Extra Balls on Field

[MT73]

I was the BU for a Varsity softball game today.

The home team had a habit of leaving their warm up balls near the dugout but still within live ball territory.

I made sure they were placed in the dugout but it got me thinking.

What is the ruling if a player accidentally picks up the wrong ball while attempting to retire a runner?

Say there is a ball stuck in the fence above home plate and it comes down when the catcher is going after a passed ball and he picks up the ball which just fell down rather then the one in the game?

 

[VolUmp]

 Mens' Softball is not a legitimate sport. 

[Thunderheads]

2 hours ago, VolUmp said:

 Mens' Softball is not a legitimate sport. 

where did he say this is a men's softball question?  I must be missing something I think  

[noumpere]

2 hours ago, Thunderheads said:

where did he say this is a men's softball question?  I must be missing something I think  

And, men's fastpitch certainly qualifies as a legitimate sport.

To the OP:

In the case where the balls are on the field -- penalize that team.  So, if the other team picks up one of the balls that was left (and it's in close proximity to the "real" game ball), play on.  Make the same team play the correct ball.

In the backstop case, make both teams play the correct ball. (and, there's likely to be some 8.01(c)-equivalent ruling at some point during the ensuing action)

[VolUmp]

8 hours ago, MT73 said:

Say there is a ball stuck in the fence above home plate and it comes down when the catcher is going after a passed ball and he picks up the ball which just fell down rather then the one in the game?

Right there.  In bold.  In red.  Formatting and emphasis mine.

[MT73]

17 minutes ago, VolUmp said:

Right there.  In bold.  In red.  Formatting and emphasis mine.

For the record I was umpiring a girls Varsity fastpitch  playoff game.

My question, however, was not specifically about  men's softball ( although  the same thing could happen there)  but about any baseball or softball situation.

[MT73]

37 minutes ago, noumpere said:

And, men's fastpitch certainly qualifies as a legitimate sport.

To the OP:

In the case where the balls are on the field -- penalize that team.  So, if the other team picks up one of the balls that was left (and it's in close proximity to the "real" game ball), play on.  Make the same team play the correct ball.

In the backstop case, make both teams play the correct ball. (and, there's likely to be some 8.01(c)-equivalent ruling at some point during the ensuing action)

So if they pick up the wrong ball and make a tag I would call the runner safe??

Hopefully I would not get confused by which ball is which.

[beerguy55]

5 hours ago, VolUmp said:

 Mens' Softball is not a legitimate sport. 

Slow pitch, I won't argue with you.  Nothing I love more than seeing a slow pitch batter with his wrist bands, and head band, and knee brace, and $500 bat, watch four pitches just miss the strike zone and take a walk.

But step up to the plate and face a pitcher who is only 48 feet away (42 by the time he releases the ball) throwing over 85 mph and tell me men's fast pitch is not a legitimate sport.
 

 

[Aging_Arbiter]

On ‎5‎/‎24‎/‎2017 at 4:43 AM, VolUmp said:

 Mens' Softball is not a legitimate sport. 

And dodge ball is

[VolUmp]

ABSOLUTELY. 

[ALStripes17]

Any idiot that plays slowpitch and doesn't consider fast pitch a sport isn't claimed by the slowpitch community.

And for those claiming slowpitch isn't a sport, you're more than welcome to stand at 3B every Saturday I play if you can touch even half the ball's hit your way, I'll buy you lunch.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

[beerguy55]

On 6/9/2017 at 9:47 AM, ALStripes17 said:

Any idiot that plays slowpitch and doesn't consider fast pitch a sport isn't claimed by the slowpitch community.

And for those claiming slowpitch isn't a sport, you're more than welcome to stand at 3B every Saturday I play if you can touch even half the ball's hit your way, I'll buy you lunch.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
 

Been there done that, and you'd be buying me a lot of lunch - I played it for years, and I was the third baseman because nobody else would do it.   The great thing was, the ball is hit so hard the 5-4-3 double play happens at least once a game.

I still don't consider it much of a sport.  And nothing I hate more than a slow pitch batter going to the plate looking for a walk.   Stay home and eat a pizza.

In fast pitch, I also played third base, where you're in at about 45 feet to protect against the bunt and those balls come at your pretty damn fast.  At least in slow pitch I can play third base about about 75 feet.

[BrianC14]

On 6/9/2017 at 9:47 AM, ALStripes17 said:

Any idiot that plays slowpitch and doesn't consider fast pitch a sport isn't claimed by the slowpitch community.

And for those claiming slowpitch isn't a sport, you're more than welcome to stand at 3B every Saturday I play if you can touch even half the ball's hit your way, I'll buy you lunch.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
 

Well the same thing could be said of T-ball.   My view of slow pitch is that teams load up with 5 or 6 gorillas and a few guys would can field, and winning scores are typically 23-19.   

[beerguy55]

4 hours ago, BrianC14 said:

Well the same thing could be said of T-ball.   My view of slow pitch is that teams load up with 5 or 6 gorillas and a few guys would can field, and winning scores are typically 23-19.   

Well, all of that is true of football.