Guides · NFHS rules

NFHS 2027: Pitchers can receive the call

Starting with the 2027 high school season, NFHS baseball and softball both allow one-way electronic communication from the dugout to the pitcher as well as the catcher.

Last reviewed August 18, 2026 · High school (NFHS) only

Pitchers can now receive the call electronically. That is the big change.

The details are slightly different between baseball and softball, but the practical result is straightforward: schools playing under the 2027 NFHS rules may equip the pitcher, the catcher, or both with an electronic receiver while their team is on defense. Other fielders are still not authorized to receive electronic communication.

Coach's summary

At a glance	2027 NFHS rule
Who may receive the call	The pitcher, the catcher, or both
Rest of the defense	Not added — infielders and outfielders may not receive
Hitters and runners	Not permitted — the allowance is defense-only
Direction	One-way only, from the dugout to the field
Baseball rule	Rule 1-6-2 — pitcher and/or catcher
Softball rule	Rule 1-9-6 Exception — pitcher and catcher
Is it required?	No — permissive; traditional signs stay legal
Applies to	High school (NFHS) only, starting the 2027 season

This guide summarizes published NFHS rules changes, comments, interpretations, and points of emphasis. It is not the rulebook or an official interpretation. State associations may adopt additional policies, so confirm the current rulebook and any state bulletin before you play.

What changed for 2027

Through the 2026 season, NFHS electronic communication rules allowed the coach to communicate electronically with the catcher only while the team was on defense.

For 2027, both baseball and softball add the pitcher as a permitted receiver.

Baseball

NFHS Baseball Rule 1-6-2 now permits one-way electronic communication from the dugout or bench area to the pitcher and/or catcher while the team is on defense for the purpose of calling pitches.

NFHS’s 2027 comments make the choice explicit: either the pitcher, the catcher, or both may have access to the one-way communication.

Softball

NFHS Softball Rule 1-9-6 Exception allows a coach to use one-way electronic communication from the dugout to the pitcher and catcher while the team is on defense.

NFHS described the purpose more broadly in softball, referring to communication of defensive strategy and game-management information.

Do both players have to wear a receiver?

No.

The rule identifies who may receive electronic communication. It does not require a school to equip both players. A program may use a receiver on the pitcher, the catcher, or both.

What did not change

The 2027 rule expands the number of permitted receivers. It does not open electronic communication to the entire field.

Only the pitcher and catcher may receive electronically. Infielders and outfielders are not added.
Communication remains one-way. Players may receive the call but may not electronically communicate back.
The rule applies while the team is on defense. It does not authorize electronic communication to hitters or baserunners.
The coach must remain in the dugout or bench area while operating the communication device.
Electronic communication is optional. Schools are not required to use it.
This is an NFHS rule. NCAA, NAIA, travel-ball, and other organizations have their own rules.

Baseball and softball are not exactly the same

The headline change is the same in both sports: the pitcher joins the catcher as a permitted receiver.

The details underneath it are not identical.

What can the coach send?

Baseball

The published 2027 baseball rule says electronic communication is permitted for the purpose of calling pitches.

Earlier NFHS baseball guidance has discussed setting the defense, but coaches should not assume that language expands the 2027 rule beyond what the current baseball rulebook permits.

Softball

Softball is broader.

NFHS’s 2027 rationale specifically mentions defensive strategy and game management information. Earlier softball interpretations also permitted calls such as a pitch, bunt coverage, and a throw to third under the catcher-only rule.

For a coach who works in both sports, that difference matters. Do not assume the baseball and softball rules allow exactly the same messages.

Does the device itself have to be one-way?

This is another area where baseball and softball have been interpreted differently.

Softball

Recent NFHS softball interpretations have focused on how the device is used, not simply what the hardware is technically capable of doing.

NFHS has previously ruled that equipment capable of two-way communication may still be legal when it is used only to receive permitted one-way communication.

Baseball

NFHS baseball has taken a stricter approach.

