newjerseynewsroom.com

Increasing distance to plate to 43 feet

High school softball players may have a little longer to look at a pitch beginning in the 2010-2011 season.

In an effort to bring its members in line with colleges and Olympic rules, The National Federal of State High School Associations approved a change that adds three feet to the distance from the pitching rubber to the plate. If approved at its August 5th meeting, the distance will increase from 40 to 43 feet.

Officials believe that pitchers will also benefit from the change, giving them a second extra to move out of the way of a line drive.

"They should have done this five years ago," Immaculate Heart coach Anthony LaRezza told northjersey.com, "It's like this in college and in the summer, high school was the last holdout."

NFHS officials said another reason for the change is to produce livelier games, according to northjersy.com. More balls in play mean fewer pitching duels.

"It's certainly going to open the game up as far as there being less strikeouts and more hits," Pequannock coach Maryann Goodwin told northjersey.com.

— ELIZABETH BIRGE, NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM