A little help please

[umpodie]

So, the following two questions are causing a small debate between a few of us for our ASA test this year. If you only want to direct us to the rule reference that would be fine…we just can’t seem to find it.

Question one, some say is it only in LL and Pro ball that the pitcher must retire the first batter and/or end the inning. (would this be the same for FED rules?)

Question two does not mention ‘perceptible arc’ or ‘sharp and direct’, but ‘A’ and ‘C’ seem to be the two we are debating. We are trying not to ‘read into the question’ as they love to say, but not getting anywhere yet.

1) A pitcher is required to pitch until the first batter faced completes their time at bat or the side has been retired.
True
False

2) With a 1-1 count, B1 bunts the ball foul about a foot from home plate. F2 lunges and catches the ball before it touches the ground. The ball did not go higher than the batter’s head. The umpire should rule:

a) Foul tip and return B1 to the batter’s box with a 1-2 count.
b) Dead ball
c) B1 is out
d) None of the above

Thanks for your help.
--odie

 

[James Smith]

I think 1 is false, can not find the rule.

2 is c - look at the defintion of foul tip. The ball must go directly from the bat to the C to be a foul tip. "about a foot from home plate" means to me the direct part did not happen.

 

[umpodie]

We have looked at both definitions...
How you justify an out (love outs as much as the next umpire)...for the ball to be an out there...rules say you need a perceptible arc
That is nothing the description of the play

 

[Sweet Lou]

With the exception of injury, 1) is true for MLB; but I don't know about softball.

2) I agree James Smith, batter is out.

 

[umpodie]

oops....hit submit too quickly...
posted part of our discussion above

and the true/false......that's the key...no one can find a rule to support either side

 

[umpodie]

After seeing this is the rules supplement
"Umpires only need to judge whether the balls moves from the bat "sharply" and "directly" versus a ball that has a preceptible arc and/or the catcher moves their glove/mitt to catch the ball after contact with the bat."
I guess C is the best answer for number two...

anyone got a rules ref for question one though?

 

[Comp]

8-10 is the rule covering courtesy runners. Says nothing about facing any batters, just says in the top half of the 1st inning the pitcher and catcher are those identified on the lineup card.

 

[SoCal_Dad]

There is no rules reference for #1 because there is no requirement in ASA.

For Fed rules, the requirement is only in the bottom of the first inning - the players listed as P and C on the lineup have to play those positions for at least the first pitch in the bottom of the inning (see 8-9-2).

For #2, the ball not going over the batter's head is a red herring. It's very unlikely F2 managed to catch a ball that was tipped down, so C seems to be the most likely answer.

 

[umpodie]

Yeah, new about the 'red herring', but thanks for the input

and thanks again for the FED reference...That'll help with the explanation.

 

[BretMan]

There are some baseball and softball rule sets that require a pitcher to face one batter/retire the side...but ASA ain't one of them.

On the bunt play...it doesn't sound like the ball went from the bat to the catcher "sharply and directly" if the catcher had to lunge for it. That rules out a foul tip. The part about the ball going higher than the batter's head is irrelevant. This would be treated as a caught fly ball. B1 is out.