ASA sneaky stealing

[MarkPSkins]

ASA Fastpitch. I was thinking about this after seeing this play in MLB the other night on TV. Say R1 is on first base and the pitcher has the ball in the circle and she is just standing there behind the pitcher's plate. The F6 and F4 are kind of not paying attention and the R1 just breaks off the bag to 2nd and beat the F6 and F4 to the bag. Is this legal? Time out has never been called.

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by MarkPSkins

ASA Fastpitch. I was thinking about this after seeing this play in MLB the other night on TV. Say R1 is on first base and the pitcher has the ball in the circle and she is just standing there behind the pitcher's plate. The F6 and F4 are kind of not paying attention and the R1 just breaks off the bag to 2nd and beat the F6 and F4 to the bag. Is this legal? Time out has never been called.

Legal? Yes. An effective play? No.

If the pitcher has the ball in the circle, as soon as R1 leaves the base, R1 is out on the Look-Back Rule. Time wouldn't be called, but the LBR is always in affect with the ball in the circle. No reason for F6 or F4 to pay attention.

[MarkPSkins]

Ah, but doesn't the LBR entitle the runner to advance or retreat as long as they don't stop? I compare it to the base on balls when there is a runner on 3rd base and the runner just keeps going. the only difference here is that the runner was already on first base.

[shipwreck]

Once the runner stops at a base and the pitcher has the ball in the circle, if they come off they are out on LBR. Dave

[SRW]

ASA 8.7.T
The “Look Back” rule will be in effect for all runners when the ball is live, the
batter-runner has touched first base or has been declared out, and the pitcher has possession and control of the ball within the pitcher’s circle. The pitcher is considered to be in the pitcher’s circle when both feet are on or within the lines.

2. Once the runner stops at a base for any reason, the runner will be declared out if leaving the base.

Pretty simple to understand...perhaps if you read page 118, you can better understand the rule.

[MarkPSkins]

Sorry, I am not an umpire nor in possession of page 118. Which is why I asked this question. I know you guys don't get into the philosphy of the rules but really it seems silly that one can run through the base while the pitcher has the ball in the circle, but you cannot leave from the bag when the ball is in the circle.

Aside:

Pretty simple to understand...perhaps if you read page 118, you can better understand the rule.

But anyways, thanks for your smug and somewhat condesending reply. Because we all know how simple it is to understand the rule book even when you consider that they had to write an entirely separate book (case book) to explain it.

[JEL]

Originally Posted by MarkPSkins

ASA Fastpitch. I was thinking about this after seeing this play in MLB the other night on TV. Say R1 is on first base and the pitcher has the ball in the circle and she is just standing there behind the pitcher's plate. The F6 and F4 are kind of not paying attention and the R1 just breaks off the bag to 2nd and beat the F6 and F4 to the bag. Is this legal? Time out has never been called.

That was a definite "brain fart" by the defense in that one! Had Escobar (I think it was him) not taken 2B he would have never scored, and tied the game in the top of the ninth. VERY alert baserunning from the kid. Even though that is rare, it can work in little ball because there is no requirement for maintaining base contact.

In fastpitch, once the pitcher has control of the ball in the circle, the runner(s) must stay on the base, or be called out. It is automatic. If the pitcher however is OUT of the circle, runners can go.