The Arizona Interscholastic Association, or AIA, is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations, which establishes the rules for baseball and 16 other high school sports. Although some state organizations experiment with rules changes --- Oregon and Florida successfully experimented with moving the mound back from 40 feet to 43 feet to match the NCAA standard, and the NFHS adopted the change for the 2010-11 season --- the AIA has not deviated from the previous national standards.
AIA
The Arizona Interscholastic Association is an organization of public and private schools in Arizona. Created in 1925, the AIA believes interscholastic activities are an important part of the total education program. It is committed to the inclusion of the same opportunities for boys and girls at all Arizona schools as well as a proper balance between academic and extracurricular activities. In addition to furthering opportunities for Arizona high school students in sports, the AIA is the governing body for high school chess, junior ROTC, speech and debate, theater and spirit line for cheerleaders.
Baseball Rules
The NFHS determines and publishes the rules for baseball and the other high school sports it supervises. It also publishes supporting material in the form of yearly rules changes, interpretations of the rules and the differences between baseball and softball rules. For 2011, the main rules changes involved a ban on composite bats that were not meeting the BBCOR performance standard. Essentially, technological advances were making the bats too "hot," and thereby endangering pitchers and fielders. The NCAA had made the same rules change earlier. However, the NFHS subsequently agreed to allow possible waivers to allow some of the bats to remain in play, a possibly confusing situation for high school players in Arizona and everywhere else. A more definitive rule change for 2011 bans assistant coaches from leaving the dugout or coaches box to argue with the umpire.
Rules Interpretations
The AIA is also governed by the Baseball Rules Interpretations that are released on a yearly basis by the NFHS. Several dozen hypothetical situations are addressed to clarify rules that may need further definition. The 2011 rules interpretations, for example, discuss a situation in which player Jones is sent up as a pinch hitter, although he was not listed on the lineup card as a potential substitute. The opposing coach objects. Ruling --- the plate umpire accepts the pinch hitter and there is no penalty.
Baseball vs. Softball
The NFHS also publishes material such as the differences between baseball and softball for state associations such as the AIA and officials such as umpires. Some of the rules are well-known. The mound in baseball measures 60 feet 6 inches from the plate, and the mound in softball now measures 43 feet from the plate after the rules change for the 2010-11 season. But some of the rules are obscure and puzzling. For example, baseball coaches must be in uniform but not softball coaches. And baseball umpires' undershirts must be blue in baseball and white in softball. High school players and umpires may not understand the rationale for some of the baseball rules, but the AIA follows them to the letter.
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