). This includes amplifying devices, wireless communication devices, headphones, etc., for the purposes of recording, streaming or transmitting audio or video. The prohibition does not include medical devices.

• Coaches will be allowed to use a handheld electronic scoring device or other scoring material while in the coach’s box.

• When using a tiebreaker to end a regulation game, an option is now available to start each half-inning with a runner on second base. The runner would be the last scheduled batter in that respective half-inning.

 

[Richvee]

Drop 6 bats in high school? 

[johnnyg08]

13 minutes ago, Richvee said:

Drop 6 bats in high school? 

Looking forward to those 15-14 three hour thrillers. 

[Richvee]

5 minutes ago, johnnyg08 said:

Looking forward to those 15-14 three hour thrillers. 

Do you think we’ll ever get to the point where FED opens its eyes and distinguishes varsity from sub varsity?  At least around here, except for a few outliers, sub varsity is almost rec ball. Keep your little league bats, dead ball balls down there. Let the varsity play baseball 

[MadMax]

2 hours ago, Richvee said:

Do you think we’ll ever get to the point where FED opens its eyes and distinguishes varsity from sub varsity?

We already do/did in Arizona, where Sub-varsity games have a time limit, we don't keep an action clock (by the umpires), and a few other details. 

If you're speaking about wholesale rule changes / adaptations, you're not going to see it from NFHS itself. Why? Because the NFHS rules are largely influenced by liability concerns, not "fair, competitive playability". Then, there are a few antiquated "holdout" rules, kept there by (a) committee member(s) who for any number of reasons, personally endorses that rule, and fiercely defends it, ala Charleton Heston, "From my cold, dead hands." The one that comes to mind is the Balks as Live rule, wherein some part of the committee felt – without any concrete or measurable evidence – felt that we amateur umpires could not properly adjudicate a balk. 

Sub-varsity should actually be conducted like a structured scrimmage, with the latitude to "roll an inning", less stringency on Balks, run a continuous batting order and allow for defensive (non-pitcher) substitutions. 

[BigBlue4u]

2 minutes ago, MadMax said:

The one that comes to mind is the Balks as Live rule, wherein some part of the committee felt – without any concrete or measurable evidence – felt that we amateur umpires could not properly adjudicate a balk. 

Count MLB umpires in this group.  Every now and then they screw this rule up. Most people don't like the NFHS rule because it "robbed" Johnny of a home run because the ball is immediately dead on a balk. Countless studies over the years have shown that the overwhelming number of NFHS balks don't involve a pitched ball that is even hit.

[johnnyg08]

12 minutes ago, MadMax said:

The one that comes to mind is the Balks as Live rule, wherein some part of the committee felt – without any concrete or measurable evidence – felt that we amateur umpires could not properly adjudicate a balk. 

And the committee would be correct. 

[johnnyg08]

3 minutes ago, BigBlue4u said:

Count MLB umpires in this group.  Every now and then they screw this rule up. Most people don't like the NFHS rule because it "robbed" Johnny of a home run because the ball is immediately dead on a balk. Countless studies over the years have shown that the overwhelming number of NFHS balks don't involve a pitched ball that is even hit.

Exactly this. I used to be in the change it camp. Now, I'm 100% against changing it. There are far bigger fish to fry in the NFHS set. 

[jimurrayalterego]

2 hours ago, MadMax said:

without any concrete or measurable evidence – felt that we amateur umpires could not properly adjudicate a balk. 

Sub-varsity should actually be conducted like a structured scrimmage, with the latitude to "roll an inning", less stringency on Balks, run a continuous batting order and allow for defensive (non-pitcher) substitutions. 

I would agree with the committee that enough amateur umps could not, or would not want put the effort in, to comprehend the OBR balk rule. I only have anecdotal evidence though. That, among other things, would be umpire forums with posters adamantly espousing OBR balks and in the same thread getting the officiating of a sample situation wrong. Or the PONY umpire assignor from a South Texas city telling me that they use coach choice because the rule is too complicated. But NFHS did float a trial balloon to address the inequity of losing a HR and the possible reading comprehension skills of some of their cohort with using "coach choice", sadly convincing me, an avid rule guy, that that would not be bad.

In my neck of the woods the JV coaches agree to whatever their players skill level is. We could have DH with first game  free sub, all batting, 3 outs-3 runs, balk warnings with the frosh and competitive second game with guys that will be playing 6A V next year. Are there states that don't accommodate this?

[johnnyg08]

3 minutes ago, jimurrayalterego said:

I would agree with the committee that enough amateur umps could not, or would not want put the effort in, to comprehend the OBR balk rule. I only have anecdotal evidence though. That, among other things, would be umpire forums with posters adamantly espousing OBR balks and in the same thread getting the officiating of a sample situation wrong. Or the PONY umpire assignor from a South Texas city telling me that they use coach choice because the rule is too complicated. But NFHS did float a trial balloon to address the inequity of losing a HR and the possible reading comprehension skills of some of their cohort with using "coach choice", sadly convincing me, an avid rule guy, that that would not be bad.

In my neck of the woods the JV coaches agree to whatever their players skill level is. We could have DH with first game  free sub, all batting, 3 outs-3 runs, balk warnings with the frosh and competitive second game with guys that will be playing 6A V next year. Are there states that don't accommodate this?

For the most part our sub varsity is wild west. Equipment is legal of course, but playing rules, pretty much whatever is decided. One of the best things we ever did was time limit the games thought. Nobody needs to see a JV game longer than 2 hrs. 

[grayhawk]

2 hours ago, johnnyg08 said:

Exactly this. I used to be in the change it camp. Now, I'm 100% against changing it. There are far bigger fish to fry in the NFHS set. 

