Batted ball hits runner standing on base

[Guest John]

Slow pitch softball, usssa. Runners on first and third. Less than 2 outs. Batted ball hits runner standing on third base. Runner on third made no attempt to get out of way, though he could have been tagged out had the ball been caught.  Not sure if it matters but the ball hit the runner on the foul side of third.  What's the call?  To top it off, ball goes out of play after deflecting off of runner on third base.

 

Umpire ruled it was a fair ball and play was live until it rolled out of play. Batter was awarded second and runner on first was awarded third.

 

Thank you!

[Tksjewelry]

In slow pitch utrip, the base is a safety zone for runners, unlike baseball rules. As long as he's in contact with the base and makes no deliberate actions to impede the course of the ball, he's safe. If the ball was on the foul side, it's a foul ball. If the ball hit the runner on the fair side with part of the runner in foul, and the defensive player is playing up in front of the runner, live ball. The ball must pass the closest infielder to remain live. If the defensive player is behind the R3, dead ball, BR gets first, R1 gets second, R3 is safe and stays at third.

[MadMax]

Incorrect ruling in two parts.

Part A: If R3 was leading off, or at the moment of the ball contacting the bat came off the bag, to be in foul territory, then the ball touching him would be ruled FOUL. 

Part B: If he is standing on the bag, one must remember that the bag is in FAIR territory, and is not a safe haven from contact with a batted ball. The moment the ball contacts him, the ball is DEAD and he is ruled OUT on Interference (INT). R1 is placed on 2B, and BR to 1B.

In both parts, there is no way that a batted ball is "made fair" by touching a Runner, and certainly no way that it remains "Live".

[Jimurray]

Slow pitch softball, usssa. Runners on first and third. Less than 2 outs. Batted ball hits runner standing on third base. Runner on third made no attempt to get out of way, though he could have been tagged out had the ball been caught.  Not sure if it matters but the ball hit the runner on the foul side of third.  What's the call?  To top it off, ball goes out of play after deflecting off of runner on third base.

 

Umpire ruled it was a fair ball and play was live until it rolled out of play. Batter was awarded second and runner on first was awarded third.

 

Thank you!

​There might be a better venue for slow pitch USSSA softball questions but using baseball rules we would have a few questions. Where was the part of the runners body when hit by the ball? You say the"foul part of 3B". There is no foul part of 3B. Where was the the fielder that could have caught the ball? Was the ball a bounding ball or a fly ball/line drive.

Based on your umpire's ruling you had F5 playing in front of the runner, a fair batted ball going thru or by the third baseman and hitting the runner and deflecting out of play. We don't care if the runner was on the base or not. This is a live ball and once it goes out of play the ruling is correct in baseball.

Unless you answer some of the questions.

Edited June 4, 2015 by Jimurray

[Rich Ives]

Incorrect ruling in two parts.

Part A: If R3 was leading off, or at the moment of the ball contacting the bat came off the bag, to be in foul territory, then the ball touching him would be ruled FOUL. 

Part B: If he is standing on the bag, one must remember that the bag is in FAIR territory, and is not a safe haven from contact with a batted ball. The moment the ball contacts him, the ball is DEAD and he is ruled OUT on Interference (INT). R1 is placed on 2B, and BR to 1B.

In both parts, there is no way that a batted ball is "made fair" by touching a Runner, and certainly no way that it remains "Live".

​Caution. In many softball rule sets the base IS a safe haven.

[Jimurray]

Incorrect ruling in two parts.

Part A: If R3 was leading off, or at the moment of the ball contacting the bat came off the bag, to be in foul territory, then the ball touching him would be ruled FOUL. 

Part B: If he is standing on the bag, one must remember that the bag is in FAIR territory, and is not a safe haven from contact with a batted ball. The moment the ball contacts him, the ball is DEAD and he is ruled OUT on Interference (INT). R1 is placed on 2B, and BR to 1B.

In both parts, there is no way that a batted ball is "made fair" by touching a Runner, and certainly no way that it remains "Live".

​slow down

[Guest John]

Thanks for the responses so far. Third baseman was playing behind the bag and ran forward to attempt to play the ball.

There is no leading off in Usssa so runner did not retreat. The ball hit his right shoulder in the air. His shoulder was "in foul territory" even though he was standing on the base.

[Jimurray]

Thanks for the responses so far. Third baseman was playing behind the bag and ran forward to attempt to play the ball.

