Quote:
Originally posted by VaASAump
Wow, is Mike on vacation? 
According to ASA rules; Base stealing is legal in Adult Men's Slow Pitch (does not apply to Men's Master and Senior Play). A runner may leave the base when the ball reaches the front edge of home plate (provided the ball has not touched the ground prior to reaching the front edge of home plate).
Which means that the ball remains live after it reaches the front edge of home plate and the batter swings and misses. Consequently, the runner may steal, provided he does according to ASA rules.
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Don't get smart, Sergio. I was there
Speaking ASA Men's SP stealing.
A runner may leave the base when the ball reaches the plate. Nothing new there. If the ball hits the ground before the front edge of the plate, hits any part of the plate or batter, the ball is dead and no runners may advance.
Otherwise, the ball is live and runners may advance at their own risk on any pitch. If the runner is not moving (or obviously not advancing) at the time the catcher returns the ball to the pitcher in the vicinity of the pitcher's plate (and the pitcher catches it), the ball is dead and ALL runners return to the last base occupied at the time of the catcher's release. If the pitcher does not catch the ball, or catches it outside the vicinity of the plate, the ball is live and runners may advance.
Please note: the key here is the time of the release by the catcher,
not when the pitcher receives the ball.
If the runner was advancing when the catcher releases the ball, the pitcher can catch it and throw out any runner off a base. The catcher may attempt to pick-off a runner... a foul tip is possible, though not likely. Same ruling as FP, ball is live...a live ball pitch which rolls out of play is a dead ball and runners advanced one base...same with a blocked ball, if a runner is advancing and the ball becomes blocked or the on-deck batter interferes with the catcher's ability to get an out, the runner being played on is called out. If there was no obvious play, the runners are returned to the base last touched at the time of the blocked ball..."vicinity of the pitcher's plate" should be envisioned as similar to the 8'circle used for FP.