Triple Crown Tournament...ASA rules.

This happened on an adjacent field. Whenever one team would get a runner on third, the batter would step out of the box and request time just as the pitcher was preparing to pitch. One of the other umpires said that she thought that they were trying to get the pitcher to stop her pitching motion and be called for an illegal pitch to advance the runner form third and score a run. The other umpire told me that it lookd like a good tactic.

I told her that an illegal pitch should not be called in that situation if the umpire felt the batter was calling time with the intent of causing an illegal pitch. I said that if the pitcher stopped her pitching motion that "no pitch" should be called and a warning issued. I also stated that if the pitcher continued her pitch that it should be called a strike, whether it was in the strike zone or not. She was not convinced, so the rule book came out. We found the rule about no player, coach, etc., shall call time or commit any other action with the intent of causing the pitcher to commit an illegal pitch.

What I could not find was a rule that allowed me to call a strike if the pitcher completed the pitch. I am sure that this was discussed in one of our rules meetings. Am I mising something?

ASA 7-3-C EFFECT and ASA 7-4-K.

Dakota,

Could I use Rule 7-3-A instead since the rule you referenced is for JO and Adult Modified Pitch? I'm thinking that the Triple Crown Tournament does not use modified rules.

Just asking.

Thanks,

You can use 7-4-K.

In 2002, the rule started <font color=blue>(Junior Olympic Only)</font>.

The phrase <font color=blue>and Adult Modified Pitch</font> was added in 2003.

If you read the explanations of the rules changes in the front of the rule book, you will find this...<font color=blue>(Junior Olympic Fast and Slow Pitch/Adult Modified Pitch)</font>

I think we have another example of fractured ASA rules syntax and that they still intend for the 2003 rule to apply to JO Fast Pitch.

7-4-A applies to a batter not entering the box - delay of game. Not a batter once in the box exiting illegally. I think applying 7-4-A would be a stretch.

Maybe I misunderstood you completely - is the Triple Crown Tournament an adult tournament? If so, unless it is adult modified, 7-4-K indeed does not apply. Sorry for my JO mindset.

Tom,

Yes, this was a JO tournament using ASA rules.
This weekend we had 10u, 12u, 14u. This happened in a 14u game.

No need to apologize to me for the JO mindset. 99.97% of the ball I work is either JO or HS, so I tend to have the same mindset and forget to include those details.

Tom,

Maybe I'm missing your point, but is seems pretty clear to me. In any JO game, FP or SP and in any Adult Modified game, the batter needs to keep one foot with in the batter's box after entering with exceptions under certain conditions.

I agree ... the clarification I was trying to make was that the ASA wording... "(Junior Olympic and Adult Modified Pitch Only)" can be read two ways...

Junior Olympic (pause) and Adult Modified Pitch Only

or

Junior Olympic and Adult (pause) Modified Pitch Only

My point was the first is what ASA intended.

I understood VaASAump to be saying he couldn't use 7-4-K because the tournament was not a modified pitch tournament.