Some rules to Ponder.......

[flash277]

USSSA RULES:


121.The lineup card, consisting of all starters and available substitutes, was given to the umpires at the start of the game. In the fourth inning, the manager substitutes a player whose name was not on the lineup card.

Ruling - LEGAL, provided the player is listed on the team's online roster. Eligible roster members may be added as substitutes at any time (5.1.C, p 29)

Comment: when a coach tenders a lineup or makes a substitution, he/she is representing that the involved players are eligible roster members and - unless there is obvious evidence to contradict that - umpires should take that representation at face value. It the opposing coach doesn't agree, it is his/her responsibility to file an eligibility protest

122. The bases are loaded with no outs when B4 hits into a 6-4-3 double play. Both R1 and R2 advance and score; however, R2 missed third base and is called out on appeal.

Ruling - VALID APPEAL for the third out, but R1's RUN COUNTS. This is a TIME PLAY, not a force out. The front end of the double play (the putout of R3 at second base) terminates the force on R2; therefore, the putout on R2 at third base becomes a time play (3.FORCE PLAY, p 21; 4.2.A, p 26)

123. B4 leads off the inning and hits a pitched ball over the fence. She falls down as she attempts to run the bases and is injured and unable to continue. The manager wants to insert a) B3, the last completed at bat, or b) S1 to fulfill B4's base running responsibility.

Ruling - in a), LEGAL, provided the team has no unused substitutes available. When an Absent Player situation is created (because a team has no substitutes) due to injury AND while the player is either a batter-runner or runner, she may be replaced by the last completed at bat (LCAB) to fulfill her base running responsibility. However, this exception doesn't apply to any future at bat. In b), LEGAL. A legally eligible substitute may be entered during a dead ball to fulfill a player's base running responsibilities related to an award arising while the ball was live (5.2.A.1 EXCEPTION, p 30)

124. The pitcher is wearing a red, white and blue glove.

Ruling - LEGAL; the glove/mitt may be any combination of colors except the color of the game ball or optic (2.9.B, p 11)

125. The bases are loaded with no outs when the batter hits a) a line drive to the shortstop, or b) a bunted pop fly which lands midway between home plate and the pitching circle.

Ruling - LIVE BALL; the infield fly rule is never in effect on a line drive, or a bunt. If an infielder grasps or controls the ball and then intentionally allows it to drop or guides it to the ground, then the INTENTIONALLY DROPPED BALL RULE would apply; the ball would be dead, the batter would be declared out (lifting the force play), and the runners would return to their bases (3.INFIELD FLY, p 22; 8.17.D, p 49)

 

[flash277]

USSSA RULES:

The General Obstruction rule provides that a base runner may not be put out between two bases where the obstruction occurs. However, there are four exceptions to the General rule. Do you know what they are?

i) the runner obtains the base they would have attained (had they not been obstructed), and there is a subsequent play
ii) the runner commits interference or malicious contact
iii) the runner passes another runner
iv) a proper appeal is made on the runner for failing to tag up or missing a base, unless the OBS prevents her attempted return to cure the base running error

 

[Greatdaytobeawildcat]

122. The bases are loaded with no outs when B4 hits into a 6-4-3 double play. Both R1 and R2 advance and score; however, R2 missed third base and is called out on appeal.

We know she missed third base, because it's the only way she'd have been fast enough to have scored on this play...

 

[flash277]

USSSA RULES:

126. The batter hits a pitched ball in the air to the outfield. The curving ball is a) inside, or b) outside the foul line when it passes over the outfield fence, scarcely glancing off the side of the foul pole.

Ruling - in both a) and b), DEAD BALL and a HOME RUN. A batted ball is considered fair when it passes out of the playing field in flight while over fair territory, which includes the foul poles (3.FAIR BALL NOTE, p 21)

127. During the pregame conference, an adult assistant coach presents the lineup card, identifies the head coach, and verifies that all players are legally and properly equipped.

Ruling - LEGAL. The rules merely require at least one adult coach from each team to attend the pregame conference. He/she must identify the head coach, but the head coach is not required to be present at the meeting (4.8.D, p 29)

128. As the pitcher pauses to take (or simulate taking) her signal from the catcher, the plate umpire notices that the batter's foot is partially out of the batter's box.

Ruling - the umpire should hold up the pitcher or call "Time" and then ask the batter to correct the position of her foot. The umpire should NOT allow the pitcher to pitch when he/she observes that the batter is not in proper batting position. Prior to the pitch, the batter must have both feet completely in the batter's box; the batter may touch the lines, but no part of the foot may be outside the lines prior to the pitch (7.4.A, p 38)

129. A team is using 11 batters in a 12-player lineup with the DP batting third and playing first base. The FLEX is playing right field. In the first and third innings, the DP gets on base and, in each case, the FLEX is put in to run.

