NCAA Rule Changes

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NCAA Rule Changes for 2014 and 2015

Here are a few changes I found interesting...

- Allows college teams to play non-championship season games (fall?) like friendlies.
RATIONALE- PROVIDES COACHES WITH MORE FLEXIBILITY FOR TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES IN THE NON- CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON WHILE MAINTAINING COMPETITIVE EQUITY AMONG TEAMS.

- Added new term, Runner, that combines Batter-Runner and Base Runner.
RATIONALE- CREATES A NEW CATEGORY THAT INCLUDES BOTH BATTER-RUNNERS AND BASE RUNNERS FOR THE PURPOSE OF COMBINING RULES AND EFFECTS WHEN THEY APPLY TO BOTH TYPES OF RUNNERS.

- Added new term, Inappropriate Bat, that combines nonapproved, illegal and altered.
RATIONALE- SIMPLIFIES THE PENALTY FOR ALL INAPPROPRIATE BATS (PREVIOUSLY AN ILLEGAL BAT RESULTED IN OUT BUT NOT EJECTION BUT THE OTHERS WERE OUT AND EJECTED) WHETHER ALTERED, ILLEGAL OR NONAPPROVED.

- Added new term, Offense Player (OP), to describe non-DP in batting order not playing defense because DP is playing defense.
RATIONALE- PREVIOUSLY THIS PLAYER WAS MISTAKENLY REFERRED TO AS THE TEMPORARY DP ALTHOUGH SHE NEVER HAD ANY OF THE RIGHTS OF A DP. THIS ADDITION IS TO STOP THAT MISREPRESENTATION.

- Restricts offensive team personnel on home run celebrations to foul territory.
RATIONALE- IT HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT FOR THE UMPIRE TO ENSURE A RUNNER(S) HAS TOUCHED HOME PLATE AND THAT OFFENSIVE TEAM PERSONNEL HAVE NOT CONTACTED THE RUNNER(S) BEFORE SCORING AS TEAMMATES SURROUND HOME PLATE TO CELEBRATE A HOME RUN. THIS ADDITION IS INTENDED TO ELIMINATE THOSE TWO POSSIBLE VIOLATIONS AND GIVE THE UMPIRE FULL VIEW FROM FAIR TERRITORY WITHOUT ELIMINATING THE EXCITEMENT OF THE MOMENT.

- Requires pitchers to wipe dirt and saliva off their hand/fingers.
RATIONALE- RESOLVES THE CONTROVERSY REGARDING DIRT AS A FOREIGN SUBSTANCE AND CLARIFIES THAT DURING THE GAME, ALL SUBSTANCES THAT TRANSFER TO THE BALL MUST BE WIPED OFF.

- Added new term, Warning, regarding misconduct.
13.1 Inappropriate conduct by participants may result in either informal or formal warnings at the discretion of an umpire. Umpires are not required to warn participants for inappropriate behavior before assessing a penalty except as noted specifically in the rules.
13.1.1 An informal warning may be given for circumstances where preventative umpiring is used to prevent a situation from escalating to a degree when the umpire will be compelled to act. They are advisory in nature and carry no consequences if the undesirable behavior ceases.
A.R. 13.1.1 The pitching coach asks the plate umpire about the location of at least one pitch for two successive batters. RULING: The plate umpire may advise the coach that discussions regarding the strike zone are inappropriate and will not be tolerated.
13.1.2 A formal warning is issued for circumstances when the umpire needs to intervene and prevent inappropriate behavior from occurring or reoccurring. When given, they are to be clearly articulated as warnings and noted on the plate umpire's line-up card.
A.R.13.1.2 On the way to the coaches' box between innings, the base coach comments to the plate umpire that his batters are being forced to swing at pitches well out of the strike zone which is hampering their offense. RULING: The plate umpire issues a warning for arguing balls and strikes and notes it on the team’s lineup card.
RATIONALE- ADDS A WARNING IN THE TEXT AS THE LEAST PUNITIVE EFFECT FOR INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR.

[hit4power]

Restricts offensive team personnel on home run celebrations to foul territory.
RATIONALE- IT HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT FOR THE UMPIRE TO ENSURE A RUNNER(S) HAS TOUCHED HOME PLATE AND THAT OFFENSIVE TEAM PERSONNEL HAVE NOT CONTACTED THE RUNNER(S) BEFORE SCORING AS TEAMMATES SURROUND HOME PLATE TO CELEBRATE A HOME RUN. THIS ADDITION IS INTENDED TO ELIMINATE THOSE TWO POSSIBLE VIOLATIONS AND GIVE THE UMPIRE FULL VIEW FROM FAIR TERRITORY WITHOUT ELIMINATING THE EXCITEMENT OF THE MOMENT.

