The Official Forum - Out or not??

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12u fastpitch ASA tournament. Runner @ third, walked runner going to first. Pitcher had ball in circle, walked runner on first rounded base and proceeded to walk verrrry slowly to second(took forever). Finally the pitcher had enough and threw the ball to second, runner turns and goes back to first(walking....of course runner at third was trying to steal home) This chain went on FOUR times before the SS got smart and ran the ball back to the pitcher and the runners stayed on first and third. Nothing was called in that game. One of the dads said that when the pitcher threw the ball, the rule did not apply?? Next game, same situation, but runner did not have a chance to go back, the ump called her out for stopping her motion? She actually just walked verrry slowly and never stopped. Same ump by the way in both games. My question applies to the first game, this play went on forever and nothing was called. I understand the rule about committing to a base when the pitcher has the ball in the circle but why wasn't it called in this instance?
Just trying to get as educated as possible since softball is our life!!
Thanks

Sounds like your runner in the first game was legal. Once the pitcher has possesion of the ball in the pitcher's circle, the runners can stop once, then commit to the base they're adavancing towards or retreat to the one they came from. If they just stand there, or if they stop again, they should be called out. This is called the Look Back Rule (LBR).

If the pitcher in turn makes a play on the runner (which in your case she did by throwing to the SS), the runner is released from the LBR and may do whatever she wishes till the pitcher again has the ball in the circle, when the LBR starts over again.

Hope this helps.

-Josh

Quote:

Originally posted by softballmom2
12u fastpitch ASA tournament. Runner @ third, walked runner going to first. Pitcher had ball in circle, walked runner on first rounded base and proceeded to walk verrrry slowly to second(took forever). Finally the pitcher had enough and threw the ball to second, runner turns and goes back to first(walking....of course runner at third was trying to steal home) This chain went on FOUR times before the SS got smart and ran the ball back to the pitcher and the runners stayed on first and third. Nothing was called in that game. One of the dads said that when the pitcher threw the ball, the rule did not apply?? Next game, same situation, but runner did not have a chance to go back, the ump called her out for stopping her motion? She actually just walked verrry slowly and never stopped. Same ump by the way in both games. My question applies to the first game, this play went on forever and nothing was called. I understand the rule about committing to a base when the pitcher has the ball in the circle but why wasn't it called in this instance?
Just trying to get as educated as possible since softball is our life!!
Thanks

The umpire is not a physicist measuring movement with a presicion laser. If the runner appears (in the umpire's judgment) to stop, then the runner must immediately proceed non-stop to a base. Sounds like the umpire got tired of the game-playing base "running" and adjusted his judgment of what consituted "stopping."