Lights Go Out During Play

[NavyBlue]

NFHS.  R1.  B2 hits grounder towards 3B.  F5 gloves it fair just behind 3B.  Just before he gloves it the stadium field lights go out.  Bleacher lights remain on.  There is enough light to see that F5 gets the ball.  BU calls "Time!" and kills the play for safety, so F5 never throws to 2B or 1B.   Once the lights come back on, is it a "do over", or do you place B2 on 1B and force R1 to 2B (like if the BU was hit by a batted ball)? 

Happened last night and the PU put B2 on 1B and advanced R1 to 2B.  DHC was furious that it should have been a do over instead.  Thanks.

 

[SeeingEyeDog]

Coach, do you have a question about a rule interpretation?

~Dawg

[Senor Azul]

From the 2016 BRD (section 244, p. 161):

FED:  If lights fail during play:  Point not covered.

Official Interpretation:  Rumble:  Play:  R1, 0 out. B1 grounds to F6, who throws out R1 at second. As F4 pivots to fire to first, the lights go out. Ruling:  "The umpire uses his best judgment in deciding the outcome of the play at first." (1994)

So for FED it's apparently up to the umpire's judgment. The professional ruling is different--the entire play is nullified. (2021 MiLBUM section 5.67, p. 92)

[The Man in Blue]

I think there is a slight but significant difference in that case play and the OP.  In the case play, the play happens and the guidance is to do your best to make the call.  In the OP, the umpire killed the play before it could happen.  I think the DHC has a legitimate beef with that call.  I'm not sure that I agree with him, but he has a point.  Maybe the OHC should have a gripe, too.  I mean, what if F5 threw the ball away and it turned into a circus "home run?"

 

2 hours ago, SeeingEyeDog said:

Coach, do you have a question about a rule interpretation?

~Dawg

Coach, go back into that dark dugout and read the rulebook.  Then we'll talk.  😋

[SH0102]

10 hours ago, The Man in Blue said:

I think there is a slight but significant difference in that case play and the OP.  In the case play, the play happens and the guidance is to do your best to make the call.  In the OP, the umpire killed the play before it could happen.  I think the DHC has a legitimate beef with that call.  I'm not sure that I agree with him, but he has a point.  Maybe the OHC should have a gripe, too.  I mean, what if F5 threw the ball away and it turned into a circus "home run?"

 

Coach, go back into that dark dugout and read the rulebook.  Then we'll talk.  😋

I agree. The reason we can’t change a call of catch to no catch in the infield is because we are not to try and guess who would have gotten where , would they have made it, would throw have gone there for double play, fielders choice etc.

I liken this OP to that, who knows what would have happened, just replay it.

While I don’t have a rule cite to back that, it’s common sense on such an uncommon situation (lights go out literally mid-play)

[NavyBlue]

Appreciate all the comments, they've been helpful.

Interesting that if a batted ball strikes the umpire in the infield, the umpire kills the play.  If the lights go out on an infield hit, the umpire kills the play.  In both cases we don't know what would have happened.  In one case we put the batter on 1B and in the other we might replay it (for FED).

 On the bright side (pun intended), since they were those newer lights, they came back on immediately and the game continued.

 

[SH0102]

2 hours ago, NavyBlue said:

Appreciate all the comments, they've been helpful.

Interesting that if a batted ball strikes the umpire in the infield, the umpire kills the play.  If the lights go out on an infield hit, the umpire kills the play.  In both cases we don't know what would have happened.  In one case we put the batter on 1B and in the other we might replay it (for FED).

 On the bright side (pun intended), since they were those newer lights, they came back on immediately and the game continued.

 

One is a situational rule, the other is a safety rule.  Can’t ask players, especially kids, to throw in the dark, catch in dark; and run in the dark.  Hello lawsuits 

[Richvee]

Not covered in FED. I would default to OBR. Replay the pitch. 

[noumpere]

19 hours ago, Senor Azul said:

Official Interpretation:  Rumble:

 

More than one Rumble interp has been discredited / revised over the years.

[The Man in Blue]

9 hours ago, Richvee said:

Not covered in FED. I would default to OBR. Replay the pitch. 

 

While I cringe at the "it's not in our rulebook, just use somebody else's" approach, I will co-sign this in the name of safety.

[beerguy55]

What's the FED/OBR approach to a ball hit into the field from a neighboring field - let's say in a similar circumstance - as F5 gloves the ball a foul ball from the field behind comes into the field of play...either everyone screaming heads up as it approaches the field...or, nobody says anything and the ball lands in the infield as F5 gloves the ball.

I'm thinking it could, in principle, be a similar safety concern situation and maybe both be handled the same way.

Otherwise, this is one of the few times in baseball I like a "do over".