The Official Forum  

Go Back   The Official Forum > Softball

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Rate Thread Display Modes
  #1 (permalink)  
Old Sat Apr 07, 2018, 11:18am
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Fremont, NH
Posts: 1,352
USA: batting position

Rule 7.3.a
Prior to the pitch, the batter must have both feet completely within the lines of the batter's box. The batter may touch the lines, but no part of the foot maybe outside the lines prior to the pitch.

7.6.H
When a batter leaves the batter's box and returns to the box and makes contact with the ball.
Effect: ball dead, batter out, runners return...

This subject came up during a review of the USA Umpire's Exam. There was a question about a batter contacting a ball with a foot partially out of the batter's box. While related, it's not specific to the discussion that followed.

In Rule 7.3.a, there is no effect or penalty given if the batter has not complied.

I understand that in most cases, fields don't have drawn out boxes, and it's not a scab I'd pick in a game situation. However, I'm curious as to what should be called if the batter violates and/or refuses to comply. A strike? Batter required to hit pitched ball to violate? An out?

Thanx for discussion.
__________________
Ted
USA & NFHS Softball
Reply With Quote
  #2 (permalink)  
Old Sat Apr 07, 2018, 11:35am
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,340
You should not allow a pitch to be thrown if the batter does not have both feet inside the batters box. If you tell the batter to get their feet in the box and they refuse then I have an ejection for refusing to follow the directions of the umpire.
Reply With Quote
  #3 (permalink)  
Old Sat Apr 07, 2018, 01:12pm
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: The Land Of The Free and The Home Of The Brave (MD/DE)
Posts: 6,425
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tru_in_Blu View Post
Rule 7.3.a
Prior to the pitch, the batter must have both feet completely within the lines of the batter's box. The batter may touch the lines, but no part of the foot maybe outside the lines prior to the pitch.

7.6.H
When a batter leaves the batter's box and returns to the box and makes contact with the ball.
Effect: ball dead, batter out, runners return...

This subject came up during a review of the USA Umpire's Exam. There was a question about a batter contacting a ball with a foot partially out of the batter's box. While related, it's not specific to the discussion that followed.

In Rule 7.3.a, there is no effect or penalty given if the batter has not complied.

I understand that in most cases, fields don't have drawn out boxes, and it's not a scab I'd pick in a game situation. However, I'm curious as to what should be called if the batter violates and/or refuses to comply. A strike? Batter required to hit pitched ball to violate? An out?

Thanx for discussion.
What is the relevance of 7.6.h? Is it quoted just to show there is a penalty?
__________________
Officiating takes more than OJT.
It's not our jobs to invent rulings to fit our personal idea of what should and should not be.
Reply With Quote
  #4 (permalink)  
Old Sat Apr 07, 2018, 01:28pm
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Fremont, NH
Posts: 1,352
Sort of...

Some of our guys claimed we couldn't use that penalty if the batter hadn't yet entered the box. Their point being that a batter would have had to be legally IN the box first before getting out of the box and then returning.

Everybody's mind works a little differently.

That said, I began to wonder why no penalty was listed for the first reference.
__________________
Ted
USA & NFHS Softball
Reply With Quote
  #5 (permalink)  
Old Sat Apr 07, 2018, 01:31pm
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: The Land Of The Free and The Home Of The Brave (MD/DE)
Posts: 6,425
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tru_in_Blu View Post
.

That said, I began to wonder why no penalty was listed for the first reference.
A pitch is not allowed.
__________________
Officiating takes more than OJT.
It's not our jobs to invent rulings to fit our personal idea of what should and should not be.
Reply With Quote
  #6 (permalink)  
Old Sat Apr 07, 2018, 02:13pm
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: USA
Posts: 14,565
Quote:
Originally Posted by RKBUmp View Post
You should not allow a pitch to be thrown if the batter does not have both feet inside the batters box. If you tell the batter to get their feet in the box and they refuse then I have an ejection for refusing to follow the directions of the umpire.
I would like to think you would enforce 7.3.C before taking such a drastic action as an ejection
__________________
The bat issue in softball is as much about liability, insurance and litigation as it is about competition, inflated egos and softball.
Reply With Quote
  #7 (permalink)  
Old Sat Apr 07, 2018, 02:33pm
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,340
My comment is in response to his question of what happens if the batter refuses to comply. Yes, I would initially issue a strike but if the batter continues to refuse to get back into the box I am not going to play that game. I have yet to ever have a batter not comply immediately.
Reply With Quote
  #8 (permalink)  
Old Sat Apr 07, 2018, 08:19pm
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 286
Quote:
Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA View Post
I would like to think you would enforce 7.3.C before taking such a drastic action as an ejection
Exactly.
Reply With Quote
  #9 (permalink)  
Old Sun Apr 08, 2018, 02:19pm
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Lincoln, CA (Near Sacramento)
Posts: 150
Please get in the box!.............Doesn't = Strike one, Please get in the box!.........Doesn't = Strike two, Please get in the box!..........Doesn't = Strike three! You're out and you won, you didn't have to get in the box when asked. Now go to the dugout......I surely would think a coach would have intervened somewhere during the strike calling episode.
__________________
Wish I'da umped before I played. What a difference it would'a made!
Reply With Quote
  #10 (permalink)  
Old Sun Apr 08, 2018, 03:16pm
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: The Land Of The Free and The Home Of The Brave (MD/DE)
Posts: 6,425
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tru_in_Blu View Post
Some of our guys claimed we couldn't use that penalty if the batter hadn't yet entered the box. Their point being that a batter would have had to be legally IN the box first before getting out of the box and then returning.
And legally in the batter box at the time of the pitch.
__________________
Officiating takes more than OJT.
It's not our jobs to invent rulings to fit our personal idea of what should and should not be.
Reply With Quote
  #11 (permalink)  
Old Sun Apr 08, 2018, 09:25pm
Stirrer of the Pot
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Lowcountry, SC
Posts: 2,380
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tru_in_Blu View Post
That said, I began to wonder why no penalty was listed for the first reference.
7.3.C covers it. The batter's position, which he/she must assume within 10 seconds, is with both feet completely in the box. If he/she doesn't comply, the penalty is a dead-ball strike.

I don't recall ever having a batter refuse to put both feet in the batter's box on the very few occasions where I've seen them set up improperly. The only time I've ever seen it is when the batter crowds the plate and there isn't much of a line left on the ground. I can't remember ever correcting a batter who is too far up, back or away from home plate.
__________________
"Let's face it. Umpiring is not an easy or happy way to make a living. In the abuse they suffer, and the pay they get for it, you see an imbalance that can only be explained by their need to stay close to a game they can't resist." -- Bob Uecker
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
body position for Position B and C tibear Baseball 66 Thu Jun 26, 2008 02:27pm
Windup position - position of pivot foot BigGuy Baseball 3 Thu May 31, 2007 02:21am
FED: Batting helmets in batting cage CLBuffalo Softball 2 Mon Feb 12, 2007 11:23am
Batting Position rwest Softball 5 Fri Mar 19, 2004 03:03pm
Batting Position Bandit Softball 5 Wed Apr 24, 2002 09:16am


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:28am.



Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.3.0 RC1