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Information for NFHS umpires.
Lively discussion on other boards about the number of outs charged when an improper batter was put out on the play. In the past the batter that failed to bat was called out, and any runners put out on the play (ie., forced at 3B) would stand. But an exception stated that the out on the batter that failed to bat superseded the out made by the improper batter on the play. It was like Poof! She disappeared. Whether the improper batter flied out or hit a HR, it was all negated.
The 2003 NFHS re-write of Rule 7 appeared to be calling the improper batter out. 7.2.2 “When an improper batter . . . is put out . . . . EFFECT: Any outs on the play stand. Period. No disclaimer about not calling the improper batter out. So now we have the proper batter AND the improper batter being called out. Two outs! Plus any other runner that may have been put out.
After two days of e-mails between myself and the Softball Director at M.H.S.A.A. and the Softball Chair at NFHS, we got back an official interpretation. The sentence “Any outs on the play stand” refers only to other runners put out on the play. The improper batter is still Poof! So nothing has changed; FED is not the same as ASA, but the new book sure would make you think so. Any FED umpires probably should hand onto this interpretation in case you get challenged on the rule this year.
WMB
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