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  #1 (permalink)  
Old Sat Feb 20, 2010, 10:10pm
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I think I made up a rule and award

ASA 16U Rec. Runner on 3rd ball four on batter. As BR is walking to first the first base coach is looking at her a point towards second (left hand going back and forth in front of his belly). At the same time the D Coach walks fast out of the dugout calling time. I give him a hand gesture to wait, but he keeps coming walking right in front of the BR. I kill the ball call coaches obstruction and award the BR 2nd and the girl at 3rd home.

Can't find anything in the book to support my call, but here was my thinking. The coach walking out on the field during live ball play basically stopped everything including the opportunity of the BR to continue to second, and the possibility that the pitcher would make a play on her, thus allowing the runner on 3rd to attempt home.

Is there anything in the book that supports my call or did I make up a rule and award?
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Old Sat Feb 20, 2010, 10:40pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vcblue View Post
ASA 16U Rec. Runner on 3rd ball four on batter. As BR is walking to first the first base coach is looking at her a point towards second (left hand going back and forth in front of his belly). At the same time the D Coach walks fast out of the dugout calling time. I give him a hand gesture to wait, but he keeps coming walking right in front of the BR. I kill the ball call coaches obstruction and award the BR 2nd and the girl at 3rd home.

Can't find anything in the book to support my call, but here was my thinking. The coach walking out on the field during live ball play basically stopped everything including the opportunity of the BR to continue to second, and the possibility that the pitcher would make a play on her, thus allowing the runner on 3rd to attempt home.

Is there anything in the book that supports my call or did I make up a rule and award?
Rule 10.3.C

Don't know if I would have killed the ball immediately. Might have let it play out unless the coach's presence actually interfered with the play. And I probably wouldn't have awarded the runner on 3rd home unless there was actually an attempt to score.

But I wasn't there, you were and the rule with authorizes your ruling is listed above.
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Old Sat Feb 20, 2010, 10:55pm
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Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA View Post
Rule 10.3.C

Don't know if I would have killed the ball immediately. Might have let it play out unless the coach's presence actually interfered with the play. And I probably wouldn't have awarded the runner on 3rd home unless there was actually an attempt to score.

But I wasn't there, you were and the rule with authorizes your ruling is listed above.
I was leaning towards 10.1(Plate Umpire shall have the athority to .... not covered in these rules).

I could have call a ddb. Then if the runner stopped at 1st call DD on award her 2nd. Based on using the principles of OBS.

You are right probably did go to far in award 3rd home, but the strategy behind the "continuation play" is to get the pitch to throw to second to score the run. Although we all know in REC that at least 75% of the time the pitcher is just going to hold the ball and let the BR go to second.

After the game the coach and I talked. He has years of Hardball exp. First year in fastpitch (jumped right into 16U ). Told me he would never do that again. I felt bad because they ended up loosing by that 1 run. He told me he told the girls, "you tied the other team, I lost to the other team". Good Guy.

Last edited by vcblue; Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 10:59pm.
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Old Sat Feb 20, 2010, 11:05pm
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Originally Posted by vcblue View Post
I was leaning towards 10.1(Plate Umpire shall have the athority to .... not covered in these rules).
You are correct. That is what I get for taking my eyes off the book while typing.

Quote:
I could have call a ddb. Then if the runner stopped at 1st call DD on award her 2nd. Based on using the principles of OBS.

You are right probably did go to far in award 3rd home, but the strategy behind the "continuation play" is to get the pitch to throw to second to score the run. Although we all know in REC that at least 75% of the time the pitcher is just going to hold the ball and let the BR go to second.
My logic: If you use OBS as a guideline, the BR reaching 2B probably would have meant the runner on 3B would have stayed on 3B as the defense most likely made no play affording her the opportunity to score.

Quote:
After the game the coach and I talked. He has years of Hardball exp. First year in fastpitch (jumped right into 16U ). Told me he would never do that again. I felt bad because they ended up loosing by that 1 run. He told me he told the girls, "you tied the other team, I lost to the other team". Good Guy.
Well, it is nice he realized he screwed up, but I don't think it would have been any different in baseball.
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Old Sun Feb 21, 2010, 12:38am
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Yeah, I was going to say...

I hope that his having "years of hardball experience" wasn't meant to imply that baseball coaches are allowed to fly out on the field during a live ball whenever they want to!
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Old Sun Feb 21, 2010, 01:12am
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There is nothing in your scenario that leads me to think you should have awarded that runner home and I doubt you should have even awarded the runner 2nd, regardless of what could be conceivable or imaginable within the written rule. I think you got a little to rambunctious in your ruling.
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Old Sun Feb 21, 2010, 11:36am
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Wade... So what do you do when the 1st base coach calls time and tells you that he was sending the runner to second, but the D coaches actions prevented it? Sorry, but we have to have something.
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Old Sun Feb 21, 2010, 11:55am
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Thats exactly what the coach is going to say and it is fair for him to say that. That doesnt mean I'm going to make all kinds of special awards because I killed a play. It happened. His runner didnt go to 2nd and the runner didnt score since you killed it. The coach didnt tackle the runner.

"Coach, I understand what you are saying, I have warned that coach and your runner is safe at 1B. Thats all I can do on this one. Let's play ball."
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Last edited by wadeintothem; Sun Feb 21, 2010 at 11:58am.
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Old Sun Feb 21, 2010, 11:59am
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Incidentally, I wouldnt have killed it (in fact I've been known to let a coach have it pretty good if they do something stupid like that, which stops them dead in their tracks) and if I was a O coach, I wouldnt have let your dead ball call stop my runners.. then I woulda really let you have it for ruining my play.
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Last edited by wadeintothem; Sun Feb 21, 2010 at 12:01pm.
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Old Sun Feb 21, 2010, 03:14pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vcblue View Post
Wade... So what do you do when the 1st base coach calls time and tells you that he was sending the runner to second, but the D coaches actions prevented it? Sorry, but we have to have something.
The same thing you would do if the coach told you he was going to send his runner home, nothing.

I assume the reason you sent the BR to 2B was because you had witnessed the coach's directions first hand.
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Old Mon Feb 22, 2010, 11:53am
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"I assume the reason you sent the BR to 2B was because you had witnessed the coach's directions first hand. "

Correct, as "student of the game" we need to look for things like that so we are prepared. If I saw the coach pointing at first I would have done nothing.

But thinking this through a warning is all I should have done. I could imagine a UIC really questioning me at Championship play if I did something like this. (of cource I doubt we would see this in Championship play).
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Old Mon Feb 22, 2010, 12:19pm
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"I assume the reason you sent the BR to 2B was because you had witnessed the coach's directions first hand. "

Correct, as "student of the game" we need to look for things like that so we are prepared. If I saw the coach pointing at first I would have done nothing.

But thinking this through a warning is all I should have done. I could imagine a UIC really questioning me at Championship play if I did something like this. (of cource I doubt we would see this in Championship play).
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Old Mon Feb 22, 2010, 01:54pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vcblue View Post
"


(of cource I doubt we would see this in Championship play).

I don't
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