ASA Men's Senior rules
 

Quick question...

I've been asked to do the men's senior games, but there was something that my assignor said to me that I can't find in the book.

First off, the rule book says the defense can't tag a runner to get an out. Okay, fine.

What my assignor said was that seniors can overrun bases without penalty, just like the BR can overrun 1B. I can't find that anywhere in the book.

Also, since runners can't be tagged for an out, does this mean that every advance becomes a force out (except for when a runner passes the commitment line)? Or does this mean that every routine out on a runner must be a force out?

If those are the rules for the tournament, that's fine, but they are not ASA's. Specially running rules only apply to home plate. At 1st, 2nd & 3rd, all running rules remain the same as all other SP.

Yet 8-9-D-3 says:

Does this only apply to plays after the commitment line?

[QUOTE=NCASAUmp]Yet 8-9-D-3 says:


Rule 8-9-D is only dealing with plays at the plate. Basically everything at home becomes a force play. With the defense getting the original plate and the offense the offset plate. No tag plays at all at home.

It can be a bit challenging once in a while to get positioning to get a good view in-line with both plate. Especially doing it one man. You feel like you are so far away from where you normally are.

The overrunning of bases is not in the ASA rulebook but I have called several Tourneys where it is allowed. (hate it by the way) But tagging in the field is allowed.
I will be interested in hearing how you like calling the seniors. I call a bunch of senior ball down here in Charlotte and it to be very enjoyable.

Jeff Merriman

Well, we just did our first senior men's exhibition game down here, and we all had a pretty good time. Plate mechanics didn't feel quite right to me, as I'm used to going to the holding zone a lot more. Not to mention the slower runners kind of threw me off-tempo. I uh... kinda crashed into one of them. R1 on 1B, and fly ball hit to the outfield. Runner took off before the catch, then realized he might have to tag up, so he started back towards first. The fielder missed the ball. I thought he had taken a couple more steps towards 1B, so I continued into the diamond and uh... found out he didn't get as close to 1B as I thought he would. He turned and ran towards 2B, and it was a 155 lb runner meeting a 220 lb umpire. Yep, I'm a world-class schmuck. 16 years of calling ball, and I've NEVER run into a player until today! Fortunately, he wasn't remotely injured (thank god it wasn't a 70-over game). By all accounts, it was a clean hit, though. :rolleyes:

But all in all, they were some good games, and the town is looking to create a seniors league. We're looking forward to this kind of expansion.

I know this thread is a couple of months old, but I had an issue come up this summer regarding the commit line. I play and sometimes umpire modified softball and this summer I umpired a couple of charity softball tournaments and when I say charity, I mean I did it for free.

At one point, I was questioned by a coach and he told me I needed to look this up, because I was wrong. He's been a little bi*^ch for years so I really didn't think much of it, but I'm going to see him this weekend and I'd like to throw this back at him.

Here's the play. Runners on 1st and 2nd. The ball his hit to the fence. Both baserunners score and the guy who hit came around third, crossed the commitment line and was subsequently called out. The coach claimed that since this was a force out, the other runs couldn't have scored. Because on the bases, it doesn't matter if you score before a force out is made or not, the run doesn't count.

I ruled that the run previously scored counted.

Any thoughts? Or, is there a rule?

The batter-runner is only "forced" to first base. So there is no longer a force play on the batter-runner once he passes first (unless he for some reason returns past first then the force is reinstated)

That is not a defined force out; it is case where the runner is committed to advance. A force out is a defined term, not a case where you can substitute "required" (like to tag up on a fly ball) or "committed" (like the commitment line.

A force is where a runner is required to advance as a result of the batter becoming a batter-runner. That does not apply to this play.

Thanks for your help. I will enjoy sharing this information this weekend.