Thread: Injury during play

I saw this happen at least twice this year, maybe 3 times...

#1) R1 on 2nd, R2 on 1st. Ball hit to outfield. Ball fielded and thrown to F2. R1 & F2 collide knocking F2 down... she's on the ground (about 1 foot into foul territory on 3rd base line) holding her knee and crying. R2 runs past her scoring, BR ends up on 3rd before F1 can go get the ball and get it back to the circle.

#2) R1 on 1st. Ball hit to 3rd, F5 makes a little wild throw to 1st, F3 comes off and up to catch the ball and collides with BR. F3 & BR both go down, F3 gets back up, BR doesn't. R1 ends up scoring before the ball gets back to the circle.

This is all 10U if it makes a difference. So the question is at what point do you (official or coach) stop the play for an injury? I ASSUME the play continues until the ball gets back to the pitcher. Does the offensive coach have any responsibility to hold runners at a base in order to end the play early to check on the injury?

Thoughts?

ETA: both collisions were "clean" and part of the game, there was nothing malicious or intentional at all.

situation #1 Not enough information above to really provide feedback (i.e. did F2 have ball when collision occurred) and obstruction/interference is always dicey would like to know a lot of info prior to forming any opinion. F2 should never be in a position to be in a collision unless they have the ball. One comment I will make, too many young catchers camp on the plate without the ball risking an OBS call or collision which negates any chance of making an out and puts kids at season ending injury risk.

Situation #2 Fielder not protected from runner when catching an errant throw. Should train F3 to move down the line towards catcher to track down bad throw, but not into running lane. Better to not catch ball than to collide with runner without the ball. F9 should be there to field the overthrow. Runner has hard helmet and usually the fielder takes the worst of these collisions.

Umpire (ASA RS #29) can call time out/dead ball immediately whenever a player is hurt in such a way that immediate medical attention is needed. Umpire then places runners at umpire discretion where he believed they would have ended up without his calling time out.

Happened this summer to us in a league game, Flyball to RF takes bad hop, F9 takes off temple and falls like sack of potatoes, umpire calls "dead ball, my time" and awarded R1 who was on first home, and batter runner got third. No argument from us that was a reasonable award and we were glad to be able to immediately check on out injured player (who was fine btw).

Thanks Snocatz. I wasn't really concerned with the obstruction/interference angle (for the record the ball was arriving simultaneously with the runner in both plays), but more on the "player down", should play continue aspect.

I saw similar situations last year and was amazed by the lack of class of some coaches. Girl writhing in pain crying with no possibility of getting to the ball to make a play and they are waving their arms screaming for the runners to go. Finally saw an umpire call time when our left fielder took a line drive straight to the chest without getting a glove on the ball. I thought my wife and assistant coach were going to beat on their third base coach.

My personal opinion is that if it's rec ball, play should be called dead and runners awarded two bases to allow coaches to quickly administer aid.

If it's travel ball, I think coaches need to show some class even though this cannot be enforced. If it's my player and I think she's really hurt I WILL sprint on to the field whether time is called or not. I dare anyone to complain about it.

At the 10 and 12u level there needs to be more emphasis on teaching the girls the fundamentals of the game instead of just winning. The emphasis to win in travel ball has taken away the true love for the game. I agree with hornet about coaches having to show some class.

Originally Posted by bcasper10

At the 10 and 12u level there needs to be more emphasis on teaching the girls the fundamentals of the game instead of just winning. The emphasis to win in travel ball has taken away the true love for the game. I agree with hornet about coaches having to show some class.

We were just discussing locally that it seems that the worst offenders at this are at those ages. The coaches at the top of the 16U/18U have more respect for the game and the effort being put out than the coaches of low level 10U/12U teams. There is an interesting article floating around about the "Everton Way" which is how soccer is taught at the highest levels in England. The main tenets are that the best coaches need to work at the youngest ages, and winning needs to be secondary to development up to the age of 15. So instead of having Daddy coaches at 10 and professional coaches at 16U they put professional coaches with the 10 year olds, teach them properly and expect a Daddy coach at 16U to be able to manage a team where they don't have to be experts at all fundamentals because the kdis were taught properly to begin with.

Originally Posted by bcasper10

At the 10 and 12u level there needs to be more emphasis on teaching the girls the fundamentals of the game instead of just winning. The emphasis to win in travel ball has taken away the true love for the game. I agree with hornet about coaches having to show some class.

Agree.

What many "new" coaches at those levels fail to realize is that if you teach the fundamentals, do things the right way and take care of the little things, you will win most of the time.

Too many try to take shortcuts and it either ruins it for the kids or teaches the wrong things.

Originally Posted by SnocatzDad

Umpire (ASA RS #29) can call time out/dead ball immediately whenever a player is hurt in such a way that immediate medical attention is needed. Umpire then places runners at umpire discretion where he believed they would have ended up without his calling time out.

As much as I understand and agree with the rule, the one thing that bothers me are the arguments we have actually seen when coaches don't agree with the awarded bases. I have also seen coaches run out onto the field over a twisted ankle which, in my non-medically qualified opinion is not a reason to stop play.

Originally Posted by bcasper10

At the 10 and 12u level there needs to be more emphasis on teaching the girls the fundamentals of the game instead of just winning. The emphasis to win in travel ball has taken away the true love for the game. I agree with hornet about coaches having to show some class.

IME, the most fundamentally sound team, generaly, were also the winningest teams.

Originally Posted by calgofo

IME, the most fundamentally sound team, generaly, were also the winningest teams.

I agree as well. I have always marvelled at young girls, which are almost physically grown at age 12, being able to compete with girls much older. A well coached well disciplined 12 yr old team (national contender) can beat all but the best 14 and probably most 16 yr old teams,and some weaker 18's too.

It is not necessarily about how strong the players are, it is how well they play. Winning is a function of who makes the least mistakes as much as anything else.

Seen a pitcher take a line drive to the forehead before, go down screaming. Another infielder CAUGHT the ball that bounced off her head and played it to first for a double play. Time was called immediately after the play. (rightfully so). What would happen if time was called too fast? Not always in the defending teams interest to have a prompt time called.