Ruling - LEGAL; however, after the DP re-enters and then is replaced by the FLEX to run again in the third inning, the DP may not re-enter the game a second time.

When a DP is replaced on offense by a FLEX player, the DP is considered to have left the game. This reduces the number of players in the lineup by one; however, the number of batters does not change.

A DP may re-enter one time, as long as the DP returns to the original position in the batting order.

(5.4.E & F, p 31)

NOTE: the substitution/re-entry rules apply to the individual players holding the DP and FLEX positions, not the positions themselves. Once the starting DP's re-entry is exhausted, a coach could utilize a substitute as the DP and continue to run the FLEX (until THAT DP's re-entry rights are exhausted), or it is possible that several players at one time could hold re-entry rights into the DP position

130. The batter beats out a fair batted ball by sliding into and touching first base. The batter-runner's momentum causes her to lose contact with the base. The first baseman then tags the batter-runner with the ball.

Ruling - the batter-runner is NOT OUT. A batter-runner who reaches first base safely and then overruns or over slides may immediately return without liability to be put out, provided they do not feint or attempt to advance to second base (8.10, p 45)

 

[flash277]

USSSA RULES:

131. R1 is on second base. The batter hits a pitched ball on the ground. After the ball passes the shortstop, R1 intentionally deflects the ball with her right foot so that the ball is directed away from the left fielder who is covering up behind the shortstop.

Ruling - DEAD BALL and INTERFERENCE; R1 is declared out, and the batter-runner is awarded first base. A runner is out when she intentionally contacts a fair ball (8.18.U, p 41)

132. There are no runners on base with two outs, and the batter has two strikes. The batter attempts to bunt the next pitch, but misses, and the catcher drops the ball.

Ruling - LIVE BALL; the batter becomes a batter-runner when charged with a third strike (unless there are less than two outs AND first base is occupied at the time of the pitch). If the catcher does not complete the putout by catching the third strike, the batter-runner will be called safe if she reaches first base before the ball is held by a fielder while touching the base or before being tagged with the ball (7.4.B, p 43, 8.17.D, p 49)

133. A runner a) intentionally removes her helmet and carries it with her while running the bases, or b) after the ball has returned to the circle and she is standing on base, removes her helmet to wipe perspiration from her hair or eyes.

Ruling - in a), DELAYED DEAD BALL when anyone who is required to wear a batting helmet deliberately removes the helmet when the ball is live; at the conclusion of the play, if it is a:

First offense - TEAM WARNING
Subsequent offense by any team member - the offender is RESTRICTED to the bench and her Head Coach is EJECTED

In b), no penalty in this situation, common sense must be used! It is not within the spirit or intent of the rule to sanction a runner for removing her helmet when all action has ceased, even when the ball is live

(2.1, p 8; 10.2.F, p 57; 11.2.C, p 58)

134. B4 is the last out from the previous inning. In the next inning, B3 comes to bat instead of the proper batter, B5. B3 flies out and B4 comes to bat again and singles. The defense now appeals batting out of order.

Ruling - INVALID APPEAL. Although B3 was an improper batter, the first pitch to the next batter legalizes B3's improper at bat. B4 is now the legal batter, because her name follows that of the last legal batter, B3

A batter is in proper order (in this case, B4) if the batter follows the preceding player (B3) in the lineup, even though such preceding batter may have batted out of order. The instant an improper batter's actions are legalized, the batting order picks up with the name following that of the legalized improper batter

(7.2, p 38; 9.10.D, p 55-56)

135. The batter hits a pitched ball, on the ground, out in front of home plate. She runs in fair territory and toward the three-foot running lane. Before she reaches the running lane, the catcher's throw toward first base hits the batter-runner in the back.

Ruling - LIVE BALL and NO VIOLATION unless the batter-runner intentionally interferes. If a batter-runner is hit with a thrown ball before the running lane, she is not out. It does not matter whether she is in foul or fair territory as long as she did not intentionally interfere with the thrown ball (8.18.F, p 50)

 

[flash277]

USSSA RULES:

Which of the following is NOT an illegal pitch?

a) Pivot foot not in contact with the pitching plate

b) Quick pitch

c) Failure to take (or simulate taking) a signal with hands separated

d) Violation of the 20-second rule

e) Double-touching



b (Quick Pitch) and d (Violation of the 20-second rule) are both violations of the pitching rule, but they are NOT ILLEGAL PITCHES

 

[flash277]

USSSA RULES:

136. The pitcher pushes from the pitcher's plate in such a manner that the non-pivot foot touches the ground before or after the pivot foot leaves the pitcher's plate.