A 2024 interpretation ruled that a device with two-way capability was illegal even when the coach said that capability had been muted. As of this guide’s review, NFHS had not yet published a 2027 interpretation changing that position.

That is one reason a device being legal in NFHS softball does not automatically mean it is legal in NFHS baseball.

What happens after the pitcher or catcher gets the call?

The electronic-device rule controls who may receive the electronic message. It does not necessarily prohibit players from communicating normally with teammates afterward.

In softball, NFHS has previously allowed the catcher to receive the electronic call and then communicate with the rest of the defense through ordinary verbal calls or signals. The 2027 change adds the pitcher as another permitted electronic receiver but does not add electronic receivers for the rest of the defense.

Baseball has previously interpreted some uses differently, including using the catcher’s device as a way to gather the infield and relay instructions. Coaches should use the current baseball rulebook and interpretations rather than carrying the softball interpretation across sports.

The coach still operates from the dugout

The 2027 change does not move the transmitter onto the field.

The coach must operate the electronic communication device from the dugout or bench area. Earlier baseball interpretations have also restricted electronic communication from locations such as the bullpen and coaching boxes.

Cameras, microphones, and recording are a different issue

The permission to use a one-way communication device does not create a general exception for wearable electronics.

NFHS baseball Rule 1-6-3 continues to prohibit players from wearing audio or video recording devices during the game, apart from the permitted one-way coach-to-pitcher/catcher communication. It also expressly allows state associations to impose additional restrictions.

NFHS softball likewise continues to prohibit other devices used to transmit or record information from the playing surface.

What if the system stops working?

A failed electronic system does not require the other team to stop using theirs.

NFHS interpretations in both baseball and softball have previously said that one team may continue using its legal system even if the opponent’s system fails. Softball guidance has also allowed a nominal amount of time to deal with something like a dead battery, but not an extended delay.

That makes a backup plan worth practicing before the season starts.

Printed wristband cards are a different rule

Traditional non-electronic wristband play cards are not governed by the electronic-communication rule.

NFHS baseball Rule 1-6-1 separately regulates wristbands containing defensive shifts, offensive plays, pitching choices, or other game directions. Among other requirements, the wristband must be worn on the wrist or forearm, and a pitcher must wear it on the non-pitching arm.

The 2027 electronic-communication change does not eliminate or replace that rule.

What this means for a high school program in 2027

For programs already using electronic communication with the catcher, this is not a new communication category.

It is an expansion from one permitted receiver to two.

Beginning with the 2027 NFHS rules:

Coach → Pitcher
Coach → Catcher
Coach → Pitcher + Catcher

are all permitted configurations, subject to the rules of the sport and any additional state-association policies.

The rest of the defense still cannot wear electronic receivers under the published NFHS change.

PerfectCall Varsity is built around that high-school use case: one-way communication from the dugout to player-worn receivers with no return path from the field. Always confirm the rules in force for your state and contest before using any electronic system.

Pitch calling systems for high school programs See high school packages Request a quote

Common questions

Can high school pitchers receive electronic pitch calls in 2027?

Yes. Under the published 2027 NFHS rules, both baseball and softball add the pitcher as a permitted receiver of one-way electronic communication from the dugout while the team is on defense. State associations may publish additional policies.

Can both the pitcher and catcher wear receivers?

Yes. The published baseball language expressly permits the pitcher and/or catcher. NFHS’s comments clarify that either player or both may receive. Softball likewise adds the pitcher alongside the catcher.

Can the rest of the defense wear receivers?

No. The published 2027 changes add the pitcher to the catcher. They do not authorize electronic receivers for other defensive players.

Can a hitter or runner receive an electronic call?

No under the published NFHS changes. The electronic communication permission applies while the team is on defense.

Is electronic communication required?

No. NFHS has described this type of rule as permissive. Programs may continue using traditional signs, play cards, or other legal methods if they prefer.

Are printed wristband play cards considered electronic communication?

No. NFHS baseball treats non-electronic wristband play cards under a separate rule.