 

[DevildogUmp]

3 hours ago, jimurrayalterego said:

I would agree with the committee that enough amateur umps could not, or would not want put the effort in, to comprehend the OBR balk rule. I only have anecdotal evidence though. That, among other things, would be umpire forums with posters adamantly espousing OBR balks and in the same thread getting the officiating of a sample situation wrong. Or the PONY umpire assignor from a South Texas city telling me that they use coach choice because the rule is too complicated. But NFHS did float a trial balloon to address the inequity of losing a HR and the possible reading comprehension skills of some of their cohort with using "coach choice", sadly convincing me, an avid rule guy, that that would not be bad.

 

The committee is full of it.

Major rule sets covered by amateur umpires and balks:

NCAA - Delayed Dead Ball

NAIA - Delayed Dead Ball

NCBA (College Club) - Delayed Dead Ball

NJCAA (Junior College) - Delayed Dead Ball

NFHS - Dead ball

Little League - Delayed Dead Ball

American Legion - Delayed Dead Ball

Babe Ruth - Delayed Dead Ball

USSSA - Delayed Dead Ball

Perfect Game tournaments - Delayed Dead Ball

Pony Baseball - Delayed Dead Ball

AABC (Connie Mack) - Delayed Dead Ball

National Amateur Baseball Federation - Delayed Dead Ball

If all these amateur umpires can handle delayed dead balls in every league from youth through college, I think high school umpires can be trusted with it.

[Jimurray]

9 hours ago, DevildogUmp said:

 

If all these amateur umpires can handle delayed dead balls in every league from youth through college, I think high school umpires can be trusted with it.

That’s where the evidence comes from. The rare esoteric sit gets kicked. Even in MLB. We had a WP was killed. It didn’t help that the players also reacted as it was dead. I’ve had a clinic trained NCAA umpire tell me it was coach choice. 

[Richvee]

17 hours ago, johnnyg08 said:

And the committee would be correct. 

But the committee is not consistent. We (as a group) can’t learn the live balk rule, but the committee is certain all those “sub varsity lifers” are all going to know the double first base rule like the back of their hands. 

[Richvee]

17 hours ago, MadMax said:

We already do/did in Arizona, where Sub-varsity games have a time limit, we don't keep an action clock (by the umpires), and a few other details. 

If you're speaking about wholesale rule changes / adaptations, you're not going to see it from NFHS itself. Why? Because the NFHS rules are largely influenced by liability concerns, not "fair, competitive playability". Then, there are a few antiquated "holdout" rules, kept there by (a) committee member(s) who for any number of reasons, personally endorses that rule, and fiercely defends it, ala Charleton Heston, "From my cold, dead hands." The one that comes to mind is the Balks as Live rule, wherein some part of the committee felt – without any concrete or measurable evidence – felt that we amateur umpires could not properly adjudicate a balk. 

Sub-varsity should actually be conducted like a structured scrimmage, with the latitude to "roll an inning", less stringency on Balks, run a continuous batting order and allow for defensive (non-pitcher) substitutions. 

and NJ enters the realm of “ignoring new FED rules we don’t particularly like” 

See note under the memo 

1

 

1. 

 

[BLWizzRanger]

Whats the cost of modifying the anchors for one base (double base) to modifying the anchors for three bases (18" bases)?

Rhetorical question of course.

[MadMax]

1 hour ago, Richvee said:

the realm of “ignoring new FED rules we don’t particularly like” 

Is it, though? The 18” pizza box bases are an optional alternative. Instead, from the read, NJ is going all-in for compliance to the double base rule. 

53 minutes ago, BLWizzRanger said:

Whats the cost… ? 
Rhetorical question of course.

My experienced estimate is that this (the inclusion of optional 18” bases) is a bone tossed to the schools / programs / venues / states that support a multitude of baseball levels conjunctively. Arizona high schools, especially those in Phoenix and Tucson, frequently play on fields that are part of or adjacent to OBR (Pro, et. al.) Baseball, which have largely eliminated the standard bases from their supplies. In fact, 3 of our 5 NAIA schools play on MLB/MiLB facilities, and are unable to support the double-first-base. 

Then back here in Wisconsin, there’s a complex near-&-dear to me that has 5 60-90 ball fields (1 Inde-pro stadium, 4 in a quad), with no less than 5 nearby school districts using their fields for Varsity baseball games. This complex also serves dozens of OBR and NFHS -based tournaments and leagues, as well as Adult Amateur. 

But again, it’s not only a physical facilities issue, but also a Human Resources / personnel issue. As we’ve discussed before, the kids that are playing OBR on the weekends are the very same kids playing for their high schools on Tuesdays and Fridays… with the same umpires in both environments!! This isn’t an excuse or “free-pass” to remain ignorant, unaware, or uneducated of rules (by umpires), but if a state weighs these costs against the benefits, and finds that the enlarged bases are the best optional compromise, then they should be able to adopt that. 

… and, finally, it appears NFHS is building that into it; certainly more obvious than the “it shall be navy” clause. 

[Richvee]

52 minutes ago, MadMax said:

Is it, though? The 18” pizza box bases are an optional alternative. Instead, from the read, NJ is going all-in for compliance to the double base rule

I did miss the "State adoption part. If I could delete, I would. But it does raise another point. Skylands Stadium. Here in Sussex County, now has the pizza boxes for the Frontier League. We just had a PBR tournament there and used them. High schools routinely use Skylands for in season games.. Usually special events like a senior night, or just a chance to play in a nice little stadium. I don't know how the bases are anchored in the turf, but I don't see Skylands accomading high schools with a double 1B. Will NJ allow teams to play there with the pizza boxes?