maven

Maybe. F1 clearly may not walk 5 steps toward HP before delivering the pitch. I'd like to be able to articulate it in fewer than 5 words: too many steps?

Is the delivery in the video a balk? What provision of the pitching restrictions did he violate? He paused, didn't stop and start, delivered the pitch after stepping toward HP, ball crossed the plate (ish)... what did he violate? Maybe my brain is not grokking this, but I can't see it. As ever, I will counsel against using pro rulings in actual games as a definitive guide for officiating amateur contests. Pro ball has its own rhythm and flow, and everyone on that field expected a balk there. So they got one—maybe this wasn't "smooth and continuous" enough for pro ball, or maybe they ruled that he dropped it rather than throwing it. But we have to be able to explain what F1 did wrong. Catching a cleat isn't illegal, nor a violation of the pitching restrictions. Ugly is not illegal. Different from his other pitches isn't a balk. If we can't explain it, we shouldn't be calling it. Oh, that's my answer to the OP, too. 😎

I guess I don't understand who's getting the "benefit" here. If you rule this a foul tip, the offense gets the benefit, because R1 gets to keep his stolen base. If I were the defense, I'd expect this to be ruled a foul ball. Baseball is a game of defense: had you ruled that way, nobody would have said a word—the defense certainly doesn't want R1 on 2B. And the batter fouled off the pitch, so R1 has to return. Play on.

Excellent. This will get a lot of play going forward.

Agree. At that level, my approach is to call time when the batter takes off. Then I don't have to send anyone back. If the coach becomes angry and complains that I shouldn't have killed it, I ask — loudly — "Coach, you didn't create a scheme to cheat and get yourself a cheap run in a 10U game did you? Is that what you're teaching these kids?" That usually shuts them up. If he's stupid enough to admit it, dump him.

First inning? That's early to be so hot. Anyway, I agree with discouraging, "what did you say?" As grayhawk points out, daddy ball coaches don't know what they're allowed to say, so this question won't get processed as a warning. Instead, please consider the following: First, address the first thing, storming out on the field. Put up the stop sign and yell "Stop!" If he runs through that, dump him. If he stops, then say, "Coach, you will not run out here shouting. You may first request time, then come out to ask your question in a normal tone of voice." If he doesn't comply, dump him. If he complies, then have him come out to you. Before his question, say, "Coach, you said 'That's two you've cost us!' Are you accusing me of cheating?" If yes, dump him. If no, then say, "Then we're not having any more of that. Now, you had a question?" And answer his question, preferably in 5 words or fewer. If it's not a question, but a veiled argument, say so. When he thinks he gets to argue with you, say, "Coach, I've answered your question, we're going to resume the game now." If he doesn't return to the dugout immediately, tell him to go there. If he doesn't dump him. Please note that except for step 1, all of this should be conducted in a normal tone of voice with non-confrontational body language.

The video is from a pro game, and is not necessarily scalable to amateur or youth baseball. You'll have to use your judgment. A swing is a swing, so if you need a strike you have cover. But I tend not to reward shenanigans or jackassery, and will frustrate efforts in that direction. The call will depend on context. Sometimes, you just gotta umpire.

Definition of a strike. It's an "offer" at a pitch, which entails intent to hit it (however fleeting the intention might be on, for instance, a check swing). Other (spurious, gaming the game) reasons for swinging are not offers.

I think ousafe's question concerned FPSR, which does not apply in OBR. For codes with FPSR, I agree with SHO102's initial response. Without FPSR, in straight OBR, this would violate the "bona fide slide" rule, 6.01(j). R1 is out on the play, BR is out for R1's INT (assuming that's the runner the defense would have played on next). Other runners return to their TOI bases, and I'm pretty sure R2 and R3 had not attained their advance bases at TOI.

The appeal would be granted only if it is an advantageous fourth out, that is, a situation where granting the appeal nullifies the run. An appeal of another runner missing a base that does not nullify a run is pointless and not ruled on. An advantageous 4th out is (briefly) apparent, as it supersedes and replaces the third out. At that point, it's an actual out (and the formerly third out is merely apparent).

FIFY.

No INT (of the kind you mean, resulting in an out) is possible. So drop that. I've already addressed the scenario in which we would not award bases. The ball is dead when it enters dead ball territory, so kill it then. Runners might keep running, but it doesn't count. Sometimes, you just gotta umpire.

"Coach, we award bases for the defense putting the ball out of play. That's not what happened, so no award. But the ball's dead, so the runners have to stop at their last legally touched bases." Can be delivered to both coaches (at the same time—they like to know that the other guy is getting the same ruling and info).

