sign in sign up
<<
Home , Left fielder, Second baseman, Sign stealing

2020 NFHS RULES INTERPRETATIONS

Publisher’s Note: The National Federation of State High School Associations is the only source of official high school interpretations. They do not set aside nor modify any rule. They are made and published by the NFHS in response to situations presented.

Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff, Publisher, NFHS Publications © 2020

SITUATION 1: The home team runner. (3-1-4b, Suggested Speed-Up the DH. Smith would now be RF/DH. is using Jones as the player/DH. In Rules – Courtesy Runners 1) (3-1-4b) the second , Jones comes to bat and hits a clean . With Jones SITUATION 4: Jones, as the player/ SITUATION 7: Does a player/DH on second base, the coach goes to the DH, grows tired in the fifth inning and have a re-entry as the defensive player plate and requests that a cour- is replaced as the by Coleman. and also a re-entry as the DH? RUL- tesy runner for Jones. RULING: Jones remains the DH. In the sixth in- ING: No, any of the starting players A courtesy runner for Jones is not al- ning, Jones is by a in the hel- may be removed from the game and lowed. When his team is on defense, met and the medical staff will not al- re-entered once. The player may not Jones is a pitcher; when Jones is low him to continue in the game. The be removed as a defensive player and he is as a , not coach a) puts Smith in to run for Jones removed later as the DH and re-enter as a pitcher. A courtesy runner is not at first base or B) has Coleman run for twice in both capacities. He has one allowed for a DH. (3-1-4b; Suggested Jones. RULING: Both are legal actions. re-entry. (3-1-3) Speed-Up Rules – Courtesy Runners 1) In (a), the role of the DH will be end- ed for the game as Smith is an offen- SITUATION 8: The visiting team SITUATION 2: Jones is listed as a play- sive substitute for Jones. Additionally, coach has a lineup utilizing the stan- er/DH and comes to bat in the third Coleman will be of the game since dard DH option; 10 starters, one be- inning. Jones hits a double and, while Smith now occupies that spot in the ing the DH for a defensive player. In sliding into second base, sprains his . In (b), the role of the DH the third inning, the coach realizes he ankle and cannot continue. The coach is also ended. Coleman does remain in wanted to use the player/DH option puts Williams in to run for Jones. RUL- the game as the pitcher and will hit for and not the standard DH. He asks the ING: This is legal. The impact of Wil- himself in later at-bats. (3-1-3, 3-1-4b) home plate umpire if he may change liams running for Jones is that the role the options since the DH has yet to bat. of the DH is now ended for the game. SITUATION 5: Brady is the pitcher/ RULING: No, he may not change his Since Jones is no longer the DH, and DH and tires in the second inning. The lineup card. Once a coach has had his he and Williams cannot occupy a spot coach brings in Kelly to pitch in the lineup accepted by the plate umpire, he in the lineup at the same time, Jones is second inning. In the fourth inning, may not change from one DH option to considered to have been removed from Evans replaces Kelly as the pitcher. In the other. (3-1-4) the game for his first time. (3-1-3, 3-1- the fifth inning, Brown replaces Evans 4b) as the pitcher. In the seventh inning, SITUATION 9: The home team is us- Brady returns to play first base. RUL- ing the player/DH option while the SITUATION 3: Jones is listed as the ING: These substitutions are all legal, visiting team is using the standard player/DH. Having pitched in the first with Brady remaining the DH in each DH option with 10 starters. At the pre- two , he comes to bat in the third instance. Brown will be out of the game game conference the home team coach inning and hits a double. With Jones on when Brady returns. The pitcher/DH insists that the visiting team must use second base, the coach tells the umpire is not locked into a defensive position the same DH option that he is using. that he wants to end the role of DH for and may be moved defensively while RULING: The use of a DH is not man- Jones. He is ending the use of a DH for being locked in the batting order. (3-1- datory and each team may decide inde- the game, making Jones only eligible to 4b) pendently if it will play the game with be the pitcher. The coach now wants to a straight nine lineup, use the standard have a courtesy runner run for Jones. SITUATION 6: Smith is listed as the DH option or use the player/DH op- RULING: This is legal. The coach may /DH in the lineup. In tion. Teams do not have to use the end the role of the DH, leaving the pre- the sixth inning, the coach wants Smith same method. (3-1-4) vious player/DH as only a defensive to play right field while remaining the player. As Jones was the pitcher of re- DH. RULING: This is a legal defensive SITUATION 10: The home team is cord, having pitched in the last half-in- change. The player/DH may move using Jones as the player/DH option. ning, he is eligible for a legal courtesy positions defensively while remaining In the fifth inning, with the DH going 0-3 at bat, the coach wishes to use a plate umpire that all his players were play and runs scored before the third pinch-hitter for Jones. He tells the plate properly equipped in accordance with out will , but the batter-runner umpire that Smith will bat for the DH NFHS rules, he notices that the and R1 will not score. Score two runs. with Jones returning as DH later in the is wearing an old chest protector – one (8-4-2m, 9-1-1) game. RULING: The coach may use a that does not have the NOCSAE mark pinch-hitter for player/DH, but when on it. He asks the catcher to