Some rules to Ponder.......

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May 29, 2015
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@flash277 -- just wanting to reinforce the differences in case anybody is speed reading. :)

USSSA and USA do allow a bandaid/tape on the fingers for the purpose of covering an injury.

NFHS: 6-2-2 "The pitcher shall not at any time be allowed to use tape or other substances on the ball or contact points of the pitching hand or fingers ... The pitcher shall not wear any item on the pitching hand, wrist, arm, or thighs which the umpire judges to be distracting to the batter,"

Tape on elbows, forearms, etc. would be allowable in all three codes as long as it is not distracting.
 
So the bandaid on the blistering index finger of pitching hand is illegal. This is why super glue is applied before blister occurs. It’s also illegal but harder to detect. It gives no advantage to the pitch only protects the pitcher from injury.
 
Jan 8, 2019
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23. B1 hits a pitched ball over the outfield fence for a home run. The third base coach slaps B1 on the back and grabs her by the hand as she rounds third base and propels her toward home plate.

Ruling - The coach's actions in this case are not considered physically assisting. He/she has not assisted a runner that was on base and is simply congratulating B1 on the home run. Common sense must prevail. (8.18.Y, p 53)
Saw similar to this in a tourney about 3 yrs ago. We were getting creamed, and the other team was neither letting up not letting anyone in town miss that they were "all that."

Girl crushed one (but I think there were either no fences or they were very deep) with a couple of runners on. She was rounding third (ball was still deep in the OF), made a little bit of a wide turn, but nothing crazy. 3B coach gives her high 5 and slaps her on the back, and she was called out. Everyone on the field thought it was BS, but everyone not associated with the team found it very entertaining and satisfying! I don't doubt that this blue was looking to give us a break if he could find one.
 
Aug 25, 2019
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USSSA RULES

26. After ball four is called on B2, F2 immediately throws the ball back to F1, who is within the 16- foot circle. R1 dances off third base and is moving back and forth between third base and home as B2 a) trots toward first base, or b) rounds first base and is on her way to second base.

Ruling - in a), LIVE BALL and NO VIOLATION. The Look-Back Rule is not effective until the batter-runner reaches first base or is put out. In b), DEAD BALL and R1 is called out for violating the Look-Back Rule. Although B2's continuous motion towards second base complies with the rule, R1's failure to immediately advance or return does NOT. (8.2, p 41)

27. R1 steals second base as the batter swings at the pitched ball. The ball deflects off the bat and goes directly back to the catcher's chest and rebounds into her glove, where it is held securely.

Ruling - DEAD BALL and FOUL. The ball becomes dead immediately when a batted ball on or over foul ground goes directly from the bat to the catcher's (equipment) without first touching the catcher's glove or hand. R1 must return to first base (10.1.D.2, p 56)

28. B1 hits a pitched ball on the ground through the infield into center field. As B1 rounds first base, she collides with F3, who is standing on the fair portion of the double base.

Ruling - DELAYED DEAD BALL should be signaled and OBSTRUCTION should be called. When no play is being attempted at first base, the batter-runner may touch the white or colored base. (8.19.D, p 53)

29. B2 warms up in the on-deck circle using a non-approved bat. In a), before, or b) after she enters the batter's box, the umpire notices the illegality.

Ruling - in a), the umpire should instruct the batter to obtain a legal bat. The non-approved bat shall be removed from the team's possession. In b), DEAD BALL and the BATTER IS OUT. The batter and her head coach are EJECTED. The bat is removed from the team's possession. (7.14.A EFFECT)

Comment: Although this situation is seemingly disadvantageous to the defense (the offended team), this is an issue of SAFETY. Officials should never knowingly allow a batter to enter the batter's box with an illegal bat of any kind.

30. F1 pushes off the pitcher's plate and drags the pivot foot in her motion to pitch. The pivot or pushing foot is replanted; F1 pushes again with the pivot foot, and subsequently delivers the ball.

Ruling - DELAYED DEAD BALL and an ILLEGAL PITCH. Techniques such as the "crow hop" and the "leap" are illegal (6.1.E.3 NOTE 2, p 34)
 
May 29, 2015
3,731
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26. After ball four is called on B2, F2 immediately throws the ball back to F1, who is within the 16- foot circle. R1 dances off third base and is moving back and forth between third base and home as B2 a) trots toward first base, or b) rounds first base and is on her way to second base.

Ruling - in a), LIVE BALL and NO VIOLATION. The Look-Back Rule is not effective until the batter-runner reaches first base or is put out. In b), DEAD BALL and R1 is called out for violating the Look-Back Rule. Although B2's continuous motion towards second base complies with the rule, R1's failure to immediately advance or return does NOT. (8.2, p 41)

I make this call regularly and it causes several coach arguments every year. Look back rule violations are not as difficult as people make them.
 
