Pitcher drops the ball in the arm circle or throws it straight down into the ground. What is the correct ruling? Illegal Pitch or Ball.
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Umpiring Question
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Ball, my DD does it once every couple games. It is a live ball, runners proceed at will
unless Blue calls dead ball
unless Blue calls dead ball
Correct. Ball to the batter, live ball, runners advance at their own risk.
Probably a ball to the batter...but there is an exception!
It's definitely a live ball, not an illegal pitch, and the runners are allowed to leave their bases. But don't forget the possibility that the ball could roll any direction after it slips from the pitcher's hand. If it rolls to the plate, the batter may still attempt to hit the ball. So, it could become a batted ball or swung at and missed for a strike. If it's not swung at, or never reaches the batter, then it is a ball to the batter.
One more thing that can happen here: If the ball is rolling to the plate, but the catcher jumps out and grabs the ball before it gets there, you're looking at a catcher obstruction call and that entails.
It's definitely a live ball, not an illegal pitch, and the runners are allowed to leave their bases. But don't forget the possibility that the ball could roll any direction after it slips from the pitcher's hand. If it rolls to the plate, the batter may still attempt to hit the ball. So, it could become a batted ball or swung at and missed for a strike. If it's not swung at, or never reaches the batter, then it is a ball to the batter.
One more thing that can happen here: If the ball is rolling to the plate, but the catcher jumps out and grabs the ball before it gets there, you're looking at a catcher obstruction call and that entails.
- May 25, 2010
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I was surprised to see girls swinging at rolling balls during the last rec season. I'd never seen that in my life.
I have a related question. A couple of tournaments back the opposing pitcher attempted to throw a change up. The ball went up about 10 feet over her head and she caught it on the way down (never touched the ground). The BU called IP and not a ball. Was that the correct call?
If the BU called it an IP, then it should be a ball to the batter's count and advancement to the next base for any runners already on base - assuming that "dead ball" was called when the pitcher caught it.
It shouldn't be an illegal pitch just because it slipped from her hand, went in the air and she caught it. The same "dropped ball" rule applies and it's still just a ball to the batter. The only way this action could be ruled an illegal pitch is if the umpire judged that the pitcher was deliberately not throwing to the batter for the purpose of preventing the batter from hitting (imagine a pitcher purposely doing this four times in a row to, in effect, issue an intentional walk without throwing any pitches).
Now, if the pitcher violated some other pitching rule, then had a the ball slip out like this, the illegal pitch call would be in effect.
Now, if the pitcher violated some other pitching rule, then had a the ball slip out like this, the illegal pitch call would be in effect.
