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Originally Posted by Dakota
Several points:
1) ASA does not allow restricting a coach to the dugout. Maybe your local league does.
2) I, also, have no problem in general with your coaching tactic in this situation. HOWEVER, since your admitted use of the tactic was to delay the completion of the game, it was illegal. As noted above, the rule against delaying the game does not state that the tactics must be in and of themselves illegal. Only that they be noticeably designed to delay the game. Normally, when I see coaches go to station-to-station running, it is to limit the scoring (limit the damage in a blowout), not to avoid hitting the mercy rule. They have long since hit the mercy rule in number of runs; they are just trying to get to through the innings required.
3) I think your desire to delay the game in order to give a couple of more kids some at-bats was a questionable motive.
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In point 1 - I agree, No it is not a local league thing either but it was a tactic that he used in order not to eject him and have to go through that process. The coach did not protest the move therefore it stood.
In points 2 and 3 - I see where you are coming from and understand but I think that it would be over officiating to apply it in this situation. In every game I try to avoid "running the score up" but on the same token try my best to give my girls as much of a chance to play as possible without making a travesty of the game. In my situation I can see where the rule could be applied but the same could be said about a girl who raises her foot an inch off the bag and getting called out for leaving the bag early. Technically illegal but would it be right to call it?
FYI..In the game where he restricted the coach to the bench the next day, it was a FP game and all he was doing was holding the girls to singles after reaching the mercy rule but not yet reaching the number of innings. (Up by 20+ in the 2nd)