Batter holding up arm to try and not get hit by ball.

[Guest Gibby]

So I'm doing a 16U softball game and the batter puts her arm up to try and not get hit in the body by the ball. In doing so she basically completely moved out of the way of the ball and the ball hits her hand as she tries of swat it away. I called it a ball not a dead ball. Was this the right call or should it have been a dead ball.

[beerguy55]

A pitch that hits the batter is always a dead ball....it might be a ball, it might be a strike, it might be a hit by a pitch...but it's always a dead ball.

 

[Guest Gibby]

7 minutes ago, beerguy55 said:

A ball that hits the batter is always a dead ball....it might be a ball, it might be a strike, it might be a hit by a pitch...but it's always a dead ball.

So in this case do you think it would be a hit by pitch or a ball?

[beerguy55]

Just now, Guest Gibby said:

So in this case do you think it would be a hit by pitch or a ball?

Completely your judgment...you saw it, I didn't.  But, as described, it sounds to me like she was trying to avoid getting hit, making it a HBP.

[Guest ftb2ss]

If the ball would have hit her without her hand being there, I have a HBP.  I umpire USSSA and we have no requirement to avoid a pitch (can't move into one though).  This has happened a lot, since I umpire 10U-18U rec/select.  Most of the time I think it has happened to me is the pitch is so far inside that no matter what she did she was getting hit.  I always let them know getting hit on the body almost always hurts less then getting hit the hand.  Almost always for me in my experience it is a HBP.

[Mudisfun]

If the reaction of the batter, after jumping as far out of the way appeared to be defensive in nature, then I have a HBP. If the ball would have missed, in my judgement, and the batter then puts their hand in the way? Time. You stay here. 

[beerguy55]

To clarify my response...there is a difference between trying to get hit, and doing something that unintentionally caused you to be hit.  eg. an inside pitch, batter moves back as a natural reaction, and the ball hits him...if he had just stayed put the ball would have passed harmlessly behind him - that's still a HBP.

Most/many rule sets require the batter to make a reasonable attempt to avoid being hit...all rule sets prevent the batter from trying to be hit...no rule sets, AFAIK, punish a batter for causing themselves to be hit by accident.

This, to me, sounds like a batter trying to avoid being hit, and having no intent to allow the ball to hit their hand.

When in doubt, don't reward the pitcher for a really crappy pitch.