Sick of the batters sticking elbow into the pitch

[manitoudan]

Happening far far too often , with nearly every player wearing the elbow guard it looks to me like getting beaned has become a offensive technique . I'm for making the rule read you need to make some attempt , any attempt at all is fine , at avoiding the pitch to be rewarded 1b .. we had a 2 time all American get beaned 3 times in 2 AB's this season , one bean ball was called a strike .. its out of hand , Dont want to see softball girls start policing their own game with real bean balls .

 

[BretMan2]

Doesn't sound like a rule problem as much as an enforcement problem. The rule should cover this just fine.

If a batter sticks her elbow out and gets hit, when she would not have otherwise been hit, then she shouldn't be awarded a free base. Keep her in the box and call the pitch either a ball or strike depending on its relation to the strike zone.

I've kept batters at the plate for purposely contacting the ball and would imagine any competent umpire would too.

 

[AnotherSoftballDad]

Anyone that was watching college softball this weekend could see this was a fairly common thing even in the D1 college game.

 

[brownsfan]

One of the things I'm seeing is batters lining up with the toes on the line so their knee and elbows are in the river but not on the plate. So if you miss an inside or outside pitch (dependent on the side the batter is on), the margin of error is below the elbow and above the knee. Since they removed that rule of needing to get out of the way; it was become more of an offensive advantage. I know my dd has taken full advantage of the rule being implemented several years ago. My middle school girls obviously don't line up with their toes at the line; but told them not to move as they don't need to.

I will admit, I do miss "the dance" they do when trying to move when it was a rule to attempt to move out of the way.

 

[BretMan2]

Keep in mind that the rule says the batter doesn't have to avoid the pitch IF (big IF, and this is the part that people seem to forget) the ball is ENTIRELY inside the batter's box.

In the river is NOT entirely inside the batter's box! If the ball isn't entirely inside the box, then an attempt to avoid the ball is still required.

Also, whether the ball is inside or outside the box, the rule states that a batter may not purposely allow themselves to be hit. That means moving into a pitch to let it hit them when it would not have otherwise.

 

[manitoudan]

Its possible to take a stance with toes on the line and have your elbows extremely close to the inside corner .. pitching is good these days , girls so motivated to win , they will gladly push the limits to get on base . It just isnt right to penalize the P for missing 6 inches inside . And if all were competent as bman we wouldnt have an issue -- but must of the time just calling a ball/strike is a big enough challenge for blue .