Pitcher hit with line Drive

[Hoover's Dad]

In a tournament this past weekend, I saw two 10u pitchers take a line drive to the leg and to the arm. Almost instantly the home plate umpire called time and everyone started running out onto the field to check on the pitchers. Both times there was a runner or runners on base that possibly could have advanced further or a defensive player could have made an out, but time was called. This was in a USFA tourny.

What is the ump supposed to do? I always thought you waited until play ceased.

 

[Comp]

Dont know what USFA rules are, but in ASA and FED, unless in the umpires judgement it is severe injury, it should be allowed to play out. When play has stopped then the player can be checked and attended to. If it is in the umpires judgement it is a serious injury, then time should be called immediately and batter and any runners placed where the umpire feels they would have ended up without time being called.

 

[Tex]

If the umpire believes that there is a possible serious injury to a player, time is called so the coaches and / or other personnel can supply aid. The umpires will then award the runners the base they believe the runners would have obtained if play was not stopped. All awared bases must be run properly or the defense can appeal for an out.

 

[BretMan]

This is from the USFA rule book (it's not listed as a playing rule, but it's under a section in the back of the book called "USFA Sportsmanship Guidelines"):

If a player gets hurt (especially a head injury), “Dead Ball” will be called by the umpire. Safety is taken very seriously and should be monitored by all coaches and umpires.

There's nothing in their rule book that addresses what happens after the ball is called dead. It doesn't say if the umpire can award bases if he judges that the runners would have advanced had play not been stopped...which doesn't surprise me one bit!

The USFA rule book is the laughingstock of the softball world. It is vaguely written, leaving many of their rules open to interpretation. Many of their rules contradict with the standard rules that are common for all other associations. There are scores of situations that could come up in a game that aren't addressed by any of their rules, to the point that I don't see how these situations could be covered in any sort of uniform manner from game-to-game.

But they do throw in this explanation:

These are the basic playing rules adapted by the United States Fastpitch Association. We will not mention the very basics, which are universal. Balls, strikes, outs, foul ball, fair ball, defensive interference, offensive interference, home run, triple, double, single, walk, strike out, etc. These are some of the fundamental parts of the game that have been a part of the game since it was invented. Any organization that changes these rules is changing the foundation of the game.

So they don't make any mention of these "basics", leaving their interpretation and enforcement up to the whim of the particular umpire for that day. Maybe they're trying to "simplify" things. But what they're really doing is creating a rule book that has big enough loopholes in it to drive a Mack truck through. If these "basics" are not defined, how can any rule pertaining to them be properly enforced? And, in the course of glossing over these "basics", they have written enough bizarre rules and ignored so many basic premises that, to me, they truely have "changed the foundation of the game".

As to the question raised here, apparently they do require the play to be called dead anytime a player is hurt, regardless of the nature of the injury or the circumstances of the play in progress. What happens next is anybody's guess as they simply do not address that.

 

[Umpireernie]

These are the basic playing rules adapted by the United States Fastpitch Association. We will not mention the very basics, which are universal. Balls, strikes, outs, foul ball, fair ball, defensive interference, offensive interference, home run, triple, double, single, walk, strike out, etc. These are some of the fundamental parts of the game that have been a part of the game since it was invented. Any organization that changes these rules is changing the foundation of the game.[ENDQUOTE]

Defensive interference. Heavy sigh.

 

[Umpireernie]

These are the basic playing rules adapted by the United States Fastpitch Association. We will not mention the very basics, which are universal. Balls, strikes, outs, foul ball, fair ball, defensive interference, offensive interference, home run, triple, double, single, walk, strike out, etc. These are some of the fundamental parts of the game that have been a part of the game since it was invented. Any organization that changes these rules is changing the foundation of the game.

Defensive interference? Really?

 

[BretMan]

Yeah...really...I didn't even comment on that. Decided to just let it speak for itself.

As bad as their rule book is, it's actually an improvement over what they had when they first started. Their "rule book" was actually more like a "rule hand-out". It started with the above passage about "These are the basic playing rules...", was about one page long, and included the infamous directive that (with respect to a batter being hit by a pitch) "the hands ARE part of the bat".

 

[Lozza]

I would think very, very lowly of any coach that would send a runner when you have a little girl just been laid out on the ground.

This is a time where rules are irrelevant and common human decency should be in play. If my pitcher was laid out by a line drive, my first instinct is to get to the player, not a stupid game.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Lozza, Maybe we have hit on a difference between men and women and baseball vs. softball. ?? I don't care if it is the the WCWS, kill the ball and help the player. A young lady could have a broken bone and a runner is hung up in a pickle. It is no different than if the player was hit in the chest, neck or face. Common sense needs to be applied.

 

[GI Tom]

Lozza, Maybe we have hit on a difference between men and women and baseball vs. softball. ?? I don't care if it is the the WCWS, kill the ball and help the player. A young lady could have a broken bone and a runner is hung up in a pickle. It is no different than if the player was hit in the chest, neck or face. Common sense needs to be applied.

Amy, I'm with you on this. I don't mean that every little whine, cut or complaint has to be addressed, but I will tell you things like this will gain my attention real fast as either a coach or an umpire. As an umpire, if I have the slightest doubt of serious injury, we're stopping play. Period. (Keyword is "I") Games can be played, etc, but serious injuries and potential serious harm cannot be undone. I will always come down on the side of caution when dealing with plays like this if I think there is a potential problem.

What was described in OP was proably a HTBT play both times, but again, if in my opinoin there was a chance for serious injury, we're stopping.

I don't see how ANYONE can fault an umpire when safety is a concern in their judgment.