Bunt or Slap?

[flash277]

I did a game today and with two strikes, the lefty batter was attempting a slap. She held out the bat and ran up to hit, the ball went foul, I called it a slap, other coach called it a bunt since batter didn’t swing or break wrists as she said. The field umpire agreed with me, what say you?

 

[EdLovrich]

Definition of bunt: BUNT: A pitched ball that is intentionally tapped with the bat, slowly, within the infield.

The following are not definitions from the rule book (the rules do not define a slap hit) but they are a decent starting point to help differentiate between slapping and bunting:

Five Softball Slapping Skills​

• Skill 1: Drag Bunt

While accelerating out of the box, lay the ball down soft and slow down either baseline.

• Skill 2: Soft Slap

A half swing from a choked grip where the object is to hit the ball in a targeted area.

There are two types of soft slap:

• Taps aimed at the shortstop gap between third and pitcher.
• Punches down either baseline or over second base.
• Skill 3: Hard Slap

A full swing executed with the same grip used for hitting. The object is to hit a hard line drive or ground ball through the infield and into the outfield.

• Skill 4: Bouncers and Choppers

A full swing with intent to hit the top of the ball to get the ball to bounce in the air. The air time from the bounce creates time for the speedy slapper to beat out the hit.

• Skill 5: Stand and Hit

The intent is to hit with high average and maximum potential power, like a right-side hitter or left-side non-slapper. The strategies, fundamentals, and mechanics for fastpitch softball hitting are comprehensively covered in Building the High-Level Swing (click the link to learn more about our new hitting two-book series, covering fundamentals and drills).

So, we have a run-of-the-mill bunt, a drag bunt, soft and hard slaps and a run-of-the-mill hit:

The bunts involve meeting the ball with a (mostly) motionless bat while either standing still or running (regular vs drag bunt).

If we mirror that difference on the hitting side of the ball we have regular and slap hits (standing vs running)

So, back to your initial question: Take the feet out of the equation: If the batter would have been standing still and did whatever she did with the bat, would you have ruled it a foul ball or bunted third strike?


It sounds like you are describing a drag bunt (she held out the bat and didn't actually swing or half-swing). But, ultimately, it is a had to be there call and totally your judgment.

 

[flash277]

Well according to this, sounds like a drag bunt. I guess a slap was to be at least a half swing?

 

[mmeece]

Well according to this, sounds like a drag bunt. I guess a slap was to be at least a half swing?

Sounds like a soft slap to me. The key for me would be if she slid her hands up the bat. No, that doesn't have to happen for a bunt, but it's awfully tough for me to call it a bunt when their hands never changed position and the bat came forward from her shoulder to contact at all. Would you call a check-swing a bunt if the bat had stopped completely prior to contact? I wouldn't. BTW, whether coaching or umpiring I've never seen a slapper called out at any level with 2 strikes on this type of play when it wasn't obviously a bunt.

 

[eddieq]

Did the attempt to strike the ball meet the definition of a bunt from the rulebook? If yes, then apply the rule accordingly and call the batter out. If no, foul ball, play on. You judged it was not a bunt attempt (clearly from your OP) so it is what it is.

It's a bit of "you'll know it when you see it". Umpires adding the whole, "broke her wrists, etc." stuff to it just confuses people and has the after effect of a coach giving another umpire grief because, "She didn't break her wrists so it was a bunt". There is some language regarding "rolling wrists" I recall, but it was mostly around mechanics and recognizing check swing vs regular swing (see USA Softball Rule Supplement 10)

 

[The Man In Blue]

Not textbook or definition, but ... in my experience:

Slappers run forward, drag bunters move toward first base.
Slappers keep their hands together, drag bunters separate them.
Slapping commonly comes from the wrists or elbows, drag bunting typically comes from the shoulders.
Drag bunting is as common as a yellow cardinal.