Something I dont allow

[PEPPERS]

A batter cannot call time out. She has to ask for it. So, she probably wasn't granted a time out.

Should have been more specific, the hitter requested a time out stepped out of the box and the ump did not grant a time out, his explanation was the new rule once a pitchers places the ball in the glove he can’t grant a time out to the batter or the batter can’t request one.

Sorry!

 

[Comp]

It was stressed in high school clinics both last year and this year that once the batter and pitcher are in position, time should not be granted unless there is a legitimate reason for requesting it. Such as bugs, big wind gust, dust blows into batters face etc. Now, if a pitcher was hanging a batter out for what I felt was an overly long period of time, I would be inclined to grant them time.

Would have had to see situation you described, but, by rule the pitcher has 20 seconds to deliver the pitch once they receive it back in the circle. Dont know how fast she was getting back to plate, but if she was actually standing there with hands together for 10 seconds prior to pitching she could very well be in violation of the 20 second limit.

 

[PEPPERS]

Thanks for clearing some of that up Comp, in my opinion the pitcher was trying to throw the timing off from the batters mainly slappers.

 

[wild man]

Should have been more specific, I dont let it delay the game OR become a saftey hazard. I have seen what I call batters box theatrics practacly rule the game. One or two is alright 3 maybe 4 is pushing.

 

[Lozza]

Ten is a poor batter.

I know in Australia now, from rep level up, no batter is allowed out of the box once they step in. You have to keep one foot in at all times. I don't know if that's international rules, or just here. It's to keep the game going faster. Thankfully the blues were quite understanding of it. We would each get one warning a game, then a strike would be called. They did that for the first year. (this was state league) For people who had been playing for 10-20 years it's a very hard habit to break.

 

[BretMan]

ISF rules don't have any requirement that the batter keep one foot in the box between pitches. They do say that the batter has ten seconds to take her place in the box once directed to do so by the umpire.

ASA rules do have the "one foot in the box" requirement- but it's not as simple as that. There are plenty of situations where this rule is suspended. When you think about it, a blanket rule that you must always keep one foot in the box would be either impossible to enforce or place the batter at an undue disadvantage. There simply has to be exceptions to that rule and it can't be an absolute.

For instance, what if a wild pitch forces the batter out of the box. I hope that no umpire would penalize the batter for that!

The ASA rule has quite a few exceptions. Some are rather obvious, others maybe not so much. Yes, in ASA softball a batter must keep one foot in the batter's box between pitches...EXCEPT:

- After hitting the ball, either fair or foul.
- Following a swing, slap or checked swing where her momentum carries her out of the box.
- When forced out of the box by a pitch.
- When a play is attempted (such as a runner advancing to the plate).
- When time has been called.
- When the pitcher leaves the pitching circle or the catcher leaves the catcher's box.
- If, with three balls, the batter mistakedly thinks ball four has been called.

Far from being an absolute, the only time a batter really needs to keep one foot in the box between pitches is on a routine ball call or a called (non-swinging) strike!

Beyond all of the exceptions written into the rule, ASA umpires are generally taught not to be overzealous about making this call. Any number of warnings can be issued, at the umpire's discretion, before calling a penalty strike. And the rule isn't intended as a sort of cat and mouse "gotcha" where the umpire issues strikes if a batter's foot briefly leaves the box. The rule is intended to address delays in the game and should really only be invoked if the batter's actions are causing a delay. In short, it's a rule the umpire can have in his back pocket if the game is being unecessarily delayed, but until the delays become a problem he shouldn't be going out of his way to make this call.