Iowa High School Athletic Association

1. Iowa High School Athletic Association 2011 BASEBALL RULES INTERPRETATION MEETING

2. COACH ANNOUNCEMENTS • First practice date, May 2, 2011 • First playing date, May 23, 2011 • Includes 8th graders • Game limitation rule 40 games (9-12)

3. COACH ANNOUNCEMENTS • Failure of any school to use licensed umpires grades 9-12, is an automatic forfeiture of the contest. • 2011 BASEBALL HIGHLIGHT FOLDER, PITCHING LIMITATION RULE, WINDUP PITCHING REGULATIONS AND SUSPENDED GAME REGULATIONS are all on-line under baseball, 2011 BASEBALL HIGHLIGHTS.

4. COACH ANNOUNCEMENTS • Line-up cards will be sent to every A.D. in April along with your 2011 baseball rule book. • Baseball Manual may be found on our home page under General Information, left hand side of the home page.

5. COACH/PLAYER CONTACT • DURING THE OFF SEASON COACHES MAY WORK WITH PITCHERS AND CATCHERS ONLY. • BASEBALL COACHES (9-12) MAY NOT HAVE ANY OTHER CONTACT WITH PLAYERS (OUTSIDE OF PITCHERS AND CATCHERS) UNTIL MAY 2, 2011. • YOU MAY WORK WITH PLAYERS 8TH GRADE AND BELOW DURING THE OFF SEASON.

6. PITCHERS & CATCHERS • Pitchers and catchers may voluntarily practice under a coach’s supervision at any time during the year using equipment required for these two positions only; no batting practice, no hitting of ground balls, no position coverage, no drills may be performed. • Pitchers and catchers may stretch, run and play catch (short & or long distance). • Catchers are there for the sole purpose of catching your pitcher(s). No drills should be performed by pitchers or catchers.

7. PLAYER CONTACT • If your players participate in some type of spring or fall league, you can not involve yourself with these players. Any baseball on staff coaches (9-12) may watch a game, but are not allowed to coach any of your players grades 9-12. Bottom line, you can not work with any of your players, other than pitchers and catchers until May 2, 2011.

8. UMPIRE ANNOUNCEMENTS • Registration for new officials and officials wanting to re-register should be done on-line in March 2011. Just go to our website www.iahsaa.org click on officials, left hand side of our home page. • Click on Register to become an official (new official) or re-register if you were registered last year (NEW REGISTRATION & RE-REGISTRATION STARTED MARCH 1, 2011). • Remember, you will not receive your rule book or case book until you have registered. Baseball always kicks off our new registration period.

9. UMPIRE ANNOUNCEMENTS • Eachindividual umpire must fill out a tournament request form on-line by May 30, 2011, in order to be tournament eligible. • NOTE: THIS FORM WILL BE AVAILABLE ON-LINE STARTING April 11, 2011. • Please include your partner’s name. • To be tournament eligible, you must also have turned in your sportsmanship ratings from the previous season in a timely manner. Remember, each umpire does a sportsmanship rating for each varsity contest you umpire.

10. UMPIRE ANNOUNCEMENTS • To be tournament eligible each umpire must attend/view an IHSAA state sponsored rules meeting in that sport, in that year. • Sportsmanship ratings will be done on-line. Information on how to fill this form out on-line will be in our first letter/memo on-line. • Keep track of your official’s LOG-IN password, it is needed every time you enter your sportsmanship ratings (or fill out any ejection report) you may have during the season.

11. UMPIRES ANNOUNCEMENTS • ALL UMPIRES must take and pass the on-line open book exam. You are allowed to take the open book exam up to three times, if you do not pass the test on your third try, you will not be allowed to take the exam again this year. Instructions and guidelines may be found on-line by going to iahsaa.org (home page) click on officials (left hand side of home page), then click on on-line registration.

12. UMPIRE ANNOUNCEMENTS • Required Umpire Clinics: First year baseball umpires and umpires who want to be tournament eligible, must attend an IHSAA state sponsored baseball umpire clinic with-in the first three years of being registered or with-in every three years to be tournament eligible. This clinic requirement started in 2009. Tournament eligible umpires who were registered in 2009 will have this year to meet this requirement and remain tournament eligible, then once with-in every three years after that. • Sites, times and dates for this years clinics are listed under officials (left hand side of the home page, then scroll down to baseball). Clinic are also noted on your IHSAA calendar, first baseball umpire clinic is scheduled for March 30.

13. 2011 UMPIRE CLINICS • MARCH 30 @ ANAMOSA H.S. • APRIL 6 HARLAN H.S. • APRIL 13 STORM LAKE (SOUTH SCHOOL) • APRIL 20 MASON CITY H.S. • APRIL 27 OTTUMWA H.S. • Rules meeting and clinic will run from 6:00-9:00 PM. Equipment required: Plate mask & hat.

