Asking for a different ball

canyonjoe · Jul 28, 2014

I was watching a triple crown game on Saturday, Gold winners bracket with 2 undefeated teams.

Bottom of 7th inning no score 1 out a single up the middle. First pitch to the next batter was hit foul. Ump puts
a brand new ball into play. Pitcher pitches it and throws a wild pitch puts runner to second. She politely
asks the ump for a different ball and he refuses. The coach calls time and asks again for a different ball to no avail.
Is there some rule that prevents the pitcher from getting a different ball? Even if there is, is the 7th inning of a tie game
the right time to do it.

canyonjoe · Jul 28, 2014

Just to add to this, the runner did not score and the team wound up winning.

Comp · Jul 28, 2014

TCS generally follows asa rules. Both asa and fed have rules on ball rotation. Once a ball is put in play that ball is to remain in play until it goes into dead ball territory or the umpire deems it unplayable. The pitcher may request a new ball at the beginning of each inning but once she throws the ball she has made her decision. The pitcher is also not allowed to have 2 balls at once. If she requests a different ball she has to return the one she has and the umpire will give her another. Once the pitcher does this they have again made their decision and cannot request another.

Eventually someone is going to bring up it is not in the asa rules. But it is in the rules supplement section and is strictly enforced at all national tournaments.

Umpire · Jul 28, 2014

Ball rotation as written in the ASA rule book is an absolute joke. The only purposes of the rule is to make sure that a brand new ball doesn't get put into play late in the game, prevent a player from doing something intentionally to get a different ball, etc. The primary purpose of the rule was violated here anyway. If the pitcher wants a new ball, let her throw it in, give the catcher a different one, rub up the old one a bit and put it back in your ball bag.

Comp · Jul 28, 2014

What does the rule have anything to do with a new ball getting into the game late? The only thing possibly along these lines is if both balls do not get used in the top of the 1st inning, the pitcher in the bottom of the 1st inning must pitch the unused ball. Other than that it has nothing to do with new balls coming in. If balls go out of play and do not come back there is no choice but to bring in new balls in order to continue the game.

Umpire · Jul 28, 2014

The purpose of requiring the pitcher to use a new ball if it hadn't been used in the top of the inning is to make sure both get into the game early on. Keeping with that logic, if the pitcher asks for a different ball as she did in this case, give her the other ball. It is not something that can be protested anyway. Use common sense. Of all things to get into a pissing contest over, giving a pitcher a ball to throw strikes won't be on my list.

Comp · Jul 28, 2014

Its pretty simple, if you dont want to enforce the rules of the association you are umpiring under, dont umpire for that association.

riseball · Jul 28, 2014

An umpire would have to be a real tool to introduce a brand new ball in the 7th inning of a contest. Some just never understand that it is not about them.

Comp · Jul 28, 2014

riseball said:
An umpire would have to be a real tool to introduce a brand new ball in the 7th inning of a contest. Some just never understand that it is not about them.

And if a new ball is all that is available what would you have the umpire do? And what difference should the 7th inning make? Rules dont cease to exist just because its late in the game. If a pitcher can throw a new ball in the 1st inning, why cant they throw it in the 7th?

riseball · Jul 28, 2014

Comp said:
And if a new ball is all that is available what would you have the umpire do? And what difference should the 7th inning make? Rules dont cease to exist just because its late in the game. If a pitcher can throw a new ball in the 1st inning, why cant they throw it in the 7th?

Very few pitchers can throw a new ball out of the wrapper. Introduce one and you are screwing with the integrity of the game. The best umpires understand that and are well prepared. Only a hack would pull one out of the wrapper and say "oh well, deal with it". We are currently at ASA Nationals and they have made damn sure that situation does not present itself. Some umps are on top of their game and don't make excuses, others not so much.

Asking for a different ball

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

canyonjoe

canyonjoe

Comp

Umpire

Comp

Umpire

Comp

riseball

Comp

riseball

Similar threads

Latest posts

Members online

Forum statistics

Share this page

Online statistics

Forum statistics