Couple questions

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Fg8or

Good coaching tips guys. Thanks! I'm a first time coach with mostly first time players playing mostly all star handpicked teams. I was just getting confused as our league rules are a runner cannot leave the bag until th ball passes the plate. It seems these rules contradict theirselves. However legel it is I also think it takes away from the game( just my 2 cents). Thanks

Not sure exactly what your league rules say... but if we're talking about a walk here, the rules about what happens before the ball crosses the plate can't apply until your play is over. A walk (just like a single) is a live ball. Surely your league rules don't say a girl in motion (say, rounding first on a single) has to stop once the pitcher owns the ball. Consider a walk EXACTLY like a hit with the one minor difference that she can't be put out before reaching first base.

You've illustrated the problem that a great majority of the umpires have been saying for years. Almost ANY league rules (with the exception of time limits or run limits, I suppose) are inherently bad in that they poorly prepare their leagues for play in post-season tournaments and poorly prepare them to move to the next level. We fail to understand why the ASA (or whichever) rules don't meet the needs of leagues.