ElkOil

Don't... don't listen to the color commentary. Your IQ will drop.

FED 10-1-4. Indeed. And that would be your judgement. I'm confident having worked many games with umpires of varying skill and experience levels that not all would call it that way and instead say it was foul if it was as close as the OP says.

It's up to the judgement of the umpire as to which occurred first -- the foul or the bat striking the glove. He will use whatever sensory input he could get to make his decision.

Because it's not a pickoff play. It was a pickoff play that has turned into shenanigans and tomfoolery. You'd be turning your back on nothing at all.

By standing there waiting for something to be made out of nothing, I believe we'd be encouraging the wrong thing. These are little kids playing ball. Focusing on and emphasizing fundamentals instead of ways to use bush league tactics to gain some minute advantage sets a much better example. I like JJB's idea. I wish I thought of it.

The situation is what it is by circumstance, not by whatever the umpire or coaches are doing or calls they're making. Sounds like a misapplication of the rules here.

I'm assuming this is Little League or softabll. If so, a Google search turned up this from the 2017 Rules Book with my emphasis added: 7.15 - Procedures for Use of a Double First Base: The double base may be used for first base only. The base must be rectangular, with two sides not less than 14 inches and not more than 15 inches, and the other two sides not less than 29 inches and not more than 30 inches. The longer sides shall face toward home plate and the right field corner. The outer edges shall not be more than two and one-fourth (2 ¼) inches thick, filled with soft material, and covered with canvas or rubber. Half the base shall be white (entirely over fair territory) and half shall be orange or green (entirely over foul territory). When using the double first base, the following rules must be observed: (a) A batted ball that hits the white section of the double base shall be declared fair. A batted ball that hits the colored (orange or green) section without first touching or bounding over the white section shall be declared foul. (b) Whenever a play is being made on the batter-runner, the defense must us the white section of the double first base. NOTE 1: A play is being made on the batter-runner when he/she is attempting to reach first base while the defense is attempting to retire him/her at that base. NOTE 2: If there is a play on the batter-runner, and the batter-runner touches only the white portion and the defense appeals prior to the batter-runner returning to first base, it is treated the same as missing the base. Penalty: Batter-runner is out. (c) Whenever a play is being made on the batter-runner, the batter-runner must use the colored (orange or green) section on his/her first attempt to tag first base. NOTE: On extra-base hits or other balls hit to the outfield when there is no chance for a play to be made at the double first base, the batter-runner may touch either the white or colored (orange or green) section of the base. Should, however, the batterrunner reach and go beyond first base, he/she may only return to the white section of the base. PENALTY: If there is a play on the batter-runner, and the batter-runner touches only the white portion and the defense appeals prior to the batter-runner returning to first base, it is treated the same as missing the base. If properly appealed, the batterrunner is out. What did you find to the contrary?

1. Welcome to Texas! 2. Take care of yourself and do what you have to get better. 3. Lots of well-wishes!!

Think through your two thoughts on this, and you'll find your answer. Your first thought was that it would be a dead ball. So since the umpire called time, why wouldn't it be a dead ball call? Your other thought was that it could be batter interference and the batter is out. Apply similar criteria and ask why would it be interference? What did the batter do to hinder the defense? I can see logic in your first question, but not so much in your second one. Take the events in sequence: 1. Umpire calls time. The ball is dead, so no play can occur. 2. Batter steps out. Fair enough. He's allowed to. 3. Pitcher throws the ball. Because time was called, this is not a pitch... just a thrown ball. 4. Ball hits batter. Here's where the judgement comes in. If you think it wasn't intentional, there's nothing to be done. Reset everything and play on. But if you think it was intentional, warn the pitcher or eject him.

Whether I like it or not, I'm also affected by the level of play, and that's generally because the better the players are, the cleaner the game and the easier it is to make calls. Sloppy games are dreadful for everyone involved, especially with slow, inconsistent pitching and error-prone fielders. I don't ever remember coming off a rotten game thinking I did well. But I've finished really good games feeling great about how I've done. Just remember to take it one pitch at a time. Do the best you can and don't worry too much about it. It's part of the gig.

A force play is defined by circumstance, not by how the out is actually made. The umpire was wrong and the run should not have counted.

I don't know what this is, but I know what it's not. It's not OBS by any stretch. How could it be? The runner is back on the base he occupied and wasn't trying to advance, so there's nothing for you there. This isn't a tactic "designed to delay or shorten the game" as in 4-4-1(d), so that's not available to you, either. It's not even unsportsman-like as defined in 3-3-1(f). Yes, it's bush league, much like the skunk play, but it's legal. I don't see a rule you can hang your hat on. In your confrontation with the coach, he's right, of course -- the player can hold the ball on him for as long as he wants. There's nothing prohibiting that. Be cautious about overstepping your authority and making up interpretations that aren't based in the rules because those will get you in hot water and the coaches will complain to your association. Now then... handling it differently in the game may yield the result you're looking for. The issue as you described is one of you challenging the coach and his ego on the field during play, with the inclusion of an in-game escalation when you said it "louder and louder" then walking "up to the kid and adamantly say LET'S GO, THROW THE BALL BACK." When you do things like that, you come across as the aggressor, and players and coaches will take offense and become understandably defensive. You're giving his player a directive an order in direct contradiction to how he's coached, and that's not your job. Avoid this since nothing good ever comes of it. Let the play at issue pass and perhaps talk to the coach between innings and mention that it may be in the best interest of time and keeping the game moving if his players minimize the time they're holding tags, the act of which is unlikely to affect the play since the runner is already back on the base. Overall it seems to me that this is a personal peeve of yours. You said, you can't stand it when kids hold a tag like that. So what? You may wish to be less enthusiastic about addressing it as a rule update to your chapter. Those muscles don't need to be flexed in this instance. Besides, what's the harm in allowing it to happen? What's the big deal?

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Yup and yup. Working and typing at the same time.

I've got a balk on F1 lifting his pivot foot. But in the spirit of the debate as you said on your site, let's assume the delivery was legal. In that case, I have OBS on F2.