I am a newbie in the process of taking my first ASA exam. I have coached for a few years but I find this test very confusing.
Can anyone explain to me what the definition of "physically assisting a runner" is. One question states that a coach physically reminds a player to go to first base and another question states that a coach taps the runner on the shoulder to get there attention to run. I would appreciate any info on this subject.

A physical assist has to involve actual touching. If the runner overruns 3B and then grabs the leg of the 3B coach to help himself back, or to slow himself down, that's a physical assist, even though all the coach did was stand there. Obviously, pushing a runner back onto a base or shoving him toward the plate or grabbing him to keep him from running would all qualify.

I was called out once 30 years ago because, on a sacrifice fly far into the outfield, the 3B coach swatted my butt to let me know when to go, as if I didn't know. That was a physical assist. Now if the coach had tapped me on the back to get me to turn around and then told me, "Wait till the ball is caught before you run," I wouldn't say that qualifies, though you might get an argument on that point from somebody else.

High-fives are not physical assists. The runner crashing into the coach and knocking him over doesn't ipso facto qualify either. But if the coach does anything physical to help the runner get up or get moving . . .

And don't take <i>anyone other than another runner</i> literally.

[Edited by greymule on Feb 24th, 2005 at 08:24 PM]

GM

You are talking about the 3B coach here

<b>If the runner overruns 3B and then grabs the leg of the
3B to help himself back</b>,

right?

<b>right?</b>

Right. I saw the omission and was going to correct it but got distracted.

"Now if the coach had tapped me on the back to get me to turn around and then told me, "Wait till the ball is caught before you run," I wouldn't say that qualifies, though you might get an argument on that point from somebody else."

That someone who might argue would be a play in which the very action of "taping" the runner is interpertated as a physical assist.

IMO, and the play ruling (and I haven't searched for the cite), call it.

Yelling or screaming at the runner is ok. touching him to give a signal or to indicate a change of direction, or to cause him to take any action is, by definition, "phyical assistance."

Roger

<b>Someone might argue that . . . the very action of "tapping" the runner is interpreted as a physical assist.</b>

Apparently ASA does consider a BR who is "reminded physically to go to 1B by a coach" to have been given a physical assist. I imagine that to be something like a tap on the shoulder. That's not what I always thought of as a physical assist, but if that's what they want, that's what I'll call.

Question #43 on the ASA test deals with a BR who gets a base on balls and then celebrates with the team and is reminded physically by a coach to go to 1B. But the question does not specify "FP only." In FP, since the ball is in play after a walk, the BR would be called out. But in SP, the ball is not in play; it's dead after the pitch. So I can't see that this would apply in SP.

Incidentally, an addition (in bold) dates back to the 2003 book, and I'm having a tough time understanding it:

Rule 8, Section 7
The runner is out:

. . . D. When the runner physically passes a preceding runner before that runner is put out. If this was the third out of the inning, any runs scoring prior to the out for passing a preceding runner would count.

E. When anyone other than another runner physically assists a runner while the ball is in play.

Effect - Section 7 A-E: The ball is in play and the runner is out. <b>In D and E, the runner passing or assisting is called out.</b>

Since there is a remotely possible confusion over just which runner "that runner" refers to in 7-D, I can understand why ASA inserted the clause. However, with regard to part E, it is not the runner <i>assisting</i> who is out, but the runner <i>being assisted.</i>

I'm sure this rule is actually correct and crystal clear, but I'd like to learn what faulty inferences I'm making.

You just love needling Mike, don't you! ;)

Welcome to the board, nig85! http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/ak...smiley-069.gif

I just want to say, since no one else has commented on it - nice pun in your subject line! http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/ak...smiley-033.gif

That is not necessarilly true as the ball is live in all men's SP and the women's open division.

Quote:

Incidentally, an addition (in bold) dates back to the 2003 book, and I'm having a tough time understanding it: Rule 8, Section 7 The runner is out: . . . D. When the runner physically passes a preceding runner before that runner is put out. If this was the third out of the inning, any runs scoring prior to the out for passing a preceding runner would count. E. When anyone other than another runner physically assists a runner while the ball is in play. Effect - Section 7 A-E: The ball is in play and the runner is out. <b>In D and E, the runner passing or assisting is called out.</b> Since there is a remotely possible confusion over just which runner "that runner" refers to in 7-D, I can understand why ASA inserted the clause. However, with regard to part E, it is not the runner <i>assisting</i> who is out, but the runner <i>being assisted.</i> I'm sure this rule is actually correct and crystal clear, but I'd like to learn what faulty inferences I'm making.

Actually, the rule is correct, the "Effect" is not. I think I'll have that changed.

Thanks for your replies.