Umpires Undermined by Rule Committee Apathy

45 Foot Running Lane

The forty-five-foot running lane, begins half way between home plate and first base, then ends at first base. It is completely in foul ground. Even the description of the forty-five-foot running lane is confusing. I consider the official rulings regarding the forty-five-foot running lane as some of the most overly simplistic and frequently misinterpreted rules in baseball.

If you’re reading this book, it is a pretty good chance you saw the play in the 2019 World Series where with two outs the batter-runner Cody Bellinger ran the entire distance to first base in fair territory, the catcher’s throw was to the inside of the bag, batter-runner collided with and the first-baseman’s arm / glove and the ball ended up in right field allowing a run to score and no Running Lane Violation called. The next batter up followed with a three-run homer.

Months before the World Series non-call, I watched a play where a batter-runner hit a soft bouncer to the pitcher. The batter-runner was one-third the way down the running lane, with both of his feet clearly in fair-ground, clearly not in the forty-five-foot running lane. The batter-runner then runs full speed into the pitcher who holds the ball while tagging the batter-runner, while completely standing over fair ground. For all intent and purpose, clearly a running lane violation.

Umpires ruled obstruction and awarded the batter-runner first base. They stated the first baseman who was attempting to play the ball alongside the pitcher, was blocking the batter-runners path in the running lane. In reality neither of the defensive players or the batter-runner were ever inside the running lane during the playing action.

 It may seem like I’m committing the cardinal sin of bagging on fellow umpires, but you are wrong. I’m bagging on the rule language provided as the one and only resource umpires have to make rulings. The rule language for the Running Lane Violation is some the most limited and wishy-washy in baseball. There are official rule committees that oversee the baseball rule language, their inability to produce clear and precise rule language perpetuates this problem

Referee Magazine - NFHS article “Nine Rules You Thought You Knew”

proclaims the forty-five foot running lane violation is to protect the defense from being screened while making a play and goes on to state if the ball is not fielded in the plate area and thrown down the line to first base the forty-five-foot running lane doesn’t matter. Mind you, none of this language is in the official NFHS rule book pertaining to a forty-five-foot running lane violation.

Again, here we have an official rule committee that oversees high school baseball rule language, their inability to produce clear and precise rule language perpetuates this problem.  I could be way off base (no pun intended), but another line of thought regarding the forty-five-foot running lane, it’s for both safety and as an interference protection. Intended to provide a safe running lane for the batter-runner and at the same time protect defensive players from interference by a runner going at full speed.  

The one sure thing I can take away from forty-five foot running lane violation is that it does not happen often, but when it does happen its frequently misinterpreted. This is a perfect example of when rule language fails to give a clear and definitive meaning, it causes arbitrary, confusing or worse no ruling at all.

Confession of an Umpire in Black and White

After a lifetime of baseball and seventeen years of umpiring, I feared the convoluted rulings and scattered format in official baseball rule books, so I did what most people do when they dislike or fear something. I made excuses. I told myself I did not need to know the correct version of that ruling, I would give my opinion and then suffer with the consequences. Bottom line I was lying  to myself but not anymore!

Out of pure frustration, I faced my fears head on, and over the last three years we created a unique series of books called Baseball Rules in Black and White . These exceptional educational resources can successfully advance anyone's baseball rule knowledge and application on the field. For those who want to better understand, apply and articulate the rules of baseball, these are must read books.

How do I know these educational resources are effective? Because it's personal!  Baseball Rules in Black and White content and format have improved my personal umpiring rule knowledge and ability to recognize an infraction.  It has also greatly improved my ability to correctly apply related rulings and articulate why rulings were made.

Are the content and format in standard baseball rule books causing you to have lack of confidence, hesitation and doubt on the field? Even worse, are you like I was articulating opinions, then suffering with the consequences? I believe I have the answer to these problems in Black and White.  

If you want to feel empowered about the rules of baseball, you will be pleased to know that yesterday I submitted the 2019 High School Edition of Baseball Rules in Black and White to my publisher. The 2019 College Edition of Baseball Rules in Black and White will soon follow. These effective educational resources will be available January 1, 2019. 

If I Could

If I could, here are four things I would change about the Delayed Dead Ball & Immediate Dead Ball Tables in the NFHS rule book.  Here is my list, and yes some apply to the entire rule book

1.    Font size

Suggestion: Definitely make the font size bigger.

2   2. Categorize the activities

Suggestion: Categorize activities by Batted Balls, Thrown Balls, Interference or Obstruction. This could possibly help find what you’re looking much quicker.

3    3. Table Format

Suggestion: Maybe not cram 38 activates, awards & penalties onto two

small pages.

4    4. Location of penalties / awards to activities

Suggestion: Place the penalty / award directly under the activity. This would make it less likely to get the wrong penalty or award.

 If you like these suggestions or believe they have merit, there is good news. One of the new chapters in Baseball Rules in Black and White’s 2019 High School Edition is Dead Ball Guide, Delayed & Immediate. Because I could, I converted the old table into a Baseball Rules in Black and White reader friendly format by implementing my “If I could” list.

There will be some who say they like the Delayed Dead Ball & Immediate Dead Ball Tables in the NFHS rule book just fine. Some may even say its been that way for years, leave it alone and to everyone who enjoys the current format, please continue using it.

For everyone else there is now an alternative, Baseball Rules in Black and White’s 2019 High School Edition, coming January 1, 2019

"A Better Way to Learn and Apply the Rules of Baseball"!

Why “A Better Way to Learn and Apply the Rules of Baseball” for Baseball Rules in Black and White’s official tag line? Because, our book’s unique content and sequenced format allows the reader to easily learn the entirety of a ruling, which makes applying a ruling correctly when needed more likely.

When you only have seconds to make a correct ruling, your recall must be clear and accurate. Rule books that provide complicated, arbitrary, partial or scattered information, will quickly turn seconds into a very long day.

Nothing complicated, nothing fancy, just a simple statement, regarding an educational resource endorsed by umpires from all across the country. These are the reasons why Baseball Rules in Black and White truly is “A Better Way to Learn and Apply the Rules of Baseball”!

As the Executive Instructional Chairman, California Baseball Umpires I am well aware of the challenges umpires face every season simply interpreting the rules of baseball. These challenges of the baseball rule book can reduce an umpire’s ability to clearly retain and correctly call a ruling during a game. This is especially true for newer umpires, but also impacts veteran umpires.

I have waited years for an enhanced version of the high school rule book to become available to address these challenges and now, Baseball Rules in Black and White is here! Gone are the days of randomly searching for a rule, just to find arbitrary rule language.  Or have the rule book direct me to three additional rules that are possibly related, or not in two other sections of the rule book. 

2019 High School & College Editions - January 1