LBR Violation?

[LEsoftballdad]

IMO:
If she had the ball in the circle...
Once the batter-runner touched first base...
If she made no play on the girl at 3rd (IE not raising the ball above her elbow or shoulder)...
If the girl at third Changed directions more than once (or stopped/paused at all)...

Then the girl at third should be out.

However, if your daughter had the ball up ready to throw somewhere, then all bets are off and what you said is legal.

No, she made gestures of throwing. She screwed up, but she also got no help from the coaches, who literally remained silent. In hindsight, I regret not telling her to hold the ball in the circle.

 

[Big Daddy Michigan]

This raises an interesting question for the umpires. We had this happen in a HS game in which my daughter was pitching.

We had a runner on 2nd with two outs and their best hitter coming up. My daughter intentionally walks her to face the #4 batter, whom she had struck out twice already. She throws a wild pitch on ball three allowing runner to go to third. When the batter gets ball four, she keeps going to second on a continuation. The runner on third starts to dance off the base with my daughter in the circle. She's confused if she should throw to second or third. The coaches are giving no help at all, and I'm trying not to yell out STAY IN THE CIRLCE because I don't want to be that parent. My daughter never makes a play, other than to look at 2nd and 3rd, when the runner for 3rd breaks for home and scores on a bad throw. She then Ks the next batter on 3 pitches, but we lose 4-3.

What does the pitcher have to do to get the runner to break for the next base or go back? Is it just holding the ball in the circle and making no move?

I'd have my pitchers keep the ball in their glove. The the ump/opposing coach can't make up some BS that she made an attempt.


On the other hand, there are two outs, so I'd throw out the runner trying to take second and end the inning.
Use the LBR for your advantage... Once the batter touches 1st and the ball is in the circle the stare at the runner on 3rd. She'll retreat to 3rd and has stay there because of the LBR.

Let the batter get 5-7 feet from 2nd base and throw her out. (A lot of runners trot because they are trying to draw a throw and get in a pickle.)

The runner on 3rd is at a dead stop the likelihood of her scoring on a 12 foot throw before a catch and tag is made is zero.

Of course this is all predicated on the fact that you've practiced this over and over. The timing has to be perfect. If the pitcher raises her arm too early you're screwed. If the pitcher throws the ball too early & a pickle happens, you're screwed. If you can't execute the throw-catch-tag, you're screwed.

 

[The Man In Blue]

No, she made gestures of throwing. She screwed up, but she also got no help from the coaches, who literally remained silent. In hindsight, I regret not telling her to hold the ball in the circle.

Sounds as if the coaches were very helpful. Particularly at varsity level, you should have coaches who have taught the players to play the game and allow them to do so (right or wrong). You should not have the air traffic controller coaches who are screaming every command in the book. Air traffic controller coaches cost their teams much more than they ever help them.

 

[Big Daddy Michigan]

Sounds as if the coaches were very helpful. Particularly at varsity level, you should have coaches who have taught the players to play the game and allow them to do so (right or wrong). You should not have the air traffic controller coaches who are screaming every command in the book. Air traffic controller coaches cost their teams much more than they ever help them.

True.

I was at a game and a runner on first took a huge lead... a bad lead. After she went back, the defensive coach yells to his right fielder to move 3 steps toward the line. Then he tells the first base person to move 2 steps closer to first. Then he yells to the catcher and says, "Hey, Pamela, red 33." (Keep in mind this is the only defensive signal he's called the whole game.)


Needless to say everyone in the park knew they were running their pickoff play & the runner didn't take a lead, but the catcher threw it down there anyway.