application of ASA 10.3.C (detailed play)

[okla21fan]

Had this in a 14u HOF Qual last weekend and getting mixed responses if we got it right.

No out, R1 on 2nd, R2 on 1st, B3 hit a base hit to F7. R1 advances to 3rd and makes a wide turn (while R1 advances to 2nd, B3 to 1st). Throw is behind R1 to F5 on 3rd base getting R1 in a rundown between 3rd and home. there are about 3 to 4 throws between 3rd and home in the rundown and each time R1 'turned' to change directions towards the foul fence eventuality causing R1's basepath to 'change' closer to 12 to 15 feet from the original 3rd base line and basepath. (R1 never had to 'avoid' tag in this rundown, only changing directions as each throw happened)

R2 and B3 seeing the rundown advance to 3rd and 2nd respectively....

Now as R1 is being chased back to 3rd and it looks like she will finally be tagged. R1 'looks' over her left shoulder (away from 3rd) to see the defensive player, causing her to veer further away from 3rd. Defensive player dives, and attempts a tag on R1, of course, as tag is applied, ball pops out of glove.

BU (me) who has been on the 'inside of fair territory' gives a verbal and signal 'SAFE' call. Mayhem ensues as R1 scrambles back to 3rd, and at one point R1 and R2 for a moment or standing on 3rd together. R2 then retreats to 2nd and B3 retreats to 1st with no further play on any runners.

Defensive coach asked for time and asked PU if he thought R1 had left the basepath while avoiding a tag. PU (who is a bit younger in terms of experience) comes to me to discuss the play and I explain that from my 'inside' angle I did not have any avoiding a tag. He states that from his angle (closer to homeplate but in foul territory...I felt we had the play 'boxed' in pretty well) it was clear she was out of the basepath BUT thought that it was my call, so he didnt call anything.

So basically we have a DC 'asking' for help from a partner and partner gives his input which the result is reversing the SAFE call on the tag. I tell PU that if he was clear in what he saw, we should reverse and call R1 OUT at third, which we did.

Offensive coach then asks to place R2 back at third and B3 back at 2nd which is where they were at the time of the infraction (OUT). I agree citing 10.3.C that this 'delayed' call put the offensive team in jeopardy and that had the out been called at the proper time, R2 and B3 would not have retreated.

DC feels that since the ball was live and that the runners 'went back on the own', they should have stayed.

(funny side bar: very next pitch, batter hits a smash to F5 who dives back to third doubling up the runner on 3rd. Inning over, would OC jokingly asking me, 'can I have a do over?')

Being told by some that this was an 'appeal' play and would be enforced at the time of the appeal, however to me, this is not an 'appeal' by definition (even it is common to call 'asking for help from your partner' an 'appeal')