Hidden Ball struck Balk FED

[Stan W.]

The Rules of Baseball very often rely on "umpire judgment"

So often and at many times in my career, the quality of the fields I call games on require more than a fair share of "umpire judgment".....If we use the adage of "use the rules to fix problems and not to create problems", then a good umpire feels comfortable with making that ruling of being at a correct amount of distance from the rubber.

 

[Tborze]

12 hours ago, Stk004 said:

I wouldn't put money on this but I'm pretty sure the mound is only 6" back from center. 

For FED

Center of the mound is 59' from the back corner of HP. The front of the mound is back 18" from there. If you add the 6", the width of the mound, it is now 2' from center. It is 9' to center minus the 2' from center, making it 7' from from back of the rubber to end of circle behind the rubber. Therefore, the pitcher can be 2' on the dirt, 5' from the rubber. 

So don't judge the 5', judge the 2'. Which would be 1 stride on dirt (2'), 2 strides to the rubber (4') leaving 1' for error!  

Thanks for playing!

 

 

[LittleBlue]

Ok so yeah, clearly I messed up in stating the rule. I definitely means LESS than 5 feet. Also completely forgot I made this thread, so there's that.

So after reading through the responses I basically get that this is just our judgement. If F1 goes too close to the pitchers plate, balk him. 

[Jimurray]

1 hour ago, Tborze said:

For FED

Center of the mound is 59' from the back corner of HP. The front of the mound is back 18" from there. If you add the 6", the width of the mound, it is now 2' from center. It is 9' to center minus the 2' from center, making it 7' from from back of the rubber to end of circle behind the rubber. Therefore, the pitcher can be 2' on the dirt, 5' from the rubber. 

So don't judge the 5', judge the 2'. Which would be 1 stride on dirt (2'), 2 strides to the rubber (4') leaving 1' for error!  

Thanks for playing!

 

 

If you want be anal, depending on the approach to the 2' wide rubber the pitcher might be within 5' with one step onto the dirt. If you want to be anal and literal a pitcher standing near the rubber awaiting a throwback is violating the FED rule as FED doesn't specify during a HBT as NCAA does. 

[Tborze]

7 minutes ago, Jimurray said:

If you want be anal, depending on the approach to the 2' wide rubber the pitcher might be within 5' with one step onto the dirt. If you want to be anal and literal a pitcher standing near the rubber awaiting a throwback is violating the FED rule as FED doesn't specify during a HBT as NCAA does. 

Yeh, if you want to be anal.  It would be 10'6" from the front of the hill.  So you could get 2 3/4 strides on.

Good point regarding FED, NCAA. 

[VolUmp]

The most important point mentioned on this thread is this:  You CANNOT have a HBT out of a dead ball situation — even if you as the umpire are fooled.  You simply announce that by rule, the ball was never in play despite the announcement.

It happens more in summer travel ball, that a coach calls a defensive conference, slips the ball to the F6, walks back to the dugout and whispers to one of the officials that the F6 has the ball.  I don't even play that game anymore.  I used to let them go through with the whole illegal play and then humiliate them by saying it never happened.  Now, I just say, "Coach, I can't put the ball in play until the F1 has the ball and engages the mound."

End of story.  Start of educational experience .. sometimes leading to an argument ... sometimes not.