ASA Intentional Walk

[quincy]

Does this rule still apply or has it been updated to allow the defense to walk the batter without throwing a pitch?

Section 4: Intentional walk
If the pitcher desired to walk a batter intentionally all pitches must be legally delivered to the batter.

Thanks, do not have a current rule book handy.

 

[MTR]

Does this rule still apply or has it been updated to allow the defense to walk the batter without throwing a pitch?

Section 4: Intentional walk
If the pitcher desired to walk a batter intentionally all pitches must be legally delivered to the batter.

Thanks, do not have a current rule book handy.

In slowpitch, you just tell the umpire. In all others, the pitches must be thrown

 

[Amy in AZ.]

And in international play, they can just tell the ump and you do not have to throw the pitches.

 

[LAdad]

And in international play, they can just tell the ump and you do not have to throw the pitches.

That seems an unfair advantage for the defense. Forgot which game, but during the WCWS a pitcher trying for an intentional walk accidentally threw the ball over the catcher's head, allowing a run to score.

 

[MTR]

That seems an unfair advantage for the defense. Forgot which game, but during the WCWS a pitcher trying for an intentional walk accidentally threw the ball over the catcher's head, allowing a run to score.

And it deprives the offense of the opportunity to hit the ball to advance runners and score. However, it also protects poorly-coached catchers that leave the catcher's box to execute an intentional walk. Of course, why someone would need to get that far outside I will never know, but it happens.

There is no advantage or disadvantage here.

 

[quincy]

Thanks

It came up when a batter hit a double while being intentionally walked. Senior League official, not an umpire, stated the next morning that in all rule sets, they looked something up overnight, they did not have to pitch just tell the umpire.

Now 6 or 7 coaches now “know” they do not have to pitch to the batter.

 

[Comp]

I think it was last year there was a case posted on the FED site where in an attempt to circumvent the rule of having to throw the pitches to the batter, the pitcher just stood there and violated the 20 second rule 4 times in a row. Since the 20 second time infraction is not an illegal pitch and only a ball on the batter, the pitcher was attempting to use one rule in the book to circumvent another rule. In a situation like this, the pitcher is to be warned and if they do it again ejected.