There is no leading off in Usssa so runner did not retreat. The ball hit his right shoulder in the air. His shoulder was "in foul territory" even though he was standing on the base.

​Sounds like a foul ball in any ballgame. If the umpire thought it hit him on a fair part of his body he would be out unless the third baseman managed to get in front of him and tried for the ball

[Jimurray]

In slow pitch utrip, the base is a safety zone for runners, unlike baseball rules. As long as he's in contact with the base and makes no deliberate actions to impede the course of the ball, he's safe. If the ball was on the foul side, it's a foul ball. If the ball hit the runner on the fair side with part of the runner in foul, and the defensive player is playing up in front of the runner, live ball. The ball must pass the closest infielder to remain live. If the defensive player is behind the R3, dead ball, BR gets first, R1 gets second, R3 is safe and stays at third.

​What part of 3B has a foul side? 

[Kevin_K]

What is this softball thing you all speak of?

[MadMax]

What is this softball thing you all speak of?

Yeah, I'm with @Kevin_K on this one... I know not of softball. I shall shush and let others answer. Grrrrr... I thought I had a good answer too!

[ZebraStripes]

ASA Rule on it is Rule 8-E-6.  Touches a runner in contact with a base.  EFFECT:  The runner is not out.  The ball is live or dead depending on the position of the fielder closest to the base.

[ZebraStripes]

USSSA

Rule 8

Section 12 BASE RUNNERS ARE NOT OUT  

L. When, while in contact with the base, the base runner is hit with a fair batted ball unlessthe umpire rulesthat the ball wasintentionally interfered with, or a fielder interfered with, while attempting to field a batted ball.

[BretMan]

Never ask a softball question on a baseball forum!

 

You got some partially correct answers, for some different sanctioning bodies, but you haven't got all the rules that cover this play.

 

1) The status of the ball being fair or foul has been answered, and is the same in all baseball and softball codes. If the ball hits the runner over foul ground it's foul, if it hits him over fair ground it's fair.

2) In softball, unlike baseball, a runner hit by a fair batted ball while in contact with his base is not out, unless intentional interference is ruled. The reason for this rule difference is that no lead offs are allowed. Since the runners are restricted to being on the base, they aren't called out for being hit while standing exactly where the rules require them to be

3) In USSSA slow pitch softball, when a batted ball hits a runner on base, and it's not intentional interference, the ball always remains LIVE. This is one part of the rule that varies for different sanctioning bodies. The ASA rule was given above (ball remains live if closest fielder is in front of the base, but is dead if closest fielder is behind the base), but that doesn't apply in USSSA. If you are playing NSA softball, the ball is always DEAD when this happens. Three different sanctioning bodies and three completely different rulings- all to cover the same play.

 

Edited June 5, 2015 by BretMan

[Rich Ives]

Never ask a softball question on a baseball forum!

 

You got some partially correct answers, for some different sanctioning bodies, but you haven't got all the rules that cover this play.

 

1) The status of the ball being fair or foul has been answered, and is the same in all baseball and softball codes. If the ball hits the runner over foul ground it's foul, if it hits him over fair ground it's fair.

2) In softball, unlike baseball, a runner hit by a fair batted ball while in contact with his base is not out, unless intentional interference is ruled. The reason for this rule difference is that no lead offs are allowed. Since the runners are restricted to being on the base, they aren't called out for being hit while standing exactly where the rules require them to be

3) In USSSA slow pitch softball, when a batted ball hits a runner on base, and it's not intentional interference, the ball always remains LIVE. This is one part of the rule that varies for different sanctioning bodies. The ASA rule was given above (ball remains live if closest fielder is in front of the base, but is dead if closest fielder is behind the base), but that doesn't apply in USSSA. If you are playing NSA softball, the ball is always DEAD when this happens. Three different sanctioning bodies and three completely different rulings- all to cover the same play.

 

​In fast pitch the runners can leave when the ball is released by the pitcher.

[ZebraStripes]

True.  But the question being asked here as about slow pitch.

[Rich Ives]

True.  But the question being asked here as about slow pitch.

​And the discussion morphed to differences

[Guest Sean]

 If the Baserunner is on the bag when they are hit with the ball, it is a dead ball they are safe and the batter is awarded first base.

[maven]

Wow. Record zombie thread. Congrats.