At one point in our high school team's last game the umpire added a ball to the count after making a gesture to the pitcher that looked like pulling his hands apart. I asked the coach after the game what happened and he said that the pitcher was penalized for separating his hands and going to his cap. Can you speak to the nature of this infraction and the rule that applies here? What other things can an umpire assess an extra ball to the count for?
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Sounds like the ump called a "balk" to me. If there were no runners on, then the "penalty" is a ball.
Sounds like the ump called a "balk" to me. If there were no runners on, then the "penalty" is a ball.
There can be no balk without runner(s) on base. However, under NFHS rules what would be a balk with runners on base is an illegal pitch without runners on base. The penalty is a ball added to the batter's count.
Thanks for the clarification.
It is a ridiculous rule.. OBR narrowly defines an illegal pitch. FED operates under an archaic philosophy voiced by a former rules editor that "if something is illegal and punished in once scenario (runners on base), it should be illegal and punished under all scenarios." (no runners on base.)
Dumb and reason 128 the FED rules need to trashed and replaced with OBR with an addendum of safety and participation rules only.
What about something like a pitcher "going to the mouth"? Can a ball be added to the count for that? Our coach said he has seen that before as well.
What about something like a pitcher "going to the mouth"? Can a ball be added to the count for that? Our coach said he has seen that before as well.
Yes. Going to the mouth on the rubber is a ball with no runners and a balk otherwise.
It is a ridiculous rule.. OBR narrowly defines an illegal pitch. FED operates under an archaic philosophy voiced by a former rules editor that "if something is illegal and punished in once scenario (runners on base), it should be illegal and punished under all scenarios." (no runners on base.)
Dumb and reason 128 the FED rules need to trashed and replaced with OBR with an addendum of safety and participation rules only.
I second that. FED (and only FED) defines an illegal pitch as an illegal act by the pitcher, which can include a bunch of stuff that has nothing to do with a pitch. All other codes require an actual pitch for it to be deemed an illegal pitch.
It is a ridiculous rule.. OBR narrowly defines an illegal pitch. FED operates under an archaic philosophy voiced by a former rules editor that "if something is illegal and punished in once scenario (runners on base), it should be illegal and punished under all scenarios." (no runners on base.)
Dumb and reason 128 the FED rules need to trashed and replaced with OBR with an addendum of safety and participation rules only.
FED rules (both baseball and softball) are another example of why HS administrators shouldn't be allowed to make rules.
I second the motion to simply trash it completely and add rules for safety and participation (strict rules for collisions, runners for pitchers and catchers, re-entry, equipment requirements, etc).
