Batter's Out By Rule or
 

Situation . During a timed little league game with 2 outs and less than 1 min in the game . The 3rd base coach ( Home Team )calls time and yells out to the batter to step across the plate when the picture begins his motion to pitch. By rule this is an out .My question is do you have to call the batter out. Also note that the Home Team is losing 15 -2 and the weather is bad

Home team just forfeited.

In practice, you might opt to not see this action, and then remind coach that tactics designed to consume time or extend the game (i.e. monkey with the clock) are immediate grounds for forfeit - no warning.

Is the clock visible? If not, time limit has been reached. Game over. You can tell the coach you were going to let the batter complete his at bat before announcing time limit as a courtesy, but the time limit had expired and no new inning will begin.

Any ulterior motives possible? Some innocent, some not? Run up pitch count on stud team? Need to get subs in with coach unaware of rule? Need to get subs in for parents? What inning was it BTW?

Game over due to time limit. If coach complains toss him for being an idiot.

Coach wants to get to the next inning.

The counter move is for the defense to immediately (before you put the ball back in play and/or throwing the pitch) call time for a conference - thus going past the (illegal) time limit. You can change pitchers every batter. Send in a defensive sub after every pitch. All valid moves. Part of the game.

Gonna forfeit the other way for those moves?

Let the teams play out their tactics. Time limits ( or impending darkness, bad weather approaching, impending curfew, etc.) create stalling or hurry-up actions. Been going on ever since the game was first played. Don't insert yourself unless it gets really obnoxious.

Did I mention that time limits aren't legal in most cases? Why not refuse to observe that rule?

No. Gonna warn, the very first time I hear it, preferably before I see it. In 22 years, I've NEVER had the warning go unheeded.

You're going to warn them for making a legal move? You'll lose that one at the protest committee.

Not if I was hearing the protest, which I do from time to time.

In the original scenario, I just wouldn't call the out. Simple as that.


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Seriously?

Exactly what is there to protest? I inform coach of the rule - that's it. Nothing remotely protestable in this situation.

And if you don't think the situation in the OP is EXACTLY what this rule is meant for - when WOULD you think that rule would apply?

Call time, brush the plate and then the pitchers mound if necessary. If time hasn't run out, brush the plate again. Problem solved :D:D:D

Interestingly, when most venues put a time limit it says no inning shall begin after so and so. They don't address the fact that if the appropriate number of half innings have not been completed you do not have a complete game. You have a suspended game by rule. I happily ignore that quandary in all of my time limit games that haven't reached the proper half inning.

He'd lose if I was on the committee.

"The manager went to change his pitcher and you tossed him and forfeited the game? Did I hear that right?"

"He was stalling".

"So you think you get to decide if he can change pitchers or not?"

"He was stalling".

"So he can only change his pitcher of there is more than some amount of time left? How much time?"

You refused to allow a pitching change or a sub or some other legal move. Explain that to the committee.

Stalling and stretching were fairly common in MLB before they changed the end of game rules. It still happens when bad weather is approaching and the game isn't official yet. Team gaining the advantage makes some moves. NO ONE CARES because they want to be able to do the same thing.

You're wrong, Rich. This becomes a judgement issue. If I feel that any action is intended to delay or shorten the game, it becomes illegal. Been to the protest committee on this one and it was denied.

Time limit games are rec league rules and good.

Protest committees for time limit games should rule on the intent of the time limit rule, thus intentionally doing something intentional to get an out by rule to prolong the game such as this situation should not be allowed.

Changing pitchers to extend the time in order to get a win is just bush.

Telling the batter to do something illegal to extend the game with one minute left should not be allowed in a time limit game.

But what rule says it is illegal? You could argue unsportsmanlike conduct, but you have to be very careful calling this one, because teams will also do the same thing the other way.

If I was the opposing coach, up 15-2 and knowing the coach was going to do this to play another inning, I would be tempted to do the same thing back the other way just to get that last inning done. There is nothing to prevent the visitors from intentionally taking 3 outs in their half. As the umpire you really don't have any say in the matter.

If I was the Visiting coach and had that stunt pulled to extend the game another inning I would do everything I could to encourage my team to keep scoring runs.

Timed games always bring out the "best" in coaches. If I am faced with a time limit, I simply let the teams do their thing. I remind them when they are pulling the bull shit moves that the clock is still running and when time is up, it's up. If the coaches have a problem with tactics, go see the tournament director or league officers, not my problem!

WHAT???

Sure... if you change the situation entirely, to something other than what we're discussing... yes, you would have a different ruling.

The OP said, "The 3rd base coach ( Home Team )calls time and yells out to the batter to step across the plate when the picture begins his motion to pitch." What in the world does that have to do with changing pitchers?

I did? When did I do that?

What the offense (I promise, the offense was not trying to do a pitching change)... did is EXACTLY what this rule is intended to prevent.

Or at least look confused and take a minute or two to decide it is, indeed, an out.

:eek:

Rita

I had a team once try something similar after a batter was hit by the pitch. Time limit was going to be announced over the loud speaker. Once the hit batter got to first, the coach told him to start running to second. The hope was he would get tagged out before the announcement.

Problem (or solution depending on your point of view) was that the ball is dead after a hit batter and isn't put back in play until the pitcher engages the rubber and the umpire says "play." The runner took off for second before any of this happened and during the ensuing confusion, time limit was announced. Game Over.

Edit to add: Clarification, we finished the inning, but no new inning started.

In post #2 you said:

In practice, you might opt to not see this action, and then remind coach that tactics designed to consume time or extend the game (i.e. monkey with the clock) are immediate grounds for forfeit - no warning.

Changing a pitcher is a legal move. Who are you to decide I can't do it?

They were idiots.

And I'm not the only one here suggesting that you let the teams play out the tactics.

Like I said ... if you change the scenario to be something different from the OP, you might get a different result.

As soon as I heard a coach do that, I'd probably call time and need to tie my shoe for a few minutes. Or get more baseballs. Or something.

Thankfully very few of my dates have time limits.