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Recognizing Common Softball
Myths
by Joel Balberman
As
umpires, we often encounter players, coaches, and fans who are victims of
mistaken ideas, beliefs or myths about the game of softball. Some of these
myths have endured for many years. Perhaps some of you had even been taught
them by your father or a well-meaning coach. Some are just incorrect
interpretations of the rules. What does the rule book really say about
these situations? As umpires, we must not be the victims of these mistaken
ideas and misunderstood rules. Let's examine some of the more commonly
beliefs that are held erroneously.
#1 THE RUNNER GETS ONE PLUS ONE
This is the all-time classic chestnut about the award of bases
on an overthrown ball that goes out of play. We've all heard it. It has
been around for a long time. "It's the base you’re going to plus
one." Somebody forgot to tell the holders of this belief that the
rule was changed many years ago.
The rule
book spells out clearly the award of bases in an overthrow situation. No
attempt will be made to explain the rule in detail here. Suffice to say
that there is never an award of one and one. We may also come across the
coach who tries to say at ground rules that certain overthrows are an award
of one base. These may include situations such as a thrown ball stuck in,
stuck under or going through a hole in the backstop, or a fence. A tactful
way to correct these at ground rules is they refer to them as "book
rules" and leave it at that. It is not the appropriate time to conduct
a rules clinic for the teams. If such a situation should arise in that game,
simply explain that it is a book rule, and award the appropriate number of
bases.
Two basic
principles always apply:
1. When a live ball is thrown out of play by a fielder, the award of bases
shall be two.
2. The award is always governed by the position of the runners at the time
the fielder released the ball.
Let's try
to erase the expression "one and one" from the game. It just does
not properly explain the application of the overthrow rule.
#2 THE HANDS ARE PART OF THE BAT
Poppycock! Holders of this belief want us to deny first base to
a batter, usually of the opposing team, who gets hit by a pitched ball.
However, the batter's hands are a part of the person, just the same as an
arm or a leg. In most cases, if an arm or leg gets struck with a pitched
ball, the batter is awarded first base. Since the hands of the batter are a
part of the batter's person, if a batter swings at and hits a pitched ball
off the hands, it cannot be a legally batted ball. The same would be true
of an attempted bunt. The rule book tells us that a pitch that hits a
batter who is attempting to hit the ball is to be called a strike. The ball
is dead, and no bases may be run.
What
happens when a pitched ball hits the batter on the hands, but no attempt was
being made to hit the pitch? The rules are clear: If the batter's hands and
the ball were in the strike zone at the time of contact, the pitch is to be
called a strike. Batters who crouch low and hang over the plate run the
risk of this happening.
If the
batter's hands were part of the bat, it would follow that you would not
award a base if the batter attempted to get out of the way of a pitched
ball, but it still hit the batter's hands. Obviously, this is not correct.
The hands are a part of the batter's body, and the batter should be awarded
first base without liability to be put out.
If the
batter made no attempt to avoid being hit by a pitched ball, no base should
be awarded. Just call the pitch as it was - ball or strike. The rules
require the batter to make an attempt to avoid being hit. Whether the
batter did or did not make an attempt is a judgment call, based in part on
the speed and location of the pitch. A base would almost always be awarded
on a pitched ball that bounces off the ground and into the legs of the
batter, whereas a change up that hits the batter's arm or shoulder may not
always result in an awarded base. Further, how many batters would
deliberately allow a pitched ball to strike them on the hands. There are
easier and less painful ways to get to first base.
Finally, it
should be noted that if a pitch hits the batter's hands and the bat
simultaneously, the pitch is considered to have hit the batter. Fortunately
most umpires know these rules and apply them correctly.
#3 HEY UMP!
HE'S OUT OF THE BATTER'S BOX!
It was nice of them to be watching for us. Complaints usually
arise about those batters who start at the back of the batter's box and
then run forward through the box as the pitch is delivered. Most of the
time, though, these complaints should fall on deaf ears since there are two
things that matter, but are not understood:
1. the dimensions of the batter's box
2. what out of the box really means
Early in a
game, if the boxes have been accurately marked, this can be an easy call
for an umpire. Problems arise however, when the lines are not marked, or
have been erased throughout the course of a game. That is why it is
essential that umpires know the dimensions and have a mental sense of the
boundaries of the batter's box. Four feet up from the center of the plate
is a long way.
Further,
the rules state that in order for a batter to be called out for illegally
batting the ball, a batter must have his/her foot on the ground, entirely
outside the batter's box at the time of contact with the ball. If any part
of the foot is in the box, or on the line, the batter is still in the box.
