Hemphill home run

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Feb 16, 2015
933
43
South East
If anyone saw the Bailey Hemphill home run against Ole Miss..... was she called out for being assisted by the coach who grabbed her and told her to go and touch the plate after she jumped over it or what is the correct ruling on the play? Would it be considered assisting as soon as her teammates start touching her in celebration?


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I thought several things in rapid succession...BR jumps on (over) plate. HPU hands new ball to catcher, catcher points at plate right away. Everyone grabbing her hugging. 1B coach finally gets her attention just before entering dugout. Catcher must have said something to HPU. Now BR heads back to plate but catcher tags her. HPU signals out.

How do you get an out with a different ball? Didn't that coach touch her? But she didn't go in the dugout...doesn't she have the right to go back? But the touching?

Bama coach interviewed between innings was a good sport about it and said to all kids watching...touch the plate with one foot.

Bonus question for scoring - scored as a triple with PO unassisted by F2 according to broadcast crew? OK, sounds right I guess.

Weird.
 
Jun 22, 2008
3,731
113
Didn't even need the ball to appeal, all catcher had to do was tell the umpire she was appealing the runner missing home plate. Most softball rule sets have dead ball appeals.
 
Feb 16, 2015
933
43
South East
I am thinking the same thing..... I would think as soon as Coach Habetz touched her or even her teammates she should have been called out. I think Coach Murphy is correct when he said that the tag was irrelevant so I am also thinking she should have been called out as soon as the catcher contested her touching the plate.... IDK


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Didn't even need the ball to appeal, all catcher had to do was tell the umpire she was appealing the runner missing home plate. Most softball rule sets have dead ball appeals.

It was the tagging, and the HPU signaling at that point she was out, was the confusing part.

Is the touching rule touching or assisting the runner? Had no one physically pushed/pulled her back towards the plate but she had turned around just from instruction would that have been OK?

At what point was she out according to the rules, HPU signal not withstanding.
 
Jun 22, 2008
3,731
113
Reading through the NCAA rules it does state a dead ball appeal cannot be made until the umpire puts a new ball into the game, but it does not say the ball has to be made live. Also, on dead balls the rules in all rule sets I am aware of do state the appeal cannot be honored until the runner has been given the opportunity to complete their base running responsibilities, but it does not specify a time frame for this. I would guess the umpire considered he had given the runner plenty of time to retouch home plate as she celebrated with her teammates and walked toward the dugout and honored the appeal.
 
Jun 22, 2008
3,731
113
I dont have access to the NCAA approved rulings, but apparently there is one covering the situation although it does seem to contradict the written rule.

On a home run where the runner misses the plate, the appeal cannot be made until the ball has been made live again and the runner has until they enter the dugout to correct their error. Up until that point the appeal cannot be accepted.

This is a ruling that was made by the previous rules interpreter and appears to go against several of the written rules. The rule simply says when a new ball has been put into the game, it does not say the ball must be made live again. It also makes no mention of the runner having until they enter the dugout to correct their error, it simply says they must be given the opportunity to correct their error. With the approved ruling, on a game ending home run where the runner misses the plate, the umpires and defense would have to stand around waiting to see if the runner ever touched home or entered the dugout. Im sure this call will be reviewed by the new interpreter and either the existing clarification upheld or a new approved ruling issued. Several of the former interpreters rulings have already been changed.
 
May 17, 2012
2,804
113
With the approved ruling, on a game ending home run where the runner misses the plate, the umpires and defense would have to stand around waiting to see if the runner ever touched home or entered the dugout.

Imagine a scenario where the runner misses the plate intentionally so they can take a curtain call.

I thought blue got it right although the appeal was odd looking with the ball being utilized like that.
 

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