BALL OR BALK

[Guest guestquestion]

I had a bit of a disagreement with the "UIC" while he was watching a game behind he backstop next to me on the scenario below:

16U game FED rules

- Loaded bases 1 out (outs don't matter)  1-1 count.

Right handed pitcher comes set, starts to deliver his pitch BUT the ball slips out of his hand and goes NOWHERE near he plate!

- it crosses the foul line mid-way between 3rd & home and ends up near the 3rd base dugout.

R3 comes home and all other runners advance 1 base.

However the UIC said, "not sure why they were running so hard - that was a BALK" & told the home plate ump to call time & he chatted with them. They then changed it to a BALK, everyone moved up 1 base and the "BALL" was taken off  so back to a 1-1 count.

I disagreed and saw it as the umps doing the game got it right - WILD pitch & BALL 2 on the batter since the pitch "crossed the line", and everyone stole a base on the wild pitch.

I saw it no different than any other wild pitch....... 

So I asked him why he said was a balk and why I though it was just a "ball" &  I never got any answer from him other than "did the ball go to the plate" -

It didn't have any impact and wasn't my game so I didn't care to actually fight/argue about it!   but it has been bugging me, so I figured Id ask here

 

 

 

[ElkOil]

FED 6-1-4:  A pitch dropped during delivery and which crosses a foul line shall be called a ball.

[Stan W.]

that "UIC" needs a refresher course........

Just to add as to why......

Per the OP: 

Ball dropped rolls across the foul line = Ball

Ball dropped does not reach foul line = Balk 

[MadMax]

On 2/20/2017 at 7:29 PM, Guest guestquestion said:

However the UIC said, "not sure why they were running so hard - that was a BALK" & told the home plate ump to call time & he chatted with them. They then changed it to a BALK, everyone moved up 1 base and the "BALL" was taken off  so back to a 1-1 count.

He did what?!? FWIW, this guy would no longer be my UIC because I would make it known that this sort of (mis)management is uncalled for, unappreciated, and undeserved. If I'm acting as UIC on a tournament site, and one of my charges botches a ruling or a call, I do not approach any of the umpires in/on that game to inject my opinion. If one of them calls time and seeks out the TD or myself (often the case when a tournament-specific rule is questioned), then that's one thing... but if you are not in the game, nor summoned by the game, you have no business ruling on or influencing the umpires of that game, "UIC" or not.

Make note of it so as to discuss later – post game – but otherwise, the only other thing you should be approaching the fence, unsolicited, to ask your umpires-in-game is, "Got enough water?"