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Originally Posted by DaveASA/FED
Not sure what rules you are playing under. To my knowledge there are no specific 8U rules, 10U in ASA but unless there is a section I haven't read, no 8U specific.
With that being said I look at it as if an 18U girl did that prior to the pitcher releasing the ball would I call her out? Answer is probably yes! Let's not get into intent of the rule, the intent is to keep them at the base and get no advantage like 10 extra feet toward the next base. But the rule says them must stay in contact with the base until the ball is released(ASA and FED), may be a league rule in 8U or a rule set I haven't seen to stay till it is hit. In your case why I said probably is IMO, the first time I saw this I would have called time, went over to brush off 1st base and quietly told the girl to make sure she stays in contact till the ball is hit (released in older girls). In an 8U you might not get away that easy, there might have to be a coach involved to tell her that as younger girls tend to not understand little remarks from umpires without a full explanation and it is good for the coach to learn too!
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Thanks to all for good answers. The rules for our 8/under do not allow for the runner to leave the base till the batter hits the ball. As you all know the rule for kid fast-pitch allows stealing, but the runner cannot leave before the ball is released from the pitchers hand. I called one runner out in kid-pitch for that last year and got no heat from any coach. I think some coaches test the umpires by telling their runners to cheat a little and hope the ump doesn't see it; or call it even if he/she sees it. But that's a whole lot different than this situation with the runner hopping off, then back on. Anyway, what's done is done and it didn't go against the rules, so at least I don't have egg on my face in that regard. So the call was good, but I think I should have just given a private warning to the base coach, especially since I was not 100% sure if she was allowed to take both feet a couple feet off then get back on. For the life of me I don't know why she doesn't get her feet in the position she wants them before the play becomes live. I guess she will from now on, at least when I'm umpiring.
The game was close too. But thankfully they ended up winning the game. I think I'll talk about this in the next pre-games to make it clear to all the coaches. Thanks again! BTW, while I was talking to the coach about this his little girl (the one that I called out) was there and I asked her if we are still friends. She smiled and said: "Yes, umpire Al" and gave me a hug ..
...Al