Batter Protection?

[Oddthomas]

Batter squares to bunt, pitch is inside and hits the batter on the arm(batter stayed squared around). Umpire said the batter had to stay squared around to protect herself with the bat and awarded her first base. I've seen the same scenario a lot and it has always been called a strike. ???

 

[OhPhat]

If she offers on the bunt it’s a strike if she pulls back it’s a HBP.

 

[sftball follower]

If the batter offers (umpire judgement) then it's a strike. If batter doesn't pull back, doesn't offer in umpires judgement, then it's a HBP

 

[Maxdad]

Unless the pitch is a strike....then it's a strike, no HBP.

 

[Ohio USSSA Pride 05]

For Reference Only, but I think the definitions listed are current for the respective sanctioning bodies listed.


USA Softball
A pitched ball that is intentionally tapped with the bat, slowly, within the infield. It is not a bunt attempt if the bat is held in the strike zone.

USSSA
An attempted bunt (“offer”) is any movement of the bat toward the ball when the ball is over or near the plate area. Holding the bat in the strike zone is considered an attempt to bunt. In order to take a pitch, the bat must be pulled back away from the ball. If an attempted bunt results in a foul ball, it is treated as any other foul ball, if the batter has two strikes and this happens, the batter is out

NSA
Any non-swinging movement of the bat intended to tap the ball into play. The mere holding of the bat in the strike zone is considered a bunt attempt no matter the placement of the pitch. To take a pitch the batter must withdraw the bat away from the ball



NCAA
A legally batted ball not swung at but intentionally tapped with the bat. A bunt attempt is any non-swinging movement of the bat intended to tap the ball into play. Holding the bat in the strike zone is considered a bunt attempt. In order to take a pitch the bat must be withdrawn -- pulled backward and away from the ball.


NFHS / PGF
A bunt is a legally batted ball not swung at but intentionally tapped with the bat. An attempted bunt is any non-swinging movement of the bat intended to tap the ball into play. Holding the bat in the strike zone is considered a bunt attempt. In order to take a pitch, the bat must be pulled back and away from the ball

 

[BretMan2]

Hmmm...that's an odd explanation you got, about the batter having to stay squared up to "protect herself with the bat". Because if the batter was trying to protect herself with the bat, that means that she was trying to hit the ball with the bat, which means she offered at the pitch, which means this should have been a strike.

Trying to hit the pitch before it hits you IS an offer! How could it be anything else? Let's put it this way...suppose the batter did successfully "protect" herself and managed to hit the ball before it hit her. Is this umpire going to say that's not a batted ball because the batter was "trying to protect herself", not hit the ball?

Any attempt to hit the ball does come down to judgment...but that was some weird judgment!

 

[Oddthomas]

Bretman2 thank you! I argued this with several different people! "Trying to hit the pitch before it hits you is an offer"!!!