Look Back Rule After Base on Balls

[KevinC]

ASA look back rule 8.T.3.a says "A batter-runner who rounds first base towards second base may stop once, but then must immediately non-stop return to first base or attempt to advance non-stop to second base."

I was pretty sure I understood the rule and figured he thought she paused too long after stopping. I asked for a clarification and the ump told me if she rounded 1st she was committed to 2nd.

Does anyone think he was right to call the batter-runner out?

[video]http://youtu.be/8cQpjRGfD4Y[/video]

 

[Comp]

If that is the actual play you have posted the runner was called out on, the umpire needs to go back for some additional training. The runner rounded the bag, stopped for a fraction of a second and then immediately returned to 1st base, exactly as allowed by the wording of the rule. Nowhere in the rules does it state the runner has committed to 2nd base if they have rounded 1st base. Now, if she stopped, then moved toward 2nd, now she has committed.

By rule, the runner could have rounded 1st, gone all the way to just short of touching 2nd base, then returned to 1st base and been legal.

 

[MTR]

Seems the umpire may be confusing 8.7.T.3.a with 8.7.T.3.c

 

[BretMan]

Seems the umpire may be confusing 8.7.T.3.a with 8.7.T.3.c

That was my first thought.

Well, actually my first thought was, "A lot of people sure do get confused by the Look Back Rule".

 

[CycloneSoftball22]

This is a rule that umps screw up all the time. Seems like no two ever call it the same.

 

[Coach JV]

not that it makes a difference, the video doesn't show the pitcher

 

[Amy in AZ.]

What aggravates me about these wrong calls, is then, 90% of the girls and the on-lookers think that it was the right call. I don't know how many times, I am asked if you can round the base on a walk. "Well, yes." But, I keep getting asked that over and over. As far as I can remember, you have always been able to round first base.

In the video, it appears to me that the young girl, does exactly like she should do. If the ball if over thrown to the pitcher, we want the runner to be ready to go.

Since this would have been a misinterpretation of the rule, would it be protestible? (I guess that isn't a word.)

 

[Comp]

Well, no offensive coach ever feels the umpire was correct when they get a runner calld out for a look back violation. But, in the video posted, the runner did nothing wrong. She rounded the bag, stopped and then immediately returned to 1st.

As for protesting the call, Im sure it probably could be, but would depend on how the umpire worded his answer. If he in fact stated his reason for calling the runner out was that once she rounded 1st she had committed to 2nd, then he missapplied the rule and you would have an argument. If he worded his answer that it was his judgement she had committed to 2nd, or it was his judgment she paused for to long, then you have no protest. Judgement calls are not protestable.

 

[Ajaywill]

We also don't see what happened afte the b/r returned to first base. Up until the point that the video stops, everything is fine and I don't see a lookback rule violation. If, however, she reversed direction toward second and the pitcher had the ball in the circle and was not making a play, we now have a violation.

I don't see a BU in the video, s/he could be obscured by the fence, so there is no way of telling for sure when the out was called. It is also possible that this was a one umpire game with only a PU and s/he is not visible in the video at all to see when the out was called.

 

[KevinC]

No base umpire. Plate umpire called her out right after the video stopped while she was standing on 1B. Pitcher had the ball in the circle.

After I asked for the explanation of his call and was told she was called out because she reversed direction after rounding first I figured I could have got out the rule book and appealed but it wasn't worth it in a rec league fall ball game. At the next practice I'll explain the rule to the girls again.