Wrong call?

snoman76

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Here is the situation. My daughter is up to bat and lays down a beautiful bunt. She drops the bat in fair territory :confused: and the ball hits the knob of the bat. Catcher picks up the ball makes the throw but runner beats it out. Umpires call was safe. The other teams coach questions the call and his explanation was that once the bat is on the ground it becomes part of the field and it doesnt matter if the ball hits it. I thought if the bat is in fair territory and a batted ball hit the bat a second time the batter is out..
 

jdcii

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My understanding of the rule, only an out if she intentionally threw the bat at the ball.
 

coachtomv

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I believe that if the ball is moving and hits a non moving bat, its part of the field. If the bat is moving and hits the ball she is out, intentionally or not.

I coach to toss the bat out of play and remove all doubt, had this cost me outs and almost games in the past. This is alittle of the coaching/player attention to detail.
 

wvanalmsick

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The easiest way that I found to remember this rule is:

"Did the bat hit the ball or did the ball hit the bat?" If the bat is stationary on the ground and the ball hits the bat, then "Live Ball" and play on. If the bat hits the ball prior to becoming stationary, then batter is out.
 

Heavy Hitter

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The way I always remember it was if the ball hits the bat she is safe. This generally means the bat is not moving and the ball rolls into it.

If the bat hits the ball she is out. This generally means the bats is still moving and hits the ball.
 

SoCal_Dad

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If the ball rolls against the bat, the umpire also has to judge whether there was intent to interfere with the ball.
 

Softballfarm

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I thought the rule was if the bunted ball hits the discarded bat, in fair teritory, the batter was out. Doesnt matter if there was intent...if the bat was moving...not moving etc....but, then again, I could be wrong.
 

Westler33

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I seen an umpire call a girl out when she bunted at the pitcher and the backspin rolled the ball back into the bat that was not moving just this year.
 

SoCal_Dad

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ASA 7-6K and NCAA 11.14.1 both have the same exception to hitting the ball a second time. NFHS rules (2011) don't spell out the exception, but the case plays are consistent with the other rule sets.

ASA 7-6K EXCEPTION 2: When the batter drops the bat and the ball rolls against the bat in fair territory, and, in the umpire's judgement, there was no intent to interfere with the ball. EFFECT: The ball is live.

NCAA 11.14.1 EFFECT: If the bat is out of the batter?s hand(s) (on the ground), the ball rolls against the dropped bat in fair territory and, in the umpire?s judgment, there was no intent to interfere with the course of the ball, the ball is live. If it stops or is touched in fair territory, it is a fair ball. If the ball touches the dropped bat in fair territory and then rolls to foul ground and stops, it is a foul ball. If the ball rolls against the dropped bat in foul territory, it is a foul ball regardless.
If the bat is out of the batter?s hand(s) (dropped or thrown) and it hits the ball in fair territory, the ball is dead, the batter is out, and each base runner must return to the base legally occupied at the time of the pitch.

NFHS Case Plays (2011) - BAT HITS BALL A SECOND TIME: 7.4.13 SITUATION: B1 swings and (a) hits the ball which strikes home plate and bounces up hitting the bat while the batter is in the batter's box; (b) after laying down the bat and running to first, the ball hits the bat in fair territory; or (c) while advancing to first, drops the bat in fair territory and the bat, while still moving, hits the ball.
RULING: A foul ball in (a). The ball remains live in (b). In (c), the batter is out and the ball is dead.
 

BretMan2

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Rule of thumb:

Bat hits ball = interference

Ball hits bat = nothing*

(*unless it's that rare instance where the umpire judges that the batter purposely discarded the bat so that the ball would hit it. I have never had to make that call, but guess it's possible)
 

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