My First Ever Official Protest

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by BretMan

Sorry to drag up an old thread, but I do have something to add that might be worthy of comment.

I've already posted my understanding of how "an errant throw pulling the fielder off the base into foul ground" is to be interpreted. Now, maybe I am going to have to revise my understanding.

The protest from my game, and another discussion of this same rule on another forum, got me digging for "official" interpretations. No luck there at all.

One little quirk in the actual rule I did come across: The NFHS rule refers to an errant throw pulling a fielder "off the base". The ASA rule says the fielder must be pulled "off the white base". Interestingly, prior to 2008 the ASA rule said only "off the base". In 2008, somebody slipped that "white" in there. I don't know if there is any significance to that- but random words don't usually appear in the middle of a rule by chance. This was not highlighted as a rule change or an editorial change.

Anyhow, just to "cover all the bases", I sent an email to the ASA National Supervisor of Umpires for clarification.

In an email received today, according to what I would consider "an authorative source"...apparently I have had it all wrong. His email stated that the errant throw does NOT need to pull the fielder completely off the base, past the colored base, and completely into foul ground for rule 8-2-M(5) to apply.

I was told that simply being pulled directly from the white to the colored portion satisfies the requirement of the rule. I was even given an example of a fielder setting up on the white base, jumping in the air to receive an errant throw, then landing on the colored base. This was presented as an example of the fielder legally using the colored base due to an errant throw.

Just when you think you know it all...

I think our ASA National Supervisor of Umpires should consider running for elected office, because he did a great job of tap dancing around the situation.

MTD, Sr.