Situation: Bottom of the 7th, home team down by 1 run. Bases loaded, no outs. The batter hits a long fly to deep right center. R1 holds, but R2 amd R3 are off with the pitch. R2 sees R1 on 3rd, so stops and starts back to 2nd. R3 is running with her head down and blows by R2 about 2 strides past 2nd base. F9 makes a miraculous catch just before she runs into the orange safety fence. As F9 is going down with the collapsing fence, she flips the ball to F8. In the meantime, R2 has retouched 2nd and is heading for 3rd just as R3 realizes that the ball was caught and turns to head back to 1st. F6 is going to cover 2nd and all three players collide about a step away from 2nd base. R3 scrambles up, retouches 2nd base and heads back to 1st. Meanwhile, the BR who thinks she has an easy triple is still chugging toward 2nd as R1 blows by on her way back to 1st. F6 manages to get to her feet in time to catch the relay throw from F4 just as R2 gets back to 2nd base. Meanwhile, R1 has tagged up and is heading for home. F6 seeing that she can't get R2 throws to F3 to get R3. R2 breaks for 3rd on the throw from F6 to F3. F3 catches the ball while standing on 1st just before R1 crosses the plate. R3 seeing F3 with the ball, stops and heads back to 2nd causing F3 to give chase. F3 throws to F6 who has moved about 3 feet in past 2nd base toward 1st. R3 collides with F6 just as she catches the ball and both go down in a heap. R2 rounds 3rd and seeing the pileup at 2nd base, heads for home. F4 runs in picks up the ball and tags R3 who is still lying on the ground just before R2 crosses the plate.

So... what's the situation now?

The Situation??
 

The situation is someone (most of us) has entirely too much time on their hands. Can't wait for HS to start in February.

I'll give it a shot...
 

Taking this a step at a time - which we can do with the written play – imagine, you’re calling this game using the 1 umpire “system” – i.e. no partner – and you’re trying to go through this in your head to get it right after all the dust settles and before everyone goes completely berserk…

<i>Situation: Bottom of the 7th, home team down by 1 run. Bases loaded, no outs. The batter hits a long fly to deep right center. R1 holds, but R2 and R3 are off with the pitch. R2 sees R1 on 3rd, so stops and starts back to 2nd. R3 is running with her head down and blows by R2 about 2 strides past 2nd base. </i>

OK – R3 is now out for passing the runner ahead of her, so any further action by her are subject to the retired runner rule.

<i>F9 makes a miraculous catch just before she runs into the orange safety fence. As F9 is going down with the collapsing fence, she flips the ball to F8.</i>

Voluntary release, not officially in DBT – catch – BR is out – live ball.

<i>In the meantime, R2 has retouched 2nd and is heading for 3rd just as R3 realizes that the ball was caught and turns to head back to 1st. F6 is going to cover 2nd and all three players collide about a step away from 2nd base. R3 scrambles up, retouches 2nd base and heads back to 1st.</i>

Obstruction on F6. R2 is protected to 3B.

<i>Meanwhile, the BR who thinks she has an easy triple is still chugging toward 2nd as R1</i> (I assume you meant R3) <i>blows by on her way back to 1st. F6 manages to get to her feet in time to catch the relay throw from F4 just as R2 gets back to 2nd base. Meanwhile, R1 has tagged up and is heading for home. F6 seeing that she can't get R2 throws to F3 to get R3.</i>

Interference – retired runner drawing a throw. R1 – closest to home - is out. So, now, the BR, R3, and R1 are out – 3 outs – inning over. The rest is confusion. No runs score. As the single umpire, you quickly dig out your cell phone and call for back-up.

<i>R2 breaks for 3rd on the throw from F6 to F3. F3 catches the ball while standing on 1st just before R1 crosses the plate. R3 seeing F3 with the ball, stops and heads back to 2nd causing F3 to give chase. F3 throws to F6 who has moved about 3 feet in past 2nd base toward 1st. R3 collides with F6 just as she catches the ball and both go down in a heap. R2 rounds 3rd and seeing the pileup at 2nd base, heads for home. F4 runs in picks up the ball and tags R3 who is still lying on the ground just before R2 crosses the plate. </i>

OK, guys and gals, what did I miss?

ntxblue
 

Hey!

North Texas Blue! Whereabouts in North Texas? I am in the Sherman/Denison area, north of Dallas!

Scott

Scott,

I work out of Allen, McKinney, Plano & Garland. We've probably crossed paths.

Hey ntxblue I do slow-pitch in Plano which I also work with a lot of the local fast-pitch umps.

