Slapper hit by pitch

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Aug 12, 2016
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I have a quick question. Coaching a high school varsity game last night. A girl from the other team was trying to slap. She went forward in the box, all the way out of the box. She moved in the direction of the pitch and it hit her in the arm. She was completely out of the batter's box. Both feet were out. Ump said dead ball and gave her 1st base. I argued that she interfered with the pitch and it should have been a out or at least a strike. What do you guys think?
 
Jun 22, 2008
3,731
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Was the pitch off line and toward the batters box? Did the batter prevent the pitch from entering the strike zone? Umpire judgement, if they judge the batter prevented the pitch from entering the strike zone it should be ruled a dead ball strike. If it was off line toward the batters box and hit the batter then you have a hit by pitch.
 
May 29, 2015
3,714
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MSMITH started it was high school varsity, so I am assuming NFHS rules.

Going to disagree with Comp on this one. NFHS citations from the 2016 book since I have it electronically.

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.


The pitched ball was not entirely within the batter’s box. It was “intercepted” by the hitter, but it was not entirely in the box. It is entirely possible that ball would have sailed behind the batter cleanly had she not run out of the box.

So, what happens next? We know it is a dead ball and we have two options: ball or strike. We know it can’t be a strike ... so, dead ball ball and any runners attempting to advance will go back.

Now here is an interesting thought ... if you had runners stealing, could you have interference on the batter for preventing the catcher from being able to make a play?
 
Jun 22, 2008
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Your citation is about the batter not having to make an attempt to avoid the pitch if the ball is entirely in the batter's box, it has nothing to do with actually being hit by a pitch.

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Jun 6, 2016
2,712
113
Chicago
We know it can’t be a strike

Why not? My reading of this description (I could be wrong!) is that the runner A) had two feet out of the box in the front and B) moved "toward the pitch," which I read as toward home plate. Maybe my reading is wrong, but if the umpire feels the ball was going to be a strike had the batter not made contact, couldn't he call that a strike?
 
Apr 28, 2019
1,423
83
I have a quick question. Coaching a high school varsity game last night. A girl from the other team was trying to slap. She went forward in the box, all the way out of the box. She moved in the direction of the pitch and it hit her in the arm. She was completely out of the batter's box. Both feet were out. Ump said dead ball and gave her 1st base. I argued that she interfered with the pitch and it should have been a out or at least a strike. What do you guys think?
Not sure but if she’s out of the batters box shouldn’t she be out? I saw this several times with the Alabama slapper in WCWS. She was out of the batters box moving forward and she was called out for being out of the BB multiple times. She wasn’t hit by any pitches that I saw.
 
Jun 22, 2008
3,731
113
Different rule, different rule set and has nothing to do with being hit by pitch.

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