Two questions

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Aug 12, 2014
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I have have two questions that came up in our games this weekened - 12U Rec, using NFSHSA rules, if that makes a difference.

1. A pitcher was starting with her right foot on the rubber near the left end (firstbase side) and her left foot was behind the rubber but outside the end of it. Is this legal, or do both feet need to be within the edges of the rubber?

2. There was a play at home on a wild pitch. The ump called the runner out saying that the batter interfered with the play and did not make enough of an effort to move out of the way. It was clearly no intent by the batter to interfere. What is the batter's responsibility in this situation?

Thanks.
 

marriard

Not lost - just no idea where I am
Oct 2, 2011
4,312
113
Florida
I have have two questions that came up in our games this weekened - 12U Rec, using NFSHSA rules, if that makes a difference.

1. A pitcher was starting with her right foot on the rubber near the left end (firstbase side) and her left foot was behind the rubber but outside the end of it. Is this legal, or do both feet need to be within the edges of the rubber?

Both feet need to be within the 24' pitching rubber. In 12U rec you bring the coach out ASAP, tell the coach what she is doing and let them deal with it. If it keeps happening you call it.

2. There was a play at home on a wild pitch. The ump called the runner out saying that the batter interfered with the play and did not make enough of an effort to move out of the way. It was clearly no intent by the batter to interfere. What is the batter's responsibility in this situation?

They have to move out of the way; this is clear interference as described. Intent doesn't matter.

This is USSSA rule description, but it matches most rule sets:
Rule 7.12
"A batter shall not interfere with the catcher’s fielding or throwing by leaning over home plate, by stepping out of the batter’s box, by making any other movement which hinders action at home or the catcher’s attempt to play on a runner, or by failing to make a reasonable effort to vacate congested area when there is a throw to home and there is time for the batter to move away. PENALTY: Dead ball; the batter is out."

... runners return to the bases they occupied (so no run scores). There is a few other rules which cover 'no throw' (so for example the catcher gets a rebound off a wild pitch and just goes to make a play) and other fielders - but the batters required actions and penalty is still the same.
 
Last edited:
Aug 12, 2014
644
43
Thanks for the reply. It was my pitcher and when I saw it I told her to move over. I just wasn't positive if I had the rule correct.
 
Feb 13, 2021
880
93
MI
marriard nailed both answers (as usual) and the rule is the same in NFHS. The umpire DID get the wrong player out, it should have been the batter and the runner going back to 3rd. Unless it was a swinging strike 3, then the batter-runner is out (D3K not withstanding) AND the runner is out at the plate. (NFHS 8.2.8 PENALTY)
 
Jun 6, 2016
2,714
113
Chicago
I have have two questions that came up in our games this weekened - 12U Rec, using NFSHSA rules, if that makes a difference.

1. A pitcher was starting with her right foot on the rubber near the left end (firstbase side) and her left foot was behind the rubber but outside the end of it. Is this legal, or do both feet need to be within the edges of the rubber?

2. There was a play at home on a wild pitch. The ump called the runner out saying that the batter interfered with the play and did not make enough of an effort to move out of the way. It was clearly no intent by the batter to interfere. What is the batter's responsibility in this situation?

Thanks.

Can you describe what happened in 2? Marriard is right, of course, but I'm just curious what actually happened.
 
Apr 20, 2015
961
93
marriard nailed both answers (as usual) and the rule is the same in NFHS. The umpire DID get the wrong player out, it should have been the batter and the runner going back to 3rd. Unless it was a swinging strike 3, then the batter-runner is out (D3K not withstanding) AND the runner is out at the plate. (NFHS 8.2.8 PENALTY)

Interesting I thought in an interference situation the runner closest to home was out no idea where I got that


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Jul 22, 2015
851
93
Interesting I thought in an interference situation the runner closest to home was out no idea where I got that


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Could be thinking of when the interference is on a retired runner. Also, I think that may be the baseball rule.
 
Oct 24, 2010
308
28
Interesting I thought in an interference situation the runner closest to home was out no idea where I got that
Could be thinking of when the interference is on a retired runner. Also, I think that may be the baseball rule.

... with less than 2 out. Also NCAA. The idea is that the offense doesn't get a second bite of the apple when the batter interferes with a play at the plate. If 2 out, then the batter is out. OP is apparently NFHS, where the batter is out and runners return to the last base touched at the time of interference.
 
Last edited:
Aug 12, 2014
644
43
Can you describe what happened in 2? Marriard is right, of course, but I'm just curious what actually happened.

It was a wild pitch, the batter took a few steps back out of the box while the runner came home. The catcher fielded the ball by the backstop, the pitcher covered the plate, the catcher attempted to throw the ball to the pitcher, and the runner scored. I can't say exactly where the batter was in relation to the catcher and pitcher.
 

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