QUESTION 1 A batter hits a fly in fair area just in front of home plate

she has no idea where the ball is and stays in the batters box. The catcher

gets up and tries to run forward to catch the short fly. In doing so, the

catcher runs into the batter who is in the box and has no clue where the fly

is. The catcher cannot get to the ball and it hits fair and rolls foul

Is the batter out for interference or not? If the batter would have one

foot out of the box would she then be out for interference?

ANSWER Please refer to Rule 8-2-6. It is irrelevant whether the

batter is in or out of the batter's box. Interference does not have to be

intentional. Dead ball, batter is out and runners, if any, return to bases

they had at the time of the interference.

My umbrella wants to go hang out with Finchy!

QUESTION 2 Just starting out umpiring softball and have been reading

through the rules, I cannot find anything that mentions in fastpitch can the

pitcher take a step backwards with one foot (non pivot foot) leaving the

other one on the plate then make her motion to pitch. Or do both feet have

to be in contact with the pitchers plate at all times?

ANSWER Rule 6-1-2b; ³Once the hands are brought together and are in

motion, the pitcher shall not take more than one step which must be forward,

toward the batter and simultaneous with the delivery. Any step backward

shall begin before the hands come together. The step backward may end

before or after the hands come together.²

JO!  Never listen to Steve...his judgment is gone!!!

Rule 6-1-1; "Prior to starting the delivery, the pitcher shall take a

position with the pivot foot on or partially on the top surface of the

pitcher's plate and the non-pivot foot in contact with or behind the

pitcher's plate.² NFHS does not require both feet in contact with the plate

to deliver the pitch

QUESTION 3 At a game recently the plate umpire had called a ball fair

after it left the bat it hit the plate. I thought the plate was always foul

ball territory? What is the ruling on this?

ANSWER Correct call. Please refer to Rule 2-22; ³Home plate, the foul

lines and poles are considered part of fair territory.²

QUESTION 4 At a recent game, all players were wearing green pants but one

player had on black. What is the ruling?

ANSWER Illegal. Rule 3-2-1. PENALTY: Rule 3-6-1; "Illegal equipment

shall be removed or made legal."

QUESTION 5 In a recent game our opponent's first base coach indicated to

the umpires that our second baseperson was using a first base glove and that

it was illegal. The umpires ruled the glove illegal, stating that only the

first base person could use such a glove. It this true?

ANSWER Please refer to the NFHS Rule Book, no such prohibition exists.

Rule 1-4-3 gives the following dimensions; maximum height of 14", maximum

width of 8" from the webbing to the little finger edge, and 5 3/4" across

the webbing. Information provided by Coach XXXXX indicates the glove in

question to be 11 3/4", 7 1/4", and 5 1/4". This would be a legal glove.

QUESTION 6 Our game ended last night with the field umpire calling our

runner out for missing 2nd base. The coach from the visiting team stated,

during our hand shake, at the end of the game that no one on his team made

an appeal. Did the umpire make the correct ruling?

ANSWER Incorrect ruling. Please refer to the following rule

references: 8-6-7, 2-1-2a and also Case Book; 2.1 and 8-3-1, sit. A.

QUESTION 7 Runner on first immediately heads to second base on fly ball hit

to center field. Fly ball pops out of center fielder's glove on first catch

attempt but is caught by that fielder for the out prior to the ball even

coming close to hitting the ground. Meanwhile, the runner has not gone back

to tag up at first and ends up on second base. Play is appealed properly at

first base by defensive team and runner on second is called out for not

going back and tagging up. Question: Is the runner required to tag if a fly

ball is not cleanly caught on fielder's first attempt? Is there a difference

in a fly ball bounced around by one or more fielders prior to it being

caught relating to a tag up by a runner being required?

ANSWER Correct call. Since the play described involved only one

fielder (no contact by another fielder, runner, or umpire) the play was

correct as called. Please refer to the Case Book page 13 for similar

situations.

QUESTION 8 This must be the year for weird stuff. Runners on 1st and 2nd,

I checked with the home book to see how many outs there were. I wanted to

be sure. I was told one out. I communicated with my partner that there

could be a possible in-field fly. There was we called it and the infielder

dropped the ball. We called the runner out and the other runners advanced

on their own. After the play was over and before the next pitch. The

opposing coach said that there were two outs at the time and the inning

should be over. Again, I checked with home book and after several minutes,

she said she had missed an out. We then put the batter on 1st and

continued, since the fielder dropped the ball and the runner did reach 1st

base. Were we correct?

ANSWER Correct call although if any question exists as to the number of

outs the umpire should review the scorebook to verify the score. Please

reference Rule 10-2-3 and Case Book 10.2.3, sit. D. Interesting to note

that Case Book 10.2.3, Sit. E references the need for the infielders to know

when an infield fly can be called.

QUESTION 9 The bases are loaded with 1 out. Fly ball out to right field,

as the right fielder positions herself to catch the ball, which she did not

catch, the following events happen.

The runner from third (R3), takes off from the base upon the batter contact

with the ball. R3 crosses home plate without touching the plate, while the

coach at first instructs the R3 to return to tag up at third. On R3 touches

home plate on her way back to third.

The runner at second base (R2) tagged up at second and advanced to third and

then home as the ball was being thrown around in the in-field. R2 passed R3

as R3 returned to third and R2 touched home plate. By this time the player

at third had the ball and tagged R3 for an out.

After the dust settled, we ruled: Seeing there was no need to have R3 tag up

at third, (because the ball was dropped), she did legally touch home plate

before R2 scored. R2 legally touched third and home, both runs scored.

However, here in lies my question. R3 returned to the field of play

assuming she did not legally acquire the base. Would she be considered an

illegal re-entry and be out or not? Or is just no harm no foul?

ANSWER From Mary Struckhoff (NFHS): "Once R3 legally touched home (sounds

like on her way back to third), her run scored (2-49, also see Case Book

2.49 and 9.1.1.B). Unless her returning to third was judged to be

intentional or deliberate by the umpire to confuse the defense, there is no

interference (8-6-18). R2 is not out for passing a runner and was never

tagged, so her run would score as well.

QUESTION 10 A young lady was wearing a black wrist band/arm band about

halfway up her arm (made of terry cloth). I asked her to remove it as

I thought it may ³break² the jewelry/bracelet rule and her coache asked me

about it. He said she had a sore arm in that spot. I tried to find in the

rule book anything about wearing this on the arm and couldn¹t find anything

illegal. Was I wrong to have her remove it?

ANSWER Incorrect procedure. There is not anything in the Rule or

Case Books that would indicate this wrist band would be interpreted as

jewelry. Provided you did not find the band to be dangerous to the athlete

or others it would be allowed.