A foot in the air out of the box does not count, nor does
a swing and a miss. However any batted ball, fair or foul results in an out
if the batter is ruled to be out of the box. As always, when you know the
rules, the call can be easy.
#4 THE BALL HIT THE RUNNER - HE'S OUT!
Maybe. As umpires, we had better be asking ourselves some quick
questions: Was it a batted or a thrown ball? If it was a thrown ball, then
interference could be the call if the umpire was convinced that the runner
deliberately got in the way of the throw and caused the interference. Using
this guiding principle, it would be very difficult to call any runner out
for interference if the ball hit him/her in the back. Runners do not have
eyes in the backs of their heads. The only exception might be the batter
runner going the last half of the distance to first base and hit in the
back while running to the left of the fair line.
Quite
different is a runner being hit by a batted ball. First, the umpire must
ask: Was it a fair ball? If not, there is no problem. Foul ball. If a fair
ball, the call will be interference, the ball is dead, the batter is out,
and no bases may be run. Wait a minute, not so fast. You haven't asked
yourself enough questions yet!
The next
most important question is: Was any infielder in position to make a play on
the batted ball? Had the batted ball passed an infielder other than the pitcher
at the time it hit the runner? If so, was another infielder in position to
play the ball and make an out? Was the ball touched by an infielder before
it hit the runner? Was the runner off or on his/her base at the time the
ball hit him/her?
Obviously,
this whole thing could get quite complicated, and it is easy to see why it
is an oversimplification to say that a runner is out if hit by the ball.
#5 THE RUNNER TURNED THE WRONG WAY!
Many players and coaches believe that a batter-runner who has overrun
first base should be called out if the runner turns left and is tagged
while off the bag. There is nothing wrong about a runner turning to the
left. The umpire must make a judgment: Was the runner making an attempt
to go to second? Most often this happens on a thrown ball that gets
away from the first baseman and the thought momentarily enters the runner's
mind to go to second.
If there is
physical movement in the direction of second, that is if steps are taken,
the runner would be out if tagged while off the bag. If a runner turns
toward fair territory and returns to first base in fair territory, there is
no rule infraction.
#6 THAT'S
INTERFERENCE/OBSTRUCTION! (pick one)
No attempt will be made here to deal extensively with these two
rules. Suffice to say that these two rules can be thorny for even the
students of the game among us, and often difficult for the average fan,
player or coach to comprehend. Consider just the following two principles
to apply when calling either of these rule violations:
1. The runner must always yield to a fielder who is trying to make a play
on a batted ball.
2. A fielder may not block a runner's path unless in the act of fielding a
batted or thrown ball.
The first
instance is obvious. Unless the runner goes behind the fielder, or stops to
allow the ball to be fielded, the runner runs the risk of being called out
for interference. The second instance required more of a judgment call for
the umpire. Was the fielder in the act of making a play? If not, then the fielder
has no right to be there, and may be charged with obstruction. Umpires
should be aware that a runner who goes behind a fielder in order to avoid
interference is not running off the basepath, and
cannot be called out.
Study of
the rule book, reading of casebook examples, and clinic attendance help
umpires to learn more about the proper application of these two important
rules.
#7 TIE GOES TO THE RUNNER
It is commonly believed that there is a rule, unwritten or
otherwise that tells umpires how to call the close ones. That belief is
that a tie on a force out should result in a safe call. As umpires we make
decisions on every play. We cannot say: That was too close. It's a tie! The
choices are twofold: out or safe. The runner either beat the play being
made on him/her or he/she didn't.
It is a
well known joke that there is only one way to call the close one - out!
Why? It helps to get the game over with faster. Obviously, this is not the
way we should be operating as umpires. A better rule-of-thumb might be: If
in doubt, never out.
This may be
a new way of thinking about close plays for some of us. It is worthy of
some thought. There is another way of looking at these plays as well: Did
the throw beat the runner to the bag? Did the runner clearly beat the
throw? If not, the call is easy.
#8 WHAT DID YOU SAY?
Finally, the language of the game can often be wrongly used and
cause confusion and misunderstanding. The terms we as umpires use must be exact,
and in accordance with the definitions stated in Rule 1. There are
important differences based on terminology that we must recognize. Some
examples include terms such as batter-runner vs. runner; foul tip vs. foul
ball; illegal re-entry vs. unannounced substitution; illegal player vs.
ineligible player and many more.
As umpires
we must be accurate in the language we use to describe plays and interpret
rules. A fly ball is not the same as an infield fly, even if it happens to
be over the infield.
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