If the player out of the dugout is allowed to be there, then his team is on offense. When the ball is kicked out of play, kill it and put the runner(s) back. Those runners were going to be able to advance. Now, due to the actions of his team mate, they're going back. That's sufficient penalty (although others are available in the MSU rule book). No, we don't award bases when a thrown ball that was not going out of play is sent out of play by the offense. Remember, that penalty is for the defense putting the ball out of play, not merely for the ball going out of play. If the offense puts the ball out of play, we don't penalize the defense for that.

Yep. There's no out to be had here—which explains why you couldn't figure out whom to call out. In general, no matter what the ODB does to a thrown ball that's bouncing into the dugout, I'm going to be awarding bases. That's the penalty, and it is neither enhanced nor nullified by the ODB doing stupid.

I go the other direction. The yoots can be a lot anyway, and anything I can do to minimize that I will do. Out of the baseline? Yes! Abandonment? Yes! D3K? A few steps toward the dugout and you're out. It's instructional baseball, and screwing around with all that nonsense is not teaching anyone anything. Pitching, hitting, fielding. Keep the rest to a minimum. JMHO

Objection: asked and answered.

For the OP: the reason that the timing doesn't matter here is that, once the ball is dead, the runners are awarded bases. An award is the right to advance without liability to be put out by the defense, but the advance must be completed legally. When the BR passes R1, that's illegal, whether the ball is live or dead. The timing of the passing might matter in other situations. This is left as an exercise.

You've had some great advice so far. Let me comment on this piece. I'm not sure what you mean by "chirping" here, but whatever it is, you need a bright line. Either ignore it, or shut it down. "Don't do too much of that!" is not an enforceable instruction, because nobody has any idea what "too much" or "out of hand" might be. The progression for undesirable behavior is IAWE: Ignore (if possible), Acknowledge (stare at the guilty party), Warn (once), Eject. Any of the steps can be skipped in egregious situations.

If we can't call it in real time, it's not lodged. What's the rationale for the lodged ball rule? It's actually to protect the defense. Don't punish them by overzealously calling it lodged.

Yeah, he knows himself, and that he might not have to pay you if you can't or don't have the cojones to find him after the game. I recommend that umpires always, 100%, every single time, without fail, without exception, in each instance, get paid before the game, usually at the plate meeting. If it's a DH, get both fees. And to avoid exactly this kind of situation. We can't allow this. You discovered that you were going to have to dump him eventually—can you imagine how much easier those games would have been had you done so in the first inning of game 1? [I'm agreeing with wolfe_man here.] From the first chirp from HC: "Coach, we're not doing that today. If you have a question, you may request time and we can talk. Otherwise, this is your warning." Then dump him (no second, third, nth warning). Any ass coach or player, address the HC: "Coach, if you have a question, I'd be happy to discuss with you. We're not going to have other coaches/players getting involved in calling the game. You will be held responsible for their behavior. This is your warning." Then dump him, yes, for the offenses of others. If he says, "I didn't say anything!" remind him that he's responsible for his team. It's too late in the history of amateur baseball for umpires to deal with such asshats. Save yourself hours of nuisance and dump early. If you've never done it, try it—you'll like it. If their other coaches don't get the message, keep dumping until they forfeit. The only other issue that arises sometimes is TD's interfering. If he comes over and starts to talk you out of an EJ, tell him that he's welcome to finish umpiring the game(s), if he intends to do your job for you (and this is reason #672 to get your game fees up front).

Must be R1 missed 3B. R3 couldn't have missed 3B, and if BR missed 3B, the runs in front of him would have scored to go to extras. So when the appeal is granted, his run is nullified, that's the 3rd out, so the BR's run can't count. Final score 4–3, not 4–2? Yep, that's what the SI article reports.

You lost track. 2 runs scored on the wild pitch, R3 and R2, with the batter interfering with the play on R2. The question concerns whether R3's run counts. Here's another way to process it. The general rule is that a run counts if it's scored before the 3rd out—in general, plays are time plays. There are 3 exceptions, and this isn't one of them, so R3's run counts.

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The rule does not strictly require this part. 😉 Agree. A 'walk' or base on balls (as you know, but filling in some blanks more generally) is an award of 1B. An award is the right to advance without liability to be retired by the defense, but the advance must be legal. When the BR interferes, he has not advanced legally, and the award lapses. Because he did not legally touch 1B and made the 3rd out, no run can score.