What do you call? I am next year going to start doing fast pitch in collin county

Later

Don

Don,

I call only fastpitch - ASA, FED, & USSSA. (Played too many years of slowpitch. Don't know if I could put up with all the AA whining) I primary out of Collin County and secondary out of Garland. If you have been calling slowpitch in Plano, I'm sure we know alot of the same people-Teasley, Brown, Williams. Have you called any tournament fastpitch at Allen Station?

Gary

ntxblue, yep I know all them guys Larry is the one that is talking me into getting into fast-pitch next year and Chris is doing a international tournament I believe they are having here this week. So I will probably be meeting you around Feb. when classes start. If you ever decide you want to do slow-pitch too Plano is always looking for help we had about 300 teams for each of our seasons and the bull is usally not that bad + Plano is dry so no adult brews on site which helps limit the troubles that I've heard about at some places


Have a good one

Don

Okay..this is starting to sound like a mutual North Texas Umpire appreciation society! ;)

Gary:

I call primarily fastpitch as well. FED, ASA, Dixie and the occaisional USSSA slowpitch since there is no U-trip fastpitch up here. Do you call the annual FED Tourney in March in McKinney? I might have run into you there as well. Damn...small world ain't it?!

Don:

Need slow pitch umps in Plano? If there is ever a big tourney where I could get a few games in with one drive, I am not beyond making the drive down that way. I know a few other "hardcore" umps who would be more than willing to do that too.

Scott

Re: I'll give it a shot...
 

I answered it on another board, using 2 man crew. I had R3 out on passing R2
R 8.8.D.
On the catch, BR out & since I was BU, I decided to go out and check
out the catch/no catch, and in my judgement fielder upon making
the catch was in violation of R 8.8.J., thereby creating
a deadball situation. Because of this action, all other action is
irrelevant. All I need do now is allow R3 to score and place
R2 at 3rd. I feel sorry for F6 with all the collisions, but
save that for another post.

glen

Hey Scott

Plenty of slow-pitch tournaments will be here in Plano next year I know of-SPA nationals this is a Seniors league and understand that will have all of the age groups again this year it is held over a three week period and is put on by the same group basically that does the NSA here in N. Texas if your interested it was held in Sept this year. Also next year we have the ASA men's D Nationals and I believe that will be in either Sept or Oct which I hear they expect around 250 teams and then there is usally a few regional tournaments held here in slow and fast pitch if your ever down in the area you ought to check out the facility I hear it one of the best in the nation

Hope to catch you around

Don

Re: Re: I'll give it a shot...
 

While I agree that once you rule unintentional carry into DBT, the rest of the play is moot - and given the keystone-cops routine for the rest of the play, this is a practical way to rule in a real game in real time where you have to decide what's what while everybody is screaming -

<big>that takes all the fun out of it!!</big> :D

Assume F9 tosses the ball to the other fielder <u>before</u> legally violating 8-8-J - then what?

I think, based on the description, that is the correct call anyway, since I inferred from the description of the action that F9 tossed the ball while falling, but before she hit the ground in DBT. Being in contact with a collapsing fence is not considered being in DBT - right? (POE 20, I think).

Anyhow, just for the fun of it - assume the ball is still live after the catch - now what do you have?

Reply to Scott
 

Scott,

I haven't worked the McKinney FED tourney. My daughter plays for Plano East, so I don't get involved in the local varsity tournaments or any games involving teams in her district. I do work the JV tournaments in Allen & Grand Prairie.

I didn't call any games this weekend. Watched my daughter play in an 18Gold tournament in Grand Prairie. It sure is hard to just sit and watch!

Speaking ASA

Tie ball game with 2 outs UNLESS the umpire's rule that F3's intention was to confuse the defense. To determine that, I would have had to be there, witnessed the call and understand that the runner was aware of the call. The rule says that a runner continuing to run MAY be considered a form of interference, didn't say the umpire MUST rule interference.

F9 never left playable territory while in possession of the ball according to the scenario. However, even if F9 held the ball, a collapsed fence is NOT considered DBT. For the ball to be ruled dead at this point, F9 would have had to have an entire part of her body (foot, hand, shoulder, umpire's descretion) completely off the collapsed fence and in DBT for the umpire to rule the ball dead.

<b>ntxblue wrote: I didn't call any games this weekend. Watched my daughter play in an 18Gold tournament in Grand Prairie. It sure is hard to just sit and watch!

</b> I understand completely. Did that for many years with my own daughter. Now she is grown and in college, so I am free to call when and where I want.

Scott