Proposed ASA Rule Changes #1

[NCASAUmp]

I'm actually for this rule, which should be no surprise to anyone who's read my posts in the past. I do not and have not ever liked the concept of allowing a player to score when they have flagrantly thumbed his/her nose at the rules and safety precautions. I admit I call mostly rec league, and this is where I can easily see this happening. While these rules are intended for championship play only, the players and coaches are still just amateurs (isn't that the first letter in "ASA"?), and we all have to go to work the next morning. Intentionally laying out a catcher (or any player, for that matter) has no place anywhere in softball. Period.

This proposed rule change simply adds an additional penalty towards something that is already illegal: flagrant and unnecessary contact. It reinforces the concept of fair play and serves as an extra reminder to players that they will be held accountable for their actions.

Let me toss out another twist in this argument. If a player acts in a grossly unsportsmanlike manner, then is subsequently allowed to score, it can be construed as benefitting the team at fault, something that was once explicitly forbidden by rule (yet now, I can't seem to find it).

So yes, I do have a problem with the current rule as it is written, and I would gladly accept this proposed rule change.