Pitcher pop-fly question
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Pitcher fielding a batted ball in the circle is no different than any other fielder. Runners are free to attempt to advance at risk of being put out. That being said, once normal playing action would typically be over and the runners have not attempted to advance the lookback rule would go into effect.
By the way, there is no mound in softball.
By the way, there is no mound in softball.
If Sue Enquist can call it the mound. So can you.
Well, lets think about the wording of the lookback rule.
This is not a quote, but when the pitcher has control of the ball in the circle the runner must either advance or return to the base (so there is a decision point here that some umpires enforce differently).
So if the runner is already tagged up before the catch, then I would say yes, the runner can go on the catch. What they can't do is stop later and come back if the pitcher has not initiated a play on a runner.
If the runner was off the base at the time of the catch, I don't think they could tag and then go to second unless the pitcher is making a play. (raising the ball in a fake throw motion is considered making a play).
Do we agree?
This is not a quote, but when the pitcher has control of the ball in the circle the runner must either advance or return to the base (so there is a decision point here that some umpires enforce differently).
So if the runner is already tagged up before the catch, then I would say yes, the runner can go on the catch. What they can't do is stop later and come back if the pitcher has not initiated a play on a runner.
If the runner was off the base at the time of the catch, I don't think they could tag and then go to second unless the pitcher is making a play. (raising the ball in a fake throw motion is considered making a play).
Do we agree?
No we do not agree. A pitcher fielding a batted ball inside the circle is no different than any other fielding a batted ball. For all practical purposes, the circle does not exist at that point. Only after normal playing action ceases for the batted ball would the lookback rule go into effect.
- Dec 20, 2012
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The bigger question is "why would a runner be tagging up when the pitcher has the ball"? Lol
Why wouldn't the runner tag up and advance if the defense wasn't paying attention and covering the next base or simply not paying attention? See it happen all the time.
I once saw a runner on 3rd tag up and score on a foul pop fly out to the catcher while the catcher was standing less than 3 feet from home and celebrating her catch. Anything is possible.
Comp,
I cannot find anything to back your response. The rulebook says the Lookback rule is in effect when: The ball is live, the batter-runner has touched 1st base or has been declared out, and the pitcher has possession and control of the ball within the pitcher's circle. Once those three items are fulfilled it then goes on to say in part 2. Once the runner stops at a base for any reason, the runner will be declared out if leaving the base.
I say the runner is out.
