You've all seen it. Pitchers'got 3 balls on the batter. Batter squares early for a bunt. And then the exagerated bat movement as the pitcher is about to deliver. Everybody knows she's not going to bunt. Everybody knows her intent is to distract the pitcher enough to draw a walk.
But lets turn the table - Say, lets put the short stop more in line with the pitcher and have her wave her arms as the pitch comes in to the batter. But that would be distracting the batter and we would never let that go. Should we allow the bat wiggle?

opinions, comments
Thanks

Kent

Kent,
You only ever see stuff along those lines at the younger levels. At the older levels, the players have decided that kind of stuff is not acceptable and they police it. I do not do younger levels of ball - the players are too short for me to have a decent stance at the plate. But I would say, go ahead & let them wiggle. As their coaches become more knowledgable and the players mre skilled, that stuff will stop.

I think, and I am subject to be wrong, that at one
time Little League either made, or was thinking of
making it illegal, and calling a strike on the batter.
I agree with Steve, it is rare to see <i>bat wiggles</i>
occurring in the older age groups. Some
in the 14U's but very rare above that group.
.

glen

BTW Steve,
Thanks for clearing up why you by-passed doing the
younger group....I was beginning to wonder if you
hated kids....just kidding of course...

Actually, I know for a fact, that many of the HS coaches are instructing their batters in that tactic. I am most interested in a Fed view of this.

Steve, I know what you mean about getting so low to call the mini players. At one point, I was sitting on my heels and outside the catcher to call the high arcing pitch in a fastpitch playoff game for 10 yo. Boy the knees ached that night. No need for the steel toed shoes that day.

Kent

Kent,
OK, for high school ball, let the players take care of it. Most of the high school pitchers I see can hit the upper part of the strike zone on the inside corner with some heat. Give a wiggling batter a few of those and the wiggling stops.

Glen,
Nah, kids are fine, I've even been known to show up & watch a game or two. I'd just much rather work a game where there's some more skill. I ended up as a fill-in in a couple of 12&U games last year - like Kent said, my knees were sore for a while after that. Maybe it'd be different if the knees were in decent shape, but I had to quit playing because of the knees about 15 years ago.

When I was sill working, I saw the "wiggle" at the high school level many times. If the batter didn't pull the bat back in time (I gave the benefit of the doubt to the pitcher), it was always a strike. It usually didn't take too many of these to stop this "bush" activity.

bob

In Dixie Softball rules it is illegal to wiggle the bat when the pitcher is either taking her signals or in her windup. It is considered an intentional distraction by the batter. Penalty is a strike is called on the batter, and repeated offense by same batter can result in her being restricted to the bench.

Only association I know of with such a rule. (May be wrong of course....)

Scott

We have enough real infractions to call without making them up. Let the players deal with it.

Speaking ASA

This was discussed, as nauseum, on McGriff's a year or so ago, and despite the personal opinions by many, there is nothing illegal about it. And no, not everyone knows the batter has no intention of contacting the ball. I've often seen a batter make contact with the pitch (intentionally) after standing there waving the bat. Since we are not mindreaders, there is not call.

As far as the fielder standing in line with the batter's view and waving her arms, we know what her intentions are and, by rule, ejected from the game. No warnings, no stern looks, just gone.

Not only McGriff's site, but Fastpitch Forum. But then, those yahoos on the FPF discuss EVERYTHING ad naseum.