DevildogUmp

High School Varsity game the other day, I've got the bases. Head coach (prior college coach, first year HS) comes out to his pitcher and as he gets to the mound, says to me: "I'm bringing in a new pitcher". I said ok and just continued back to the dirt like I normally do during defensive conferences when I'm BU. About 30 seconds go by and he again says "I'm bringing in a relief pitcher from the bullpen", and I am now really confused and I am like you need to let my partner on the plate know and he says "Aren't you going to get him?" Now I'm even more confused and told him, I don't know who it is you want to bring in (there are 4 kids in the bullpen) and he seemed surprised when I told him he could call the relief pitcher out of the bullpen. 7 years of HS ball and I have never had a coach expect me to let his relief pitcher know to come in. Is this a college thing where an umpire goes and gets the relief pitcher from the bullpen? Matt

@BDad yes, if the runner abandons, you just call the out. If he crosses the plate without touching, that becomes an appeal.

BR out for passing as soon as it occurs (7.08h). If R1 never touches/passes the plate, and goes to the dugout, you can get abandonment on R1 (7.08a(2)), so 2 outs and score R3 and R2.

The video of an Alabama softball player being called out on appeal for missing the plate on a homerun hit my Facebook feed (again) and got me thinking, in FED, when has a runner "completed their base running responsibilities" in order for an umpire to acknowledge a dead ball appeal in a case like this? I have dealt with a dead ball appeal w/ runners moving once and it was R2/R3 with a ball thrown out of play while R3 was attempting to tag up on a line drive. Both R2 and R3 were awarded their bases and the defensive coach wanted to appeal before they awards were complete and we allowed the runners to complete the awards before addressing the appeal (R3 never tagged so he was out on the appeal). Has the runner completed their running responsibility as soon as he passes the plate or do we give the runner the opportunity to immediately return or do they have until they enter DBT to return and still be considered completing their running responsibility? YouTube video for reference:

Just for clarification, players still stayed in the Grove this past year. They removed all bunk beds from the dorms.

YMMV, but Little League rules specifically dictate that a game may not start with less then 8 player per team (1.01 NOTE). First rule in the book. Therefore, if there are less then 8 players on a team, it is not a game, and I am going home.

OBR: 5.05(b)(3) "The batter becomes a runner and is entitled to first base without liability to be put out (provided he advances to and touches first base) when: The catcher or any fielder interferes with him." Definitions of Terms: "Defensive interference is an act by a fielder that hinders or prevents a batter from hitting a pitch" Therefore, if by his actions, the catcher deprives the batter of the opportunity to hit a pitch, it is by rule and definition catcher's interference. FED case play gives a little more: 8.1.1 Situation F: "F2 may not catch the ball before it has passed home plate" Matt

@Senor Azul That doesn't answer the question. Does a pitcher get hit with a disengagement if the batter isn't even in the box when he steps off?

Random question: Pitch clock is running. Pitcher isn't paying attention to the plate and engages the rubber. He looks up and realizes that the batter hasn't even started stepping in yet and disengages. Does this count as a disengagement? Matt

Sitting here in my living room, I have come up with the following from this year's World Series: 1. The umpires this year, as a whole, are probably the best I've seen recently at Williamsport behind the plate. I didn't see every game, but I didn't see any of the opposite batter's box strikes that seem to creep in every year. 2. You can tell which umpires are pointers outside of Williamsport. Not sure why LL has a bee in their bonnet for the hammer, but all of the guys I saw did a great job make the transition with a few hesitations where it looked like they wanted to point and remembered to hammer. 3. Not sure what book they use for their rotations, but it doesn't match what is being taught at regions. U2 going out on all fly balls, full rotation with RISP. Little things that would make it easier if the whole organization was working from the same book. 4. Speaking of rotations, they looked good. If one was missed (and I didn't notice one) the crew covered. And now for my soapbox: I hope Little League prepped the 16 selected umpires that the crew chiefs were going to be working so many games. Everything I heard prior to the series was the crew chiefs were supposed to be mentors to help guide guys getting to that stage for the first time. In my opinion that does not translate to working a full rotation starting on day three and then having 2 crew chiefs on each of the US and International final games and then 2 of the chiefs coming right back on the final game. What I take that to mean is that LLI either has not given the Regional evaluators and staff to appropriate guidance on what they want from an assigned umpire or (and I really doubt this) the Regions know and basically don't follow that guidance. Of the 16 umpires assigned to the tournament, 1 only worked 4 games and 1 worked 5 games. Only 4 assigned umpires worked more games than the crew chiefs. They didn't even give the assigned umpires a full rotation of a game at each spot before dropping the crew chiefs into the games (btw, once in, the crew chiefs worked a normal rotation around the diamond). 3 assigned umpires didn't get a shot at each position. Out of the 16 assigned umpires, only 6 were considered good enough to do the last 3 games? To me that is a LL problem that they took out on the guys they assigned. The amount of time and effort that umpires put into being selected for the World Series - working local, district, section, state, and regional tournaments (and some of them have done another level World Series), over a good amount of years - plus paying your own travel for those tournaments (I know there is some assistance), taking time off of their regular job (both for the 2 weeks of the tournament, plus the week training session earlier this year), personally I feel like it is almost a slap in the face to sit someone on the bench after day 4. It sounds like going forward Little League is going to implement a camp program that anyone wanting to get Regional or World Series assignments will have to attend in order to be evaluated by LLI. That is great if that is where they want to go in the future, but it really looks like this year, LL punished those guys who got a ticket under the current system. Matt

