A significant rule change is coming to high school softball. It is a rule that has needed amending for some time now.
Coaches will now be permitted to communicate with their catchers (while on defense) via an electronic device. All communication must be one-way according to a change this week by the National Federation of State High School Association (NFHS)
The new rule allows that devices “such as earpieces, electronic bands and ‘smart’ watches are now permitted as an EXCEPTION within the rule provided the player does not utilize said device to return correspondence to the coaching staff.”
“This change is the result of analysis of current data, state association experimentation and a positive response from the membership,” NFHS director of sports and liaison to the Softball Rules Committee, Sandy Searcy, said in a press release.
“The committee has made these changes to support the use of emerging technology within the sport of softball. Being a permissive rule, the use of this one-way electronic communication will allow those who choose to embrace the technology an additional option to communicate with the catcher while on defense. It will also maintain the ability for those who prefer a more traditional approach to communicate using signals or a playbook/playcard to continue that approach.”
The catcher and only the catcher is to be communicated with according to the rule.
Eric Sondheimer of the Los Angeles Times made an interesting point in his story about the change, noting that “A similar rule allowed use of the communication devices this past season in high school baseball.”
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