ASA Post July Rules Clarifications

[MD Longhorn]

I think it was my first year when one of these was taken to the extreme of the extremes. 8U (of course). Runner is at about shortstop when it's caught - everyone's yelling BACK, so she goes to 2nd. Ball goes out of play -and partner awards home. Runner runs about 3 steps toward third then STRAIGHT toward home. Coach gets her attention after she's passed the mound and tells her she has to go to first, which she does, directly... and then she heads home again. Coach tells her to "come here", tells her to touch third, then 2nd, then 1st, then 2nd, then 3rd, and then home. This probably took 3-4 minutes.

Other coach goes nuts - luckily, my partner was very experienced and I got my first listen to the concept of "last time by", although he didn't use the words. After talking about this one in the changing room between games with the guys on the other field, I think we had 4 different opinions ... until I, the rookie, said, "Doesn't this all not matter at all - coach came out and yelled, but I don't recall an appeal anywhere."

This one came up at every clinic thereafter ... and honestly, I think we've gotten a different "official" ruling every year regarding what the umpires should have done if there was a real appeal.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

I think it was my first year when one of these was taken to the extreme of the extremes. 8U (of course). Runner is at about shortstop when it's caught - everyone's yelling BACK, so she goes to 2nd. Ball goes out of play -and partner awards home. Runner runs about 3 steps toward third then STRAIGHT toward home. Coach gets her attention after she's passed the mound and tells her she has to go to first, which she does, directly... and then she heads home again. Coach tells her to "come here", tells her to touch third, then 2nd, then 1st, then 2nd, then 3rd, and then home. This probably took 3-4 minutes.

Other coach goes nuts - luckily, my partner was very experienced and I got my first listen to the concept of "last time by", although he didn't use the words. After talking about this one in the changing room between games with the guys on the other field, I think we had 4 different opinions ... until I, the rookie, said, "Doesn't this all not matter at all - coach came out and yelled, but I don't recall an appeal anywhere."

This one came up at every clinic thereafter ... and honestly, I think we've gotten a different "official" ruling every year regarding what the umpires should have done if there was a real appeal.

Well, once she touched home or 3B, returning to touch a missed base or base left too soon is no longer an available option. Of course, there would still have to be an appeal. Then again, 8U don't need umpires.

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

I think it was my first year when one of these was taken to the extreme of the extremes. 8U (of course). Runner is at about shortstop when it's caught - everyone's yelling BACK, so she goes to 2nd. Ball goes out of play -and partner awards home. Runner runs about 3 steps toward third then STRAIGHT toward home. Coach gets her attention after she's passed the mound and tells her she has to go to first, which she does, directly... and then she heads home again. Coach tells her to "come here", tells her to touch third, then 2nd, then 1st, then 2nd, then 3rd, and then home. This probably took 3-4 minutes.

Other coach goes nuts - luckily, my partner was very experienced and I got my first listen to the concept of "last time by", although he didn't use the words. After talking about this one in the changing room between games with the guys on the other field, I think we had 4 different opinions ... until I, the rookie, said, "Doesn't this all not matter at all - coach came out and yelled, but I don't recall an appeal anywhere."

This one came up at every clinic thereafter ... and honestly, I think we've gotten a different "official" ruling every year regarding what the umpires should have done if there was a real appeal.

As soon as I read the first sentence, I knew Mike's last sentence was coming.
Anyway, why would the coach have her touch 3rd, or for that matter 2nd again as she had just lef 2nd and could just take a confused route back to 1st?

[MD Longhorn]

Good qu4stions. And all came up at some point afterward. I think the consensus was that when she passed the mound on the way home (which is the only base she didn't touch in the wrong order), she had "passed 3rd" (gross miss to say the least) - and needed to retouch third on her way back to 2nd. Granted that this is a mess.