Batter hit with an illegal pitch
 

NFHS and/or ASA rules:

No runners on base, illegal pitch is called, pitched ball hits the batter.

What do you have?

May the offensive coach elect to take the penalty for the illegal pitch and have the batter continue the at-bat?

This situation was presented to me by an umpire that had this happen on the first pitch of his most recent game.....

I think: In HS, yes, they always get an option. In ASA, no, the option is canceled if the B becomes a BR and all runners advance one base. The BR was the only R and she did advance one base.

I believe the NFHS rule book references that if the pitcher completes the delivery of the pitch, the batter must hit the ball fair or foul...or...becomes a batter-runner before the coach has the option.

Would a hit batter apply? When is the ball dead......when does the batter become a batter-runner when hit?

D3K would apply.

The ball becomes dead for the illegal pitch after the action of the pitch. In my mind, it absolutely became dead on the award before it became dead for the pitch.

Actually, the wording is "runner" as opposed to "batter runner".
I had this happen to me in a game an NFHS few weeks ago.
I believe in the heat of the moment, I blew the ruling when I didn't allow the offensive coach the choice of play or penalty.
:o

ASA is both. The batter is awarded 1B and all runners advance one base whether forced or not

6FP.2.EFFECT.3 and/or 6FP.3.A-N EFFECT.3

batter gets a brand new shiny base free of charge....(except for minor pain)

For NFHS:

My take on this one is that we have DDB at the time of the IP. Once it hits the batter we have a dead ball. Standard judgment if batter allowed herself to be hit with the ball.

I'll second a previous opinion that if the pitched ball was not hit fair or foul, the coach does not get a choice.

In this case, I would award the batter 1B on the HBP and any baserunners would be advanced 1 base.

New batter coming up.

It's alive!!! It's alive!!!!! :D

How is the season treating you?

...and this is the crux of the issue....

6-1-f3 exception states that if the batter hits the ball fair or foul or becomes a runner, that an option is given.

The term "runner" is not defined in the NFHS book.

If you go to rule 8, Batter-Runner and Runner, 8-1-2b says that the batter is awarded first base when hit by a pitched ball (absent the exceptions) and that the ball is dead. What this seems to say to me is that the batter never becomes a batter-runner, but becomes a runner when she reaches first base and the ball is back in play.

I was initially leaning toward giving the option, but now think that I would just award first base and be done with it.

That was my dilemma, also (for pretty much the same reason- the question of did she actually become a runner) - and my first decision (and ruling on the field) was that she did not and that no option was given.

Upon second guessing myself, and thinking about "with the book/by the book", I started wondering why we would essentially did-advantage the offended team. That is when I decided that I should have given the option.

To me this is a good example of the letter of the rule vs. the spirit of the rules question as pertains to the rule and definition of runner.....

NFHS rules:

For those of you who say that they would not give the option would not the proper call (with no option given to the offensive coach) be a ball on the batter and any runners advanced one base?

I am in the camp that says that before the play ended the batter became a runner and would give the coach the option of the result of the play (batter awarded first and runners advanced if forced by the batter) or the award for the illegal pitch which is a ball on the batter and runners advance one base.