Aug 25, 2019
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I make this call regularly and it causes several coach arguments every year. Look back rule violations are not as difficult as people make them.
I called my first look back last year, it was so obvious, I was shocked when the coach came out to argue. I said to her "do you know what the look back rule is?" she said she did, so I said "well that was a textbook example of it, what's your argument?" She then turned around and walked back to the dugout.
 
Aug 25, 2019
1,066
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31. R1 is on second base with two outs. B4 hits a high pop fly to F1 that the pitcher catches. R1 removes her helmet prior to F1's catch. At the beginning of the next inning, the coach insists that B4 can lead off the inning because R1 made the third out -- not B4.

Ruling - the coach is incorrect; helmet removal is NOT penalized by calling the base runner out. The third out was made by B4, so B5 will lead off the inning. A DELAYED DEAD BALL should have been signaled when R1 removed her helmet, and at the end of the play a team warning should have been issued (10.2.F, p 57; 11.2.C, p 58)

Comment: Even if R1 was somehow called out on this play for another violation -- i.e., for interference, B4's at bat was completed, and B5 would lead off the next inning.

32. The offended coach notifies the plate umpire that the batter (#8, the original eighth batter) has re-entered illegally to bat in the seventh batting position. The notification is made a) before a pitch to #8, or b) after a pitch to #8.

Ruling - in a), NO VIOLATION. A player will not violate the illegal player provision until she enters the game and a pitch occurs. Any action before the pitch occurs IS CORRECTABLE. In b), the illegal player violation results in the immediate ejection of the illegal player and the head coach. If the illegal player completed her at bat on the pitch, she would be called out and any runner advances due to the illegal player becoming a batter-runner would be negated. Any additional outs on the play would stand.

If the illegal player had NOT completed her at bat, she may be replaced by an eligible substitute, if one is available

(5.7, p 33)

33. While in contact with the pitcher's plate, the pitcher proceeds to take the catcher's signal with the ball a) in her glove, or b) in her bare hand, which is held behind her back. The third base coach complains that the pitcher is not presenting the ball.

Ruling - in a) and b), LEGAL. There is no requirement that F1 "present" the ball. The pitcher may satisfy the requirement of pausing with the hands separated without the ball actually being visible (6.1.B, p 34)

34. B1, in an attempt to swing at a pitched ball, steps backward toward F2, causing one foot to be completely out of the batter's box. There is contact between the bat and F2's mitt during the attempted swing.

Ruling - DEAD BALL and the batter is out for INTERFERENCE. The catcher is not responsible for the contact and should not be penalized. The batter shall not interfere with the catcher's fielding a pitched ball by stepping out of the box (7.12, p 40)

35. With a count of 1 ball and 2 strikes, B1 a) taps the ball so that it rolls slowly within the infield, or b) swings very slowly at the ball, hitting it so the ball rolls slowly within the infield. In both cases, the ball becomes foul.

Ruling - in a), this is a BUNT and the batter is charged with strike three for bunting foul. In b), the ball is FOUL and the at bat continues; a slow swing is NOT considered a bunt (3.BUNT, p 18; 7.5.E, p 38)
 
Aug 25, 2019
1,066
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USSSA RULES:

36. The batter is standing in the batter's box and steps on home plate to avoid being hit by the pitch. The pitched ball accidentally strikes the bat of the batter while her foot is on home plate.

Ruling - DEAD BALL and the batter is OUT when any part of a foot is touching home plate when the ball makes contact with the bat. A batted ball is any ball that comes in contact with the bat; it need not be intentional (3.BATTED BALL, p 18; 7.14.H, p 41)

37. A team is playing with a 10 person lineup: 9 batters plus the DP/FLEX option. In the second inning, the FLEX legally reports to run for the DP. Later in the game, the DP re-enters and the FLEX a) returns to the #10 slot in the lineup, or b) is taken out of the game.

Ruling - LEGAL in both situations. A DP may re-enter one time, as long as the DP returns to the original position in the batting order. If the DP re-enters and the FLEX player was batting in the DP's spot, the FLEX player can either a) return to the FLEX position and play defense only, or b) leave the game (5.4.E, p 31)

38. R1 is on first base with one out. The scoreboard incorrectly states two outs. The batter hits a pitched ball to F8 and R1 advances past second base as the fly ball is caught for the apparent third out. The teams change sides.

During the pitcher's warm-up, the now defense notifies the plate umpire that there were only two outs. The plate umpire checks with the scorekeeper and sure enough the coach is correct, the score board was incorrect; there are only two outs.

