College umpires focusing on HBP rules

The number of HBP in college over the past few years has been ridiculous. Hitters have been leaning into pitches and getting away with it. Then there's this ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26axJdDKYWw

I don't understand how a head coach can defend a player who acted like a jackarse.

Don't mess with my Hawgs!

Sort of like Jeter, here:

What made Walker a jackarse was how he responded after whiffing. And you never, ever wave a bat at an umpire. He should have returned to the dugout and made a joke out of getting busted trying to fool the umpire.

I don't disagree.

In watching my son's team play 10 games so far, I am guessing that I've seen a kid not awarded 1st after a HBP maybe 6-8 times. My son told me that it's a new rule this year (or new enforcement of an existing rule?) and that on close pitches pitches the batter needs to make an effort to avoid getting hit. So just standing there and getting hit isn't good enough, let alone leaning in. 

That's exactly my understanding as well. It should make for some interesting situations.

Now an Asst. Coach at Wichita State; worked w/ catcher McCann

Yes -- it's a new rule.  They took out the "clearly within the batter's box" criteria (or whatever the specific wording used to be).

And, yes -- some (many?) of the umpires are worried about the enforcement and the consistency.

And, while I recognize that many fans / parents don't want to read the entire rule book, the book is available on-line and a reading of the changes and POEs could help with and add to the enjoyment of watching the game.

Is this just college or also high school?  (and yes, I do plan to get a copy of the rules.  Each year I try and learn a little more.)  

My 2017 get hit at least once per weekend.  He does not lean in, but he does not move either.  He is a power hitter, so a lot of pitchers try and pitch inside. I am wondering if he needs to start moving out of the way.  

think of it this way: if there was no rule and no enforcement of the rule then (in theory) every single hitter could walk up there, stick their leg out, get hit, and take their base. especially against a weaker HS kid in a rural area who tops out in the low-mid 70's. To my understanding, by NFHS rules, a strike is a strike. If its a strike but a hitter is crowding the plate,leans into it, etc. and it hits him, its still a strike, they need to stand in there and finish their at bat. If they are standing in a reasonable place in the box and its clearly a somewhat wild pitch, or at least a ball by a good margin and it hits them with at least a feigned effort to move out, thats another thing. I remember as a kid playing against a kid in little league...chest all puffed out, thought he was a hot shot. goes up there and doesnt move an inch, just takes it right off the arm, stone faced...ball 2. no base. Make an effort, for your own safety if nothing else! if your really the man, go up there and swing the bat, you should want to get out of the way of that pitch so you can get something to put the bat on.

I have 1 particular opposing team that crowds the plate a lot against less confident pitchers. They are taught to be fastball-pull hitters. Crowding the plate like this takes away the inside corner for the pitcher and they dont seem to mind turning in and taking one off the shoulder or thigh. I'll be talking to blue about this pre-game just to make sure he is keeping an eye out. when a kid gets hit, and the pitch is called a strike, or even just a ball for that matter, you might see this whole lineup change their game awful quick.  

My kid was pitching in 7th grade. Admittedly he did not habe much velocity for his age. He pitches to the batter. The batter decides to be a smart a** and reaches out and catches the ball with his left hand, witch is over the plate. The ump calls hit by pitch and awards the batter first base. Coach talks to the ump, ump goes up and talks to the batter on first about bad sportsmanship, butvstill givesvthe kid first. I cannot remember now how the rest of the game turned out, but I remamber that.

This really becomes a problem at the older levels when they start throwing curve balls.  Many kids duck or jump out of the way only to watch the ball drop in for a strike.  Our kids have been coached to hang in there and if it doesn't curve to simply turn and take the hit (like the kid in Lion's video above).  We have had coach's and umps claim the kid needs to "get out of the way."  And we always fire back -- "on a curve ball?"  There is a difference between leaning into a pitch and holding your ground.   

Golfman, this was the exact discussion my husband and I when this came up.

We spend so much time teaching the kids to stay in the box when they are little and to not jump and contort themselves to get out of the way as they get older. Turning your back is pretty standard around here. I think this just adds to the confusion. You can clearly tell when someone leans into a pitch. Don't allow a base in those instances. But if a kid is just holding his ground in the batter's box, they should get the base.

The wording of the high school rule is that a batter shall not "permit a pitched ball to touch him."

"Permit" is subjectively interpreted. You know it when you see it.

I won't deny a batter first base:

--for staying in long enough to make sure an inside pitch won't break over the plate and not having enough time to get out of the way after he assesses the pitch;

--for taking his normal load and stride as he evaluates the incoming pitch and not being quick enough to change direction when the need becomes apparent;

--for being slow and clumsy;

--for getting drilled by a pitch thrown so hard he had no chance to get out of the way. 

I will deny a batter first base if I think the reason he gets hit is that:

--his initial stance has part of his body in or over the strike zone;

--he sticks out an elbow, shoulder or knee;

--he spins or makes another show of evasion that actually has the effect of putting his body more in the path of the ball;

--he unnecessarily chooses an evasion route that is parallel to the path of the ball;

--he appears to choose to stand solidly in place after it's apparent he needs to move and when there is time to avoid being hit.

The HS rule hasn't changed.

As a practical matter, all three codes (HS, NCAA, OBR) are now the same.