The Joe Hartmann Diamond Classic started at four sites yesterday. That meant speed-up rules were in session.

Batters couldn't step in and out of the box. Pitchers couldn't dawdle around the mound. Teams had to hustle on and off the field after an inning's third out.

If the above rules weren't followed, the players risked a penalty - usually, a ball or a strike was called. The rules make for much crisper games.

At a luncheon in which the 16 Diamond teams were introduced Friday, Kingsway athletic director Joe Galliera, who was the guest speaker, brought up another positive of the speed-up rules.

"You pitchers like to walk around the mound a lot . . . and scratch different parts of your body," he said, drawing chuckles, "but you won't be able to do that. At first, you're going to feel rushed, but you'll get used to it and have fun."

Galliera coached Camden Catholic to the first Diamond championship in 1974. Back then, the Diamond had just an eight-team field.

Jim Vendetti pitched complete games in all three of Camden Catholic's Diamond wins - 10-1 over Cinnaminson, 3-1 over Audubon, and 6-0 over Penns Grove.

"As the tournament goes on, it becomes more special," Galliera told the players. "It's something you'll remember for the rest of your life."

Especially if there's no scratching.

Trivia: Who had the first no-hitter in Diamond Classic history? (Hint: He later pitched in the majors.) The answer is at the end of the column.

Duke's Brian Zoubek, a former Haddonfield basketball standout, had surgery last month to relieve discomfort in his left foot. It was the second operation on the foot in nine months.

An all-ACC academic selection, Zoubek averaged 3.8 points and 3.4 rebounds last season, one that was interrupted by a broken left foot. Last summer, Zoubek had surgery on the foot.

Zoubek played the first 12 games last season, missed the next nine after re-injuring the foot, then returned and hobbled through the final 13 games.

In a late-season win over St. John's, the 7-foot-1 sophomore had his first career double-double - 11 points and 13 rebounds.

"Brian showed a great deal of courage and heart by playing the final part of our season despite the pain in his foot," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski told the school's Web site. "He worked hard to recover from the surgery last summer and he will put forth the same effort to bounce back from this setback. The surgery went well and will allow Brian to return pain-free for the 2008-09 season. Brian is a key part of our program and we look forward to having him back and healthy."

It sounds like you can squelch the Zoubek-is-transferring-to-Villanova rumors.

From this perspective, it's never too early to talk a little high school football.

There will be several changes in league alignments in the fall, including Wildwood joining the Tri-County Classic after playing as an independent.

Overbrook has left the Tri-County Royal and will be replaced by Woodstown, which had been in the small-school Classic Division. The Wolverines aren't exactly doing cartwheels over the switch. Overbrook will join the Colonial Conference in September and compete in the big-school Liberty Division, along with West Deptford, Sterling, Collingswood, Haddonfield and Haddon Heights.

Haddon Township will drop from the Liberty to the small-school Colonial Patriot.

The powerful Burlco/Olympic will have a handful of changes caused by enrollment fluctuations: Cherry Hill West will move from the Liberty to the American, Seneca will switch from the Patriot to Liberty, Burlington Township will go from the National to the Patriot, and Willingboro will move from the Liberty to the National.

Only about four more months until the scholastic football season begins. . . . but who's counting?

Trivia answer: Bob Sebra threw a no-hitter to lead Shawnee past Pennsville, 1-0, on May 30, 1978. Sebra later transferred to Gloucester Catholic. He pitched for Texas, Montreal, the Phillies, Cincinnati and Milwaukee in a six-year major-league career - he was 15-29 with a 4.71 ERA - that ended in 1990.

or scarchidi@phillynews.com.