Hit by batter
 

Has this happened to you? Your the plate umpire in a game of ASA fast pitch, there is a runner on 1st who legally attempts to steal 2nd. As the plate umpire, when I see this I move quickly towards 3rd to cover if the ball gets away and there is a play at 3rd. As I am moving out the batter takes a step out of the box and takes a practice swing right into my elbow (Dang, that hurts). Is there any rule or revenge I could call to prevent this from happening again?

Thanks
Bugg

Yes, it has happened to me.

No, there is not any rule basis you can use to prevent it from happenning again. Revenge wise, you could call some out-of-the-zone strikes on the batter or call her out for stepping out of the box, etc., etc., but I don't think you want to do that.

What I will usually do is keep one eye on the batter as I step out and watch the play develop. If I see that s/he doesn't see me, I will say something like "I'm right behind you" to get his/her attention. I have found that this is usually enough to prevent the practice swing.

No. It has never happened to me although there have been a couple of close calls. If the batter is close to me when I come out I will say "batter don't swing". I sometimes (if the bat is pointed up) even grab and hold the bat until I am clear of the batter then I let go and continue to follow the play.

no rules, but "preventative umpiring" is mandatory

i have had a few close calls i, too will call "don't swing!! don't swing!!" if i see the batter stepping back a bit farther than i hoped ... although i don't think i'd grab the bat, that suggests you're still moving towards each other, or not moving away at all

I'm so fast the batter doesn't have time to swing. :D

I too almost took a shot right to the face in just this exact scenario. From then on I make sure I keep one eye on what the batter is doing, as I'd like to keep my original teeth:D

Obviously, you need to be aware of the possibility. You can always use your mask as a shield.