February 2006
1. A team currently has a pitcher on their roster who has a prosthetic leg. In Championship competition, will the pitcher be granted a courtesy runner once they reach base?
A courtesy runner can be used in the following divisions of play, governed by their specific rules:
A.) JO Girls and Boys FP (Rule 8, Section 10 A-G)
B.) Masters and Seniors FP (Rule 8, Section 9 A 1-3)
C.) Masters/Senior Men and Women’s SP (Rule 8 Section 9 B 1 & B 2)
Any division of play not mentioned above is prohibited from using courtesy runners.
2. Two balls, two strikes count on the batter, R1 on 1B, pitch is thrown and called a ball, R1 steals 2B. The batter thinks a strike was called and goes into the dugout—umpire does not notice. Next batter steps into the batter’s box and takes a ball – umpire awards 1B. What do we have?
In this play, the batter who went to the dugout, B2, had not completed their turn at bat. (Rule 1, Turn at bat, Rule 11, Section 2 B 4 a,1-5, and 2 B 4 b, 1-6).
First, the advancement of R1 is legal in all scenarios.
The next batter, B3, completes B2’s turn at bat, constituting batting out of order. If properly appealed, the batter who should have finished their turn at bat, B2, would be ruled out. The improper batter, B3, who is standing on 1B, would be removed from the base and bats again with a count of 0 balls, and 0 strikes.
If not properly appealed, all play would stand, B3 would remain at 1B, and the next batter would be B4 with a count of 0 balls, 0 strikes. (Rule 7, Section 2 D 2 a and c, and Rule 7, Section 2 D 3 Effect).
3. R1 on 2B, pitch is thrown, R1 attempts to steal 3B, The catcher attempts a throw to 3B and the ball hits the batter in the helmet and the ball goes into dead ball territory. What is the call?
The umpire must determine whether Interference has been committed under Rule 7, Section 6 P, Q and R. If interference is judged, the ball is dead, the batter is out, and R1 would go back to the last base legally touched at the time of the Interference.
If there was no Interference, the ball is dead when it enters dead ball territory. The overthrow rule takes precedence, (Rule 8, Section 5G Effect). R1 would be awarded 2 bases, in this case 3rd and home, based on their position when the thrown ball was released.
4. Runner on 3B, batter-runner walks, catcher returns the ball to the pitcher who is in the circle. Batter-runner continues around 1B toward 2B. Runner is off 3B while batter-runner advances to 2B, but pitcher makes no attempt to make a play. Can the runner stay off 3B until the runner reaches 2B or does the runner have to return as soon as the BR reaches 1B?
(Fast Pitch Only) Once the batter-runner touched 1B and the ball remained in possession of the pitcher in the circle, the runner at 3B, after stopping, must EITHER immediately return to 3B or advance to home. If the runner at 3B was in violation, the umpire shall declare “dead ball”, rule the runner at 3B out, and return the “original batter-runner” to the last base legally touched prior to the ball becoming dead. (Rule 8, Section 7 T 1).
5. Slow Pitch – With a runner on 2B, the catcher throws the ball to the pitcher who misses the ball and it rolls back toward 2B. The base runner comes off 2B and retrieves the ball. What is the call?
In Slow Pitch without stealing, the ball is dead after each pitch not in play. The runner at 2B is merely securing a dead ball. No violation. (Rule 8, Section 6 G).
In Slow Pitch with stealing, except when the ball hits the ground in front of the plate, hits the plate, or hits the batter, the ball is live, (Rule 8, Section 4 F, 1-4), and the runner could be called out for interference if, in the umpire’s judgment, the defense had an opportunity to make an out on the live ball. (Rule 8, Section 7 J 3).
The 2006 ASA Official Rules of Softball, Rule 4, Section 1 C 3 e contains the defensive alignment for Co-ed Slow Pitch. The rule states that the Co-ed defense shall consist of a male & a female as pitcher & catcher, 2 males & 2 females in the infield, 2 males & 2 females in the outfield. As written, this rule is interpreted to mean that defensive players not on the dirt portion of the infield are considered outfielders.
Rule 1 – Definitions of the 2006 ASA Official Rules of Softball – contains definitions for both an infielder and an outfielder. The outfielder definition states: An outfielder is a fielder who defends the area of the field that the left, left-center, right-center and right fielders normally play. In the game of Slow Pitch, this could mean all four are playing at basically the same depth or it also could mean that three are playing at almost the same depth with one playing as a short fielder – these are both considered normal play in the Slow Pitch game.
ASA does not have a line of demarcation for outfielders in the Co-ed game. Other rules are in place to offset this situation – such as a smaller ball for the female hitters and penalties for walking male hitters. These are the rules approved and implemented for the Co-ed game in the ASA.
As a reminder, the ASA Official Rules of Softball only apply to ASA Championship Play. Local associations as well as other organizations may adopt or use all or any part of the ASA Softball Playing Rules as they deem appropriate for use in Non-Championship Play (Rule 12).
February Questions
Rule 8, Section 4 G 6 d. The intent of this rule is to allow runners in the 10U Division to score on any type of awarded base situation; however, in the past the rule listed only two situations when a runner could score from 3B, a) when a ball goes out of play or, b) on an illegal pitch. An example of an awarded base that was omitted is catcher obstruction, leading some to believe that a runner could not score on catcher obstruction in this division of play. The previous interpretation of the 10-Under Fast Pitch rule was that a runner was allowed to score on any type of awarded base, but the rulebook did not list all situations. Therefore, Rule 8, Section 4 G 6 d of the 2006 rulebook was corrected and now reads that runners can score from 3B “on an awarded base”.
Two-Umpire System: Runner at 1B only. Batter hits a line drive to right field; the base umpire turns to take the play. The base umpire sees a no catch and makes that call; however, the plate umpire simultaneously calls the same play a catch.
The runner at 1B is tagged out while off the base. The umpires get together and decide that the batter runner is out on the catch (plate umpire overruled the base umpire) and the runner that started at 1B was put back on 1B because the umpires put the runner in jeopardy on the double call.
The catch/no catch call became the responsibility of the base umpire when that umpire “turned to take the play”, Umpire Manual, Fly Ball Coverage, page 212. Had proper mechanics been used by the plate umpire, he or she should have recognized that the base umpire had gone out on the play and the call belonged to that umpire, thus the double call would have been prevented. Since the umpires got together and determined that a catch was made, the decision to place the runner back on 1B was proper because their reversal of the call placed the runner in jeopardy, Rule 10, Section 6 C. NOTE: Rule 10, Section 1 G states, in part, “No umpire has the authority to set aside or question decisions made by another umpire within the limits of the respective duties…” All umpires should be mindful of this rule when seeking to overrule the decision of a fellow umpire.
Rule Clarifications and Plays Index