Ruling - LEGAL; as long as the pivot foot remains in contact with the ground, it may remain in contact with OR push off and drag away from the pitching plate prior to the non-pivot (stride) foot touching the ground (6.1.E NOTE, p 34)

137. R1 is at third base. The batter hits a pitched ball toward the third base dugout. F2 attempts to catch the foul fly but cannot reach the ball because the on-deck batter is a) in the on-deck circle, or b) out of the on-deck circle while trying to avoid the fly ball.

Ruling - in a) and b), DEAD BALL and INTERFERENCE, if the fielder has a play on the ball and is impeded by the on-deck batter, whether intentional or not. The batter is declared OUT and R1 remains at third base. The on-deck batter may not interfere with the defensive player's opportunity to make an out; if it is with a fielder fielding a fly ball, the batter is out (7.1.D, p 38)

138. The batter has a count on no balls and two strikes. The next pitched ball hits the ground in front of home plate and then the batter swings and fouls the ball back into the catcher's glove.

Ruling - LIVE BALL, FOUL TIP which is strike three, and the batter is OUT. A batted ball which goes directly and speedily from the bat to the catcher's mitt or hand and is legally caught by the catcher is a foul tip, and the ball remains live (3.FOUL TIP, p 22; 7.5.E, p 38)

Comment: if the batter had swung at and completely missed the pitch, she could run under the uncaught ("dropped") third strike rule.

139. The bases are loaded with no outs. The batter hits the next pitched ball on the ground toward F4. R3 is tagged out by F4 and then interferes with F4's attempt to play on the batter-runner at first base. R1 scores before R3 causes the interference.

Ruling - DEAD BALL and INTERFERENCE is called. This is interference by a retired runner (R3). Since R1 is also a retired runner (she has scored), the runner closest to home, R2, is declared out for R3's interference. All other runners who have not scored or been put out must return to the last base touched at the time of the interference, and the batter-runner is awarded first base

If a retired runner interferes and, in the umpire's judgment, another runner could be put out, the umpire should declare the runner closest to home out (8.16.C, p 48; 8.18.H NOTE 2, p 51)

140. The catcher has possession of the ball in her hand when she tags a runner with the back of the hand. The ball does not come in contact with the runner.

Ruling - LEGAL TAG, and the runner is OUT. A legal tag includes touching a runner (who is not touching a base) with the glove or hand when the live ball is held securely therein by a fielder (3.TAG OUT, p 25)

 

[jackfrost]

USSSA RULES:

140. The catcher has possession of the ball in her hand when she tags a runner with the back of the hand. The ball does not come in contact with the runner.

Ruling - LEGAL TAG, and the runner is OUT. A legal tag includes touching a runner (who is not touching a base) with the glove or hand when the live ball is held securely therein by a fielder (3.TAG OUT, p 25)

I really like the clarity of this rule statement; "with the glove or hand when the live ball is held securely therein". Some codes say "touching the runner with the ball....." I have seen arguments that touching the runner with the back of the hand would not be an out because that rule set say "touching the runner with the ball". I would always call that an out. Rarely do you ever see a "touch with the ball".

 

[CoachJD]

I really like the clarity of this rule statement; "with the glove or hand when the live ball is held securely therein". Some codes say "touching the runner with the ball....." I have seen arguments that touching the runner with the back of the hand would not be an out because that rule set say "touching the runner with the ball". I would always call that an out. Rarely do you ever see a "touch with the ball".

I can't even imagine arguing this play. Half the time I'm not even 100% sure if I saw tag/no tag, but to be absolutely certain only the hand and no part of the ball touched the runner? My eyes are nowhere near that good.

 

[CoachJD]

The example I like to use is: the runner on second is running on the pitch to steal, F6 obstructs as the runner goes by. The batter lines the pitch to F6 who then steps on 2nd base (or tosses the ball to F4) for the "double play". However, due to the obstruction, the runner cannot be called out. Did the obstruction have anything to do with the play? Did it alter the outcome? No, but the rule says we cannot call the runner out.

Thinking of a slightly different version of your scenario.

Runner on second stealing, F6 obstructs. The ball is popped up, which allows the runner to get all the way to third. The ball is then caught.

Since she reached the base she would have reached without obstruction (third), does catching the pop-up count as a "subsequent play"? In this case, would the obstruction be nullified?

Also, the rule (looking at NFHS) says "an obstructed runner may not be called out between the two bases where she was obstructed." I don't like the word "between" there because it quite literally means anywhere in the space the exists from where second base ends and third base begins. "Between" doesn't cover the bases. (The numbers between 1 and 5 are 2, 3, and 4, not 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.) But I've learned from these discussions in the past that it's silly of me to expect the actual, literal definitions of words to matter when it comes to rule sets. Anyway, taken literally, in your example she could be called out since the out didn't occur between the bases. It occurred on second base.