Cricket anyone?

[Sweet Lou]

At our 8U rec game last night - our batter hit a pitch after it bounced in front of home plate. Smacked it pretty good into CF actually and would have been an easy double. And while I don't encourage kids to swing at pitches that bounce, I'm 99.9% sure that this is a live ball and should have been allowed to go on. That is nothing wrong with hitting a pitch that bounces.

Volunteer ump (so I could not and did not get mad at him) ruled dead-ball and credited a ball on the batter, even though she swung and hit it fair. So I think he got the ruling wrong twice on the same swing.

So just to satisfy my other 0.1%, this should have been a hit in play, correct?

 

[RubberBiscuit]

I have seen a bounce hit many times.

I have NEVER seen it called a dead-ball.

 

[Comp]

In fast pitch the batter can hit a pitched ball that has bounced.

 

[BretMan]

A bounced pitch may...

...be swung at and missed for a strike.

...be swung at and batted into play.

...be swung at and become a foul tip.

...hit the batter and result in an award of first base.

In other words, a pitch that bounces before reaching the plate is treated exactly the same as any other pitch- with one exception. It can't be a called strike, even if it bounces through the strike zone.

 

[Crabby_Bob]

Not cricket, but probably a slow-pitch umpire.

 

[Sweet Lou]

Not cricket, but probably a slow-pitch umpire.

No, just a first year volunteer ump who doesn't understand the rules. Like I said it is 8U rec so no big argument about from me, we just moved on, just wanted to make sure I was right on the rule.

 

[David Carter]

Yeah, usually on these situations 8U volunteer ump I would still go out and talk not argue with ump for a few seconds and just tell him "I am pretty sure that is a legal hit, maybe just check on it for next time, Thanks" or even if not during play in between innings "hey that was kind of different hitting on the bounce, I think last time they ruled it a hit, maybe check that out for next time I think I'll go check out the rule to be sure too" Nice low threat not confrontational especially if the ump is a little on the younger side, which is slowly becoming everyone as the years pass.

 

[Sweet Lou]

Exactly how it was handled.

 

[honus14]

Ask him, if it's a dead ball, does that mean the runners have to go back on a wild pitch? (Check your local rules first - since it's 8U Rec, there may actually be a rule that says so!)