A "2017 Preseason Guide Baseball" Play

[lawump]

"When the ball is live, if the runner realizes his mistake and is attempting to return to his original base after a fly ball is caught and the ball is thrown out of play, the runner may retouch and the award is made from his original base.  It does not matter if he is past the base beyond the base at which the infraction occurred.

"Play 3:  R1 is on first when B1 hits the ball to deep center field.  R1, moving on the pitch, thinks the ball will not be caught.  After rounding third, he realizes the ball was caught.  R1 touches third and is heading for second, but has not yet retouched that base when F8's overthrown ball goes into dead-ball territory.  Ruling 3:  The fact that R1 was returning is relevant.  He may retouch second and first and then proceed to third on the award.  If the runner doesn't acknowledge his mistake and is not attempting to return to his original base after a fly ball is caught and the ball is thrown out of play, he cannot correct his error if he continues and touches the next base.  The defense may then appeal the base running infraction."

[Richvee]

Sounds like FED is aligning with OBR here. That's great news! 

However, I see the  2017 rule book is out in Arbiter, and 8-2-5, and 8-2-6(d)(1) look to read the same as in the past.

Seems to disagree completely with the 2017 preseason guide.

8-2-6. . . Appeal procedures and guidelines

d. May Not Return A runner may not return to touch a missed base or one left too soon on a caught fly ball if:

1. he has reached a base beyond the base missed or left too soon and the ball becomes dead,

 

I'm all for calling this as the Preseason guide says, but it looks like I don't have backup from the riulebook.

 

 

[Cav]

So, the decision point for the crew to observe the runner begin returning to his base left too soon is the time the status of the ball becomes dead, not the time of catch or the time of initial or subsequent throw.

[conbo61]

What is this "2017 Preseason Guide" of which you speak?

[noumpere]

25 minutes ago, conbo61 said:

What is this "2017 Preseason Guide" of which you speak?

I assume it's the annual document put out by RefMag -- usually available on their website (at least if you are a member) and distributed by many states (and the college version is available at the clinics, etc)  It's usually about a dozen pages long and covers rules changes, POEs, a refresher on the prior year's changes, maybe a quiz ....

[Richvee]

2 hours ago, Cav said:

So, the decision point for the crew to observe the runner begin returning to his base left too soon is the time the status of the ball becomes dead, not the time of catch or the time of initial or subsequent throw.

"If the runner doesn't acknowledge his mistake and is not attempting to return to his original base after a fly ball is caught and the ball is thrown out of play, he cannot correct his error if he continues and touches the next base"

The way I read this, it says if he keeps running after the ball is caught, AND thrown out of play, AND THEN he touches another base, he cannot legally return. Same as OBR. 

However, like I said, I don't see support for this interp in the 2017 rulebook. 

[lawump]

4 hours ago, Richvee said:

"If the runner doesn't acknowledge his mistake and is not attempting to return to his original base after a fly ball is caught and the ball is thrown out of play, he cannot correct his error if he continues and touches the next base"

The way I read this, it says if he keeps running after the ball is caught, AND thrown out of play, AND THEN he touches another base, he cannot legally return. Same as OBR. 

However, like I said, I don't see support for this interp in the 2017 rulebook. 

I have to be careful what I post further.  All I will just say is that I have nothing to do with the writing the pre-season guide.  I assume that NFHS writes the guide and that Referee Magazine publishes it...but we all know what can happen when you assume. The pre-season guide, does have the NFHS' stamp of approval in as much as it was mailed to me directly by NFHS (not Referee Magazine).