Look Back Rule

[coach james]

Amazing how many people don't understand this.
I lost three base runners the other night because the home town blue didn't know the rules and neither did the team we were playing. Extremely frustrating hearing an umpire trying to explain to me she's out simply because the pitcher had the ball in the circle...
What's your definition of this rule?

 

[cmustangsfp]

In most of the games I have been in, the girl is only out if she hesitates while the ball is in the circle (under control of course). I read the rule to say that once the ball is in the P's control and she is in the circle, at that point the base runners either have to continue to go forward or retreat back to the base they just left, unless the P pump fakes with either her head or the ball. So if the P gets the ball back in the circle, and the base runner tries to "play" the P trying to see what she is going to do, if the P does not flinch and the base runner is stopped for more than a second or two, then she is out.

 

[Comp]

Amazing how many people don't understand this.
I lost three base runners the other night because the home town blue didn't know the rules and neither did the team we were playing. Extremely frustrating hearing an umpire trying to explain to me she's out simply because the pitcher had the ball in the circle...
What's your definition of this rule?

Perhaps provide a brief description of the 3 runners who were called out? Just because the pitcher has the ball in the circle does not necessarily make the runner out, but it is a big part of the rule and depending on what the runners were doing could certainly make them be out.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

I call it the "Decide Once" rule. Once the pitcher has the ball in the circle, the runners have to decide which bag they are going to.

I also stress to my team that ball four is just like a hit ball and they still get to "Decide Once".

 

[James Smith]

Most our runner retreat to the bag when the C throws the ball back to the P. We have 1 runner that blatantly violates the LBR. Sunday’s game the Ump made her go back to her original base because she violated the LBR and advanced. Same game Ump just ignored her violating the rule at 3rd. During an offensive conference I called the 1st base coach over and explained the LBR rule to him so he could see what she was doing. Explained it again between innings.

Last game, umpire gave her a warning and quickly explained the rule to the coach. Latter in the game he called her out. Of course after 3 explanations the coach is still confused.

We have a game tonight and we will see what happens. You would think a 13 YO would know the rule but I guess the umpires never called her out before or if they did she did not care enough to understand why.

I do not know what you do when the umpire does not understand the rule.

 

[Mumbly]

When we play and I'm the one doing the coaches meeting, I make sure to ask what the Umps understanding is on the Look back rule. This way we have it out of the way prior to it happening. Gives me an idea of where their thoughts are so we can inform the girls. You would be surprised how many time the two man crew will have to agree upon the ruling between each other right there in the meeting.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I always need to ask, was there a batter/runner on her way to first base?

 

[DD11]

^ haha.
LBR is dumb.

 

[coach james]

Each of the three occurrences, the bases were empty and the batter/runner was headed to first. First out... my girl gets walked and trots easily to first then without hesitation sprints towards two. Blue calls her out because the pitcher had the ball. Second out batter gets hit and runs to first (dead ball) she turns left on the bag by a step for unknown reasons and gets called out on a dead ball play???????
Third out is a delayed steal. Four steps off the bag on the pitch and pauses, just as the catcher is throwing back to the pitcher, my girl sprints to the uncovered second base. Gets called out for not returning to first!?!?!?

 

[Eric F]

In most of the games I have been in, the girl is only out if she hesitates while the ball is in the circle (under control of course). I read the rule to say that once the ball is in the P's control and she is in the circle, at that point the base runners either have to continue to go forward or retreat back to the base they just left, unless the P pump fakes with either her head or the ball. So if the P gets the ball back in the circle, and the base runner tries to "play" the P trying to see what she is going to do, if the P does not flinch and the base runner is stopped for more than a second or two, then she is out.

As I understand it, this ^ is correct.