Electronic devices coming to high school baseball? New rules allow catcher, coach communication

NFHS says rule changes are part of effort to speed up, modernize game

Electronic devices used for coaches and players to communicate during games will be allowed next high school baseball season. 

The National Federation for High School State Associations (NFHS) announced Thursday rule changes that will allow coaches and catchers to communicate on a device to call pitches beginning in 2024.

The rule changes were enacted as an effort to speed up games, usher in technology in line with professional baseball and "maintain the balance between offense and defense."

A statement by NFHS Director of Sports and Educational Services Elliot Hopkins said the rules will allow technology to be responsibly managed "so there is no advantaged (sic) gained by schools that have more available resources ... ."

“This change is consistent with the growth of the game and is indicative of a measured and responsible approach to enable technology into our level of competition. 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 advantaged gained by schools that have more available resources than some of their contemporaries. Creating a level playing field is paramount to education-based athletics.”

Elliot Hopkins, NFHS Director of Sports and Educational Services, baseball rules committee liaison 

No, coaches and players won't be talking through two-way radio or a wire. But the door opens for the use of one-way electronic devices seen implemented in the college and professional ranks. 

In college, one-way communication devices for coaches to communicate pitches with catchers were approved by the NCAA in 2021. 

MLB introduced PitchCom, a wrist device teams use to transmit calls from a catcher to other players as a way to replace hand signals, in 2022 and their use has become commonplace.

The new rule at the high school level stipulates that a coach must only communicate with a catcher and remain in the dugout when communicating. 

The NFHS Board of Directors voted in the rule that allows such devices at the high school level at its annual meeting in early June. 

Read the full NFHS release here.