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"My belief is that this interpretation is incorrect and that the stop must occur within a step or two of first base"
Dan, I know what your position on this is, because you were in the midst of a fierce debate on McGriff's about 16 mo ago when we were first discussing the new NFHS Rule 8. There were many that agreed with you in setting an arbitrary distance for the B-R to come to a stop. Some went so far as to say it was a mental stop; that after a couple steps the B-R would look at F1, find the ball, and stop in her mind! Then if she continues running she is committed to 2B. Oh yeah, try to sell that call to a coach that you "read his runner's mind!"
But as then, I still disagree with your intepretation. I don't think that an umpire can define when a runner "stopped" if she is still physically moving. The runner has to physically stop; the umpire can't stop her in his mind.
NFHS is now in the 2nd year of new rule 8, and ASA has had it for many years. I am not aware of any clarification about an arbitrary distance clarification for "may stop."
WMB
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