State associations still have a say

NFHS publishes national playing rules, but member state associations may adopt additional policies concerning electronic devices.

Baseball Rule 1-6-3 specifically gives state associations latitude to further address electronic-device use. If your state publishes a more restrictive rule or bulletin, follow the rule in force for your contest.

Before the season, confirm:

Your state has adopted the 2027 NFHS rule.
There are no additional state restrictions on the type of device.
Your equipment is being used within the baseball or softball rule that applies to your team.

How NFHS electronic communication got here

Electronic pitch calling did not arrive in high school baseball and softball all at once. NFHS has expanded it in steps.

Baseball: catcher first, pitcher next

Beginning with the 2024 season, NFHS baseball first permitted one-way electronic communication from a coach in the dugout to the catcher.

At the time, the rule was narrow. The catcher was the only defensive player permitted to receive the electronic call, and the coach had to remain in the dugout or bench area. NFHS also made clear that the communication had to remain one-way.

For 2027, NFHS expanded that same rule to include the pitcher. The pitcher and/or catcher may now receive the pitch call electronically.

So baseball’s progression has been:

2023: traditional signs and non-electronic wristbands
2024–2026: coach → catcher
2027: coach → pitcher and/or catcher

Softball followed one year later

NFHS softball first permitted one-way electronic communication to the catcher beginning with the 2025 season.

The rule was permissive — teams could use the technology, but traditional signs and play cards remained perfectly legal. NFHS limited electronic reception to the catcher while the team was on defense.

For 2027, softball adds the pitcher as the second permitted receiver.

Its progression has therefore been:

Through 2024: traditional communication
2025–2026: coach → catcher
2027: coach → pitcher and catcher

The rules have become more permissive — but not unlimited

The trend is clear: NFHS has gradually allowed more direct electronic communication.

But 2027 is still an expansion of a limited one-way rule, not permission to electronically connect the entire defense.

The pitcher and catcher are the permitted receivers. The coach still operates from the dugout. Players still may not electronically communicate back. And the published change does not authorize electronic communication to hitters, runners, infielders, or outfielders.

Primary sources

Every rule citation on this page is from one of the following NFHS publications. If a later rulebook, interpretation, or state bulletin disagrees, that later document controls.

NFHS Baseball Rules Changes — 2027 (1-6-2, 1-6-3; posted July 13, 2026)
NFHS Baseball Comments on the Rules — 2027 (posted August 18, 2026; 1-6-2 “either one or both”)
NFHS, “Larger First Base Option Allowed in High School Baseball” (July 8, 2026 press release; includes the pitcher/catcher communication change)
NFHS, “Electronic Communication Devices from Dugout to Catchers to be Permitted in High School Baseball” (July 14, 2023)
NFHS Baseball Rules Changes — 2024 (1-6-1, 1-6-2, 3-2-5)
2024 NFHS Baseball Rules Interpretations (PDF; Situations 3 and 6–14)
NFHS Baseball Points of Emphasis — 2025 (“Improper Use of Communication Equipment”)
NFHS Softball Rules Changes — 2027 (1-9-6 Exception; posted July 9, 2026)
NFHS, “One-way Electronic Communications Allowed for Pitchers Under 2027 High School Softball Rules Changes” (July 9, 2026)
NFHS, “One-Way Electronic Communication Approved for High School Softball” (July 8, 2024)
NFHS Softball Rules Changes — 2025 (1-8-6 Exception, 3-6-11)
NFHS Softball Comments on the Rules — 2025
NFHS Softball Rules Interpretations — 2025 (Situations 1–5)
NFHS Softball Rules Interpretations — 2026 (1-9-6, 3-5-11; Situations 1–3)

NFHS stated that the print 2027 Baseball Rules Book would be available in October 2026 and the baseball digital edition in September 2026 via NFHS Digital. For softball, NFHS stated that both the print and digital 2027 rulebooks would be available in October 2026. Where the bound rulebook differs from a website excerpt, the rulebook in force for your contest controls.