Norwalk Little League: My Site News
Proof of Residency Requirements
Tuesday, March 10
Game Situations with Rule Justification
You Make the Call
(scroll to bottom for answers)
(Refer to rule book for sections called out to read up on answers)
Situation 1: Runner on first base, two strikes on
batter, who swings at the pitch which hits him/her. Is
the batter out?
Situation 2: Runner going from second to third base
falls over the shortstop that was standing in the base
line fielding a batted ball. The third baseman tags the
runner with the ball. Is the runner out?
Situation 3: Fielder throws his/her glove at a fair
batted ball but does not hit the ball. How many bases
should be awarded?
Situation 4: Pitcher makes a wild pitch which goes out
of the playing field. Should all runners on base
advance: ONE, TWO or THREE Bases?
Situation 5: With no runners on base, pitcher raises
his/her pivot foot in the act of delivering a pitch. Is
this a balk?
Situation 6: Batted ball strikes foul line between home
and first base then rolls fair before reaching first
base. Is this a FAIR ball or FOUL ball?
Situation 7: Fielder is standing in fair territory when
a fly ball touches his/her glove which is just outside
of the foul line. Is this a FAIR ball or FOUL ball?
Situation 8: Outfielder catches a fly ball then
immediately collides with another outfielder, dropping
the ball. Is the batter SAFE or OUT?
Situation 9: With two strikes on batter, batter fouls a
pitch which strikes catcher’s chest protector. Catcher
grabs the rebound, before the ball falls to the ground.
Is the batter out?
Situation 10: Lineups have been announced. Before the
game starts, the manager changes his/her shortstop. Is
this allowed?
Situation 11: Batter hits a home run after which it is
discovered he/she had used an illegal bat. Home run is
disallowed. RIGHT or WRONG?
Situation 12: Player in starting lineup is replaced by
substitute in bottom of second inning. Another
substitute replaces the first substitute at the start of
the third inning. In what inning can the original player
re-enter the game?
Situation 13: In how many situations can a run score
when the third out is made on a force play?
Situation 14: Batter with a count of two balls and one
strike is removed for another batter. Does the count on
the new batter start over?
Situation 15: Bases full, two out, batter hits ball over
fence for home run. Batter misses first base. Proper
appeal is made. How many runs score?
Situation 16: Batter hits illegal pitch and is thrown
out at first base. Does the out stand?
Situation 17: Fair batted ball hits the base runner
standing on third base. The umpire calls runner out. Is
the umpire correct?
Situation 18: Runners on first and third, one out.
Batter hits a fly ball to centerfield which is caught.
Runner on first left when the batter hit the ball and
before he could return, is doubled at first. Runner on
third crosses plate before out is made at first. Does
the run score?
Situation 19: Runners on second and third, two out.
Batter hits clean double and is thrown out attempting to
stretch the hit into a triple. Runner on second left too
soon. How many runs score?
Situation 20: Runner on first, batter hits ground ball
to first baseman who steps on first base then throws to
shortstop standing on second base, the ball arriving
ahead of the runner. Umpire rules runner out. Is the
umpire correct?
Situation 21: It is the top of the fifth inning. The
first batter walks. The next batter doubles to right.
The umpire realizes that there has been no left fielder
since the inning started. Do you.....allow the runners
to remain on base or do you start the inning over?
Situation 22: The batter hits a line drive up the
middle. The ball strikes the rubber and deflects
directly into the dugout between first base and home.
What's the award?
..................................................................................................
Answers:
(don't scroll down too far!)
Situation 1: Yes – Rule 2.00-STRIKE (e) & 6.05(e). The
old myth comes back to haunt you if you got this one
wrong. The hands are NOT part of the bat. We do not know
of a manufacturer that makes bats with hands on them.
Swinging strike three, ball is dead and runner on first
stays on first.
Situation 2: Yes – Rule 7.08(b) & 7.09(1). The base
runner must give ground to a defensive player who is
making a play on a batted ball. The runner is out
whether it is deemed intentional or not intentional.
Situation 3: None – Rule 7.05(c). The rule only
penalizes a defensive player if the ball is TOUCHED by
the thrown glove.
Situation 4: One – Rule 7.05 (h). One from the rubber
and two from the field is the old adage and still (for
the most part) applies.
Situation 5: No – Rule 8.05. However, it would be one of
two illegal pitches that are outlined in 8.05 (e) & (g).
You may also want to review rule 2.00 – ILLEGAL PITCH.
Situation 6: Fair – Rule 2.00. Review your definition of
a fair ball. A batted ball that settles on fair ground
between home and first base is a fair ball.
Situation 7: Foul – Rule 2.00. A fair/foul fly shall be
adjudged according to the relative position of the ball
and the foul line, not as to whether the fielder is on
fair or foul territory at the time such fielder touches
the ball.
Situation 8: Safe – Rule 2.00 – CATCH. It is not a catch
if the fielder collides with a player, or with a wall,
or if that fielder falls down, and as a result of such
collision or falling, drops the ball.
