unsportsmanlike act

[chapmaja]

Originally Posted by Big Slick

Off the top of my head, here are two plays that my state high school association has ruled as unsportsmanlike:

Play 1: With less than two outs and a runner on base, the BR is retired at first on a force play. The defense, in a planned manner, runs off the field as if it was the third out, including F3 rolling the ball into the circle. The runner on base, then tries to advance, only to have the defense ready with a player designated to be at the appropriate base and other one to pick up the ball.

Play 2: Runner on first steals on the pitch. The catcher, with no chance to throw her out, throws the ball high into the air in the area of F4, mimicking a pop fly. F4 then shouts "I've got it, I've got it" deceiving the runner into thinking the ball has been hit.

I would say play 1 is not illegal. Play 2 on the other hand is verbal obstruction. You are deceiving / impeding the runner by the use of a voice command. Had the ball just been thrown into the air, that's on the runner not knowing what is going on. If they use the I've got it type phrase, now the defense is using a communication to confuse / deceive the offense.