rulesman09

This exact play is covered by the NFHS Case Book and is not a double dribble. 4.15.1 SITUATION B: A1's throw in pass is beyond A2. (a) A2 reaches out and slaps the ball toward A's basket; or (b) A2 muffs the pass. In both situations, A2 then gains control and dribbles to the basket and scores. RULING: No violation in either (a) or (b).

Don't want to get in the habit of splitting hairs, but if the clock shows 0.3 or less, it must be a tip (NFHS 5-2-5). The gentleman escorted off didn't understand this and was listening for the horn. As soon as she caught the ball, the official was waving it off. Doesn't matter whether the clock starts or not.

You all really have me in the rule book today. In HS, no basket can be scored on a player control foul, no matter when the ball was released. Case Book 6-7-4: Airborne A1 releases the ball on a try and illegally contacts B1 while returning to the floor. The ball goes through the basket. RULING: Airborne A1's foul immediately causes the ball to become dead. No goal can be scored, even if the ball had gone through the basket before the foul occurred. NCAA Men do it differently.

Not just what referees have been instructed to do, it's a rule. From the NFHS Case Book 4-19-8©: A1 drives and releases on a try. Contact between A1 and B1 occurs after the release but before A1 returns to the floor. One official rules a charge, and the other rules a block. RULING: The foul by A1 is not considered a player control foul, but half of a double foul, therefore the ball doesn't become dead on the try. If the basket is successful, count the goal and resume from the point of interruption, which is a throw in for team B along the baseline. If it's no good, the POI is a try in flight, and the arrow is used. Hope this clears up the situation.

NFHS 8-3-3(d): "Each runner is awarded...one base if a pitch or any throw by a pitcher from his pitching position on the plate goes into a stand or bleacher or over or through any fence...or lodges in an umpire's or catcher's equipment." In terms of scoring: "A wild pitch shall be charged to the pitcher when a ball delivered to the batter is so high or so low (including any pitch that touches the ground in front of home plate), or so far away from home plate that the catcher does not stop or control it with ordinary effort so that the batter runner advances to first or any runner advances a base. When the catcher enables a runner, other than the batter-runner, to advance by failing to control a pitch he should have been able to, it is...a "passed ball."

All in good humor, but just happened to have my bag in the truck. The OBR is as you described, though.

Let's check out the 2013 NFHS interpretation: Situation 20: With runners at 1st base and 2nd base, the runner at 2nd bluffs a steal of third by running hard to 3rd base before he stops and retreats to 2nd. The pitcher, seeing the runner take off hard to 3rd base, legally throws to the unoccupied 3rd base. The third base coach wants a balk called because the runner from 2nd stopped. Ruling: A pitcher may throw or feint a throw to an unoccupied base in an attempt to put out or drive back a runner. As long as the umpire judges that it is reasonable for the pitcher to believe that he had a play at third, even though the runner stopped, it is a legal move. (6.2.4b) Correct on the fact that it is misunderstood.

Actually, a pitcher can throw to an unoccupied base if it's in an effort to drive back a runner.

NFHS 6-2-4-d(1) If the pitcher, with a runner on base, stops or hesitates in his delivery because the batter steps out of the box with (a)one foot or (b)both feet or ©holds up his hand to request "time," it shall not be a balk. in (a) and ©,there is no penalty on either the batter or the pitcher. The umpire shall call "time" and begin play anew. In (b)a strike shall be called on the batter for violation of 7-3-1 (leaving the box during an at-bat.) in (a), (b)and©, if the pitcher legally delivers the ball, it shall be called a strike and the ball remains live. Thus, two strikes are called on the batter in (b. If the umpire judges the batter's actions to deliberately create a balk, he will penalize according to 3-3-1 (o). Isn't umpiring easy? Lol.

NFHS 10-1-4 No umpire shall criticize or interfere with another umpire's decision unless asked by the one making it.

NFHS 2-16-1: A foul is a batted ball: e. that touches the ground after being inadvertently declared foul by an umpire. NFHS Officials Manual pg. 19 Calling foul halts all play. It is not reversible.

It is a tough call for the plate umpire, but in terms of HS mechanics, it is his call. NFHS Umpires' Manual pg. 32( XII Game Situations (9): DOUBLE PLAY(INTERFERENCE CALL AT 2ND BASE). Since U2 has both out calls at 2nd and at 1st in a two-man system, he must turn with the throw to first in order to make the call there. U1 must move out to watch the play at 2nd base for possible illegal slides or runner interference. If, in the judgment of U1, the runner at 2nd interferes AND prevented a possible play at first, then the batter-runner shall also be called out.

Would 2 steps not be considered a travel? Just flipping through topics on here, and that caught my eye.

