Foot Outside The Box

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by mbyron

That too would constitute making up a rule, namely that a foot out of the box is insignificant.

Not at all. A foot out of the box is insignificant...if the batter does not contact the ball with the bat! He would be making the proper "no call."

Unless you were just being funny,

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Not at all. A foot out of the box is insignificant...if the batter does not contact the ball with the bat! He would be making the proper "no call."

Unless you were just being funny,

You and I know it's insignificant, since we know the rule. If you don't know the rule, then anything you do amounts to making up a rule. You're just lucky if you happen to guess right.

My point was the advice you gave is not much help. When something happens on the field, you have to make some kind of ruling. If you don't know the rule, then telling you not to make up rules provides no direction.

Of course, if your real advice is to learn the rules so as not to end up in this position, that's hard to argue with.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by mbyron

Of course, if your real advice is to learn the rules so as not to end up in this position, that's hard to argue with.

Yes. This was the point of the whole thing. The guy should not be umpiring if he doesn't know at least a basic rule like that one, and he should learn the playiing rules before getting out there.

[SAump]

Following Snaqwells initial premise about no one being perfect when they officiate their first game and speaking of the basic rules and the decision-making between a baseball umpire or a basketball referee; which is harder to learn to officiate?

[Adam]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Yes. This was the point of the whole thing. The guy should not be umpiring if he doesn't know at least a basic rule like that one, and he should learn the playiing rules before getting out there.

I guess this is my problem here, trying to figure out which rules are basic and which are justifiably more complicated.
I played a lot of baseball as a kid, but never once saw an umpire ding a batter for having the foot out of the box. Didn't see it until I was in my late 20's playing slow pitch. It's just hard for me to consider a rule basic when I've only seen it broken and enforced once in my lifetime.
Let me ask this, how often do y'all see this happen in actual games at the various levels?

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

I guess this is my problem here, trying to figure out which rules are basic and which are justifiably more complicated.

Basic: Rules that I know.

Advanced: Rules that I don't know.

[Rcichon]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

I guess this is my problem here, trying to figure out which rules are basic and which are justifiably more complicated.
I played a lot of baseball as a kid, but never once saw an umpire ding a batter for having the foot out of the box. Didn't see it until I was in my late 20's playing slow pitch. It's just hard for me to consider a rule basic when I've only seen it broken and enforced once in my lifetime.
Let me ask this, how often do y'all see this happen in actual games at the various levels?

exactly once in twelve years.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Let me ask this, how often do y'all see this happen in actual games at the various levels?

It depends: as PU I've never seen it (and expect never to do so). As BU I've seen it once in a HS game: LH batter was halfway to pitcher when he bunted a slow curve.

[Adam]

I guess this speaks to my point, thanks.
I was called for it in a slow pitch game once; standard swing but my lead foot went a little too close to third base (my plant foot stayed in the box). One of my first slow pitch games ever, and I was still in effect learning to hit.