For those that have earlier versions of the case book, is the USC situation in those ones? I get the impression that it is not.

If it was not, it seems that this case play and ruling is an extemely important one given that a homerun is nullified and most of us officials would have ejected the player after allowing the homerun.

I have not done or played a lot of slow pitch in the last 6 years (changing this year), so I am wondering if the bat throwing in anger is happening enough that it warrented inclusion in the case book. When I played in the early 90's in Panama on the military bases, it happened enough that the officials were instructed to eject players but not a dead ball call with all other play being nullified and runners returning to last base touched at the time of flagrant misconduct.

He feels this may be trouble with nothing to back you up, I know I did. The only reason it came to my attention is that I take the test without the book. When I saw I got that question wrong, I checked the references and went looking for an interpretation.

This is the first mention of SP in this topic, but I've been assuming it applies to fast pitch as well.

Of course, it is. Unsportsmanlike Conduct is unsportsmanlike conduct at all levels and disciplines.

As I assumed, but thought for a moment it might be just to control the "adults".

If the adults acted like adults, many of the rules wouldn't be necessary :)

Exactly why "adults" was in quotes and why I thought (or hoped) it excluded JO.

It doesn't exclude JO, but the situation to apply this will occur less frequently in JO.

Obviously less, if at all! In my 16 years, I've never had a fast pitch player get ejected.

Mike,

Talked to Chick last night and his point, which you and others I believe have said, is that there is nothing in the rules that gives umpires the authority to stop a play in progress due to unsportsmanlike conduct. I thought that was happening in the flagrant crash at home but he says it is the interference that kills the play and then a dead ball ejection. According to Chick, it's a Henry Pollard rule and it may go away next year or we will get a rule into the book. So, hopefully no one will have to enforce this rule.

I'm about as naive as it comes as to the inner workings of the ASA sanctum sanctorum, but this "Henry Pollard rule" as you/Chick call it got into the Case Book somehow.

Because I have never seen an ASA case book or written interpretations, I checked ASAsoftball.com and softball.org and cannot find any rules or interpretations or cases. If they are online, where are they? If not, how does one get a case book?
Also, have you ever read POE #48, which includes such things in unsporting conduct as wearing a cap backwards, shirt untucked, exposed undergarments of different colors, coaching tactics that endanger the safety of players, etc.?

You will not find any of these online and you can order a case book at:
http://www.usasoftball.org/shop.asp?t=c&id=5

If you do not have the book, how are you aware of POE 48? This is new to this year's book.

However, it refers to "SPORTING BEHAVIOR", not unsportsmanlike conduct and are not causes for ejection. This is probably more a guide for the coaches than umpires.






[Edited by IRISHMAFIA on Apr 8th, 2003 at 07:26 PM]

POE are in the rule book. The reason I came across #48 today is that the index lists bat throwing as #48, although it is really #51.
I don't necessarily need an unissued case book, especially with no explanation of the $10 or $15 versions difference (possibly a $1.99 binder), but we should see the exact wording of interpretations and cases we have to apply.

:D :D I forgot about the difference between not-sporting behavior and unsporting conduct. :D :D

Cecil, I don't know what you mean by "unissued" case book, but I find the ASA Case Book to be an invaluable tool to me in understanding the rule interpretations ASA would like to be applied.

The first time you buy it, it comes with a binder. Thereafter, you can just buy the pages and take out last year's and put in this year's content.

Or, if you have an old unused Franklin-style 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 size binder, the refills will fit.

I strongly recommend the case book. It is a very worthwile investment.