This happened friday night at a high school baseball game in NC.
Team A is beating Team B 10-2 in the bottom of 5th.
Player from Team A hits a 2 run shot over the left field fence. All his teammates come out on the field to congratulate him. The umpire ejects every single player from Team A for coming out of the dugout. Therefore Team B wins by forfeit. There was no taunting or trash talking by Team A, just some high fives.
This is a new rule the NCHSAA has put into place this season. Does any other states have this silly rule and is it enforced by the umpires.

Here in Michigan, we allow teams to come to the plate to congratulate a home run hitter. No interference is allowed and players respect that. Don't think I could call a game a forfeit because of a stupid rule like that.

This is not a new rule, but it is a 2005 FED Point of Emphasis to remind players and coaches that players should not leave the dugout to "congratulate a teammate while the ball is alive." The rule that applies is the one that requires players to wear helments when in live ball territory. The proper response would be a team warning and ejections on the next occassion. However, the emphasis is for when the "ball is alive" and it's not after a home run.

EXACTLY. It's amazing how many so-called umpires don't realize that the ball is DEAD when it leaves the playing field.

Did the the NCHSAA get permission from FED to make this silly rule?

Bob

I don't think NCHSAA made this rule. I think it was an OOO going berserk on his mis-interpretation of a FED point of emphasis.

Y'all
 

Might think the POE is easy but wait:

"The Oregon Federation Rules Honcho" taught at two of the three rules clinics this season that teams were to stay in the dugout.

This of course was corrected when an umpire who posts on a private umpire internet group brought the issue up to his international umpire group. The USA FED umpires on that group strongly mentioned that the Oregon guy was just wrong.

I will say this:

For those of you that work soccer there was a previous POE in that rule book. It was written to eliminate activities after a goal was scored (i.e. shirts being taken off and organized celebrations). Soccer officials were given the same type order to control demonstrations. When FED decided officials did not do enough FED wrote a rule.

As umpires we are maybe two years max away from having a rule that restricts the actions of players after a home run.

10 Run Rule?
 

Does NC have a ten run rule?

This is not a rule
 

We do try to follow the guidelines of keeping all players in the dugouts during a live ball.

Every year at the first of the season we have to enforce it becuase duing the summer they must let players do whatever they want and we have to remind them.

We allow teams to come out and congratulate the players but it must be right in front of the dugout and must be quick, and during a dead ball.

But the bottom line is whether the ball is dead or live.

Following a HR the ball is dead. Also, in our state we are required to give a team warning and then an ejection.

And then, with a two run homer to end the game what's the PU doing staying around home.

Once he touches I'm at the truck.

Thanks
David

After a home run (out of the yard) the ball is dead. Players may come out of the dugout to congratulate the batter. No warnings, no ejections. Just make sure you see the runner touch the plate - perhaps by telling the congratulators "Let him touch - let me see him touch".

Live ball, different story. but you all know that....

But we must be aware of the other portion of the POE this year. FED is concerned about the behavior of the players coming out of the dugout. Regardless of the status of the ball, they must still behave appropriately. There have been many incidents in which the "congratulations" have turned to taunting of the opposing players.

This is what underlies Tee's warning. If this problem persists, FED will, as they threaten in the POE use "legislation" (read: rule) to keep them in the dugout even during a deadball. Guaranteed.

Just becuase the ball is dead, the PU can't turn a blind eye to what is going on.

When Bill Mazeroski hit that home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the seventh game of the 1960 World Series, the rest of the Pirates stood surrounding home plate to greet him.

The ump should have ejected all those Pirates and forfeited the game to the Yankees.

Garth, I didn't address the "extra-curricular" activities possible because they were not mentioned in the original thread. Matter of fact, it said there was no trash talk - only high-fives. Obviously, we need to be aware of unsportsmanlike activity at ALL times.

Greymule - good one!

Can't eject during action. Once Maz scored, the game was over. Nothing to forfeit (although I like the thought).

Re: 10 Run Rule?
 

Yes. This was a walkoff HR in NC.

[Edited by DG on Mar 14th, 2005 at 08:21 PM]

Oh my God! Very large cojones! Way to stick to book blue!