strange play

[bigboyk]

I was watching a local high scholl playoff game and saw something I had never seen before. Runner on 2nd, right handed batter at bat, runner is stealing on pitch, batter takes pitch for a ball, catcher pops up and fires ball to third, ball bounces off batters helmet and over the third base side dugout out of play. Batters feet never moved, she was standing in box, after some discussion blue awarded base runner homeplate and batter resumed her at bat. I guess that was the right call but it sure looked strange!!!

 

[amanda_cake]

I can't say I've ever seen anything like that, I can imagine there would have been some fuss if that would have happened in one of our games! However, with a lot of local umpires enforcing the "one foot in the box at all times unless there is a play" rule, I can see where this would happen. After I take a pitch--ball or strike, swing, miss, foul ball, etc--I like to take both feet out to look at the third base coach, see what he has got to tell me, etc. With them forcing us to keep one foot in, I often feel as if I am in the catcher's way on a throw to third or whatever.

 

[ASAPAump]

Yeah, but Amanda, being in the box and being out of the box changes the call. In the OP, the batter was still in the box, and therefore it was NOT interference on the batter (unless intentional). If you were to move out of the box and get beaned in the helmet, it doesn't matter if it was intentional; if you interfered with the play, you're out. The safest place you can be (and by safe, I mean least likely to be OUT) is in the batter's box.

As a player I would never even step one foot out until I know where the ball is and the catcher gets rid of the ball.

 

[andyh64000]

So when the Umpire and coaches tell our 10u girls to move back on a passed ball with a runner on third the girls should actually just stay in the box? Seriously...I have wondered about this. I always thought of the box as a kind of safe zone but was given the impression that interference would be called if the batter didn't move.

 

[SoCalDad]

Below are the rules for ASA. In my interpretation of these rules since the batter was not actively or intentionally interfering (you state she never moved) then the runner should not have been awarded home plate.

ASA Rule 7, Section 6, Articles P through S applies:

The batter is out:

P. When hindering the catcher from catching or throwing the ball by stepping out of the batter’s box.
Q. When actively hindering the catcher while in the batter’s box.
R. When intentionally interfering with a thrown ball, in or out of the batter’s box.
S. When interfering with a play at home plate.
Effect: P-S: The ball is dead, the batter is out and each runner must return to the last base that, in the umpire’s judgment, was touched at the time of the interference.

Exception: If no play is being made and the batter accidentally makes contact with the catcher’s return throw to the pitcher, the ball is dead and any advancement of runner(s) shall be nullified.

Additionally, Rules Supplement #33 B states that

Batter Interference occurs while the batter is at bat and before the ball is batted. It occurs in fast pitch when the batter interferes with the catcher’s throw on an attempted steal or when the batter interferes with the catcher on a play at the plate. The batter’s box is not a sanctuary for the batter when a play is being made at the plate...

 

[Comp]

Andy, on a potential play at home plate, yes the batter must vacate the batters box. As stated in the above post with rules quote, the batters box is not a sanctuary when there is a play at the plate.

Awarding the runner home was the correct call. A ball thrown out of play is a 2 base award from the time of the throw. There was no interference on the play, the batter did exactly what they are suppose to do, it was a bad throw by the catcher that hit the batter in the helmet, live ball thrown out of play, 2 base award.

 

[ASAPAump]

Andy, on a potential play at home plate, yes the batter must vacate the batters box. As stated in the above post with rules quote, the batters box is not a sanctuary when there is a play at the plate.

Awarding the runner home was the correct call. A ball thrown out of play is a 2 base award from the time of the throw. There was no interference on the play, the batter did exactly what they are suppose to do, it was a bad throw by the catcher that hit the batter in the helmet, live ball thrown out of play, 2 base award.

Andy, Comp got this exactly right. On a play at the plate (which was not the OP, so I didn't include it. My apologies.) you MUST vacate any area needed for a play.

And SoCalDad, yes, for exactly the reasons Comp stated, the base award was correct.

 

[absdad]

It's always been my understanding that the batter was out when obstructing the catcher, period. In the box or out of the box, regardless. Not that in, or out of the box, was the "proper" place to be. The rules being specifying that batter could be called out, in either place. We've always taught our girls to know if there was, or going to be a play at the plate. If there potentially was, then they were to look back at the catcher, and move out of their way, wherever that was. Is this not correct???

 

[druer]

One of the things that I heard a college coach (former umpire) discuss regarding rules and how to use them to win, was this very situation. He was going through this rule for the catchers and said that the "Batter has the right to the batters box" and that they had to step clear to ensure a good throw. But then he challenged them to think through the fact that slappers more often than not are out of that batters box when throws need to be made to second in the case of the steal. And that when that situation arose their easiest throw for an out, was the back of the slapper and not to second base because in that case the batter did interfere because she has "no right" to be out of the batters box and in the field of play.

 

[ASAPAump]

It's always been my understanding that the batter was out when obstructing the catcher, period. In the box or out of the box, regardless. Not that in, or out of the box, was the "proper" place to be. The rules being specifying that batter could be called out, in either place. We've always taught our girls to know if there was, or going to be a play at the plate. If there potentially was, then they were to look back at the catcher, and move out of their way, wherever that was. Is this not correct???

Please see the rules already correctly posted by SoCalDad. If there is a play at the plate, the batter MUST vacate. Any other time, unless the batter INTENTIONALLY interferes, they are NOT OUT if they remain in the box.