Batters stepping out of the box between pitches

[SeeingEyeDog]

Did I miss a memo? I thought this was a point of emphasis a few years ago?

JV game, NFHS, 1st game of their season...

Batter steps out of the box after the first pitch...I ask him to keep one foot in the box between pitches. He says nothing.

He steps out again after the second pitch...I tell him if he does it again, I will be adding a strike to the count. He says ok and the AB proceeds without further incident.

Through the course of 7 innings I issued 4 more reminders to various and sundry players from each team. And nothing further.

In post-game my partner says there are "7 situations" where a batter can step fully  out of the box legally with both feet between pitches. He names 4...and then his voice trails off. Later at home, I see nothing in the NFHS rule book about "7 situations".

What's the correct procedure here under this ruleset, please?

`Dawg

[ArchAngel72]

There are 8 in LL

 

1 On a swing, slap or check swing

2 when forced out of the box by a pitch

3 when the batter attempts a drag bunt

4 when the catcher does not catch the pitched ball

5 when a play has been attempted

6 when time has been called

7 when  pitcher leaves the dirt area of the mound or takes a position more than 5 feet from the pitchers plate after receiving the ball or the catcher leaves the catchers box

8. On a 3 ball count when it is a strike but the batter thought it was a ball

LL is warn on 1st infraction after that call a strike

minors/majors  no pitch need be made ball is considered dead

intermediate 50/70/JR/SR  no pitch need be made ball is live

 

[noumpere]

21 minutes ago, SeeingEyeDog said:

Later at home, I see nothing in the NFHS rule book about "7 situations".
 

THis is from an old rule book.  sr azul will be along with an update if this has changed:

 

7-3-1 ART. 1 . . . Delay the game by failing to take his position promptly in the batter's box within 20 seconds. The batter must keep at least one foot in the batter's box throughout the time at bat. EXCEPTION: A batter may leave the batter's box when:

a. the batter swings at a pitch,

b. the batter is forced out of the box by the pitch,

c. the batter attempts a "drag bunt,"

d. the pitcher or catcher feints or attempts a play at any base,

e. the pitcher leaves the dirt area of the pitching mound or takes a position more than five feet from the pitcher's plate after receiving the ball,

f. a member of either team requests and is granted "Time,"

g. the catcher leaves the catcher's box to adjust his equipment or give defensive signals, or

h. the catcher does not catch the pitched ball.

 

4 reminders / warnings over seven innings (to both teams combined) does not seem excessive to me.

[SeeingEyeDog]

Thanks, guys...and yes, @noumpere, that is still the correct citation. I just confirmed it in the current NFHS rule book. It also spells out the penalty and how it is to be administered just below that. I have nothing further in my defense...

~Dawg

 

[noumpere]

46 minutes ago, SeeingEyeDog said:

Thanks, guys...and yes, @noumpere, that is still the correct citation. I just confirmed it in the current NFHS rule book. It also spells out the penalty and how it is to be administered just below that. I have nothing further in my defense...

~Dawg

 

At least you cared enough to look, and accept what you found.  Now you own this rule.

[SeeingEyeDog]

2 hours ago, noumpere said:

At least you cared enough to look, and accept what you found.  Now you own this rule.

I guess what confused me was the mixture of mis-remembering this being a point of emphasis (now I'm thinking it was simply something my association pushed out as a communication), the fact that my partner tried to make the cite post-game (and now I will keep a rule book in my car for future occurrences), the batter's behavior (which may or may not be explained by the situation because I can't fully remember what happened on each of those pitches relative to the cite), the fact that the manager COULD have challenged my mis-application of the rule and didn't...topped off with a complete lack of understanding of the rule on my part.

Thanks again, brother...

~Dawg

[Forest Ump]

Forget trying to remember all of the things on that list. If nothing happens, then the batter stays in the box. Called strike, batter stays in. Ball, batter stays in. Much easier to remember than that ridiculous list. Just point to the box and say keep one foot in. Everyone will see that and know what you're talking about. Pronto taught me all this at a clinic many years ago.

[wolfe_man]

14 hours ago, SeeingEyeDog said:

I guess what confused me was the mixture of mis-remembering this being a point of emphasis (now I'm thinking it was simply something my association pushed out as a communication), the fact that my partner tried to make the cite post-game (and now I will keep a rule book in my car for future occurrences), the batter's behavior (which may or may not be explained by the situation because I can't fully remember what happened on each of those pitches relative to the cite), the fact that the manager COULD have challenged my mis-application of the rule and didn't...topped off with a complete lack of understanding of the rule on my part.

Thanks again, brother...

~Dawg

FWIW it was an NFHS POE maybe 3 years ago.  They were trying to keep the games moving and this is one way to save time.

[SeeingEyeDog]

Thank you, @wolfe_man! I didn't have much here but, it seems I parallel parked my way to having it as a POE.

~Dawg