Jimurray

You can't infer that. He might be smarter than you think. He's a dead duck if he turns around. Take a DTK: BR walks off to dugout either uncaring (like they see in MLB ), unaware, or deking. You want the catcher to chase him for the tag? Granted F2 can throw to 1B but in certain situations he would be reluctant. In codes where the BR is not out until entering the dugout I will call the out after the catcher is chasing and the BR is not going to 1B.

You can't infer that. He's a dead duck if he turns around. Might be smarter than we think. So, DTK, BR heads to dugout either uncaring about running to 1B or unaware that he should or deking. You want the catcher to tag him in codes that have him out entering the dugout. Yes, the catcher should throw to 1B but certain sits make it safer to tag. Or, once the catcher starts after him, do you get the out on the 3' rule?

I had a pause when he brought his hands together. Then he started his pitching motion by dropping his hands. The pause was borderline and I look for this balk with pitchers that don't stretch and bring their hands together and kick their leg right away. Seeing a lot more of it lately. (posted same on UEFL)

If the catcher started to chase the runner before the runner entered the dugout and was close enough to attempt a tag would we have a 3' violation? Does the "avoid" have to be an intentional "avoid"?

I have that OK just like a jab step to 1B.

He did not dissengage on the throw to 2B and did not have to. "Looks like his pivot foot disengaged before the non-pivot foot started toward 2d." If he did that he would be OK also. Doesn't look like he did though.

Why would he have to dissengage for the throw to 2B. And the throw home looks OK as he dragged his foot off in the feint to 2B.

If it's ball 4 there's no interference, (no throw to 2B in this sit anyway) but if let's say R2 is stealing 3B we have INT on strike 3 but nothing on ball 4?

If you're talking PONY there's no balk except for out of the box during an intentional BOB. And by convention we use TOP instead of release and ignore minor infractions. If your talking FED the catcher can be out of the box at TOP not release. Not a call we go looking for.

"So one thing to do is call a catchers balk." How would you do that?

Looks like he dragged the pivot foot off. It will be a balk next year though.

The "B" and "O" case plays call it a balk due to arm movement in the set. Contradicted by the "D" case play which allows such movement as long as you don't deem it a feint. "D" actually called those things a balk a few years back and wisely was changed by>FED to allow them. If you want to nitpick, the "B" and "O" only refer to the set. They should also be changed.

It's in the rule book: 6-2-4-d.1 If you want to nitpick that the rule doesn't cover calling time if the hands don't go up use 3-3-1-o. OBR has a similar ruling.

Maybe that Smitty thing of pointing to your partner in "A" in 2 man is not a bad idea. No, never mind.

This case makes it (going to the mouth on the rubber with runners, not your sit.) a balk also: 6.1.3 SITUATION O With R1 at third and R2 at first, F1 is in contact with the pitcher's plate but has not yet come set. He brings his pitching hand to his mouth and distinctly wipes it off. RULING: Balk, award R1 home and R2 second. The pitcher cannot bring his hand to his mouth because the pitcher is required to go to the set position without interruption and in one continuous motion The arm motion to the mouth causing a balk in this caseplay is contradicted by another caseplay which allows hat adjustment etc. prior to coming set. I can't find out how to not make what Im typing look like a link. (Fixed WW)

Similar situation occurring now in Texas. Protest attempted and declined? and 2 outs later after cell phone call inning replayed without illegal pitcher. http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/high_school/high_school_baseball/article/Johnson-outlasts-South-San-after-drama-filled-day-3554671.php Now another protest that the rule (no more than 10 innings per day if part of a DH) only applies in regular season. http://www.mysanantonio.com/default/article/Johnson-edges-South-San-in-disputed-area-round-3560015.php No rules protest allowed in Texas. Player or pitcher eligibilty is usually not the umpires responsibilty.

Already seen a coach get burned on that. R1 and R2, 1 out. Swinging K3, Uncaught and right in front of F2. Coach yells at batter to run which causes R1 and R2 to take off. F2 picks up ball and throws to 3B where R2 is tagged for third out. No one had to tell F2 where to throw the ball One coach teaching baseball and the other one is lost trying to play a game of confusion because he doesn't want to teach real baseball which he really doesn't understand I'd say you're right about not understanding but your conclusion is wrong. He needs to learn before he can teach, but he does want to teach. It's not like he's just writing it off. Rich, I may be making this up (my apologies right up front if I am), but did you say LL usually (not always) goes by OBR interpretations except for special safety regulations? Any idea why in the D3K they stayed with the old OBR definition that says the batter can run to first in a D3K situation up until he/she enters the dugout/steps or steps into DBT? Since they are not implementing this rule until this year, did they not know OBR had changed this interpretation to "once the batter leaves the dirt circle"? Only thing I have observed is the unsportsmanlike act by coaches now telling their players to run on everything to try and draw the throw. The coaches absolutely know the rule but are intentionally trying to draw the throw by "screaming", for their hitters to run and then giggling when it works. I would retract my words, if I had only seen them say this once a game, like they got caught up in the game and forgot, but when they say this every-time to try to draw the throw, you know it is intentional. I believe you could use the rule of a coach trying to get a pitcher to commit a balk at the 50/70 level and warn him to shut it down, but at the 60 foot level, you might only have the option of just telling the coach to shut it down with the screaming to draw the throw. Any chance of LL going with the dirt rule? They need to be made aware of the problems that this is going to cause once the tournaments start. Many coaches know how to keep quiet and just before their player goes into the dugout, have them start running to first. It use to cause problems in OBR, which I will assume was the reason they changed it. Also they need to be aware of the intentional unsportsmanlike screaming to run that is going on. Not that they have to do anything, just be aware. Also, the umpires are not watching the player go all the way to the dugout or DBT when the player just decide's to give up and not run, leaving the umpires open to that coach who is going to try and sneak his player to first which is totally legal and use to cause more trouble in OBR. I believe the pros changed it to the dirt circle to speed up the game. FED still has dugout also

I think he saw the pitch as inside and Bautista rolling his hip into it. He was blocked on the pitch location and didn't know it was that far inside.

You're missing the Dixie rule book. See what it says. If it mirrors OBR that's a fair ball. Hard to believe it doesn't

" FWIW, the catcher never needs to squat." Where does the " catcher needs to squat" myth come from? I haven't heard it that much but enough to wonder where it's required.

I'm confused. When you say "lane" it usually means the 3 foot lane starting at 45' from HP to 1B. Obviously, you are talking about a 3 foot violation which caused you to call the out (whether or not the runner was in the infield grass or the foul grass). The shorter leg thing went right over my head. Please explain. It's not your fault it went over my head.

You didn't misinterpret anything. You found an error in the BRD. That ruling is now #398 but it still reads the same including "pivot" ? "foot". Not a balk. Email CC about the error.

#3. I haven't had to enforce that rule so it's citation was cloudy. Is it FED 3-1-j and the OBR preparing to enter the game cite.

Where is catcher's obstruction a balk in FED?

2SF would have worked for this but so would 90 and a read. In fact no adjustment from the 90 and it still should be obvious. I am wondering what he was looking at. I think he was wondering that too. I've been there. But not where I've had an out to go to the PU for a pulled foot.