The National Federation of State High School Associations softball rules committee has published the 2023 rule changes and points of emphasis, which are outlined on the Rule Changes page.
There are no significant rule changes this year. Rather the focus is on clarifying existing rules.
Many umpires will be pleased to see the addition of a rule (3-2-12, 3-6-11) that allows jewelry to be worn, ending a decades-long debate about what is considered jewelry and how strictly to enforce the rule. While umpires still maintain the ability to ask players to remove jewelry they consider a distraction or hazardous to player safety, this change should dramatically decrease the arguments with coaches or players about players wearing earrings.
Points of Emphasis
The NFHS also identified four points of emphasis for the 2022-2023 season. More information about these will be available as we approach the start of the high school season.
- Time Between Innings
- Jewelry and Electronic Communication
- Sportsmanship
- Comparable Drying Agents
