2020 NFHS Preseason Guide - Detached equipment

[The Man In Blue]

Just received the 2020 NFHS books this week and I had already posted this on an umpire forum ... thought it would be good conversation here as well. It is an extremely rare circumstance which you may never see, but those make for fun conversation!

There was an editorial change to 8-4-3(d). This deals with what happens when a fielder uses a piece of detached equipment to pickup or stop a ball.

The change to the rule was an editorial change to clean up language so that the penalty awards are applied to runners and the batter runner, and it no longer includes the batter. (It never should have included the batter.)

In the article it includes a case play with two parts (a and b). The part a I am fine with, but I think the information on part b is incorrect.

With a runner on first base and no outs, a batter swings at a 3-2 pitch in the dirt. The ball gets past the catcher who then picks the ball up with her helmet/mask. According to the article, R1 is awarded second base (yes) and the batter (designated as B2) is awarded first base.

I disagree with that ... the batter was retired (she is no longer the batter) and does not have the opportunity to become a batter runner on the uncaught third strike (due to the runner on first), thus she should NOT be awarded first base.

(Part a is the same play, but with a 2-0 count. The ruling on it is correct: award the base runner second, the batter stays at bat with a 2-1 count.)

Thoughts here?

 

[CoachJD]

I agree with you, but I have a question. Does the case play contradict the rule or are you saying the rule is a bad rule?

 

[MTR]

It is a rule I've never understood. It should be dumped altogether under the "why does anyone care" file.

Let me clarify. I'm referring to catching or contacting a live ball with "detached" equipment or piece of the uniform. I am not referring to throwing equipment and contacting a live ball

 

[The Man In Blue]

I agree with you, but I have a question. Does the case play contradict the rule or are you saying the rule is a bad rule?

The fix to the rule (eliminating the batter) was a good move. Under the previous language, it implied the batter should be awarded bases regardless of the count. Here is the old rule (the penalty section):



I believe the case play presented in the preseason guide (I need to check to see if it is in the casebook) is wrong.

 

[flash277]

Say Man in Blue, (or anyone), have you ever seen fielder use a detached piece of equipment to stop or pick up a ball?....And in that line of questioning, what is the oddest thing you've seen a player do?

 

[Cagman]

Makes no sense, batter struck out. Runner on 1st, so who cares how the catcher picks up the ball. Seems like a rule just to make a rule. There are already far too many odd rules in the game.

 

[marriard]

Say Man in Blue, (or anyone), have you ever seen fielder use a detached piece of equipment to stop or pick up a ball?....And in that line of questioning, what is the oddest thing you've seen a player do?

I have seen a number of 'misses' over the years where they tried to stop the ball by throwing their glove at it.

I did have a HS game three years ago where the center fielder threw a glove at a flyball and did manage to hit it mid-air.

Last year I had a game where the fielder thought it would be funny to take her glove off and use the glove with two hands to catch the ball... yep, that is detached equipment.

 

[flash277]

I have seen a number of 'misses' over the years where they tried to stop the ball by throwing their glove at it.

I did have a HS game three years ago where the center fielder threw a glove at a flyball and did manage to hit it mid-air.

Last year I had a game where the fielder thought it would be funny to take her glove off and use the glove with two hands to catch the ball... yep, that is detached equipment.

Good call one the last one, I wouldn't have thought it.

 

[The Man In Blue]

Say Man in Blue, (or anyone), have you ever seen fielder use a detached piece of equipment to stop or pick up a ball?....And in that line of questioning, what is the oddest thing you've seen a player do?

No, I have never seen it. But I threaten coaches with it when their buckets keep creeping out on the field.

I’ll have to think about the oddest thing I ever saw a player do ... nothing really leaps to mind at the moment.

 

[mmeece]

I've seen a catcher use his mask to scoop up a ball in a baseball game. It's a 3 base award in baseball!