14. UMPIRE’S PROFESSIONALISM • Umpires are part of the educational process of interscholastic athletics. • Umpires have the responsibility to enforce the rules in a consistent manner. • They provide a level playing field for the students and an environment for the coaches to teach.

15. EJECTIONS • Umpires, make a solid decision if you are going to eject a player or coach. • Coach, before the season starts sit down with your entire baseball team (9-12) and visit about what your expectations are as a coach and a team. Make them aware of what the consequences are if they should be ejected. Also talk about malicious contact, and the importance of sliding legally and not running over a player in the baseline.

16. EJECTIONS • EXAMPLE: Sophomore, playing on the varsity team, is ejected in the third inning of the first game on Friday night of a double- header. This ejected player sits out the remainder of the first game and all of the second game. The ejected player is not eligible to participate until after the next PLAYING DATE at the level of competition he was ejected from. That means he sits out any lower level games he may normally participate in up to and including the next playing date at the level of competition he was ejected from.

17. EJECTIONS • 7th & 8th grade ejections do not apply to H.S. summer baseball from the IHSAA standpoint. Each Junior High Summer baseball program will implement their own regulations regarding ejections. Umpires or coaches need to report ejections at the Junior High level to their local baseball organization. • Any ejections that take place from the high school level (9-12) must be reported immediately on-line to the IHSAA by the school and by the ejecting umpire.

18. STARTING WITH THE 2010-2011 SCHOOL YEAR EJECTIONS Beginning with the 2010-2011 school year, any coach at any level grades 7-12 who is ejected from an IHSAA sanctioned sport will be required to take the NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching elective course “Teaching and Modeling Behavior.”

19. COACH EJECTION • Thecoursemust be viewed prior to being able to return and coach an interscholastic contest and the certificate of course completion must be sent/faxed to the IHSAA office. In addition, the cost of the course will be the responsibility of the individual coach. This mandate is in addition to missing the next playing date at the level of competition he/she was ejected from and all games in the interim. The approximate cost of the course is $25.

20. POINTS OF EMPHASIS – FORCE PLAY SLIDE RULE • Simply stated, the runner is never required to slide, but if the runner interferes with or alters the defensive players opportunity to complete the play, he will be called out as well as the batter runner, and all other base runners return to the base they occupied at the time of the pitch. • On a force play, when the runner does slide, it must be legal and in a direct line between the two bases.

22. POINTS OF EMPHASIS – FORCE PLAY SLIDE RULE Cont. • A runner may slide or run in a direction away from the fielder to avoid making contact or altering the fielder making a play. • Reminder, if a player slides legally and the defensive player falls over the top of the runner, no infraction has taken place. • The force play slide rule is in effect at second, third and home plate.

24. Malicious Contact • Usually occur between home and third • Keys to malicious contact & player ejection: • Player leads with forearm or lowered shoulder in attempt to take out the catcher • Runners choices (when catcher has the ball) • Legal Slide • Stop and return to previous base (get in run-down) • Let the fielder tag him

25. Malicious Contact Cont… • What your runner should do if a fielder is in the baseline without the ball: • Go around the fielder (umpire should call out obstruction and throw out left arm closed fist, just like any other obstruction situation). • Coaches, teach your players not to block any baseline without the ball or they are subject to being called for obstruction.

26. Malicious Contact Cont… • If the catcher is up the third baseline and the ball arrives just prior to the contact (runner standing up) and runner is tagged and there is a TRAIN WRECK, you have an out, but the player is not ejected unless he lead with the forearm or shoulder. • Coaches, in the best interest of baseball and your players, I would encourage you to have your players legally slide whenever they are running the bases and a play may be made on that particular runner near a base.

27. MALICIOUS CONTACT • If the runner is coming to the plate and the catcher catches the ball or has the ball and is moving up the line toward third base, and the runner puts his hands out protecting himself from the collision, even though there is solid contact, this does not cause the player to be ejected. Umpires, read the play, if the runner lowers his shoulder, leads with a forearm, or re-coils and you read intent to run over or dump the catcher in hopes he may drop the ball, then you would have reason to eject the player.

28. OBSTRUCTION • 2.22.3 Any fielder without possession of the ball will not be allowed to deny access of the base that a runner is attempting to achieve. • This rule affects only the fielder’s responsibilities when he is not yet in possession of the ball. • A fielder in possession of the ball is allowed to block the base entirely.

32. COACH’S BOX REGULATIONS (3-2-1) • Coach or player occupying the coach’s box • Shall remain in the coaching box from the time the pitcher engages the rubber, until the pitch crosses the plate. • If umpires observe a base coach/player not in the coaching box during the prescribed time frame, umpire is to warn the coach/player, and if any further non-compliance of the rule takes place the coach is subject to being restricted to the dugout. • Coach, be sure to put a regulation coaching box in, umpires don’t play the game until these lines are in.

