Here's what I got from a football...I mean softball...coach the other night.

1. "But blue, she touched the ball while she was in fair territory. Isn't it where the fielder is when she touches the ball?"

2. "But blue, I called time. Isn't the play over when I call time?"

3. "But blue, it's interference on the runner when my fielder ran into her trying to field that pop-up. Isn't it interference on any fly ball?"

4. "If I substitute for my DP, doesn't my FLEX have to leave the game?"

My answers.

1. It's where the ball is in relationship to the line when the fielder touches the ball. It has nothing to do with the fielders position relative to fair/foul.

2. Play isn't dead until I call time...your girl was throwing to second when you called time."

3. The ball was 15 feet from the nearest player when it hit the ground IN FOUL TERRITORY. IT has to be a catchable ball under normal effort.

4. If you substitute for the DP, you are substituting for the DP. If you want the DP to play defense, that's fine, but you're not taking your FLEX out of the game. The only way you get rid of the FLEX as a player is to have the FLEX substitute for the DP.

With every response came "are you sure?" They were really good about it, they seemed to be learning the game as we went.

AM I RIGHT?

I might have a quibble with your #3, but I'd need more details on the play.

On #4, it is impossible to give a rules clinic during the game, and that is especially true for DP/FLEX. I'd just answer the question as directly as possible, ask the coach a question or two to be sure I knew what he was trying to do, and try to keep him out of trouble as best I can.

Why does she get to take her base on a hit by pitch? it hit the ground first!

Jel,
Is that rhoetoric?
Or, are you implying it is okay to throw at the batter as long as the ball bounces? ;)
mick

It's a rule that's been in the book for ages - inherited from Cricket. ;)

some game recently.. i had the coach crying about a hit batter on ball that bounced..

Did it used to be a rule or is it a rule in some leagues or is it just another hands-part-of-the-bat type myth?

Tom,

I didn't know they could throw the ball at the player in cricket. Are you sure you don't mean the mother of our game, rounders? :)

#3: Imagine, if you will: Runner on third with decent speed. F5 is timed using a sun-dial (not the fastest of all runners). F6 is about 20 feet from second, playing way back. Ball is hit into foul territory on third base side. F5 brushes the sleeve of R1's jersey...very minimal contact. Ball falls well out of reach of any fielder. Coach wanted interference on runner because of the "contact." I told him it was nothing.

#4: That is what I tried to do, but he insisted that he was taking the FLEX out of the game. I wanted to make sure he was clear on the subject...I'm pretty sure he was told wrong during a previous game by someone from our association...probably someone who wasn't at any of the rules meetings.

I think maybe the HBP on a bounce rumor is caused by a misunderstanding of what they see by fans.

Especially at the younger levels, you see a pitch bounce, roll, and hit the foot of the batter. No HBP - she just stood there and let it hit her. Slow, high pitch, too high to be legal in Mens Slowpitch, bounce, hit batter. No HBP - she just stood there. Later - a decent pitch startles the batter into trying to get out of the way, but she fails to avoid it. HBP, take your base.

Then you hear someone in the crowd explaining to someone else - well, those first ones bounced - so she doesn't get her base.

I had a coach last night swear that a caught foul tip was the same as a foul ball and the runner that stole 2nd should be moved back to first.

The sad part is that the coach in question coaches a low-tier D1 school.

Had another D1 coach a couple of weeks ago swear that the DP and Flex could interchange in and out of the lineup without ANY substitutions being recorded. That one almost caused a protest. Luckly they looked in their rule book BEFORE continuing their argument and protesting.

Even at the college level, umpires sometime still have to give a Rules 101 course. :)

Reminds me of a time I had a Div I game. Batter hits foul ball that went to the backstop. When the catcher picked up the ball to throw back to pitcher, 3B coach is yelling at R1 at 1B to run to second. When I yelled at him that we had a dead ball because of the foul ball, his response was, "Well when does the ball become live?" Oh yeah, forgot to mention, this coach was also on the NCAA Rules Committee at the time.

Yup, yup, yup.

Serg

Jel,
Is that rhoetoric?
Or, are you implying it is okay to throw at the batter as long as the ball bounces? ;)
mick


That was coaches entire statement!

My response to a coach about the HBP question: Don't you think you would see more pro pitchers throwing at the feet instead of the head?

Teaching
 

In reference to the teaching the game while in process. I have a tale that unfortunetly shows some bad light on umpires. Attended, as a fan, a early spring tournament this past weekend. On Friday night I was entertained not only by the ball game but the tournament UIC trying to "teach" the fast pitch game to a slow pitch umpire in the stands. Show up for Saturday's game only to find out that this "pupil" is the plate umpire for our game. Talk about "morning sickness".

Answers to questions:
#1 - coach, did you ever hear an umpire call "foul player"?
(like DTTB, tell the coach Basketball season is over)
#2 - "it ain't over 'til it's over"
#3 - is brushing the sleeve of a jersey anything anyway?
#4 - no , but you do :D