[greymule]

MartyG, POE #32 contains some useful information about the look-back rule, but as is common with the ASA book, you can't take everything it says literally. Part E says, "If a runner is moving toward a base, other than first base, when the pitcher receives the ball in the circle, that runner must continue toward that base or be called out." That statement directly contradicts Rule 8-8-T-1: "When a runner is legtitimately off a base after a pitch or as a result of a batter completing a turn at bat, and while the pitcher has the ball within an eight foot radius of the pitcher's plate, the runner may stop once, but then must immediately return to the base or attempt to advance to the next base.

Obviously, if a runner is two steps beyond 3B and is moving toward home when the pitcher gets the ball in the circle, the runner can then stop and retreat to 3B, even if she advances several more steps toward home. Similarly, after a base on balls, and with the ball in the pitcher's possession, the batter-runner can continue past 1B as far as she wants, and then decide to take her one stop and return to 1B. If she actually reached 2B and then stopped and returned to 1B, she'd be out, though. (What if she rounded 2B and then took her stop and returned to 2B and then 1B in a continuous motion? By the book, that's legal.)

You'll find that if you ignore minor technical violations that don't violate the spirit of the rule, you'll seldom have to call it. I've done a zillion girls' tournaments and have called it only two or three times. The main play you have to watch for is runner on 3B, batter gets a base on balls. The catcher immediately returns the ball to the pitcher, who stands utterly still with the ball in her possession. After the batter-runner rounds 1B, the runner on 3B, anticipating that the pitcher will play on the runner, leaves 3B or moves back and forth in the baseline. In that case, you call her out.

Another play to watch for: runner who is trotting back toward 2B when the pitcher gets the ball in the circle then reverses and breaks for third. That's legal—she took her one stop.

You also have to expect that, since the look-back rule doesn't go into effect until the batter-runner reaches 1B, some girls who get bases on balls with advance very slowly toward 1B to give their runners a chance to deke and fake and try to draw a play from the pitcher.