Let's be Clear and Certain

Ambiguous, no other word more accurately and concisely defines the baseball rule book, how it is applied and how correctly or incorrectly it is interpreted. 

am·big·u·ous, amˈbiɡyo͞oəs/, Adjective

1. (Of language) open to more than one interpretation; having a double meaning.

"The question is rather ambiguous"

2. Unclear or inexact because a choice between alternatives has not been made.

"The baseball rule book is ambiguous"

Dubious, no other word more accurately and concisely describes the mistrust and suspicions created by ambiguous interpretations of the baseball rule book by an umpire. 

du·bi·ous, ˈd(y)o͞obēəs/, Adjective

1. Hesitating or doubting.

"The baseball coach looked dubious, but complied"

2. Not to be relied upon; suspect.

"The umpire provided an extremely dubious explanation"

Because the baseball rule book is ambiguous, it diminishes concise and accurate rulings in baseball games everywhere. The problems created by the dubious rule book are reduced for umpires with decades of experience, but what about everyone else? 

For everyone else there is Baseball Rules in Black and White. This book has been described by NCAA Division I C.W.S. Umpire Billy Haze as “cliff-notes for the baseball rule book”.  If you are tired of the ambiguity and confusion of the baseball rule book, try the simplicity of Baseball Rules in Black and White. It has over 200 rulings that are clear, concise and reader friendly which include the official rule and page number they were revised from.

                                     www.baseballrulesinblackandwhite.com

A "Pitcher" is Worth a Thousand Words

High school baseball season is just beginning and I want to address a rule topic that umpires and even entire associations "struggle to define" the correct rulings. Those rulings pertain to legal or illegal "Pitcher’s Stances". The following may help explain why the confusion.

When someone reads about an action without actually seeing it, it can be difficult to obtain a clear picture. When reading about several actions that are similar but different, gaining a clear understanding becomes even more challenging. Reading about multiple similar actions that are scattered throughout several pages of a small font rule book can cause a ruling to become extremely confusing or incorrect.

The official federation baseball rule book teaches the rules of how the pitcher’s feet are either legal or a balk by using only words. It uses only language scattered on three different pages to describe six similar positions of the pitcher’s feet pertaining to two completely different pitching stances without one illustration. The worst outcome from all this is when an umpire potentially shares an incorrect interpretation with others. 

There is an alternative. Baseball Rules in Black and White's chapter titled “Pitching Stances” provides six illustrations each with its own descriptive rule language which also includes the official federation rule and page number for additional easy find reference. 

There is no other high school baseball rules resource that completely teaches a reader to recognize if the pitcher’s stance is legal or an illegal stance as effectively as Baseball Rules in Black and White. Being able to both see and read about a pitcher's stance on the same page enhances everyone’s ability to agree if it is a legal stance or a balk.

Reader Friendly Format Makes Sense

There is a very good reason why dozens of high school umpires each and everyday visit Baseball Rules in Black and White’s 2017 NFHS Rule Changes web page. 

It is because they find a reader friendly format that allows them to in just a few seconds find the rule and in a few minutes read and understand that rule. 

Each of the nineteen chapters and over 220 rulings are all written in this easy to find and understand format and is printed in large easy to read font.