There is not balk for taking signs off the rubber; however, you can grab a balk for simulating a pitching motion: 6.02(a)(7) The pitcher makes any motion naturally associated with his pitch while he is not touching the pitcher plate.

Based on the information provided, the catcher then throws the ball to the pitcher and the next batter is comes up to bat. Matt

The rule doesn't read the way you wrote it. The rule (4.10(e)) reads: "If after three (3) innings, two and one-half innings if the home team is ahead..." "If after four (4) innings, three and one half innings if the home team is ahead..." "If after five (5) innings, four and one-half innings if the home team is ahead..." The "if the home team is ahead" is the qualifier that ends the game prior to the natural end of the inning if the home team is ahead at the end of the top half or goes ahead in their half of the specified inning.

@SeeingEyeDogMy personal decision is I am not umpiring a game with a glaring safety violation (and the dangling throat protector is a safety rule). Same way I am not letting a team bat with a visibly damaged bat or batting helmets without two ear flaps (when required). And if a league doesn't want to back me on that decision, I'm fine with going to another league. I also am not a lawyer and I don't want to find out if I am liable in a courtroom for not enforcing rules. For all those that say, just let them know to get it fixed by tournament, you are the reason we have some many arguments during the tournament. Enforce the rules correctly during the season and coaches, players, and parents won't be shocked when they get to tournament and they have to actually follow the rules in the book.

I think it depends on the state. Indiana provides access to the rulebook and casebook through the NFHS app.

@ToggyWhile it may work for your local league, I would be careful "coaching" a catcher about positioning while umpiring. If you tell a catcher where to position themselves and they get injured, you can bet the first thing said, is "The umpire told me to be there". If I have a catcher that is creeping into the danger zone in my local league (LL Minors and sometimes Majors) I just bring it to the coach's attention - "Bill, do you want your catcher set up there?" and let the coach correct it.

What makes the ball dead is the umpire calls time prior to directing the runners to the required bases to enforce the penalty. Just like when the umpire calls time to award bases on obstruction.

Before we even get into the injury, are you playing CBO or standard 9-man lineup? Utilizing a standard lineup I have a substitution, which means that the starter cannot reenter until that substitute meets mandatory play. So, the starter's reentry is improper the next half inning and this is subject to protest. CBO - He should be replaced on the bases by the last out if you follow the RIM guidance. Under CBO, a player who is removed for a minor injury (no blood/concussion symptoms, etc.) can return; however, personally the second time he is removed for an "injury" I am not letting him back into the game without medical clearance.

@SeeingEyeDogJust to clarify, the LL rule book specifically requires the on-deck batter to utilize the circle on their team's side. Regulation XIV(b) A.R.: "Intermediate Division/Junior/Senior League: The on-deck batter shall be positioned in the on-deck circle closest to their dugout."

@MadMaxjust out of curiosity, you mentioned a 10 sec "reminder/warning" to the batter, since the FED rules gives the batter 20 seconds (7-3-1 penalty), what is the interpretation in AZ if a batter waits until 19.5 seconds to get set in the box causing the pitcher to go beyond 20 seconds?

@Senor Azulthe rules don't address whether or not the BR acquired 1st base prior to the third out when addressing scoring runners. The only time the rules allow us to "wipe" a run in regards to the BR is specifically spelled out as the BR being put out prior to reaching 1st base as the 3rd out. If the defense decides to make a play on a non-forced runner for the 3rd out, they are taking the risk of not making the out prior to the runner scoring and creating a time play.

No, pitcher 1 is not eligible to pitch as he has been removed from the mound in the game. For lineup purposes and all entry/reentry rules, it is the same game.

It doesn't matter that B/R "reached" first. It matters that he/she was not the 3rd out prior to reaching 1st. That is when the run is negated.

What is your rule basis for saying no run scores?

@SeeingEyeDogI would say that it doesn't matter who discovers the swap. If it is caught before the ball is made live, fix it. If the ball is made live, penalize as directed.