Player Leaving first base

[chapmaja]

Originally Posted by outathm

In a game earlier today I had a player run to first and touch it, on a question- able Fair Ball call.

When she reached first base her first base coach told her to go back to home to bat. She did not touch first on the return trip to the plate. She was about 4-5 steps down the line and then ran back to first for a dive back in on a pick off attempt by the catcher.

Interested to hear what everyone thinks about whether or not she should have been out for look back if the ball was in the circle?

ASA was the rule set.

This is an interesting issue. I would assume that when she ran to first she over ran first base. The rules require an immediate return to the base, and since she did not return that could be an issue itself. I am trying to visualize the play so I can see how exactly the situation occurred.

I think case I think the level of play would also dictate the way I would handle it. If this was a girls 5th grade game I would be handling it one way. In that type game, I am ruling a dead ball, and giving the runner first base, then having a chat with the coach. If this is a 18U game, it's being handled differently. Why handle it differently? I expect a lot more knowledge from an 18U player than a player in a 5th grade game (and from the coaches to be honest).

Now if someone else other than the coach had said to go back, I don't have any problem with an immediate dead ball and an award of first base. If this is a comment from an opposing player / coach I've got verbal obstruction and will award accordingly. If this from a spectator I'm having game management talk with the person, or will do it myself if need be.

As for the original question. I don't have a LBR violation on this because I find it hard to see the play as being done at that point, and I'm not ruling a LBR violation unless the playing action is really dead and then she does something else.

One other thing on this. The umpires could also take some responsibility in this. I have seen situations where an umpire is so soft spoken on calls that they can't be heard. An umpire that is very quiet in their calls on foul balls runs into trouble on plays like this. If the call can't be heard, or if the umpire has poor mechanics coaches may not know the call and that could lead to confusion. An umpire who is consistently making loud foul ball calls avoids problems because the players should be able to hear when a ball is called foul and know it must be fair when no call is heard.