The National Federation of High School baseball rules committee has completed their annual meeting and there are some changes ahead for the 2024 season.

The evolution of the game of baseball has made electronic communication between coaches and catchers a mainstay at the upper levels of competition, and now high school players will also be permitted to use one-way electronic communication for the sole purpose of calling pitches.  Coaches will be able to send in pitch calls directly to the catcher with the use of these devices.  Higher leagues have shown that these devices help significantly in speeding up the pace of play. One device per team will be the maximum to create a level playing field for teams of all economic standing.  Elite college level teams have been using a watch device for all players on the field to alert them of pitch selections, but purchasing a dozen such devices can be costly.  For use of these devices, the NFHS will limit the communication between the coaches from the dugout and catchers only while on defense.

For non-electronic communication the NFHS has approved the use of wristbands for pitchers which can now include defensive shifts, pitching choices or game directions.  Pitchers’ cards must not be white, gray or a distracting color and must be worn on their non-pitching arm.  This will give teams yet another medium to help speed up the pace of play which has been a goal for all levels of baseball in recent years.

Umpires are a vital part of the game of baseball, and the increase in the competitive nature for sports, especially baseball, has seen a rise in spectator conflict with umpires in recent years.  Unfortunately, some of these conflicts have even resulted in physical altercations with fans attacking umpires.  The NFHS is now implementing a rule to hopefully give some relief to this concern. The NFHS will now place the responsibility of a game being forfeited into the hands of the game administration.  This move will allow umpires to focus solely on players, coaches or bench personnel, and help keep a divide from spectators who have become unruly and umpires whose safety must be a priority. When a game is forfeited as a result of a rowdy environment, hopefully, the involvement of school officials will aid in tempering the fans attitude towards the umpires.

We are in an emergency state in this country for high school officials of all sports as the supply is not keeping up with demand.  Games are being cancelled because they can’t find officials willing to do the job and fan altercations are given as the number one reason officials are leaving the profession.  The NFHS knows how important sports are to kids’ development, and protecting officials is a vital step in protecting our sports.

Tim Zemaitis

Umpire: NCAA/NFHS