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Rules

Lighting:

"Common Sense" is the underlying theme. It is the schools responsibility to set up a plan for the saftey of the student athletes.

If there is an instance of thunder/lightning,the umpires shall stop play and wait 30 minutes from the last instance of thunder/lightning. The Site Director will implement a plan of safety. After 30 minutes the umpires will decide on the possible continuation of play.

 

Baseball Collision Rule:
When there is a collision between a runner and a fielder who clearly is in possession of the ball,the umpire shall judge:

1) Whether the collision by the runner was avoidable (could the runner have reached the base without colliding) or unavoidable (the runner's path to the base was blocked),or

2) Whether the runner actually was attempting to reach the base (plate) or attempting to dislodge the ball from the fielder.

Penalty
If,in the umpires judgement,the runner a) could have avoided the collision and reached the base,or b) was attempting to dislodge the ball,the runner shall be declared out even if the fielder loses possession of the ball. The ball shall be declared dead and all other runners shall return to the last base touched at the time of the interference.

NOTE:

In reviewing the scenario at length with the MIAA, we all came to the same conclusion that we would continue with the Collision Rule and the Slide Rule as we have always used in the past, and the MIAA would do further research as to the collision rule. A word of caution that should be noted: it was brought up that the college officials have the "above the waist contact" is now ruled as an attempt to dislodge the ball and runner is out. That is not part of how we (High School baseball) interpreted the collision rule and should not be part of how we judge it.

Steve Martinelli
President
MBUA

Force Play Slide Rule: "Click Here"

Baseball Bat Rule:

In preparation for the upcoming season, the MIAA Baseball Committee wishes to share the following informa tion to help answer questions that have been raised relative to baseball bat compliance with NFHS Rules.

What is the MIAA Rule regarding baseball bats for the 2011 season?
MIAA Handbook Rule 65.4 – “Metal bats may be used, but they must meet the safety specifications adopted by the National Federation of State High School Associations (reference NFHS Rules 1-3-2 through 1-3-5). Click icon for more information.”

What are the NFHS Rules regarding baseball bats for the 2011 season?
**Through December 31, 2011, each aluminum bat shall meet the Ball Exit-Speed Ratio (BESR) performance standard, and such bats shall be labeled with a silkscreen or other permanent certification mark. No BESR label, sticker or decal will be accepted on any non‐wood bat (NFHS Rule 1‐3‐2‐d).

**Beginning January 1, 2012, all bats not made of a single piece of wood shall meet the Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) performance standard, and such bats shall be labeled with a silkscreen or other permanent certification mark. The certification mark shall be rectangular, a minimum of a half‐inch on each side and located on the barrel of the bat in any contrasting color. Aluminum and composite bats shall be labeled as approved tamper evident, and be marked as to being aluminum or composite. Th is marking shall be silkscreen or other permanent certification mark, a minimum of one‐half‐inch on each side and located on the barrel of the bat in any contrasting color (NFHS Rule 1‐3‐2‐e).

**An aluminum or composite bat meeting the BBCOR standards is legal immediately.

**The NFHS has banned hollow composite bats unless they meet the Ball Exit‐Speed Ratio (BESR) and the Accelerated Break In (ABI) test protocol. The performance of some composite bats can change with use. The ABI protocol is intended to co nfirm that the performance of such bats does not improve and exceed the BESR ball exit speed limit with use. A list of approved BESR‐ABI bats for the 2011 baseball season can be found at the following link: http://www.nfhs.org/content.aspx?id=4155
How can I determine which bats are legal according to NFHS Rules?
A comprehensive list of approved and non-approved BESR non-wood bats from the NCAA Bat Certification facility at the Washington State University Sport Science Laboratory (WSUSSL) is available at: http://www.mme.wsu.edu/~ssl/certified/certification.html.

The WSUSSL has assumed the role of certifying bats for the NCAA previously conducted by the University of Massachusetts at Lowell's Baseball Research Center (UMLBRC). Both facilities were regularly testing baseball bats and sharing information between each lab. The WSUSSL does not test bats specifically for the NFHS. However, their results provide an opportunity for interested parties to check if a particular bat is compliant with NFHS high school playing rules.

The WSUSSL website provides a user-friendly model and bat search engine. The approved and non-approv ed lists can be searched specifically by bat categories including - manufacturer, model, length, and barrel class and are found at the following links:

NFHS BESR Certified Bats - http://www.mme.wsu.edu/~ssl/certified/besr/certified.html
NFHS BESR Unapproved Bats - http://www.mme.wsu.edu/~ssl/certified/banned/certified.html

In summary, what bats are legal for the 2011 season?The “NFHS BESR Certified Bats” list is divided into four barrel classifications (A, B, C, and D) that are legal for the 2011 season.
Classification A – Any aluminum or aluminum barrel BESR bat
Classification B – Any solid (one piece) wood or wood laminate bat
Classification C – NFHS-approved hollow composite BESR-ABI bats (also found at: http://www.nfhs.org/content.aspx?id=4155)
Classification D – Any non-hollow (filled core) composite BESR bat

In addition to the ba ts on this list, any aluminum or composite BBCOR bat is legal for the 2011 season.

What is the penalty for a player who uses, or attempts to use, an illegal bat?
A batter is out if he enters the batter’s box with an illegal bat or is discovered having used an illegal bat. If the infraction is discovered before the next pitch following the turn at bat of the player who used an illegal bat, the defense may take the penalty or the result of the play (NFHS Rule 4-1-a). This language will be added to the 2011 MIAA Baseball Format.

What happens when the legality of a bat is challenged during a game?
Schools and coaches are responsible for making sure that their baseball bats are compliant with NFHS Rules for the 2011 season. It is highly recommended that each coach have proof from the WSUSSL website, indicating that each of their team bats are legal, with them at each game. The date and time that the WSUSSL website list is updated can be found at the bottom of the webpage.