NFHS Rule Changes

[catsbackr]

Question, do you count warm-up pitches in the total?  I mean if a kid warms up for 15 minutes and throws 40-50 warm-ups....just saying.

 

And as far as number of batters faced, that's kind of iffy, sometimes a pitcher throws 1 pitch sometimes 10.  I guess you could average.

 

Like I said, this is going to be a mess, all in the name of "appearing" to be concerned with kid's health.

[ksgovols]

Warming up, playing other positions when you're not pitching, etc. are factored into the pitch counts.  You would be in the ballpark for pitch counts if you assigned 5 pitches per walk, 4 pitches per strikeout and 3 for everybody else which even as an estimate is far more accurate than counting innings.  It's not straw that breaks the camel's back sort of math.  It's to assign days rest for a range of pitches thrown.  The rule is only as good as the ethics of the coach.  They'll keep an honest man honest and a dishonest one looking over his shoulder.

[grubby21]

Sounds pretty darn easy to me. TSSAA needs to have an official score keeper in the press box of every game. Don't count on them doing that. They are greedy.

 

When pitcher reaches the pitch limit, he may finish the at bat.

The post season needs to be changed regardless. 3 game series. It is very possible. If you think not, check out every state around us for high school baseball.

[grubby21]

Oh, if a coach is found to be in violation, he should be suspended for next scheduled game, and a fine.

[catsbackr]

From Chattanooga Times Free Press, http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/preps/story/2016/sep/01/new-regulations-meant-keep-prep-pitchers-heal/384431/.

[crazzyness]

I like the idea in general. However I dislike the set guidelines. A days rest after 25 pitches? Really? That's really going too limit the bullpen at smaller schools. 1A ball will suffer because of this. I believe less games will have to be scheduled.

[SuperSport]

I like the idea in general. However I dislike the set guidelines. A days rest after 25 pitches? Really? That's really going too limit the bullpen at smaller schools. 1A ball will suffer because of this. I believe less games will have to be scheduled.

I agree. The other two guidelines are acceptable and I would say most coaches used those amounts of pitches and correlating days of rest anyways. However, "closers" (if you agree that this has become an effective and useful position at any level of high school baseball) will no longer be allowed to close both district games in a week that are in a lot of districts played back-to-back. I also believe this will take away college opportunities from young men who take on that role. 

Edited September 11, 2016 by SuperSport

[TennesseeVol]

At the end of the day, coaches are going to have to find a way to legitimately teach pitchers on how to pitch. Game plan has changed to where a pitcher should attack the strike zone (should be doing that anyways). Also, if the defense makes the mistake, it now puts "stress pitches" on a pitcher. That's the thing that'll destroy teams.

[cbg]

At the end of the day, coaches are going to have to find a way to legitimately teach pitchers on how to pitch. Game plan has changed to where a pitcher should attack the strike zone (should be doing that anyways). Also, if the defense makes the mistake, it now puts "stress pitches" on a pitcher. That's the thing that'll destroy teams.

 

Very true that coaches will now have to teach players how to pitch and not just throw.  IMO, for most teams it takes 6-8 pitchers to win a state championship in high school.  I have never understood why people only work with 2 or 3 pitchers throughout the regular season when you need more to win the ultimate prize.  I would take a loss during the regular season trying to work with a young pitcher if the final result is winning the state championship. 

[ksgovols]

From Chattanooga Times Free Press, http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/preps/story/2016/sep/01/new-regulations-meant-keep-prep-pitchers-heal/384431/.

Absolutely agree with everything the coach from Ooltewah said.

[catsbackr]

I have a question for you.  If there is a dispute on how many pitches were previously thrown and how much rest a kid has had, who do the coaches take the dispute to?  The umpire?  How is the umpire going to know if the pitch charts are correct or not?  The umpire is being asked to rule on something they have no knowledge of.

 

This is going to be a mess.

[MSU85]

With the new D-2 division, adding so many more teams and only have single A and double A class. You better have the pitching to cover all the division games!!!