HBP question
 

During a tournament yesterday I had the following situation.

Batter squares to bunt, bat is over the plate. Pitched ball hits batter in the stomach, no chance for her to get out of the way. The bat never moved forward. I awarded her first base. The defensive coach said that since the batter never pulled the bat back it should be a strike. I replied that that was only true in college ball. I do wonder though if it would indeed have been a strike in college ball and not an HBP. I've never had it happen in college games I've done and have never seen it games I've watched.

I retired from umping a few years ago, but when I was still working, if the bat didn't move toward the ball, it's a HBP.

Bob

Bob,
That's true in just about every sanctioning body except NCAA. Remember, they require that the bat be pulled back. If it's over the plate, that's an attempt in NCAA and I think, AFA.

In every softball rule set, any ball that hits the batter is HBP. In every softball rule set, if the pitch is a strike (either by being in the strike zone, or because the batter made an attempt to hit the ball), it is a HBP, dead ball, strike.

The only thing that changes in NCAA is that the act of squaring to bunt, without actively removing the bat from the hitting zone before the pitch arrives, regardless if an active attempt to hit the ball is made or not, is ruled an attempt. This is regardless of the batter being hit by the pitch, or not. That is a secondary issue.

So, the referenced play is still HBP, it is still a dead ball. But, in NCAA play, because it is ruled an attempt, it is a strike, and no base is awarded.