Equipment, batters box
 

Q1) bucket of ball outside of dugout of both coaches. Ball is thrown by def and 1) strikes offense bucket or 2) hits defense bucket. Dead ball immediately. Is the result both the same? No further advancement?

Q2) ball is batted poorly and stops inside batters box. Is the batters box relevant after the batter has ran out of it? So the call would be fair/foul depending on umpire judgement since the foul line isn't drawn the last two feet at the plate.

Q3) there is no visible front line of batters box. Hitter seems to be awfully far forward, but w no line I can't call him out for being out of box. Is there anything I can do?

1. Why is it a dead ball?

2. Fair or foul is always defined as to the position of the ball, except when it strikes the batter. Even if the batter is still in the box, if the ball settles within it without touching him, it's dependent on the ball's location.

3. Not really, unless you have some sort of other means to be 100% sure he's out of the box.

3. Rule of thumb is if either foot of the batter is somewhere abeam the plate then his other foot won't be out when he hits. So what if that's not the case? Between innings surreptitiously pace off three footsteps from the middle of the plate and leave a toe print. When the offending batter is at the plate watch where his foot lands on the swing and miss. Oh wait, he didn't swing. Was that because it was a ball or he was taking a pitch? Since you didn't track it call it a ball. Next pitch, he swung and missed and you definitely saw his heel just clear your toe mark. Nothing of course since no contact. Next pitch, a stride and checked swing, but his foot was closer to your faded toe print, but no matter, appeal the checked swing to your partner, who gives you a strike as you hear some chatter about "it was down the middle, why are you checking". Next pitch, you decide tracking the pitch is more important than where the batters foot lands. Batter hits it and you don't have a clue where his foot landed.
There are some cases where the stars align and you get this but there is a reason why it is reviewable in MLB.

1) Here's the FED rule:

1-3-7
ART. 7 . . . Loose equipment, such as gloves, bats, helmets or catcher's gear, of either team may not be on or near the field.
PENALTY: If loose equipment interferes with play, the umpire may call an out(s), award bases or return runners, based on his judgment and the circumstances concerning the play.

And OBR (from MLB ground rules):
No equipment is permitted to be left on the top step (lip) of the dugout. If a ball hits equipment left on the top step it is dead.

In general, the ruling / award is going to be the same whether it's the defensive or offensive team that causes, the problem, but you are going to give the benefit of the doubt against the team who had the bucket out.





3) You can draw it in with your foot or the batter's bat.

Haven't had to do it in the later parts of the season, but earlier this year during the meeting with the coaches when I was reminding them of the POE for loose equipment/coaches outside the dugout, I'd say something to the effect of "If a live ball hits a coach or equipment outside of the dugout, I get to do pretty much whatever I want, and you're not going to like it."

Not quite true, of course, but it got the message across.