Hit By Pitch - Ball contact in river

[knuckleballer]

I have always disliked the requirement that the batter attempt to avoid being hit by a pitch because sometimes the pitch just freezes the batter. I was relieved when I read the following excerpt...

“Hit By Pitch” Procedure Revised in High School Softball
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Theresia Wynns

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (July 23, 2012) — Batters in high school softball no longer will have to make an attempt to avoid being hit by a pitch in order to be awarded first base.
This revision to Rule 8-1-2 was one of four rules changes approved by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Softball Rules Committee at its June 11-13 meeting in Indianapolis. All rules changes were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.
A batter will be awarded first base if “a pitched ball is entirely within the batter’s box and it strikes the batter or her clothing. No attempt to avoid being hit by the pitch is required; however, the batter may not obviously try to get hit by the pitch.”
Theresia Wynns, NFHS director of sports and officials education and staff liaison for softball, said this rules change clears up the gray area of whether the batter made an attempt to get out of the way of the pitch.
“Since a batter is penalized for prohibiting a pitch from entering the strike zone, the committee thought there should be a penalty when the pitcher hits a batter when the pitch is completely inside the batter’s box,” Wynns said.

My question stems from two opposing calls I witnessed this week. Both situations were set up by umpires who were calling extreme outside pitches strikes which caused the batters to crowd to plate to cover the outside strikes. After the batters crowded the plate the pitcher went inside and the pitches hit the batters in the river - the area between the strike zone and the batters box.

In the first instance the batter pulled her head back away from the plate which caused her legs to move toward the plate and her front leg was hit by the ball in the river. The umpire did not award the batter first base because the ball did not hit the batter in the batters box.

In the second instance the batter froze and the ball hit the batter in the front forearm which was in the river (not in the strike zone) because she was standing on the chalk closest to the plate. The umpire awarded the batter first base although the ball didn't hit her in the batters box and she didn't attempt to avoid being hit.

What is the correct call for batters hit by pitches in the river? Everything I have found seems to involve getting hit in the strike zone or slappers getting hit in front of the batters box. Any references to support the correct call is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[quincy]

I think you are right.

DD and I was watching some college game last year and they were jumping in frount of the ball, DD called them a bunch of cheaters.

I do think that it is a hard call for the ump.

 

[BretMan]

For pitches not entirely within the batter's box, then the rule requires the batter to make some effort to avoid the pitch- same as it's always been. There's nothing special about the pitch being "in the river". The only reference I can offer you is the printed rule in the rule book.

The quality or validity of the batter's effort is solely at the judgment of the umpire.

 

[Comp]

I am not a fan of the new rule, it didnt take a rocket scientist to figure out batters were going to crowd the plate and dare the pitcher to throw on the inside. The first year they changed the rule in high school I saw a drastic increase in the number of batters with their toes on the inside chalk. It doesnt help that many umpires do not appear to be reading the entire rule and applying it as written. I have lost track of how many umpires have tried to tell me the rule states the batter no longer has to make an attempt to avoid, and that simply is not true. The only time the batter does not have to make an attempt to avoid the pitch is if the entire ball is inside the batters box.

NCAA was the first to change the rule and the hit by pitch numbers have been increasing drastically every year, especially by Florida. Instead of just changing the rule back to what it used to be, they decided to make it a point of emphasis in their umpire training that the umpires call the rule as written. I haven't watched much college ball this year, but the few games I have seen I did see cases where they did make the batter remain at bat for not making an attempt to avoid.

 

[BretMan]

A season or two before NCAA softball instituted the "no attempt to avoid" rule, it was first adopted by NCAA baseball. And the exact same thing happened. The number of hit batters skyrocketed.

Last season NCAA baseball dumped this rule. Now they have the same rule that served baseball and softball well for 100+ years.

 

[Ajaywill]

"Freezing" by a batter is often a legitimate attempt to avoid being hit by a pitch. Especially on an off speed pitch with movement or a pitch that has hit the ground.

Yes...I can tell the difference between freezing and the batter just letting the pitch hit her.

 

[ScottyDont]

With the advent of elbow guards, I see many batters using them like a goalie uses the blocker pad. Even when I throw BP to my older DD's team, there are girls leaning into pitches, practicing getting hit on the guard.

 

[BobInMadison]

i remember once, around Christmas time, my family and I stayed in a motel in Indiana, and a cable TV channel was rebroadcasting the Indiana State HS Championship. In extra innings, bottom of the inning, bases loaded, 2 outs, batter is hit by pitch. Everyone assumes game over, pinch runner on third starts walking home. Umpire signals out. Slow motion replay showed the batter move her elbow into the path of the ball, in the strike zone. Great call by blue in an important game. (We had to go to bed then, so we didn't see the rest of the game).

 

[CPEM]

With the advent of elbow guards, I see many batters using them like a goalie uses the blocker pad. Even when I throw BP to my older DD's team, there are girls leaning into pitches, practicing getting hit on the guard.

This has been the source of my DD's frustration this season. Last year, her screwball to RH-batters would cause them to jump backwards and it would get called for a strike. This season, batters have their toes on the line, hang their knees and elbows over into the river, and take the pitch on the elbow guard or knee. Last year she had all of 3 HBP the whole season as a freshman, and she lived on that inside pitch. Barely halfway through the season this year and she's more than tripled it (10) while mixing in the outside curve more. She's beyond frustrated.

 

[Momo'sDad]

So in 2016, in ASA , does the batter have to "make an attempt" to avoid the pitch in order to be awarded 1B?