take his SITUATION 18: With two outs, R2 is he does the role of the DH has ended jersey off to show that he is wearing off on the pitch from second base on for the game. Jones may return later, a NOCSAE-approved body protector. an attempted steal of third base. The but when he does it will be as a defen- RULING: The umpire shall accept the batter hits a ground ball to the short- sive player who will bat for himself. [3- coach’s verification that all his play- stop. Just before the ’s throw 1-4b(2)] ers are properly equipped. The plate arrives at third base to put out the umpire shall not require the catcher to batter-runner, R2 is obstructed as he SITUATION 11: Kelly is the LF/ disrobe or unbutton his jersey to prove rounds third base. His coach says R2 DH. In the third inning, Jones substi- that he is wearing a certified body pro- should be awarded home and have tutes for Kelly as the . In the tector. (1-5-3, 4-1-3b) his run count since the oc- fourth inning Kelly returns as the left curred before the out at first.RULING: fielder. In the fifth inning, Armstrong SITUATION 15: At the pregame con- R2 will not be awarded home base on substitutes for Kelly in left field. May ference, the visiting coach verifies that the obstruction. No run may score if Kelly remain as the DH? RULING: No. all his players are properly equipped the third out is made by the batter-run- Kelly, having been removed from the in accordance with NFHS rules. The ner before he touches first base. (9-1-1 game twice, is no longer eligible to play catcher is wearing an old chest protec- EXCEPTION a) in any capacity. The role of the DH has tor that does not have the SEI/NOC- ended since Armstrong now must bat SAE mark. In the third inning, the SITUATION 19: Unnoticed by either for himself. (3-1-4b) catcher tells the umpire that he forgot team and the home plate umpire, the his body protector and is not wearing visiting team turns in a lineup card SITUATION 12: At the plate confer- anything under his jersey other than a with eight players listed as starters ence, the home team head coach pro- plain undershirt. RULING: The plate and three substitute players. The visit- vides to the plate umpire three base- umpire is to accept a coach’s verifica- ing team had nine players on defense balls. The plate umpire notices that tion; however, once it is known that in the bottom of the first inning. In the while the have the NFHS the verification was not totally accu- top of the second inning, the home Authenticating Mark, they do not have rate, the umpire must halt the game team realizes that its opponent has the SEI/NOCSAE mark. RULING: The and have the situation rectified. The only eight players listed in the starting game shall be played, but the home umpire will stop the game and ask the lineup. Bringing this to the attention plate umpire shall provide a report to coach if there is a body/chest protector of the home plate umpire, the home the state association. The baseballs are available that the catcher may use. The team suggests that for the remainder required to have both marks to ensure game cannot resume until the catcher of the game an out should be called that proper testing has been done on is legally equipped. (1-5-3, 1-5-6) every time the missing spot comes to the baseballs. SEI/NOCSAE testing bat. The visiting team, now aware of its provides a means to maintain a con- SITUATION 16: The pitcher, in his de- omission, adds to the lineup a player sistent and uniform standard for high livery, pushes completely off the pitch- as the ninth defensive player. He was school competition and to ensure that er’s plate and while in the air and in not one of the three substitutes listed every baseball manufactured meets the front of the pitcher’s plate, throws the on the lineup. RULING: This is legal. same level of quality and playability. pitch. RULING: This is an illegal pitch. The team did start the team with nine A pitcher who leaps from the pitch- players. The team is allowed to correct SITUATION 13: The coach knows that ing plate (rather than pushing away the omission and it is legal for a team to his catcher is wearing a body protec- from it) is no longer in contact with the use a player not originally listed on the tor under his jersey that is certified by pitcher’s plate and has delivered an il- lineup card. (1-1-2, 4-4-1f) NOCSAE and has the NOCSAE mark. legal pitch. (6-1-1, 6-1-2, 6-1-3) At the plate conference, the coach af- SITUATION 20: An assistant coach firms that all his players are properly SITUATION 17: The bases are load- has a phone app that allows him to equipped in accordance with NFHS ed with two outs. The batter hits the capture the signs from the opposing rules. In the first inning, the plate um- pitch over the fence for a team’s third-base coach. This app then pire notices that the catcher is not wear- . While circling the bases predicts if the sign was a steal, ing a chest protector with the NOCSAE the batter-runner passes R1 between or hit sign. Is this phone mark. RULING: The plate umpire shall third base and home, before R1 touch- app legal? RULING: This is not legal. accept the coach’s verification that all es home plate. R2 and R3 had touched When an umpire knows that a team his players are equipped in accordance home plate before the batter-runner is using the app, the coach should be with the NFHS rules. (1-5-3, 4-1-3b) passed R1. How many runs score? warned and discontinue the use of the RULING: The batter-runner is out for app. A second violation would restrict SITUATION 14: Although the coach at the third out the moment he passed a the coach to the bench. [3-3-1f(4), 3-3-1 the pregame conference verified to the preceding runner, R1. This is a timing PENALTY]