Little League Softball World Series

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LL 7.15c: The BR must use the colored section on his/her first attempt to tag first base. (Except when the ball is hit to the outfield, no play at fiirst...and then the BR may use either half.) Should, however, the BR reach and go beyond first base, he/she can only return to the white section of the base. Penalty: BR is out.

Almost EVERY BR reaches first and overruns it. I think the "go beyond" is refering to rounding which would make sense. Who stops at first?

 

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She was in foul territory the entire time after she slid thru first base. There was no play on her. How can a runner run/slide thru first base, be completely in foul territory, but still be at risk of being tagged out? There is no risk of being tagged out in that case. Thus, there is no reason for her to need dive and touch a base. She did it on instinct because the fielder went after her to tag her. The fielder had no reason to feel the need to tag her. Thats why the ump kept telling the coach that the runner never made a move towards second so his complaint about which bag she touched doesn't matter as she didn't need to have to retouch either bag at first base. The ump got it right. I'm sure what they mean by "go beyond" first base is that if she went beyond it in fair territory. Like maybe heading towards second or tunring towards 2nd. Same as if a runner runs thru first base and turns towards the right field stands. There is no reason for that runner to have to retouch 1st base before a tag is made.

 

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Thanks, guys, for illustrating my point: The LL rule is vaguely written and open to interpretation.

You might think that "go beyond" means one thing, but "rounding" and "overrunning" first are two completely different things, covered in-depth and differentiated in other rules, and this rule doesn't specify either.

Nor does it say anything about the batter-runner being in foul ground or fair territory. That is a personal interpretation that the rule does not address.

Thankfully, ASA addresses all of these "what-if" scenarios in their double base rules. Takes all the "personal interpretation" and "this is what they really mean to say" guesswork out of the equation. The LL double base rule has big enough holes in it to drive a Mack truck through!

Did the batter-runner reach first base? Yes.

Did she pass it? Yes.

Did she return to the white portion? No.

Should she be out? According to the rule , as written, she should be.

Absent any official interpretation, all you can go by is the rule as it is written. Anything else is just opinion and speculation.

 

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North Carolina did it. They pulled it out in the last inning. Jersey hit the 6'1" pitcher in the bottom of the 5th but they couldn't hold them defensivly. The final score something like 9 North Carolina and 6 for Jersey. (Something like that)

 

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HITTING MIGHT BE A STRETCH. The NJ shortstop by playing almost on the grass allowed at least 3 runners to beat out what should have been routine 6 to 3 ground outs in the last inning. Not to mention defense on both teams was shaky at best. SC pitcher brings it but I highly doubt that 61mph gun reading from 40 ft.Sorry I just cant buy into that.

 

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Which grass?

 

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Bret,
I just can't let this one go. Did she return to the white base? Yes she did but after she touched the orange part. You can't tell me that if a BR overran first, peeled off to the right in foul territory, handed her batting glove to her 1st base coach and while stepping towards the white hit the orange, that any ump would call her out.

I think we have to go with common sense and not the literal translation on this.

That's it. I'm done. I promise.

 

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Which grass?

The outfield grass. I was wondering why the coach didn't move her up. It was obvious that the grass infield was slowing the balls down considerably. I'm sure she would have made those 6-3 plays had she been closer to the infield grass.

 

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Sad627, I agree, the coach from New Jersey blew it. As a coach you have to know your team, you could see South Carolina was a better hitting team. They had 1 out with a runner at second and third, pull your infield in. The shortstop should of looked the runner back at third and threw to first for the second out, not home. The next batter struck out, you would of been out of the inning with a tie ballgame, take your chances in the bottom of the 6th.

 

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I was surprised they didn't give big fake throws to 1st and then throw home for the out when the 3rd base runner broke for home. I can't tell you how many outs at home we got that way. It wasn't like the 3rd base runner was watching the play. She broke for home right after the ball was hit.

 

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I have to say that my dd played both travel ball and little league this year it was a big difference in the two but her team made it to joplin missouri for the reginols and lost in the semi finals to kansas in and extra inning game 2 to 1 it was an expirience i would not wanted her to miss for anything.