B/R Retreats Towards Home Playe
 

R2. Batter bunts. F3 fields bunt. Batter stops before being tagged. She then starts backpedaling to avoid being tagged.

Legal?

No. ASA 8-2-H. NFHS 8-2-8.

12.2.11 for NCAA

Batter stops before being tagged. -- Legal

backpedaling to avoid being tagged. -- INT

:D Last year I called "TIME, That's interference!" I called the batter-runner out and put everyone back to the base they were on.

I later found out that I should have made them return to the last base touched at the time of the interference.:(

Baseball?

Legal in baseball. Only out if you retreat all the way to the plate.

I was referring to "TIME" instead of "DEAD BALL"! :)

IIRC this was called either last year or the year before in the CWS. The batter-runner was trying to gain extra time for the runners advancing, and took a step back. The umpire called it correctly, ruling her out and moving everyone back to the base occupied at the time she took the step backwards towards the plate to avoid the tag.

Under NCAA Rules, the runners are moved back to the base occupied at the time of the pitch. (12.2.11 Effect) In the case of a run-and-bunt, the runner has quite possibly reached the next base at the time of the step backwards. I believe this ruling is unique to NCAA.

:D This is how I ruled. Even though I no longer do college softball, I will sometimes enforce their rules for ASA or high school. Lots of times my parner or the coach will inform me that I am applying the wrong rule fi they know the difference.:eek:

Which is how it should be, and the other sanctioning bodies should follow suit. After all, the reason a BR would do this is to delay a play on her to let other runners advance. If one or more of those runners do make it to their next base(s) before the BR takes that step back, then the penalty doesn't really have the right effect.

I never really understood why this action is illegal in the first place. In every other place on the field, the runner can choose whatever base path she wants... forward, backward, wide arcs, whatever.

I do understand that she cannot retreat to home as a "base", but why is it illegal to retreat as part of any other base-running strategy or purpose?

If the BR action does not help the runner to reach a base ( to their next base(s) before the BR takes that step ); then why should the runner be penalized back to an earlier base?

Ummm, you know what? I didn't even think of it that way.

You're right, the NCAA has it all wrong. :o:p