both teams forgot how many outs there were

I'm coaching a 10U travel team in VA. I don't have a lot of softball experience, having played just a few years growing up.

We were playing our first practice game this weekend and were up to bat. Bases are loaded (lots of walks) with one out. Our batter hits a ground ball to the pitcher who throws home for the out for the second out. The opposing coach yells to his team to come off the field because he thinks it is the third out. Our team is confused and all base runners go into the duggout. After about a minute, our coaches discussed and realized there were only two outs. We had the 3 girls who should have been on base go back to their bases. The other coach argued that since our runners had gone into the duggout and left the base paths, they shouldn't be allowed to return.

What is the correct ruling?

Ashley

I would say the correct ruling is they are all out once thay stepped into the dugout but the opposing coach should be ashamed of themselves for bringing up the discussion.

Both teams are responsible for knowing the game situation. When defensive coach pulled team off field, if offense had kept track they could have scored all the runners on base. But, by rule once any of those runner left the field of play and entered the dugout, they are out.

I agree...both teams should have known how many outs there were, and the runners on the bases should have questioned it right there. Shame on the defensive coach for making the first mistake...as a coach, he should have been the FIRST to know how many outs there were...how else would he strategize the pitching calls? Anyhow, because it is a rule, the girls that went into the dugout would still be an out. The offensive coaches should have held the girls back from going into the dugout until a final call is made...

The only thing I would add is that this was a "practice" game, the defensive coach should have just dropped it. That's what I think...unless ya'll paid an umpire for the game...

Ashley R said:

I'm coaching a 10U travel team in VA. I don't have a lot of softball experience, having played just a few years growing up.

We were playing our first practice game this weekend and were up to bat. Bases are loaded (lots of walks) with one out. Our batter hits a ground ball to the pitcher who throws home for the out for the second out. The opposing coach yells to his team to come off the field because he thinks it is the third out. Our team is confused and all base runners go into the duggout. After about a minute, our coaches discussed and realized there were only two outs. We had the 3 girls who should have been on base go back to their bases. The other coach argued that since our runners had gone into the duggout and left the base paths, they shouldn't be allowed to return.

What is the correct ruling?

Ashley

Click to expand...

Official ruling: 101.1 during a practice game if an opposing coach acts like an idiot calling "official rules" a butt kicking is in order.

redhotcoach said:

Official ruling: 101.1 during a practice game if an opposing coach acts like an idiot calling "official rules" a butt kicking is in order.

Click to expand...

While I would tend to agree if it was a practice game, fix the problem and play the game. You have obviously learned something from the game being called by the rules and I doubt you will ever be caught not knowing the number of outs again.

This follows along with what aI have been complaining to the local rec league I help coach a team in. The rules are not being called per the book. When I complain I get the excuse of, "we are allowing the umpires to use their discretion as to what they call". So in other words we play by 10 different rule sets because we never know from one umpire to the next what is and is not being called. I have yet to see a single obstruction or interference called let alone a lookback violation. It makes it next to impossible to make the kids understad what they can and cannot do in certain situations when umpires do not enforce the rules.

The assumption is this is a PRACTICE game, depends on how you run it, sometime during this type situation we will bat the line up and allow free substitutions since after all it is for PRACTICE. Now if you decided up front you would run everything 100% by the rules then you should decide ahead of time who will be acting as the Umpire and who is keeping the score book, these two thing would have solved your problem (aside from coaches and players not falling asleep on the job, another big pet peeve the girls on the field not paying attention although you did say 10U)

In the end redhotcoach has pretty much hit the nail on the head if after throwing a fit and telling everyone there was three outs and getting everyone off the field in a 10U practice game he now wants to call the third out because everyone got off the field at his urging we he words for that type of coach "dlkfjkl;agjgj" ---well I do think we do have some kind of code of conduct on this forum that prevents me from actually typing what I would think of the opposing coach .

I just saw this happen on Sat., at 10U. The umpire conceded that in reality it was his mistake and the players went back to where they were, with 2 outs.

Sure, if it's the umpire's fault that caused the confusion, that is a correctable error. For instance, if when the second out was made the umpire said, "That's three outs", and that's what caused everyone to leave the field, then put the runners back on base.

Same as if a runner is called out by mistake, then the call is reversed. If the runner left the field, you don't enforce an out because she entered the dugout due to the umpire's mistake.

If both teams run off on their own accord...then whatever happens happens. As already noted, both teams are responsible for knowing the game situation.

Don't be so sure the other coach was not aware of there only being two out and trying to trick you players into leaving the base path to go to the dugout. Very shameful, but I have seen it happen and is very bush league.....At 10U..... coach is bad news.....if he did that on purpose.