[SamNVa]

I had the following example of the "POOF" play in a minors (9-10) league this past spring.

Situation: Bottom of the sixth, home team down by 2, 2 outs, #7 hitter at the plate, I'm PU, BU is a rookie.

The batter hits a weak line drive to F6's right. F6 manages to get a glove on the ball and knock it down, but ends up throwing the ball out into right field in an attempt to get R3 at 2nd. After the ensuing melee of runners running, fielders throwing, and other fielders missing, the BR ends up on 3rd, 3 runs have apparently scored and the home team is beginning their post game celebration. I begin to walk out to the mound to retrieve the game ball when I happen to notice the red flag out in short left center and see my partner coming over with a perplexed look on his face. He proceeds to inform me that R3 was a good 2-3 steps off of 1st before the ball reached the batter, but that he is not sure what to do about it. I ask him if he is sure and he affirms that he is, so after a heavy sigh, I get the two managers together and explain that we have a 7.13 violation, so the game is not over.

Well, the offensive coach immediately begins to argue his case without waiting for me to explain the situation and the dialog went something like this:

Me: Ok, coaches, We have a 7.13 violation, the runner on 1st left early, so...

Coach: Well, the batter ended up on 3rd, so all the runs score anyway right?

Me: No coach since the shortstop knocked the ball down, the batter has to go back to 1st, and the other runners have to return to the nearest open base...

Coach: But only the runner on 1st right? He was the runner who left early, so the other two runners score, right?

Me: No, coach. If one runner leaves early all runners are affected, so they all go back.

Coach: What? What?! That can't be right! The other two guys didn't do anything wrong so why do they have to go back?

Me: Because that's what the rule says, coach.

Coach: Well, what about the kid on 3rd. He can't go back, so he scores right?

Me: Well since the shortstop kept the ball in the infield, the runner on 3rd goes poof.

Coach: "Poof?" What the h*ll are you talking about? (Since it was just us adults around, I let his little slip slide.)

Me: Since no run can score on an in-field hit when a runner leaves early. the runner on 3rd just vanishes, we put him in the dugout without recording a run. Tell your scorekeepers just to write 7.13 in the box.

Coach: You've got to be kidding me. They make a dozen errors and we score 3 runs to win the game and now you're telling that none of them count because the runner on first took a couple of steps before the batter hit the ball?

Me: 'Fraid so coach, that's what the rule says.

Coach: Well, that's a stupid rule.

Me: Maybe so coach, but that's what we playing by. Now, we have 2 outs, and the bases are still loaded. Let's play ball, gentlemen.

To complete the story, B8 and B9 have done nothing but look at the ball all day, so the offensive coach isn't expecting anything from them. B8 manages to eek out a walk on a 3-2 count, but when the count goes to 1-2 on B9, the offensive coach gets nervous and tries a delayed steal on the next pitch (which was a ball btw), but F1 and F2 are on their toes and get the runner on a not-so-close play at the plate, so the home team ends up losing by 1 run.

Now, guess which side of the field, the parking lot was on.