USA Softball, stupid questions vol. LXVII

[buckyswider]

Leafing through the rulebook in preparation for my first fastpitch softball game in quite some time.  I came across this rule that has, for the moment, confused me.  

SECTION 4 - RUNNERS ARE ENTITLED TO ADVANCE WITH LIABILITY TO BE PUT OUT
A. (Fast/Modified Pitch) When the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand on the delivery.
B. On a thrown ball or a fair batted ball that is not blocked.
C. On a thrown ball that hits an umpire.
D. When a legally caught fly ball is first touched by a defensive player.
E. If a fair ball:
1 Contacts an umpire or a runner after having passed a fielder other than the
pitcher, provided no other fielder had a chance to make an out, or:
2 When a fair batted ball has been touched by a fielder, including the pitcher,
and the runner did not intentionally interfere with the batted ball or the fielder
attempting to field the batted ball.
Effect - Section 4A-E: The ball remains live.
F. (Men’s & Women’s Slow Pitch) Runners may advance when the ball reaches home
plate, or:
1 When a pitched ball is batted.
2 Until the pitcher has possession of the ball in the infield and all playing action
has ceased.
3 (Slow Pitch with stealing) Runners may advance when a pitched ball, legal or
illegal, reaches the front edge of home plate.
4 When a pitched ball that hits behind home plate and strikes the umpire, or a
thrown ball by the catcher that strikes the umpire.
Exception: 3and 4 do not apply to Master's, Senior's Coed, Junior Olympic
Girls and Junior Olympic Boys 10U, 12U, 14U, and 16U Slow Pitch

(Bolding mine, as they are the points of my confusion).

Section F seems to refer to, given no other context, a pitched ball.  Unless I've been asleep way too long, runners in Men's and Women's slow pitch cannot advance on a pitched ball unless it becomes a batted ball.

And clause 4:  Given the indentation of this under section F, I think we are to assume that it's application is Men's and Women's slow pitch, right?  Again, as with F, there's no advancement in slow pitch, right?

 

Quite possibly it's been too long a day and I'm missing something really, really, obvious...so please help.  Thanks!  

[Jimurray]

17 minutes ago, buckyswider said:

Leafing through the rulebook in preparation for my first fastpitch softball game in quite some time.  I came across this rule that has, for the moment, confused me.  

SECTION 4 - RUNNERS ARE ENTITLED TO ADVANCE WITH LIABILITY TO BE PUT OUT
A. (Fast/Modified Pitch) When the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand on the delivery.
B. On a thrown ball or a fair batted ball that is not blocked.
C. On a thrown ball that hits an umpire.
D. When a legally caught fly ball is first touched by a defensive player.
E. If a fair ball:
1 Contacts an umpire or a runner after having passed a fielder other than the
pitcher, provided no other fielder had a chance to make an out, or:
2 When a fair batted ball has been touched by a fielder, including the pitcher,
and the runner did not intentionally interfere with the batted ball or the fielder
attempting to field the batted ball.
Effect - Section 4A-E: The ball remains live.
F. (Men’s & Women’s Slow Pitch) Runners may advance when the ball reaches home
plate, or:
1 When a pitched ball is batted.
2 Until the pitcher has possession of the ball in the infield and all playing action
has ceased.
3 (Slow Pitch with stealing) Runners may advance when a pitched ball, legal or
illegal, reaches the front edge of home plate.
4 When a pitched ball that hits behind home plate and strikes the umpire, or a
thrown ball by the catcher that strikes the umpire.
Exception: 3and 4 do not apply to Master's, Senior's Coed, Junior Olympic
Girls and Junior Olympic Boys 10U, 12U, 14U, and 16U Slow Pitch

(Bolding mine, as they are the points of my confusion).

Section F seems to refer to, given no other context, a pitched ball.  Unless I've been asleep way too long, runners in Men's and Women's slow pitch cannot advance on a pitched ball unless it becomes a batted ball.

And clause 4:  Given the indentation of this under section F, I think we are to assume that it's application is Men's and Women's slow pitch, right?  Again, as with F, there's no advancement in slow pitch, right?

 

Quite possibly it's been too long a day and I'm missing something really, really, obvious...so please help.  Thanks!  

Can't help, sorry it's slow pitch softball. But, since it's softball and Friday night, have a beer. But I do have an indentation story which might help. Sometimes the printer gets the indentation wrong as in one year that made a catcher's balk real in the printed version of the OBR. 

[Rich Ives]

1 hour ago, buckyswider said:

 

Section F seems to refer to, given no other context, a pitched ball.  Unless I've been asleep way too long, runners in Men's and Women's slow pitch cannot advance on a pitched ball unless it becomes a batted ball.

 

Read it again. It says slow pitch with stealing as the condition for leaving when the pitch reached the plate. It's this special case. "Normal" slow pitch doesn't have stealing. 

[buckyswider]

8 hours ago, Jimurray said:

Can't help, sorry it's slow pitch softball. But, since it's softball and Friday night, have a beer. But I do have an indentation story which might help. Sometimes the printer gets the indentation wrong as in one year that made a catcher's balk real in the printed version of the OBR. 

But that qualifier is only present in point 3....

[buckyswider]

On 9/24/2022 at 7:28 AM, buckyswider said:

But that qualifier is only present in point 3....

Oops, sorry, I quoted the wrong reply.  But lol that story! 

[buckyswider]

On 9/24/2022 at 12:24 AM, Rich Ives said:

Read it again. It says slow pitch with stealing as the condition for leaving when the pitch reached the plate. It's this special case. "Normal" slow pitch doesn't have stealing. 

But that qualifier is only present in point 3....