33. PRE-GAME MEETING • The head coach (each level of competition) must attend the pre-game conference if he/she is available to do so or the head coach will be restricted to the dugout. • If for some reason the head coach is attending an injured player who needs immediate attention, the assistant coach may fulfill this duty and the head coach would still be allowed his normal coaching duties. • If no assistant, delay the conference within reason until the head coach is available. The injured player takes priority.

34. PRE-GAME CONFERENCE • Captains are encouraged to attend the pre-game conference, but it is not mandatory. • Head coach is responsible for their team being legally equipped, includes new bat regulations. • Sportsmanship statement should be discussed at this pre-game meeting, at all levels of play.

35. PITCHERS GLOVE • The glove/mitt worn by the pitcher that includes the colors white and/or gray shall be removed from the game when discovered by the opposing team or umpire. • There is no base award penalty for the pitcher wearing an illegal glove. The illegal glove penalty does not apply.

36. ADDITIONAL RUN RULE • In 2008, the Iowa Baseball Coaches Advisory Committee and the IHSAA Board of Control approved an additional run rule. • Added a 15 run rule after 31/2 or 4 innings of play. The game shall end when the visiting team is behind 15 or more runs after 3 ½ innings, or after the 4th inning, if either team is 15 or more runs behind and both teams have had an equal number of times at bat. This rule would be in addition to the NF current 10 run rule already in place.

37. COURTESY RUNNER • Courtesy Runner may be used for the pitcher or the catcher. • Same individual cannot be used for pitcher and catcher. • Neither pitcher or catcher leave the game in this situation. • Players who have participated in the game, are not eligible to be a courtesy runner. • A player may not courtesy run and then become a pinch hitter or pinch runner in the same half inning.

38. DESIGNATED HITTER • MAY BE DESIGNATED FOR ANY STARTING PLAYER. • DH MUST BE SELECTED PRIOR TO THE START OF THE GAME. • PH OR PR FOR THE DH, THAT PLAYER BECOMES THE DH. THE ORIGINAL DH MAY RE-ENTER AS THE DH, UNDER THE RE-ENTRY RULE. • THE DH & THE PLAYER FOR WHOM THE DH IS BATTING FOR, ARE LOCKED INTO THE BATTING ORDER.

39. DH CONTINUED • THE ROLE OF THE DH IS TERMINATED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE GAME IF: • THE DEFENSIVE OR ANY PREVIOUS DEFENSIVE PLAYER FOR WHOM THE DH BATTED, SUBSEQUENTLY BATS, PINCH HITS OR PINCH RUNS FOR THE DH, THE DH ROLE IS TERMINATED • THE SECOND WAY THE DH ROLE IS TERMINATED IS IF THE DH OR ANY PREVIOUS DH ASSUMES A DEFENSIVE POSITION, THE ROLE OF THE DH IS TERMINATED.

42. GOING TO MOUTH • While not in contact with the pitcher’s plate, a pitcher who goes to his mouth and then touches the baseball without distinctly wiping it off may request a new baseball and be legal, provided he has not engaged the pitchers plate. However, if he engages the pitchers plate, following going to the mouth, without distinctly wiping it off, a ball will be immediately added to the batters count.

44. MUSIC REGULATION • Schools who desire to play music at baseball games, must play appropriate musicapproved by an administrator, and that if the music is played, it needs to be before and after the game, between games and between innings only. Music must cease when the last warm-up pitch is made to start the game and between innings.

45. STATISTIC MANDATE • VARSITY BASEBALL COACHES: • Are required to post your team and individual varsity game STATISTICS on www.quikstatsiowa.com following each contest. Per our recommendation, if you feel you can not personally do this, please find someone on staff or in your school system who enjoys working with statistics and have them enter these stats for you.

46. NEW STATISTIC MANDATE • Please keep in mind that coaches who do not meet this requirement will be held accountable for failure to fulfill this requirement. • FIRST OFFENSE: Letter/ email to head baseball coach and Athletic Director. • SECOND OFFENSE: Letter to A.D., with copy sent to Principal and Superintendent, from the IHSAA Executive Director. • THIRD OFFENSE: IHSAA member school tournament expense allowance will be withheld by the IHSAA.

47. NEW STATISTIC MANDATE • Statistics must be completed by 3:00 PM on the following dates: • June 6, 2011, for games through June 4 • June 20, 2011, for games through June 18 • July 5, 2011, for games through July 2 Stats should be entered at the end of the regular season and post season contests. Quik-stat questions should be directed to Bud Legg or Dave Anderson in the IHSAA office.

48. REVIEW2010 NFHS Baseball Rules Changes

50. Behavior of Assistant Coaches • Coaches are viewed by their players as teachers and positive role models. • When their behavior jeopardizes the constructive “teachable moments” of an athletic contest then serious attention should be given to this issue. • Coaches are present to teach and inspire young people to do their best, be fundamentally sound in their respective skill sets and represent their school to the best of their ability.