Rules Question

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Had a player hit over the fence home run today. As she rounded 3rd I gave her a high five, after the game umpire told me that was not allowed to do that. Is that a rules violation. If so what is the penalty. It is an NSA tourney

 

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Bretman has answered this many times. The rule states you cannot assist a player running the bases, a high five is clearly not assisting a player. So, no this is not a rules violation.

 

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You cannot assit your player, but you can pick up an opponent and carry her around the bases. As seen on TV

 

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What you did was fine. The umpire clearly does not know the rule.

Len

 

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The umpire's comment would be correct if it were a live ball situation as a coach cannot touch or assist one of their players if it were a live ball. An over the fence home run is a dead ball situation but again as mentioned, the coach still cannot give aid to their player. I hope I got this correct. The gray area about opponents giving aid is what prexyfan is refering to that was demonstrated a few years ago when a young lady at the end of her softball career hit an over the fence homerun while pinch-hitting in her last game and re-injured her knee on the swing. The homerun would only count if she rounded the bases and touched each bag so the opponents picker her up and physically carried her to each base so she'd get credit for her effort. One of the greatest acts of sportsmanship recorded in women's sports.

 

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The old "a coach can't touch a runner" thing is one of the most enduring rule MYTHS in baseball and softball, probably right up there with "the hands are part of the bat". I can remember dust ups about this when I played youth baseball and that was a looong time ago!

Live or dead ball makes no difference. There's no rule that says a coach can't touch a runner. A coach may not physically assist a runner in her efforts to run the bases while the ball is live. Examples of assisting include, but are not limited to, grabbing the runner to stop her advance, pushing the runner toward a base or helping her up after she falls. A congratulatory hand slap should not be considered as an assist.

The college game where the defensive team helped the injured runner around the bases may have created a warm and fuzzy feel-good moment, but the umpires for that game actually got themselves into some hot water from their supervisors.

First, they told the offensive coach that if the injured runner could not advance beyond first base on her own that she would be credited with a single. That was incorrect as there's no rule denying the four-base award for a home run.

That was strike one.

Next, they denied the injured player a substitute to complete her home run base award. The rules actually allow a sub in this situation.

That's strike two.

By forcing the injured player to be carried around the bases, they exposed her to the risk of further injury by being jostled around and dropped on each base.

And...that's strike three!