Stealing in Adult Slow Pitch Softball

[rwest]

Originally posted by Ref Ump Welsch
Mike,

I have to digress with you as fair territory does matter, because if it hits the ground on the sides of the plate (that is in fair territory) the ball becomes dead. You can't imagine how fast I had to call dead ball on those kinds of pitches.

I disagree. I don't have my rule book with me, so I'm going from memory. The runner can steal when the ball crosses the front edge of the plate as long as it does not hit the batter or the plate. Since the ball hit the ground beside the plate it had to have crossed the front edge and is live. Runners can advance. Do you have a rule reference to support that the ball is dead when it hits beside the plate?