High school baseball: Electronic devices allowed between coaches and catchers in 2024
The evolution of baseball isn't limited to major leaguers and the college game.
Change is coming to the high school level too.
On Thursday, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) approved the rule change to allow the use of one-way communication devices between a coach in the dugout and a team's catcher for the purposes of calling pitches during high school baseball games starting in 2024.
"In the last few years or so, pretty much every MLB team has adapted to prevent sign stealing and then at the Power Five level, watching the College World Series, every catcher's got an earpiece in," Mamaroneck all-section catcher J.J. Grimes said. "I've seen a couple Division III baseball games over the last year, and their catchers all have earpieces. I wasn't 100% confident it would make its way down to high school ball, but I saw the trickle-down effect.
"I think that could really help us. It would speed up the game a little bit, because I spend a little while before each pitch waiting for my coach to give me the sign. If I'm not looking, then I gotta tell them to do it again, and it becomes a whole sequence, so this can really help speed up our games."
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The new rule prohibits coaches from communicating with any other player besides the catcher on defense and with any player while batting. When using the communication device, the coach must be in the dugout.
“The committee has made these changes to maintain the balance between offense and defense; increase the pace of play; and will responsibly manage technology so there is no advantage gained by schools that have more available resources than some of their contemporaries," said Elliot Hopkins, NFHS Director of Sports and Educational Services and liaison to the Baseball Rules Committee. "Creating a level playing field is paramount to education-based athletics.”
The revision was one of several approved rule changes by the NFHS Board of Directors following its annual June meeting by its rules committee.
"With battery charge, cost, and I don't know if it's going to be Bluetooth or how it's going to work, but I'm always for progressive technology and stuff like that," John Jay-East Fishkill coach Eric Frink said.
"We used, this year, for the first time 'Never Miss A Sign' wristband system and it was really good. This is something we'll definitely look into. I like it and am for it. There's going to be traditionalists who like signs and the signals on the face, or the wristband system, but I would be interested in exploring using it."
The recent revision by the NFHS follows a trend of technology being implemented into baseball in other levels of the sport.
The NCAA approved the use of one-way communication devices for college coaches to direct catchers in 2021.
In 2022, MLB teams first started using PitchCom, a device that allows catchers to transmit calls to other players as a way to replace visual hand signs.
"It's a huge decision, because you see all the top teams in college using it, and it's made a huge impact on the whole communication aspect for pitchers and catchers," said Fox Lane standout pitcher Tyler Renz, a St. John's commit that earned Conference 1 player of the year honors this past spring.
"It's gonna be beneficial for high school for the teams that can afford it, but then there's some teams that probably won't utilize it and may be at a disadvantage. It'll be better for pitch calling as a whole and being able to get the coaches more involved in the game itself is good."
Other high school baseball rule changes
Game management by umpires: An edit to Rule 10-2-3h removes spectators' behavior from the umpire-in-chief's jurisdiction when deciding to forfeit a contest. Only infractions by players, coaches or team and bench personnel are under the umpire's jurisdiction. The rules committee agreed that poor behavior by spectators should be handled by game administration.
“This change is a complementary rule to support schools’ game management role in addressing unacceptable behavior and will allow the umpire to focus on the action and players on the field,” Hopkins stated.
Wristband colors: Rule 1-6-1 was added, requiring that a wristband with defensive shifts, pitches, or game directions must be non-electronic equipment and needs to be a single, solid color and worn on the forearm. Pitchers' wristband cards cannot be white, gray or a "distracting color" and worn on the non-throwing arm.
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This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NY baseball: Electronic devices allowed for coaches, catchers in 2024
