Right, sat down yesterday thinking I’d just glance at the new OHSAA baseball rules before practice. Figured, eh, how much could change? Boy, was I wrong. Almost walked right into a minefield.
The “Quick Look” That Turned into a Deep Dive
Started flipping through the digital rulebook during lunch. Thought I’d be done in ten minutes. Ha! First thing that jumped out was the completely revised slide rules at home plate. Had this image in my head from last season’s acceptable slides, but the 2025 rules clearly drew new lines.
Remembered that close call we had against Ridgeview last year where both players ended up on the ground. Coach Johnson lost his mind arguing it was clean. Guess what? Under 2025 rules, my pitcher would’ve been ejected for obstruction. Just picturing the argument – my face would’ve been tomato red.
Pitch Count Chaos Prevention Mode
Then I hit the pitching rules section. Okay, pitch counts aren’t new, but the reporting deadlines got way tighter. Used to be you had some wiggle room, like 24 hours after the game ended. Now? Nope. Specifically says:
- Submit exact pitches thrown before 11:59 PM the same day as the game. No excuses.
- Must include not just the starter, but every single kid who touched the mound, even for one pitch.
- Failure means the pitcher can’t throw next game. Automatic.
Thought about our road trip last week coming back super late. Imagined rushing to submit pitch counts on my phone at a gas station, probably messing up the count for Lopez. Felt that panic rising just thinking about it. Paperwork hell, man.
The Helmet Sticker Surprise
Almost missed this one entirely. Buried near the equipment section was a tiny note about helmet stickers. Last year, we slapped our team logo on helmets without a second thought. Looked sharp. New rule? Any sticker larger than 2 square inches needs pre-approval from the state office. Official safety inspection stuff. Picture umpire tossing kids out of the game because our cool helmet decal was 2.1 inches? Disaster movie stuff.
Going Beyond Just Reading
Didn’t stop there. Knew I needed the whole staff on the same page. Printed out key pages – the slide rules, pitch count deadlines, the sticker rule. Made big, ugly circles around them. Called a quick staff meeting before the guys hit the field. Said:
- “Okay listen up, this isn’t optional reading.”
- “We will enforce the new slide rules at home, every single time, no arguing.”
- “Skip the cool helmet stickers. Period. Not worth the fight.”
Made our scorekeeper, old Mr. Daniels, practically swear a blood oath about those pitch counts. Bought him a new notebook dedicated only to tracking pitches by inning, kid by kid. Made him show me the plan. Yeah, I became that guy.
Why Bother? Avoiding That Punch in the Gut
All this fuss isn’t about loving paperwork. It’s pure survival. Watched Pineview get slapped with an ejection and then a suspension last season over a helmet issue everyone thought was fine. Saw their coach lose it on the field. Heard the penalties cost them a playoff spot? Screw that. We have a legit shot this year. Ain’t letting some paperwork nonsense or a sticker blow it for us.
Taking the time now – reading the dang rules, boring as it is, then drilling it into the staff – feels like putting on armor. It’s boring, yeah. But way better than dealing with the chaos later. Sleep a little better knowing we won’t get blindsided by some stupid rule we forgot to check. On to practice!