Hit By Pitch

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Mar 20, 2015
174
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Batter crowds plate with toes on the chalk line so elbow is obviously projecting out of the batters box. We call inside pitch and DD hits her spot on the corner of the plate. Borderline and could have been called a strike or a ball but hits batters elbow. Blue predictably awards her first base. What is the correct call and why are plate umpires reluctant to call the batter on this when its obvious what is going on. Does it help to have the catcher point out to blue at the beginning that she is projecting way out of the batters box.
 
Dec 15, 2018
809
93
CT
You say “borderline”, from wherever you were sitting. PU obviously said it was outside the strike zone (his/her judgment). The correct call is whatever the PU saw, which since they awarded the base, the pitch was not a strike.
 
May 29, 2015
3,731
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Believe it or not, hit by pitch is not standard across all codes.

I will say most (if not all) codes allow for a dead ball strike if the ball hits the batter in the strike zone. Sorry for your bruise, but you don’t get first.

It is possible you had an umpire who didn’t know this, but in my experience this isn’t one that umpires usually are unfamiliar with or are reluctant to call. Since you said the pitch was borderline, I would suppose your ump didn’t feel it was over the plate.

Always interesting when you call this for strike 3.

NFHS
Rule 7 Batting
SECTION 2 STRIKES, BALLS AND HITS
ART. 1 . . . A strike is charged to the batter when:
g. a pitched ball contacts the batter while swinging at the ball or the batter is hit by the pitch that is in the strike zone (dead-ball strike).
h. a pitched ball, in the umpire's judgment, is prevented from entering the strike zone by any actions of the batter (dead-ball strike).

USA Softball
846FD0FB-A6FA-4911-9EB6-5BFD9B51B6E3.jpeg
 
Dec 18, 2016
163
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Had my DD get hit twice in one at bat. The first one was called a dead ball strike and then she got plunked again the very next pitch. She got her base on that one. :D
 
Jul 14, 2018
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DD was on the other side of this yesterday. She faced a team that took an agressive step towards the plate on every pitch. AC (who calls the pitches) noticed and started calling lots of screwballs. She plunked four batters, including one who turned over the plate and took a pitch between the shoulder blades. Every one of them was awarded first base.

When the last one she hit got down to first, DD heard the first base coach ask the runner if she was okay. "Yes," she said, "it hit my bat." This was the tournament's host team :unsure:

DD won, BTW.
 
Mar 20, 2015
174
28
Ironically we were playing the host team as well. The batter was equipped with a big plastic elbow pad that she was sticking out of the batters box. She was hit on the first pitch. Got the next 3 batters out so did not have an effect on the game. DDs best pitch is a fastball on upper inside corner so she throws to this spot alot, but my thought is its better to pitch a batter with this approach low inside or risk giving up first. From what I could find the rules seem to say the batter needs to make an attempt to move out of the way. DD has hit multiple players on the elbow with inside pitches and more times than not the PU seems to give the benefit of doubt to the batter. To me just placing elbow with a protective pad well outside the box says you are trying to get hit especially if the ball is reasonably on or close to the edge of the plate.

Found this on the USA Softball Site.

15155
 
May 15, 2008
1,913
113
Cape Cod Mass.
Talk to the umpire, tell him your pitcher thinks some of the hitters are leaning into the pitch in an attempt to get HBP. Put the thought in his head about the situation.
 
May 29, 2015
3,731
113
From what I could find the rules seem to say the batter needs to make an attempt to move out of the way.

It depends on the rule set. (That chart is good for a quick reference, but it is overly simplistic in my opinion.)

NFHS: if the ball is entirely in the batter’s box, the hitter does not have to attempt to avoid being hit. If the pitch is partially out of the batter’s box, she does still have to attempt to avoid being hit. (I see this one missed in NFHS due to umps defaulting to “doesn’t have to move”.)

Rule 7 Batting
SECTION 2 STRIKES, BALLS AND HITS
ART. 1 . . . A strike is charged to the batter when:
g. a pitched ball contacts the batter while swinging at the ball or the batter is hit by the pitch that is in the strike zone (dead-ball strike).
h. a pitched ball, in the umpire's judgment, is prevented from entering the strike zone by any actions of the batter (dead-ball strike).

Rule 8 Batter-Runner and Runner
SECTION 1 THE BATTER BECOMES A BATTER-RUNNER
ART. 2 . . . A batter is awarded first base when:
b. (F.P.) a pitched ball is entirely within the batter’s box and it strikes the batter or her clothing. No attempt to avoid being hit by the pitch is required. However, the batter may not obviously try to get hit by the pitch.
PENALTIES: (Art. 2). 1. The ball is dead. The batter is entitled to one base without liability to be put out.

2. If the batter is hit anywhere on the body, including the hands, while swinging at a pitch and hits the ball fair or foul the ball is dead and a strike called. If it is strike three, the batter is out.

USA: The batter still has to make an attempt to avoid being hit. If she stands there and lets it hit her, you either have a dead ball-ball or a dead ball-strike. She does not get first base.

15156
15157
(Section 1 - The Batter Becomes a Batter Runner ... I couldn’t get that in the screenshot)

USSSA actually puts their verbiage in Rule 8 - Baserunning. You don’t have to attempt to move, but you can’t move into it. If it is in the strike zone, it’s a dead ball-strike.
15158
 
Jun 4, 2019
134
43
Few things are as frustrating than seeing a team that has been coached to stand there and get hit. Especially when the good teams do it. I’ve seen good players who should be up there hitting just watch a ball roll into their feet. Maybe it’s a guy thing, but I’d be embarrassed to have done that when I was in HS.

There was a lot of talk during last college season about bring back the mandatory attempt to get out of the way rule, no idea if they did.
 
May 29, 2015
3,731
113
Few things are as frustrating than seeing a team that has been coached to stand there and get hit. Especially when the good teams do it. I’ve seen good players who should be up there hitting just watch a ball roll into their feet. Maybe it’s a guy thing, but I’d be embarrassed to have done that when I was in HS.

There was a lot of talk during last college season about bring back the mandatory attempt to get out of the way rule, no idea if they did.

I admit, for that reason, I get some sick pleasure from yelling “Dead ball!” and then shaking my head as I watch the BR run down to first. “Come on back!” 😈

They did not. 2022 would be the soonest now.
 

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