Ruling - This is a technically a form of protest and not an appeal. The manager has protested before the next pitch which makes it a valid protest. The umpire has made an error allowing an inning to be completed with two outs. The team should come back up to bat with R1 placed back on first base with two outs.(13.4, p 60)

Comment: The playing rules don't always contemplate HOW to deal with umpire error. Some things the umpire just has to try and fix in the "least messy" way, attempting to be fair to both teams.

In this case, an argument COULD be made that R1 should be placed on second base (since she had passed second) when the inning apparently ended. But this would render R1 liable for appeal for leaving early without having had an opportunity to cure her baserunning error.

Given that this was an error by all 3 parties; the umpires AND the teams who vacated the field, the cleanest "fix" is to place R1 back on first base and continue play.

39. R1 is at first base. B2 hits a hard ground fair towards F5. F5 misplays the ball and it ricochets into the third base dugout/bench area.

Ruling - DEAD BALL and a TWO BASE AWARD for each runner. R1 is awarded third base and B2 is awarded second base (8.14.C.1, p 47)

40. After legally completing the pitching preliminaries, F1 separates her hands and takes the ball in the pitching hand back past the hip. She then makes a complete revolution, passing the hip a second time, before releasing the ball.

Ruling - LEGAL. The rules state that the ball does not have to be released the first time past the hip, as long as F1 does not exceed one and one-half
 
Aug 25, 2019
1,066
113
USSSA Rules;

41. The bases are loaded with one out. B5 has a count of two balls and two strikes. She swings and misses the next pitch for strike three. F2 drops the pitched ball and B5 starts to run to first base as R1 breaks for the plate. Simultaneously, the plate umpire calls B5 out and F2 picks up the ball and throws it toward first base, hitting B5, who is running inside the three-foot running lane. The ball rolls out of play.

Ruling - NO VIOLATION: DEAD BALL when the ball enters dead ball territory, and each runner is awarded TWO BASES based on their position at the TIME OF THE THROW. B5 is out on the strike out even though the pitch was uncaught, because first base was occupied with less than two outs (7.14.D, p 40; 8.14.C.3, p 47)

Comment: This would NOT be considered interference unless B5 intentionally interfered with the throw. The defense is responsible for knowing that B5 is out by rule; the act of B5 running and drawing a throw from F2 is therefore NOT considered interference

42. A coach from the dugout requests and is granted time and confers with F1. In the same half-inning, the coach again requests time and confers with F1. These conferences occurred in the a) fifth, or b) eighth inning.

Ruling - in a), there is no penalty, provided the team has not exceeded the limit of three charged defensive conferences for a seven-inning game. In b), for any charged conference in excess of one in each extra inning, the pitcher shall be removed as a pitcher for the duration of the game (4.8.A PENALTY, p 28)

43. There are no runners on base with one out. B3 receives a base on balls and walks toward first base. B3 a) delays stepping on first, or b) walks past the base without touching it. In both cases, B3 is tagged with the ball by F3, while off base.

Ruling - in a), B3 is SAFE because she is awarded first base after receiving four balls without liability to be put out until she reaches first base. In b), VALID LIVE BALL APPEAL (provided the defense gives some indication that they are appealing the violation) and B3 is declared OUT. It is true that a runner is assumed to have touched a base when she passes it, but she is liable for appeal for missing the base (8.18.J, p 51)

44. R1 is on first base with no outs. B2 has a one ball, no strike count. F1 delivers an illegal pitch which B2 takes as R1 steals second. The pitch crossed through the strike zone.

Ruling - DELAYED DEAD BALL is signaled, and "ILLEGAL PITCH" should be verbalized by the umpire. The pitch is called a STRIKE, and at the conclusion of the play, the offensive coach is given the option of:

i) the RESULT OF THE PLAY - accepting a strike on the batter, AND R1's steal of second base, OR

ii) the PENALTY - a ball is awarded to the batter, and R1 is returned to first base

(6.3.C, p 37)

Comment: on any OPTION PLAY, unless it is plainly obvious, it is good practice for the umpire crew to confer and agree on what the result of the play actually is, and what the options are to be offered by the plate umpire to the offended coach

45. The game goes into extra innings. The visiting team places the wrong runner (not an illegal substitute) on second base to start the inning. The proper batter comes to bat and takes one pitch. The defense notifies the plate umpire and demands the improper runner be ruled out.

Ruling - NO VIOLATION. If the wrong player is placed on second base, the correct runner should be inserted immediately, even if a pitch has been thrown, or the runner has advanced a base. All play made while the incorrect runner was on base stands. It is the responsibility of the Umpire and scorekeeper to notify the teams involved as to which player starts the half inning at second base (4.5, p 27)

Note: do not confuse this with a situation involving the wrong COURTESY runner:

Wrong Tiebreaker Runner - fix it and move on
Wrong Courtesy Runner - runner is out
 

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