AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - The NFHS Softball Rules Committee announced that high school coaches can now speak to their catchers via one-way electronic communication devices.
The rule will help teams to call pitches, read situational plays and more.
It was implemented in baseball last year. Now, local softball coaches look forward to its use this year.
“I think it’s good,” Canyon Head Softball Coach Styler Haddock said. “Maybe we call pitches with it, which we are allowed to do, or, just being able to talk them through the situation. [When] they understand, they can relay it, instead of us yelling from the dugout, and everybody trying to pay attention and getting off balance. The catcher’s the one out in the field. She’s the one that sees everything going on in front of her: how the hitter’s lined up in the box, all those things. I think if you don’t have a good line of communication with your catcher, you’re setting yourself up for failure.”
It’s a permissive rule, meaning, teams who prefer traditional communication signals can still do that. It’s optional.
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For teams that do use it, earpieces, electronic bands and smart watches will now be permitted as an exception, as long as the player doesn’t return correspondence to the dugout.
Coaches can only use a device to communicate with catchers, and only on defense, never to an offensive player or to any other defensive player.
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