Dropped Pitch
 

A pitcher is in mid-windup, and drops the ball before completing the pitch to the catcher. If the ball goes forward, towards home plate, what is the ruling? If the ball goes backward, what is the ruling? Does it matter whether the ball remains in the circle or not?

Ball.

Ball.

No.

If the hands have come together after the pitcher has taken a position on the pitcher's plate. If not, the pitcher has simply dropped the ball. The LBR is off in both cases.

You have been listening to baseball umpires, haven't you? (Bill Hohn probably doesn't know what a softball game is. In fact, I had to google just to find out who Bill Hohn is.) Absolutely no part of this makes any difference in softball.

If the pitch has started (in ASA and NCAA, hands have separated, in NFHS, either hands have separated OR the pitcher makes any motion that is part of the windup after the hands are brought together), it is a pitch; no more, no less. Not illegal, just a pitch. Unless the batter attempts to hit it, we can assume 100% of umpires would call it a ball.

If the pitch hasn't started (hands not yet brought together; yes, the pitcher can windup prior to that point; now refer to prior paragraph for rules differences), it is simply a live ball; pitcher no longer in possession, so LBR doesn't apply. Not a pitch, not a ball, not an illegal pitch.

Have to be careful and not call it a ball too soon. One day some crazy batter is going to swing at this thing as it rolls across the plate at 2 MPH.

So, if the catcher steps up and picks up the ball prior to it reaching the plate, it is.....................................

Catchers obstruction.

Good topic !!, OBSTRUCTION. BUT Once the pitch stops rolling (like right in front of the plate) I think we need to call time ??? so the catcher knows she can go pick it up. Or am I making this too involved.

Better be careful...if there are runners on they are released to run as soon as the ball leaves the pitchers hand!! So you better not kill it with runners on!!

Why call time? If the ball stops before it reaches the plate it cant be catchers obstuction, and if there are runners on base you may have playing action going on.

Okay, next step.

What happens if the batter lays down the bat, takes off toward 1B and the ball rolls against it and stays in fair territory?

Out for hitting the ball while out of the box?

The rule (ASA, NFHS, NCAA) simply states the batter is out if the batter's foot is on the ground outside of the BB when contact is made, fair or foul.

Why is batter taking off, she is assuming ball four?

7-6-D does not specify this but I believe this out would be called only if the batter still had the bat in her hand. Otherwise, on a discarded bat I am going to fall back on the distinction of ball hitting the bat vs bat hitting the ball. This rule is designed to penalize a batter who is hitting the ball while outside the box.

If this is going to be ball four, I see no reason why the batter must wait for the ball to reach the plate. As long as her discarding the bat cannot be considered INT it's simply ball four and now the batter isn't a batter she is a batter-runner so 7-6 ("The batter is out:") no longer applies.

Mind you, I like to call outs as much as the next umpire, but.. :)

Only a BR can "discard" a bat, so I don't think this would apply

Just because a ball is rolling to the plate, does not make it ball four until it reaches the plate and is touched by the catcher. After all, the batter may still attempt to hit the ball if they choose, may even miss the ball. If a runner is stealing and the batter is standing there with the bat cocked and the catcher steps out in front of the plate, that is CO. You are making an assumption of a ruling that just isn't supported by the rules. In FP, the pitch hitting the ground is not a dead ball and the play must be allowed to come to come to a conclusion.

And mind you, I'm only citing the rules which clearing state it is an out. Granted, the odds of a play like this occurring are remote, but the rules is what they is :)