Larry in TN

​How a LL game is umpired won't affect anyone's chances for a pro contract, etc., so are the umpires wasting their time trying to learn how to do it right?

​Yeah, well, umpires don't get involved in scoring decisions so scoring, and rule 10.00, aren't really on topic on this forum. There are many who are interested in it, though, so we occasionally have threads on scoring. Maven's joke often appears at some point in those threads. I'm not an umpire myself. As you can see from my avatar, I'm a scorer for my son's LL teams. I'm here because it is the best place I've found to learn about the rules and I find all of the intricacies of umpiring very interesting. If you're scoring LL then get a copy of What's the Score? which is the LL version of rule 10.00. Just Google "What's the score? little league" and you should be able to find it.

As described, I'd score it as a reached-on-error (E5) and an unassisted put-out (US3). The put-out is unassisted due to 10.10(b)(3).

The rule means exactly what the rule says. Don't try to read anything into it. Rule VI - PITCHERS covers it all. If they are legal to pitch then they can pitch to the normal limits for their league-age. If they are legal to catch then they can catch without restriction. Also, it is the remainder of the CALENDAR DAY, not the remainder of the GAME. Normally not an issue but multiple games per day are allowed under LL rules.

​Except they were probably calling it "Obstruction"! LOL

​So R1, 0 outs. Fly to deep RF. Ball is caught but is now stuck in F9's glove. Does he have to run in with the glove/ball in hopes of stopping R1 before he scores?

What is the applicable rule in OBR that would apply if the ball was stuck in the glove of a defender who was not close enough to make a play by throwing the glove?

No rule, that I know of, to support that, though.

How about out for batting out of order? Of course then you have to have the next batter go through the plate appearance and wait for a proper appeal... Seems like that would be the proper way to proceed instead of just declaring him out preemptively.

Batter is out on a strikeout (backwards K), pitcher credited with K, catcher credited with put-out. R3 scores on a Fielder's Choice as his advance was allowed by the defense chasing R2 back to 2B. No Error unless there was a mishandling of the ball and that mishandling allowed an advance, or prevented a put-out, that otherwise would have occurred with Ordinary Effort. If this happened with two outs then the BR would have become a runner and all runners forced to advance. The catcher could have made the out by holding the ball and touching home plate to force-out R3. In that case the BR would have reached on either the PB or WP (your judgement) and R3 would be out with the put-out going to the catcher unassisted (U2 or US2, however you like to write it). Rule 10 covers all the rules regarding scoring and statistics. http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/official_scorer_10.jsp Little League has its own version of Rule 10 called "What's the Score?" There are some significant differences if you score LL games. http://www.littleleaguestore.net/340.html I don't know if FED has its own version of Rule 10 but they do a lot of other things differently than OBR so I they certainly might...

Are they not called Managers in FED?

Thanks guys. That makes sense (after about a dozen replys! LOL)

Why is this not OBS? Braves nab Pillar in a rundown http://m.mlb.com/video/v77887483

Don't skip over Rule 2.00 - Definitions of Terms. There's a lot of important information in there without which the rest of the rules don't make sense.

Scoring decisions are governed by Rule 10 in official baseball rules (OBR). You didn't say under what ruleset the game was played. Little League has their own version of Rule 10 which is called "What's the Score?" (http://www.littleleaguestore.net/340.html) It comes down to the judgement of the official scorer. In this situation, the benefit of the doubt will normally go to the player who is receiving the throw but the scorer still has to determine if the play could have been made by a player at the applicable level who played with ordinary effort. Another thing to consider is how difficult was it for the fielder to field the ball and make an accurate throw in time? The rule of thumb is that if above average play failed to produce an out then it wasn't an error. An exmaple similar to your situation would be a very good bunt which the pitcher was able to get to and throw but it took better play than would normally be expected at that level and the pitcher's throw was on time but off target. That could be just a hit--no error. Here are the applicable paragraphs from OBR. 10.12 Errors An error is a statistic charged against a fielder whose action has assisted the team on offense, as set forth in this Rule 10.12. (a) The official scorer shall charge an error against any fielder: (1) whose misplay (fumble, muff or wild throw) prolongs the time at bat of a batter, prolongs the presence on the bases of a runner or permits a runner to advance one or more bases, Rule 10.12(a)(1) Comment: ... If a throw is low, wide or high, or strikes the ground, and a runner reaches base who otherwise would have been put out by such throw, the official scorer shall charge the player making the throw with an error. ... (5) whose wild throw permits a runner to reach a base safely, when in the scorer's judgment a good throw would have put out the runner, ... (8) whose failure to stop, or try to stop, an accurately thrown ball permits a runner to advance, so long as there was occasion for the throw. ... Here are the applicable paragraphs from LL's What's the Score? 10.13 - An error shall be charged for each misplay (fumble, muff or wild throw) which prolongs the time at bat of a batter or which prolongs the life of a runner, or which permits a runner to advance one or more bases. (d) (1) An error shall be charged against any fielder whose wild throw permits a runner to reach a base safely, when in the scorer’s judgment a good throw would have put out the runner. (e) An error shall be charged against any fielder whose failure to stop, or try to stop, an accurately thrown ball permits a runner to advance, providing there was occasion for the throw.

Had a similar situation last night. LL Senior Division (15-16yrs) Bases loaded. Ball hit to F4. F4 makes the throw home. F2 is standing over the plate as the throw sails over his head. R3 and F2 collide as R3 reaches the plate. U1 calls R3 out for "not sliding". Didn't affect the outcome of the game. I scored it as a FC to the BR and a put-out to U1. LOL

Uncaught... Uncaught... Uncaught.... Uncaught... ...

I'd record him out for Illegal Action. No rule 10.0 support for that but it would fit into my spreadsheet. LOL OTOH, I would have supported just waiting for him to get back considering that the restrooms at the park were closed and they are 11 year olds...

On the front cover of the Little League rule book it says, "FOR ALL DIVISIONS OF LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL".

That's what I am saying. Little League is often used to indicate LL Majors or LL Minors and Majors as well as covering all Little League division from T-Ball through Big League. It's easy to get confused about what exactly a person means when they say "Little League". It's like how to refer to the Big Island of Hawaii. The island itself is named Hawaii as is the state. If someone just says Hawaii he could be referring to either. Here, where we're talking about specific rule application, I think it is important that we're clear about the division we're talking about or we can cause additional confusion by those who don't fully understand the distinction.

Exactly! Knowing that should prevent any misapplication of the term "force out".

That depends on the division in LL. In Intermediate (50-70), Junior, Senior, and Big League divisions pitchers can return with some restrictions. In Majors and Minors divisions the pitchers can NOT return. There is also the possibility of pitching in more than one game in a day in the upper divisions. The divisions can be confusing as many use "Little League" to mean Major division (11 & 12 yr old league age) but Little League has divisions from T-Ball up through age 18.

Of course, under LL rules, a fake tag is OBS. The OHC should have argued for an award of 1B! How was the it OBS? It wasn't. See the ? It wasn't OBS because it wasn't a fake tag. It was a really bad attempt at an actual tag.

Is the third out a force-out?

Of course, under LL rules, a fake tag is OBS. The OHC should have argued for an award of 1B! :)