There is a responsibility on the umpires. Their job is to inspect all the bats that each team provides for the pregame inspection. This is supposed to be all of the bats, helmets, and catcher's equipment that each team plans to use. Umpires are not to dig through bat bags or prod each coach to provide every piece of equipment, when they ask each coach at the plate conference whether the team is legally equipped, the burden is back on coaches and players. At that point, the umpires are responsible for enforcing the illegal bat rule. NFHS 7-4-1: "A batter is out as in above penalty or when: a) the batter enters the batter's box with an illegal bat or is discovered having used an illegal bat. If the infraction is discovered before the next pitch following the turn at bat of the player who used an illegal bat, the defense may take the penalty or the result of the play." The other bat that is a legal comp is a "Combat" brand name.

The illegal bat issue is a confusing one, as this year is the transition year between the BESR standard and the new BBCOR standard that takes effect in 2012. The list of comp bats that are illegal and legal is found on TSSAA's website, as you suggested. This list is also an ever-evolving one, as manufacturers can apply for a waiver if they can prove that their bat can meet the standards. During the pregame bat inspection, umpires are looking for that BESR logo, not cross-checking each bat against the list. It is up to coaches and players to know whether the bat they are using is illegal. When a question arises as to the legality of a particular bat, that is when the umpire can reference the list and make a ruling. I'm not saying that the umpires are excused from the responsibility of enforcing the bat rule when they know a bat is illegal, just saying that coaches and players have a lot of responsibilty this year in terms of knowing when they are using a legal bat.

Just to clear up any confusion on whether the buzzer or the clock is more important at the end of the game: NFHS Case Book Situation 5.6 A1 is fouled in the act of shooting by B1...When the foul occurs, the clock is stopped with 00:00 showing, but no end-of-period signal(horn or light) has indicated. Ruling: A1 will attempt the free throws with the lane spaces occupied as required. The fourth period time has not expired until the period-ending signal.

Is that the NFHS Rules Book for Basketball that you are referring to?

If it was a striking act, then yes, it would be correctly judged as a flagrant foul. But the book also says, "involves, but isn't limited to." That's where each official's judgment of all the factors comes into play.

NFHS 4-19, 3 and 4(I'll paraphrase): An intentional foul is a personal or technical foul that neutralizes an opponent's obvious advantageous position. Contact away from the ball, or not playing the ball or a player specifically designed to keep the clock from starting, is intentional. They may or may not be premeditated, and aren't based solely on the severity of the act. A flagrant foul may be a personal or technical foul of a violent or savage nature, or a technical noncontact foul which displays unacceptable conduct. It may or may not be intentional. If personal, it involves, but is not limited to violent contact such as: striking, kicking, and kneeing. If technical, it involves dead-ball contact or noncontact at any time which is extreme or persistent, vulgar or abusive conduct. Fighting is a flagrant act. Hope that clears it up a little.

No actual rule on the time it takes other than NFHS 5-2-5: " when play is resumed with a throw-in or free throw and three-tenths (.3) of a second or less remains on the clock, a player may not gain control of the ball and try for a field goal. In this situation, only a tap could score." The .5 makes it the referee's judgment, and as long as the ball left the shooter's hand before the horn, the shot would count. If you think about it, the referee sees the ball touch the shooter's hand, processes this, drops his arm, then the scorer sees the referee drop the arm, processes it, and hits the clock start. Unless it's an atomic clock, there's gotta be some sort of delay on that as well. Put all these things together, which you can't account for with no replay, and it's definitely more than the .5 that shows on the clock. It's called "human error." I don't want to be an apologist for the refs (or the scorekeeper, for that matter) but there's really nothing you can do about the natural delay that will happen. I did see the game, and from where I was sitting, the ball was out of his hand before the horn went off. Regardless, a game that you hate to see anyone lose.

As long as the return as pitcher does not violate the pitching, substitution, or charged conference rule he can return later in the game. Obviously if he was a substitute that had entered the game and then been removed from the game he could not reenter. But your starting pitcher is governed by the reentry rule so if he is removed from the game he may reenter. If your pitcher never leaves the game and he is taken off the mound to play center field in the second innning then he could return that inning to pich and then leave to play center again. That is the one time per inning. But he could also be taken off the mound as you describe it in the second inning, go play center and then return in the fifth. That may help but if its not clear then I'll try to do better.

NFHS 3-1-2 A player may be removed as pitcher and returned as pitcher only once per inning, provided the pitcher does not violate either the pitching, substitution or charged conference rule.

Lets check out NFHS Baseball Casebook page 70 8.3.2 Situation L R1 is advancing on the pitch and F6 drops to a knee while taking the throw, partially blocking the inside of the base. R1 slides to the inside edge of the base, contacts F6's knee, and is then tagged out. The head coach argues that this is obstruction. Ruling: This is not obstruction as F6 did provide access to part of second base, even though it was not the part of the base that R1 wanted or believed was most advantageous.

not the way that i look at it. Just because you are denying access to half the bag the runner still has access to the other so half of the bag.

the reason that i ask is because in the definition of obstruction all it mentions is that the fielder without possession of the ball denies access to the base the runner is attempting to achieve. It doesn't mention anything about a part of the bag. Thoughts?