What rule book might this be from, if any?
 

I was chatting with one of the rec league coaches before a game today, and he brought up a scenario from Monday's game (not mine) that I'd never heard of. Bases were loaded in a co-ed slow-pitch ASA game. The pitcher delivered a pitch to a male batter, and, for whatever reason, the umpire declared the pitch illegal. The PU then awarded all runners one base, and a ball on the batter (this was not Ball 4). The defensive coach (and the offensive coach, too!) both asked, "uhhh... why?" The PU explained that this was similar to a balk, and that this only applied to male batters.

I only call ASA now, and I told the coach that there is no such rule in co-ed slow-pitch in ASA. Obviously, the umpire was mistaken. However, has anyone ever heard of such a rule? The PU also calls NSA, high school fast-pitch and, I believe, NCAA softball, so maybe he was simply confused.

And people wonder why I only want to call one rule book. ;)

"However, has anyone ever heard of such a rule?"

Yes. It is in your 2007 rule book on page 88 6-(1-8) Effect C. It is a fast pitch rule.

Paul

True, but I think that this umpire was thinking it was a slow-pitch rule, as he specifically spoke about it only affecting male batters in co-ed play. It wouldn't surprise me if he were just making stuff up...

My bad:o

Paul

No worries, man. I figure it's one of two scenarios: he either got confused and used a rule from another book, or he just made it all up to speed the game along. It was a co-ed C league, notorious for dragging on. And on. And on. Frankly, I'm not a fan of this ump anyway, as his attitude is p!$$ poor, so it wouldn't surprise me if he made it up to speed things along.

If it's not a rule for that league, it was a made-up by the ump.

Bob

Figures. I honestly can't believe that anyone even trusts this ump to call their games. The guy's a joke.

This part of the comment alone should have been enough to kill the intergrity of any softball umpire.

I cant imagine a coed beer league that would have "illegal pitch rules only for males".. any coed beer league I've seen holds the standards higher for the women players. Sounds like BS.

Trust me, his integrity with me went out the window a long time ago. There have been other problems with this umpire, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. I just wanted to make sure there was no actual rule like this in any rule book, and it looks like that's the case. As I said before, this guy's a joke of an umpire, and he's one of the few that I don't like to call with.