tough call... right call.!?

[martianr]

I was watching a 10U championship game before our game.

Scenario: Two runners were on base and the batter gets up and hits a HOMERUN down the left field 200 feet line. She was 9 years old. I was so happy for the little girl. What an accomplishment.

Here is where the argument comes in and delayed the game over 15 minutes.

The girl that hit the HR is coming around 3rd heading home. The coach shakes her hand and pats her on the back while running beside her(not far maybe 2 steps). Then as the HR girl is about to touch home plate her teammates are congratulating her WHILE some of the girls are in fair territory and patting her on the helmet. It would appear they have never had a teammate hit a homerun(over a fence) before. Parents from one side were yelling every rule violation and parents/teammates from the other side were cheering and excited. A conference with umpires took place.

So after 15 minutes+, they scored the 2 runs(the girls that were on base) BUT took away the homerun and called her out. Apparently, the coach cannot touch the HR girl EXCEPT to give her a High Five or fist bump. Also, the players being in fair territory and touching the HR girl BEFORE she touched the plate was the other reason.

Fortunately for the team that hit the homerun won the game and the Championship.
I understand rules are made to be enforced BUT this would have been a great teaching moment about rules and let the HR stand and the YOUNG PLAYERS HAVE FUN and enjoy the moment. How would you feel it that was your 9 year old daughter?

P.S. I also overhead another Umpire say he would have kicked the coach out of the game for touching the HR runner.

P.S.S. The coach is also a certified Umpire. OUCH

 

[Comp]

Umpires that need to go back for additional training. There is no such rule about touching a runner, the rule is the coach cannot assist a runner. Shaking hands and patting on back is not physically assisting a runner.

 

[Gambler Bob]

There is a time where a rule can be bent and this is one of them IMO.

 

[Comp]

There is a time where a rule can be bent and this is one of them IMO.

There was no rule to bend. There is no rule about touching a runner, the coach cannot physically assist a runner.

As for bending rules, umpires that do that sort of thing are just setting themselves up for a protest. Umpires are there to enforce the rules of the game. Calling some rules may seem.over the top, but how is it fair to the offended team to ignore certain infractions?

 

[Gambler Bob]

There was no rule to bend. There is no rule about touching a runner, the coach cannot physically assist a runner.

As for bending rules, umpires that do that sort of thing are just setting themselves up for a protest. Umpires are there to enforce the rules of the game. Calling some rules may seem.over the top, but how is it fair to the offended team to ignore certain infractions?

I was not referring to the coach. I am talking about how the hitters teammates that were on the field in fair territory hitting the batter on the head before she touched home plate.

 

[Comp]

Not an infraction either, the rule is physically assist.

 

[Gambler Bob]

Not an infraction either, the rule is physically assist.

I am certainly not going to look up every rule book but here is the rule from the NCAA Rule Book. You may very well be 100% correct in other rule books.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...16.pdf&usg=AFQjCNH5XfVJO2NdllOJlxNTDWvGs8R-Yw

12.2.15 When, after hitting an out-of-the-park home run, providing her team
previously was warned under Rule 9.6.3, a member of the offensive team
enters fair territory to congratulate the batter before she touches home plate.
EFFECT—(12.2.14 and 12.2.15)—The ball is dead. The batter is out
and credited with the last base legally touched at the time of the
interference. Each other base runner must return to the last base
legally touched at the time of the touching by her own team or when
team personnel entered fair territory to congratulate a teammate.

9.6.3 Offensive team personnel shall neither interfere with a runner(s) who is
legally running the bases on a dead-ball award until the player(s) contacts
home plate nor with the umpire’s ability to see that all bases are properly
touched.
9.6.3.1 Offensive team personnel, other than base coaches and base
runner(s), shall not touch a runner(s) until the player(s) contacts home
plate.
9.6.3.2 Offensive team personnel shall congregate only in foul territory
around home plate to congratulate the runner(s).
EFFECT—In all cases, for a first offense of Rule 9.6.3, the umpire shall
issue a warning to the offending team. If a subsequent offense of
Rule 9.6.3 occurs that involves touching a runner, the player touched
is immediately declared out and credited with the last base legally
touched at the time of interference. If a subsequent offense of Rule
9.6.3 occurs that involves being in fair territory, the batter-runner is
declared out and credited with the last base legally touched at the time
team personnel entered fair territory

My interpretation is that the umpire shall give a warning or the umpire can call an out.

 

[Comp]

NCAA rules are far removed from every other softball rule set and moves further away every year as the coaches constantly tweak the rules. Only the most basic of the rules interchange between NCAA and other rule sets. The rule you quoted from NCAA does not apply in any other rule set.

Neither a coach or any other player except another runner may physically assist a runner. Handshakes, fist bumps, pats on back or helmet are not physically assisting. To avoid problems such as in the original post players should stay off the field and in foul territory but as I have already stated the rule is physically assist.

 

[Umpireernie]

What 10U league plays NCAA rules?

 

[BretMan]

In any amateur rule set other than NCAA there's no rule violation here.

This has to be one of the most prevalent and longest persisting rule MYTHS out there- that you can never touch a runner under any circumstances. It just simply isn't true.

Besides what's already been posted about merely "touching" a runner not being the same thing as "assisting" a runner, assisting a runner is a LIVE ball infraction. On an over the fence home run the ball is dead. When the ball's dead the coach could pick up his runner and carry her around the bases if he wanted to!