Whose gate is it?
 

In the pregame, the home team coach covers the ground rules including the statement, "There's gates next to both dugouts that we need to keep closed." During the game, the home team has left their gate open and an overthrow by the visiting team goes out the gate.

Normal deadball and advance runners? Deadball and apply "offensive blocked ball rules"? What say y'all?

(I'll tell you what we did later.)

Normal dead ball. Although the offense did leave the gate open, there isn't offensive equipment that caused a block ball. Penalize the defense for putting the ball into dead ball territory.

Agree, but let's not assume dead-ball "awards" always penalize the defense, especially one-base situations.

I agree with the previous posters.

I've hijacked other threads, and see one here ripe fer the hijacking.

We have a coach around these parts who has become known for opening his dugout gates every other half inning. (When his team is in the field, they are closed, when his team is at bat, they are open.)

What would YOU do to handle a similar situation?

Stop the game every time I noticed it and have them shut. After the second time, tell the coach that if he cannot manage his responsibilities, there is no reason for him to be involved and invite him to watch the remainder of the game from the comforts of his home.

Forfeit.

Just kidding.

Can you impose an unsporting act penalty (3-6-13)? Restrict or eject.

I am assuming that instructions to close the gates are ground rules which cannot supercede playing rules but can be enforced by umpires. So, in the scenario described it is the normal dead ball and awards.

I would think that the PU would could and should let the coaches know at the plate conference that if this is not done and it affects the playing of the game, the coach of that team will be restricted to the bench for the duration. Although, if I saw the offense's gate open and knew that was the rule, I would throw the ball away intentionally.

Cite a rule?
The coach's code of ethics

Thanks for the replies. Here is what transpired after it happened in our game.

Our initial call was an overthrow. The defensive coach then argued that it should be an out, "the same as a blocked ball." (That's just his argument, not the correct ruling.) The offensive coach was arguing that it should indeed be an overthrow. As my partner and I were discussing, the offensive coach said, "Fine, we'll just put the girl back at third."

We went with that.

At the next half inning, I clarified to both coaches that they each were responsible for both gates. If they were to see the other team's gate open, they were to make sure they pointed it out to me so that I could make sure the gates were closed. If either gate was open, and a ball went out, it was indeed in dead ball territory.

BTW, I agree with the other posters that if a gate is being opened on purpose and/or left open on purpose, we could have other "issues" we have to deal with.

As always, thanks for everyone's input.