Situation 9: No – Rule 2.00 – FOUL TIP. Sharp and direct
from the bat to the catchers hand or mitt and anything
else is a foul ball.
Situation 10: Yes – Rule 3.03. Starting players have
reentry rights by rule. So a starter (other than a
pitcher) may come out for a sub anytime, even before the
game starts and then reenter to fulfill his/her
mandatory play.
Situation 11: Wrong – Rule 4.19(a). Illegal equipment is
removed from the game and all action that resulted from
the use of the illegal equipment remains. Home run
stands and bat removed.
Situation 12: None – Rule 3.03. Starting players may not
return to the line up until their substitute plays six
(6) consecutive outs and bats at least once; in this
case the first sub has not and can not get his/her six
(6) outs and will not have batted at least once meaning
the starter cannot return in this game.
Situation 13: None – Rule 4.09(a) EXCEPTIONS: (2). The
rule is pretty cut and dry in that it specifically says
no runs will score when the third out of the inning is a
force play out.
Situation 14: No – Rule 6.01 NOTE outlines if the third
out of the inning is made while that batter is at bat
the count will start over, but not when one batter takes
the place of another during an at bat.
Situation 15: None – Rule 7.10(b) & 4.09(a)
EXCEPTIONS(1). As mentioned above no runs will score
when the third out of the inning is made on the batter
runner before touching first base and the defense
initiates a proper appeal.
Situation 16: No – Rule 8.05 PENALTY. The umpire should
approach the manager of the offensive team and advise
him/her that there is an option on this play. The
manager would take the results of the play or the
penalty for the illegal pitch.
Situation 17: Yes – Rule 7.08 (f). Another one of those
myths. The base does not protect a runner from being
called out when hit with a fair batted ball before the
ball has touched or passed an infielder. EXCEPTION: If a
runner is touching a base when touched by an Infield
Fly, that runner is not out, although the batter is out.
Situation 18: Yes – Rule 2.00 – FORCE PLAY, 4.09
EXCEPTIONS & 7.10(a). While most appeals must be verbal
so the umpire knows the defense is aware of a base
running infraction this play does not have to be verbal
because the actions of the defense lets the umpire know
that they know the runner on first did not tag up. The
base runner on first base was REQUIRED to tag up but
when the batter was out on the catch of the fly ball the
force was removed and this becomes a TIMING play. If the
runner on third tags or touches home plate before the
ball gets to the first baseman for the out at first the
run would count.
Situation 19: None – Rule 7.13. In this case the
batter-runner was thrown out thus opening up bases in
which to return runners because of leaving early. Return
both runners to second and third and remove the runs
from the book. The violation by one base runner shall
affect all other base runners.
Situation 20: Wrong – Rule 2.00 – FORCE PLAY. By
stepping on first base the defense team has removed the
force and to get the out at second the base runner would
need to be tagged.
Situation 21: Rule 1.01/4.17 - No action may take place
with less than nine defensive players on the field. The
inning starts over.
Situation 22: Rule 2.00 Definitions. It's a foul ball!
There's no award!
Andy’s Myths
By Andy Konyar, Umpire Consultant
Little League Baseball and Softball
Coaches, take a look at these myths and make sure you
are ahead of the game:
MYTH #1 - "The hands are part of the bat."
If a batter is hit on the hands while swinging at a
pitch, or while his/her hands are in the strike zone, it
is a strike. OTHERWISE, it is a hit batter and he/she
gets first base. In all cases the ball is dead and no
runners may advance. See Rule 2.00 BALL, PERSON, STRIKE
(e),(f), TOUCH, also Rule 6.08(b). THE HANDS ARE PART OF
THE PERSON.
MYTH #2 - "He/she held the ball for 2 seconds before
he/she dropped it. That's a catch."
The length of time the ball is held has nothing to do
with the determination of a catch. The release of the
ball must be VOLUNTARY and INTENTIONAL. See Rule 2.00
CATCH. The fielder must prove that he/she had COMPLETE
control of the ball before releasing it.
MYTH #3 - "Removing the batting helmet intentionally
while running the bases will result in a team warning
and the next player to commit the infraction will be
ejected. NO out is called."
MYTH: This type of thing does not happen very often and
does not warrant an ejection. A reminder to the
offensive team is usually enough to stop this when it
happens. Usually it will happen and the offensive player
does not realize that they have done it. Remind your
equipment manager to get the teams helmets that fit.
MYTH #4 - "As the pitcher delivers the pitch, waving or
waggling the bat while in a bunt stance is not allowed.
This interferes with the catcher and is dangerous in
Little League. The umpire shall warn the player and the
bench. Interference could be called on the batter if the
umpire judges that this hindered a play by the catcher."
MYTH: A real stretch of Rule 9.01(c). There is no way
you can call interference on the batter. FORGET this
application of rule 9.01(c), you have other legitimate
things to worry about.
