OK, Call Me Crazy

[PA SB Dad]

OK, today I want to intentionally walk a batter - four straight balls. I instruct my catcher to stand up with her body behind the opposite batter's box (ie within the catcher's box). The PU says no, she has to be crouched down and in the catchers box to receive the pitch. I say no, she has to be in the catchers box, and the catchers box extends out to the limits of both batter's boxes. Both the PU and BU say no, the catcher's box is behind home plate. PONY rules. Please tell me I am not crazy?

 

[Greenmonsters]

You are not crazy (at least in regards to this situation). My first reaction is to conclude that your umpires were baseball umpires, as the BB catcher's box is indeed smaller than in FP; however, in BB the catchers are allowed to stand to receive a pitch so the crouching is not a baseball umpire hold over either. Logically, the only remaining explanation is that your umpires were aliens occupying human forms.

 

[Umpire]

Catcher's box is the width of both batter's boxes in PONY Softball. There is no crouch rule either. If there isn't one on an ordinary pitch, why would there be one on an intentional walk?

 

[PA SB Dad]

Catcher's box is the width of both batter's boxes in PONY Softball. There is no crouch rule either. If there isn't one on an ordinary pitch, why would there be one on an intentional walk?

I had the exact same question. If I were still in a mood, I would post the video of the exchange from my Ion Air camera.

 

[texas4life]

No you are not crazy at all. Your pony league people need some lessons on the sport. I truly wish they would bring the international rule into all of the USA leagues and allow you to intentionally walk a batter without pitching. Just have a coach tell the blue we want to walk this batter and boom she walks.

 

[SoCal_Dad]

OP's umpires don't understand pitching preliminaries rule 7.1.d - "The pitcher shall not be considered in pitching position unless the catcher is in position to receive the pitch."

FWIW, it must be a little unnerving for them to be so exposed behind the plate without a catcher in front of them.

 

[ConorMacleod]

Ya, but did your pitcher throw an "intentional ball" right down the middle of the plate and have the batter jack one to the outfield? Because that happened to me a couple weeks back. The pitcher and I had a nice little talk about how just trying to throw strikes is not "pitching".