Maybe I'm just grumpy today, but come on, it's a HR, let'em celebrate w/o worrying about where they stand. Why not just change the rule to make an over the fence HR an automatic four base award so it doesn't matter if the hitter/batter-runner touches home or not; it's been awarded. Don't some levels of slow pitch have a rule like this?

[fastpitchdad05]

Restricts offensive team personnel on home run celebrations to foul territory.
RATIONALE- IT HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT FOR THE UMPIRE TO ENSURE A RUNNER(S) HAS TOUCHED HOME PLATE AND THAT OFFENSIVE TEAM PERSONNEL HAVE NOT CONTACTED THE RUNNER(S) BEFORE SCORING AS TEAMMATES SURROUND HOME PLATE TO CELEBRATE A HOME RUN. THIS ADDITION IS INTENDED TO ELIMINATE THOSE TWO POSSIBLE VIOLATIONS AND GIVE THE UMPIRE FULL VIEW FROM FAIR TERRITORY WITHOUT ELIMINATING THE EXCITEMENT OF THE MOMENT.

Maybe I'm just grumpy today, but come on, it's a HR, let'em celebrate w/o worrying about where they stand. Why not just change the rule to make an over the fence HR an automatic four base award so it doesn't matter if the hitter/batter-runner touches home or not; it's been awarded. Don't some levels of slow pitch have a rule like this?

Couldn't agree more. Beware the Captain No-Fun zone!

Can't wait for that first HR that's wiped off the board because some overzealous freshman makes the unforgivable mistake of accidentally putting her toes in fair territory.

[shagpal]

the first time is a warning.

Couldn't agree more. Beware the Captain No-Fun zone!

Can't wait for that first HR that's wiped off the board because some overzealous freshman makes the unforgivable mistake of accidentally putting her toes in fair territory.

[jonriv]

DD is telling me that they are putting up taller fences at her collegefield(hope it does not ruin my spot in Right Field) She said that there was a new NCAA requirement. I was not able to find- anyone know what it is?

[hit4power]

I dont know if anything changed for 2014, but my 2013 rulebook (Rule 2, Dimension Table) lists the requirements (actually says "highly recommended") as a 4ft fence if the outfield distances are 210ft or more down the lines and 230ft to CF and a 6ft fence if the distance is between 190ft and 210ft down the lines and 220ft to CF. Perhaps your fence wasn't tall enough for the distances?

[jonriv]

That sounds right- matches the dimensions. Thanks

[PDad]

I dont know if anything changed for 2014, but my 2013 rulebook (Rule 2, Dimension Table) lists the requirements (actually says "highly recommended") as a 4ft fence if the outfield distances are 210ft or more down the lines and 230ft to CF and a 6ft fence if the distance is between 190ft and 210ft down the lines and 220ft to CF. Perhaps your fence wasn't tall enough for the distances?

They changed it to a requirement in the future.

For all new construction after 2016, it is required that the fence be 6 feet or
higher and be a minimum of 190 feet in left and right fields and 220 in center
field. By 2017, an institutional field with a 4-foot fence must be a minimum
of 210 feet in left and right fields and 230 in center field, and it is highly
recommended that a municipal field with a 4-foot fence used by the institution
be at those same distances.

The link to the rule changes is not working, but the new rule book is available - http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/SR15.pdf.

[fasterpitch92701]

[quote][/quote]- Restricts offensive team personnel on home run celebrations to foul territory.
RATIONALE- IT HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT FOR THE UMPIRE TO ENSURE A RUNNER(S) HAS TOUCHED HOME PLATE AND THAT OFFENSIVE TEAM PERSONNEL HAVE NOT CONTACTED THE RUNNER(S) BEFORE SCORING AS TEAMMATES SURROUND HOME PLATE TO CELEBRATE A HOME RUN. THIS ADDITION IS INTENDED TO ELIMINATE THOSE TWO POSSIBLE VIOLATIONS AND GIVE THE UMPIRE FULL VIEW FROM FAIR TERRITORY WITHOUT ELIMINATING THE EXCITEMENT OF THE MOMENT.

Simply cannon fodder. Obviously the NCAA has nothing else to do. Let's not deal with altered bats, malicious hits to/from a runner or illegal pitches or anything substantive, rather, let's regulate a non-event. Shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic. Nothing of substance will alter the result. There is no runner "assist" involved, the ball is over the fence and out of play... so how is this rule "helping" anyone? It isn't. I tried calling the NCAA on their hot line, 1-800-STUPID, but the line was busy.

I can't wait until a national championship is decided in bottom of the 7th inning with a home run that is negated because of cheering around the plate. The NCAA will look like clowns, the blues will look like idiots, the sport will be viewed as an absurdity, and to what end? Really. I guess the brilliant minds of the rules committee had a really, really, really slow day.