[topper]

ASA punishes the defense with an IP (NCAA awards a ball to the batter and a warning for the 1st offense) when a catcher loses the count and erroneously throws the ball around when the bases are empty. Three questions:

1. Why is the rule in place?

2. Why is there no penalty when the batter takes off to first after ball 3?

3. Why the IP in ASA when the penalty amounts to the same as NCAA - a ball on the batter?

Maybe this has come up before on this board. If so, pardon my ignorance.