State Of The Game, Part I : Rule Changes

This is the first of five parts of our week-long series “The State of the Game.” Our series will provide a thorough look at high school baseball in Broward County, from rule changes and redistricting to the lasting effects of playing a 20-game regular season. We’ll also focus on the struggling programs in the county and summarize the whirlwind of coaching changes that made for a busy summer across the county.

Before the 2012 high school baseball season gets under way, let us first address some of the significant rule changes that have been adopted by the Florida High School Athletic Association, in compliance with such ordinances that were passed by the National Federation of State High School Associations Baseball Rules Committee on July 7.

According to NFHS assistant director and liaison to the Baseball Rules Committee Elliot Hopkins, the committee’s main priority is on increased responsibility among coaches.

The rule change that figures to most affect teams from the area is in regards to the changes in the rules for legal equipment. Umpires will no longer be required to perform pregame equipment checks, as this responsibility will now rest solely on the individual coaches for each team. Before the start of each game, each head coach must now verify to the umpire-in-chief that all participants on their team are using only legal equipment in accordance with NFHS rules. Coaches can still ask umpires to confirm if a piece of equipment is compliant during pregame activities.

“Before we had to check bats and helmets, and we had to inspect them, which takes a little time,” said Dick Rushin, who is the head of the umpires in Broward County. “We accepted that as part of the rule. It was one of our duties. The new rule has relieved us of that. Now it’s up to the coaches, and I think it should be up to them anyway.”

South Broward coach Joe Giummule agrees with Rushin.

“I think it’s the responsibility of coaches and players to use proper equipment,” Giummule said. “If a player is going use an illegal bat, they’re not going to show it [during pregame checks] anyway. They’re going to try to use it and see if they can get away with it.”

One of the biggest changes with equipment this spring will be with the bats. As of Jan. 1, 2012, all high schools are required to use BBCOR bats in accordance with a new NFHS rule. Compliant bats, which must have the BBCOR certification on them, are those that have been unaltered from the manufacturer’s original design and production, and compliant helmets should be free of cracks and other damage.

Rushin said teams having the right equipment has never been a problem in Broward, but overall, it is a problem across the country, according to Hopkins.

“Bat tampering is illegal and a major problem in high schools,” Hopkins said. “Everyone is looking for a competitive edge. With this note, we want to make sure that the state associations, coaches, teams and the public are aware that we are committed to minimizing any risk for players with bat tampering.”

Based on scientific research that shows that altering bats damages the bat and poses an unnecessary risk of injury, the state also adopted an amendment to Rule 1-3-5 that stats that “no artificial or intentional means shall be used to control the temperature of the bat.”

A rule that is more reminiscent of events that happened closer to home is in regards to the alterations to coach’s conduct with officials. A new rule has been added prohibiting coaches from administering any unsportsmanlike conduct with game officials after a game has ended and the umpires have departed the field of play. Such instances will be handled by the FHSAA to determine if any inappropriate action has occurred.

Rushin said the rule also will come in to play if players or parents are abusive toward umpires in the parking lot. He said he’s seen umpires being abused by parents verbally and sometimes physically.

“It was never right to me,” he said. “When a game is over, good or bad, you have to live with it and move on.”

“At our school, we try to be proactive,” Coral Springs Christian coach Matt Cleveland said. “One thing we talk about with our players and parents is we can’t control how the umpires act. If anyone says any thing to them, it will be me.”

Rushin said the rule now means schools will be fined from the FHSAA if it’s reported that there was unsportsmanlike conduct after the game. He said umpires have always reported this type of behavior, but it wasn’t classified as unsportsmanlike.

Such an issue also brings to mind the case of former Douglas coach Dean Florio, who was not retained as the Eagles’ coach this year following an on-field incident in which he was accused of cursing at an umpire during a heated district game late last season. Florio was suspended for what turned out to be the rest of the season, and Douglas fell from atop the national high school rankings to a shocking loss in the district semifinals.

Although in Florio’s case the incident did occur on the field during game play, the fact that the FHSAA has grown stricter with rules regarding incidents off the field also further shows the intolerance it will have for such on-field instances.

Other rule changes approved by the FHSAA include:

Rules 1-5-8 and 3-1-6, regarding player’s equipment on the field. State associations may now authorize exceptions to rules in order to provide “reasonable accommodations to individual participants with disabilities and/or special needs and unique and extenuating circumstances,” so long as they do not fundamentally interfere with the sport. Players and coaches must also clean or remove any amount of blood from a player’s uniform or any piece of equipment before being allowed back into the game.

Rule 6-2-2c: The starting pitcher may warm up by using no more than eight throws, completed in one minute from the first practice throw. This rule also applies to relief pitchers. At the beginning of each subsequent inning, the pitcher may warm up with no more than five throws, to be completed within one minute.

Rule 10-1-2: The game officials retain clerical authority over the contest through the completion of any reports, including those imposing disqualifications, that are responsive to actions occurring while the umpires had jurisdiction. State associations may intercede in the event of unusual incidents after the umpires’ jurisdiction has ended or in the event that a game is terminated prior to the conclusion of regulation play.

COMING TOMORROW
Our series continues with a look at how the new district alignments could shake things up in Broward this spring.

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