10U Runner on Third Base
 

10U ASA. 1. Runner on third base, no outs, no other base runners. After pitch, catcher attempts pickoff throw, ball hits third base bag and caroms off into dead ball territory. Is runner on third awarded home, or is this no harm, no foul because under Rule 8-4-H runner could not advance to home?

2. Runner on second base, no outs, no other base runners. After pitch, runner on second steals third base and is safe as throw from catcher hits the third base bag and caroms off into dead ball territory. Is runner awarded home, or is this no harm, no foul because under Rule 8-4-H runner can only advance one base on one pitch?

Thanks for replies.

In 2007, it is 8-4-G, and it does NOT apply to 10U-A teams. So, assuming you are talking about 10U-B teams, awarded bases apply to all runners, and both situations are a thrown ball out of play, and the base award is 2 bases from the position of the runner at the time of the throw. So, in 1 and 2, the runner is awarded home.

I never have understood this but they are awarded home. To me this goes against the whole spirit of the rule....but I didn't get to choose. As I understand it the intent of these rules is to allow young catchers to advance and "do the right thing" as far as trying to throw to bases when someone is stealing without having to worry about an overthrow, or bad throw costing their team an extra base. However, if they throw it into dead ball territory that is exactly what it does....costs them the base and run in these cases. As you can tell the exceptions list that a runner can not steal home, but can be awarded home, this overthrow and illegal pitches are where this exception comes into play.

I agree that this shouldn't be the rule, and also agree that it is. I would add that I can't stand seeing 10U runners sent home on an illegal pitch - it IS the rule, but it shouldn't be.

An overthrow by the catcher into DBT is fairly rare. It hardly happens at all with fenced fields, or throws from the catcher to 2B. Even throwing to 3rd, the throw has to be either REALLY bad or deflect off of something or some player.

Besides, you can always "fix" this with ground rules for unfenced fields, if you want.

Yes, but you cannot absolve the defense from all problems. At some point, even at 10UB, there still needs to be some accountability.