HBP or Fair Ball

[blu_bawls]

I was U1.The batter didn't swing, she brought her hands and bat handle up to protect herself from a very high, very inside pitch that she sorta "squared up" for and it either hit her hands, the knob of the bat, or her helmet (or in some order related to some or all three of these areas).

From my position I feel it hit the knob of the bat and landed fair. The PU killed the play immediately so there was no delay during the time of the hit and the DEAD BALL call. The Head Coach was yelling run after play was ruled dead.

I based my decision that the ball hit the knob based not only on the solid sound created by the contact, but also on the fact that the player didn't display any actions indicating she was hit AND the ball came out into the field quite forcibly and landed some distance away from home plate.

U2 felt it hit her helmet/facemask area. This could have been the case also.

I do know this: Not one person (coaches, players, or fans) said anything about our decision.

[Steve M]

Originally Posted by blu_bawls

I was U1.The batter didn't swing, she brought her hands and bat handle up to protect herself from a very high, very inside pitch that she sorta "squared up" for and it either hit her hands, the knob of the bat, or her helmet (or in some order related to some or all three of these areas).

From my position I feel it hit the knob of the bat and landed fair. The PU killed the play immediately so there was no delay during the time of the hit and the DEAD BALL call. The Head Coach was yelling run after play was ruled dead.

I based my decision that the ball hit the knob based not only on the solid sound created by the contact, but also on the fact that the player didn't display any actions indicating she was hit AND the ball came out into the field quite forcibly and landed some distance away from home plate.

U2 felt it hit her helmet/facemask area. This could have been the case also.

I do know this: Not one person (coaches, players, or fans) said anything about our decision.

OK, so she was protecting herself with the bat. Another description of this is that she attempted to hit the ball (that it is defensive is still trying to hit the ball with the bat) - call that a swing.

What I said earlier is still accurate - with the exception that killing a play has to be done sharply enough and loudly enough that the dead lift their heads to see if someone is calling them. When I kill a play, I want everything to stop - immediately. That apparently didn't happen and that's why we've got questions.