[Gulf Coast Blue]

Dakota........these are my criteria.......

I did a little cut and paste on another board, where I responded to almost the same question.........

The way I have learned to deal with this rule........(the wording has changed in the ASA book every year for the last 4)........

Is to allow the runner to round a base......find the ball and advance or retreat........Legal on all fronts........WALKS included........I give em' a one-one-thousand......then.......BANG.

If the BR over-runs first.......they have 3 choices.........

1. They may round the base.......find the ball and advance or retreat.......

2. They over-run: stop, turn and start heading back to first........they are NOW committed to first!! If they break toward 2nd.......they are guilty of the lookback rule.

3. They over-run: stop, turn and start towards 2nd........they are NOW committed to 2nd!! If they decide........ahhh.....not a good idea, and try to go back to 1st.......they are guilty of the lookback rule.

That's about as simple as I can make it......

I witnessed our State FED and Region (ASA UIC) give a demonstration of this on the field........once I saw it......it made sense...........grin

This is a confusing rule...........I gave you my criteria.........and it is backed up by rule.........(and my Region interpretation).......

I do however, believe the older wording of the rule was simpler..........I think this is one of the few times that ASA added a bunch of verbiage that confused the rule instead of clarifying it........

Vintage 1999 was the best.....it says the same thing and is more pleasing to the palate..............grin.

Joel







[Edited by Gulf Coast Blue on Aug 21st, 2001 at 10:18 PM]