[thumpferee]

Case 8.4.1 Situation I has a situation where the catcher chases a dropped third strike down the baseline where it is stepped on by the batter-runner. It states that if it is unintentional then the ball is still live. How can this be? The pitch has not ended and it struck a runner.

Case 8.4.1.J is what you're refering to,

The pitch was not batted. The pitch ricochets off of f2's mitt. The fielder, in your case, the catcher had his initial attempt to field the ball which he caused to be stepped on, or hit in your situation.

There is another example where the ball is batted sharply to the pitcher and bounces off him toward 1st baseline and then unintentionally stepped on by B1. Ball is still alive.

See Fed rulebook, Rule 8.4.Art 1.

Batter-runner is out when:

he INTENTIONALLY interferes with the catcher's attempt to field the ball after a third strike.

You also ask:

In reading through the FED rule and case books I find some contradicting sections. The pitch ends when the catcher secures the ball, the ball comes to rest, the ball goes out of play, the batter hits the ball, or when the ball becomes dead.

This being said, in the above case the pitch had not ended when it struck the batter. Therefore, shouldn't the ball be dead when it contacts the batter.


In your situation:

A batter swung and missed a third strike that the catcher failed to catch. The ball came up and hit the batter. The PU said foul ball and put the batter back at bat.


The PU was simply wrong. The pitch was not dead. The ball was still live. The ball would be dead if it hit the batter from the pitcher. Dead Ball, take your base.

There would be no difference if the ball hit the PU after a swinging and dropped 3rd strike, Ball is still live. Why would the ball hitting batter be any different?


As far as:

shouldn't the ball be dead when it contacts the batter (or runner) (5-1-1a)?

The rule states: The ball becomes dead when,

A PITCH touches a batter or his clothing. Notice PITCH. NOT ricochet off catcher's mitt.

He then would become a runner.

The runner part applies if he was hit by pitch, he becomes a runner, but the ball is dead.

Also, the ball would be dead if the batter swings at strike 3 and the ball hits him. Ball is dead, batter is out.

Hope this helped.