High fives on a over the fence home run

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Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
Something happened in the NCAA about this this year. If I recalled correctly a player ran on the field in front of the umpire, umpire warned her not to do it again. Sure enough later in the game the player did it again and umpire nullified the HR. They didn’t mind all the players running out of the dugout but wanted to players to stay off the field so he could make sure the runner touched 3rd and home.
 
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JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
Something happened in the NCAA about this this year. If I recalled correctly a player ran on the field in front of the umpire, umpire warned her not to do it again. Sure enough later in the game the player did it again and umpire nullified the HR. They didn’t mind all the players running out of the dugout but wanted to players to stay off the field so he could make sure the runner touched 3rd and home.

If I remember correctly the umpire warned the players from the bench to not enter the playing field before the batter crossed home plate and they did it again and had the HR nullified.
 
Mar 13, 2010
960
0
Columbus, Ohio
The NCAA rule is different. Players have to stay in foul ground and can't touch the runner until she touches the plate. This is NOT the ASA rule.

Might this be my first springtime sighting of one of the most enduring rule myths in baseball or softball? The myth is that no one, either base coaches or team players, may EVER touch a runner. Yet not a season goes by where I don't hear of several cases where runners are called out because someone touched them, or gave them a high five as they rounded the bases.

Like most rule myths, it starts out with some tiny kernel of truth, but then actual rule gets misinterpreted and warped and twisted until the myth bears little resemblence to the truth.

The actual rule is that coaches, or other players besides another runner, may not physically assist a runner during a LIVE ball.

- After an over-the-fence home run, the ball is DEAD. So the rule doesn't even apply here. But, even if it did...

- Slapping hands to congratulate someone is NOT assisting them in running the bases. It doesn't stop their advance when they shouldn't be advancing, it doesn't encourage them to advance when they otherwise wouldn't, it doesn't aid them in touching a base, or alter their path, or help them to regain their footing. In short, it offers no advantage or assistance to a legally advancing runner.
 
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Jun 18, 2010
2,624
38
If I remember correctly the umpire warned the players from the bench to not enter the playing field before the batter crossed home plate and they did it again and had the HR nullified.

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During the five-inning victory, the Ducks launched a trio of home runs to support pitcher Cheridan Hawkins, who tossed a perfect game. Not that it mattered, but a celebratory miscue by Hawkins actually took a run off the board for her team.

The episode happened after Nikki Udria belted one over the center-field fence in the bottom of the fourth inning for what appeared to be a two-run homer. But before Udria could touch home plate, she was ruled out by umpire Paul "Smokey" Edds. Why? Because Hawkins stepped into fair territory while getting ready to celebrate at home plate.
 
Mar 26, 2013
1,934
0
Actually, Hawkins jumped over home plate. IMO, it was a CS call because it was well before a runner scored, so she did not interfere with the umpire. Worse yet, the umpire turns his back to the plate while calling the B-R out and probably didn't see the base runner touch the plate. smh

9.6.3 Offensive team personnel shall not interfere with a runner(s) who is legally running the bases on a dead-ball award until the player(s) contacts home plate nor with the umpire’s ability to see that all bases are properly touched.
9.6.3.1 Offensive team personnel, other than base coaches and base runner(s) shall not touch a runner(s) until the player(s) contacts home plate.
9.6.3.2 Offensive team personnel shall congregate only in foul territory around home plate to congratulate the runner(s).
EFFECT—For a first offense of Rule 9.6.3, the umpire shall issue a warning to the offending team. A subsequent offense of Rule 9.6.3.1 shall result in the player touched immediately declared out and credited with the last base legally touched at the time of interference. A subsequent offense of Rule 9.6.3.2 shall result in the batter-runner being declared out and credited with the last base legally touched at the time team personnel entered fair territory.


Oregon was warned after the previous HR and stayed way back, off the dirt, on the last one. Video clips are included in the postgame interview (after 1:40) - Cheridan Hawkins on her perfect game.
 
Mar 13, 2010
960
0
Columbus, Ohio
Over officious official!

Maybe. We don't know what directions NCAA gives its umpires for calling this. Maybe this is something they've been asked to watch for.

Overly officious rule? Yeah, probably so. Sometimes officails are put in the position of enforcing picky rules, even ones they might not personally agree with.

But these are the kinds of stupid rules you get when coaches have a heavy influence on the rules committee, which is the case for NCAA. Back a few years ago there was a game-ending HR where the batter was mobbed at the plate. The defensive coach cried that the plate was missed. That might have been the end of it, but that coach was on the NCAA rules committee. The next year...there's a rule about staying back away from the plate.

It's a common theme with NCAA rules. A coach has a hissy fit about a pitcher throwing illegal pitches...next year there are two white lines drawn at the sides of the pitching plate. A coach whines about his opponent having an incorrect entry on his line-up card...next year there is a penalty for submitting an incorrect line-up card. A coach goes nuts because a batter didn't try to avoid getting hit with a pitch...next year batter's no longer have to avoid getting hit.

Stupid rule, OOO umpire, maybe...but what can you say about a player who does something, gets warned not to do it again, then does it again!
 

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