View Single Post
  #1 (permalink)  
Old Wed Aug 10, 2005, 10:09pm
WestMichBlue WestMichBlue is offline
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: West Michigan
Posts: 964
Situation: R1 at 1B, B2 singles to RC field. R1 misses 2B on way to 3B. F9’s throw to 3B skips past F5 into dead ball territory. At TOT, R1 was past 2B. At time of Dead Ball R1 was standing on 3B. Umpire awards 2 bases, R1 gets home.

ASA 8.5-G covers overthrows into dead ball territory (2 bases from TOT). In 1998 ASA added the following exception: ”When the ball becomes dead, no runner may return to touch a missed base or a base left too soon if he has advanced, touched, or remains on a base beyond the missed base or the base left too soon.”

In 1998 R1 above could not go back to 2B during dead ball, but would have to go home. The defense could then successfully appeal R1 missing 2B.

Sometime after that ASA recognized that devious fielders could take advantage of this rule and they added another sentence to the exception. ”A runner shall not be declared out if a fielder deliberately carries or throws the ball into dead ball territory to prevent that runner from returning to a missed base or a base left too soon.”

I believe in 2002 ASA changed the exception to read: ”When the ball becomes dead, runners may return to touch a missed base . . . . . . . . . “ Was this a major shift in philosophy? Or a typo? In 2002 R1 above could go back to 2B during dead ball; then touch 3B and go home. An appeal would be denied because R1 had already touched the missed base.

I am guessing the change was 2002, but I do not have a book to read if ASA highlighted it as a change. However, NFHS re-wrote their Rule 8 in 2002, which was a near copy of ASA rule 8. This exception, including the “devious fielder” part was copied directly into NFHS 8.4.G. NFHS rule changes precede ASA changes by several months. So NFHS could have copied it as it was at that time, but ASA could have changed later for their 2002 book. (Whatever, it was definitely changed by 2003.)

Because ASA and NFHS rules committees communicate, I find it hard to believe that NFHS would have copied a rule that ASA was preparing to change. Also note that ASA has never removed the “devious fielder” sentence. In today’s book (2005) we have a rule that supposedly allows a runner to return during dead ball – but prevents a fielder from deliberately throwing the ball out of play to prevent a runner from returning.

So what do you think? Was this a rule change? Or a typo that has slipped by for 2 or 3 years now?

WMB
Reply With Quote