Batter draws base on balls, runs to 1st, rounds the bag, stops and immediately returns to 1st base. Pitcher now has possesion and in the circle. Runner on first is now standing on the orange bag, not the white. Never touched the white portion until after the next pitch. After the game I asked Umps(I know them) what the call was. They said she should have been out but, missed call. Asked another and he said only out if she was on the orange when the pitcher relased the ball. I'm under the impression that once pitcher has the ball in the circle, you have to maintain contact with base until she releases the next pitch. Right or wrong?

Technically correct.

glen

Once the BR becomes an R, the orange base becomes dirt.

I briefly go over the double base rule in the plate meeting, but even so, I would warn before I called this at the younger ages - with them, a base is a base. Older ages, call it.

I have sympathy for players who have been drilled to go to the colored base and not the white, especially the younger ones as Dakota said. That is one time when I will "coach" and say "white base" before the pitch, particularly if the time lag is short. The time I would absoultely call the out is if the runner is using it to get a running start.

[Edited by CecilOne on Jun 10th, 2003 at 02:54 PM]