Is It a Dead Ball?
 

I was calling a game on Friday night and had the following situation: Batter leaned back and swung at an inside pitch (a ball). As she swung, the ball hit her hand, which was out of the strike zone. She then continued her swing. When I saw the ball hit her hand, I immediately called dead ball and sent her to first. My umpiring partner called me over and asked about her swinging and whether or not it should have been called a strike. I replied that I saw the ball hit her hand and when I called dead ball, it killed the remainder of the play, making it a moot point that she swung.

Was it the right call?

Under NFHS and ASA rules it would be a dead ball and a strike.

ASA 7-4-H
NFHS 7-2-1g

Dead Ball - Strike is the proper call.

Agree with a dead ball and a strike.

And if it is strike three she is out.

But what if.........:confused:















No, it is ALWAYS a dead ball and a strike on the batter, no runner's may advance, no outs recorded unless that was the 3rd strike and then only the batter may be ruled out.

Until I scrolled down you had me worried!

The correct call has been noted by several others. Dead ball, strike.

In other words, your umpiring partner was correct.

As previously mentioned by esteemed members of the Forum, it is a dead ball and a strike on the batter. Remember: 1) A pitched ball that strikes the batter is (with apologies to the late J. Dallas Shirley, search the Basketball Forum for that reference, :D) the ball is always dead. 2) Once (1) occurs the PU must decide if the batter: a) did the batter make a good faith effort to avoid the pitch (this includes deer caught in the headlights look when a fastball runs up and in on the batter and the batter does not have time to react), b) did the batter allow the pitch to hit her, or c) did the batter swing at the pitch. Either (a) or (b) occured or (c) occured. (a) or (b), and (c) cannot occur at the sametime.

MTD, Sr.

P.S. This applies to us that also umpire baseball.

Did you work with Larry on the new test questions? ;)

:eek: I would not want to see how that would have been transcribed by the non-officiating data entry clerks hired by the FHSAA! :eek: