One Foot in the Batters Box

[SWC]

High School Girls fast pitch softball. The other day I was watching a game. The batter, after taking a pitch, stepped out of the batters box with one foot and kept her back foot in the box while taking a sign from the coach. After taking the sign she then fixed her batting gloves, while still in the same position, one foot in and one foot out of the box. The pitcher threw a pitch and the umpire called it a strike. The batter had not asked or indicated that she wanted time. The offensive coach argued, unsuccessfully, that the pitch did not count because the batter was not fully in the box, she had one foot out. Usually the pitcher will give the batter the courtsey with getting set, however this was not the case. Was the umpire correct, batter was in the box, with only one foot, pitcher can pitch the ball?

Thanks for your help.

SWC

[Mr Umpire]

If the umpire felt the batter had enough time to get ready, then the pitcher can pitch. Usually, the umpire will give a warning such as "Batter, get in the box." If they refuse at that point, then pitcher can pitch or (in baseball now) the umpire can just call a strike. I don't know if the pitcher has to actually pitch the ball in softball.

There is no penalty for the batter to get into the box after the pitcher delivered and hit the ball at least for baseball.

So, the umpire was correct but may not have executed it properly. If he gave the warning and provided the batter enough time, then he did it right. I try to avoid this b/c it is dangerous if the batter is not looking. Which may be why baseball changed it from the pitcher actually having to throw a pitch to just call it a strike and the ball is dead.

Next time, she will heed that warning and get in the box when told.

[LMSANS]

In HS softball, the batter has 10 seconds from the time F1 has the ball within the circle to get set, F1 has 20 seconds to deliver the pitch. The girls get into a rythm and that has a lot to do with how quickly the games go.

I will watch for the batter to be ready, but unless she is the leadoff, she has seen how quickly F1 is working.

The umpire is correct.