Hello fine folks. Any help would be appreciated. USSSA rules. What is the call?
Situation A. The batter swings and strikes the pitch which drops and stops right in front of the plate. Defense attempts to make a play, but the batter:
Situation B. The batter swings and strikes the pitch which drops fair right in front of the plate, but bounces straight up in the air several feet. Defense attempts to make a play, but while the ball is in the air over fair territory, the batter:
Some rules I’ve found that may or may not be helpful.
Situation A. The batter swings and strikes the pitch which drops and stops right in front of the plate. Defense attempts to make a play, but the batter:
- Begins to run to first, but with her first step (i.e. both feet have not left the batter’s box) kicks the ball away, and in the umpire’s judgment, the contact was unintentional.
- Begins to run to first, but with her first step (i.e. both feet have not left the batter’s box) kicks the ball away, and in the umpire’s judgment, the contact was intentional.
- With both feet in the box, drops the bat and knocks the ball away, and in the umpire’s judgment, the contact was unintentional.
- With both feet in the box, drops the bat and knocks the ball away, and in the umpire’s judgment, the contact was intentional.
- With both feet in the box, brings the bat back around to discard the bat, but knocks the ball away with the bat still in her hands, and in the umpire’s judgment, the contact was unintentional.
- With both feet in the box, brings the bat back around to discard the bat, but knocks the ball away with the bat still in her hands, and in the umpire’s judgment, the contact was intentional.
Situation B. The batter swings and strikes the pitch which drops fair right in front of the plate, but bounces straight up in the air several feet. Defense attempts to make a play, but while the ball is in the air over fair territory, the batter:
- Begins to run to first, but with both feet in the box, leans into the ball in the air (over fair territory) and knocks the ball away. In the umpire’s judgment, the contact was unintentional.
- Begins to run to first, but with both feet in the box, leans into the ball in the air (over fair territory) and knocks the ball away. In the umpire’s judgment, the contact was intentional.
- Begins to run to first carrying the bat in front of her, but with both feet in the box, leans and strikes the ball in the air with the bat (over fair territory) and knocks the ball away. In the umpire’s judgment, the contact was unintentional.
- Begins to run to first carrying the bat in front of her, but with both feet in the box, leans and strikes the ball in the air with the bat (over fair territory) and knocks the ball away. In the umpire’s judgment, the contact was intentional.
Some rules I’ve found that may or may not be helpful.
- RULE 3. DEFINITIONS. BATTER. The offensive player whose turn it is to bat. The batter has completed their time at bat when they are put out or become a batter-runner.
- RULE 3. DEFINITIONS. BATTER-RUNNER. The batter-runner is a player who has finished their time at bat and has left the batter’s box (both feet touching completely outside the box) but has not yet been put out or reached first base.
- RULE 3. DEFINITIONS. FOUL BALL. A foul ball is a batted ball which...F. Touches the batter or the bat in the batter’s hand(s) a second time while the batter is still within the batter’s box.
- RULE 8. BASE RUNNING. Sec 4. A batter becomes a batter runner with the right to attempt to score by advancing to first, second and third and then home plate in the listed order when: A. Hitting a fair ball. NOTE: Batter becomes a runner when entitled to run.
- RULE 8. BASE RUNNING. Sec 17. The batter-runner is out: F. When they contact the ball a second time in fair or foul territory, if, in the Umpire’s judgment, the ball had a chance to become fair.
- RULE 7. BATTING. Sec 14. A batter shall be called out when:… F. After hitting or bunting a ball, the bat hits the ball a second time while the ball is on or over fair territory, or is on or over foul territory and, in the Umpire’s judgment, had a chance to become a fair ball, the ball is dead, no runner(s) advance and the batter is out. 14th Edition (2-18 Online revision) 39 EXCEPTION: If the bat and ball accidentally come in contact with each other a second time while the batter is holding the bat in the batter’s box, it is a foul ball. NOTE: If the batter drops the bat and the ball rolls against the bat in fair territory and, in the Umpire’s judgment, there was no intention to interfere with the course of the ball, the batter is not out and the ball is live and in play.