Rules discussion

[default]

I have never seen this before:

College game - field umpire yells "dead ball" - runner on third left the bag early. (Not disputing that - my kid - and she did) But he then asks the defensive team if they want a "ball" or an "out"...

I've always seen that as an automatic out. Do they really have a choice?

 

[default]

I don't know about the ball or an out part.
But what I heard watching a college game. The defense gets the choice of the result of the play or the out for leaving early.
Say runner left early and the defense say caught a line drive for 1 out and then doubled the runner who left early.
They could get the double play versus the out for leaving early.

 

[default]

New rule - the thing that sounds odd is the umpire yelled dead ball. I believe all the umpire is supposed to do is extend his/her arm out to the side - meaning "delayed dead ball".

 

[default]

He may have done that... I was watching players, not umpires. I guess it makes sense (the choice). I'd just never seen it before, and wondered if Blue knew what he was doing.

 

[default]

As Mark said, new rule in college.

 

[default]

Perhaps college is different, I'm not sure. Under NFHS rules, if this happened in a high school game it is an immediate (as opposed to delayed) dead ball and the runner is out.

The scenario is kind puzzling. Even if they could, I'm not sure why a defensive would elect to give a batter a ball as opposed to giving themselves an out.

 

[default]

@backstop09:

The rule is designed to account for all possible circumstances on a play where the runner has left early. So the umpires can't assume anything about the specifics on a given play. The coach gets to make the choice. Apparently on the play Bart has described, there was no swing on the pitch and the pitch was called a ball. Maybe it's a no-brainer to take the out, but the only brain that is relevant is the coach's.

 

[default]

And sometimes we have no brain at all so it's better to ask!!l..LOL

 

[default]

If this is what the umpire did, yell "dead ball" as soon as she left early on the pitch, then the umpire blew the call. The new rule is that when a runner leaves early, the ump gives a delayed dead ball signal (arm extended to the side like an obstruction call) and then at the end of the play, the defense gets its choice between the play or just the out on the runner. The dead ball call would be the old rule, which is what ASA and the others have always had.

If they call dead ball right off the bat, that kills the play, and therefore there would be no real choice left for the defense other than to take the out on the runner who left early.

 

[default]

Perhaps college is different, I'm not sure. Under NFHS rules, if this happened in a high school game it is an immediate (as opposed to delayed) dead ball and the runner is out.

The scenario is kind puzzling. Even if they could, I'm not sure why a defensive would elect to give a batter a ball as opposed to giving themselves an out.

Off the top of my head there are two reasons to take the play and not the leave early out.
1) If the player leaves early and the batter lines out to the infield and the runner that left early is easily doubled up the coach would take the pitch.
2) If the #4 batter is up to bat and the runner leaves early and the pitch is a strike three to end the inning you avoid having to face that #4 batter again in the next inning.

I am sure there are tons more examples. But now I will have to think - ****.

 

[default]

Taking the result of the play would benefit the defense on any play where more than one out was recorded. There are alot of ways that can happen!

So far, NCAA softball is the only organization to implement this new rule. Maybe it will eventually trickle down to lower levels...time will tell.