RULES WE NEED TO KNOW

RULES WE NEED TO KNOW

9.02 THE UMPIRE (a) Any umpire s decision which involves judgment, such as, but not limited to, whether a batted ball is fair or foul, whether a pitch is a strike or a ball, or whether a runner is safe or out, is final. No player, manager, coach or substitute shall object to any such judgment decisions. COMMENTS: Arguing on BALLS AND STRIKES should not and will not be condoned! Teams will be warned that if they start for the plate to protest the calls they could face an ejection. If you believe the umpire has strike zone issues, you need to contact the umpire coordinator and let them know which umpire and what the issues are. The umpire coordinator will observe the umpires next plate appearance and will work to correct issues if needed. Judgment calls are final! Checking with another umpire is not required. No umpire can overrule another umpire. The Manager can ask for time and can ask the umpire that made the decision what they saw. The umpire should not and will not request the other umpire s assistance unless he needs help for blocked plays, fielder pulled off the bag, application of a rule question, or similar. The Manager should not ask the other ump for help, it is not the manager s decision. If the umpires do have a meeting, the Managers should back off and let the umpires have their conversation. If the decision needs to be explained, it should be explained to both managers at the same time. Once the judgment call is final, the discussion should end and play resume, there is no appeal of judgment calls. (b) If there is reasonable doubt that any umpire s decision may be in conflict with the rules, the manager may appeal the decision and ask that a correct ruling be made. Such an appeal shall be made only to the umpire who made the protested decision. COMMENTS: This, of course, does NOT apply to judgment calls, just rules decisions. The rules appeal should be made to the VILL Game Director. Managers are urged to reach a mutual decision, if possible. We want to keep the game moving. (c) If a decision is appealed, the umpire making the decision may ask another umpire for information before making a final decision. No umpire shall criticize, seek to reverse or interfere with another umpire s decision unless asked to do so by the umpire making it. COMMENTS: VILL Game Director will make Rules Decisions. Managers are urged to reach a mutual decision, if possible. We want to keep the game moving. (d) No umpire may be replaced during a game unless injured or ill.

HANDS ARE NOT PART OF THE BAT The hands are not part of the bat. They are part of the arm. Let s repeat that again. All together now The hands are not part of the bat. The hands are not part of the bat. The hands are not part of the bat. Don t believe it? Try this. Hold a bat in your hand at arm s length. Now open your hand. Did the bat hit the ground? Good, gravity works. Where is your hand? I ll bet it s not on the ground. So your hand is not part of the bat. When a player is hit on the hand by a pitch, the umpire must evaluate the situation just as he would if the pitch had hit him elsewhere: If the pitch was in the strike zone the ball is dead, runners return to the last legally touched base, and the batter gets a strike. If that was the third strike, the batter is out. If the batter was in the process of swinging, just as in the previous case, the ball is dead, runners return to the last legally touched base, and the batter gets a strike. If that was the third strike, the batter is out. If the pitch was not in the strike zone and the batter was not swinging at it, but the batter makes no attempt to get out of the way, the ball is dead, runners return, a ball is charged to the batter and he/she must continue to bat. (Unless that was ball four.) If none of the above conditions apply, the ball is dead, the batter is awarded first base, and runners advance only if forced. Remember when a batter is hit anywhere by a pitch, the ball is immediately dead, whether or not a base award is made. To make the proper call on this play, we reference the Definitions Section (2.00) of the Little League Rulebook. Under part of the definition of a strike, Condition (e) states that a strike is a legal pitch that touches the batter s person as the batter strikes at it. A dead ball is declared by the umpire. Rule 6.05 (e) on Page 78 states: A batter is out when the batter attempts to hit a third strike and is touched by the ball. If the batter made an attempt to swing at the pitch, the swinging motion constitutes the batter offering at the pitch, making it a strike. The dead ball is called to eliminate the opportunity for a runner(s) to advance. A common misconception is that hands are part of the bat. The hands are part of a person s body. If a pitch hits the batter s hands the ball is dead; if he/she swung at the pitch, a strike is called (NOT a foul). If the batter was avoiding the pitch, the batter would be awarded first base.

THE INFIELD FLY RULE The Infield Fly Rule is an easy rule if you can remember the purpose of the rule. Rule 2.00 defines the Infield Fly as, a fair fly ball (not including a line drive or a bunt) which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort, when first and second, or first, second, and third bases are occupied before two are out. The pitcher, catcher, and any outfielder stationed in the infield on the play shall be considered infielders for the purpose of this rule. It goes on to state that the ball is alive and runners may advance at the risk of being caught or retouch and advance after the ball is touched, the same as on any fly ball. If the hit becomes a foul ball, it is treated the same as any foul ball. Here are the key elements in understanding the Infield Fly Rule: 1) There must be less than 2 outs; 2) There must be runners on first and second OR first, second, and third; 3) The fly ball cannot be a bunt or a line drive; 4) An infielder must be able to catch the ball with ordinary effort. The purpose of the rule is to protect the runners on base. This rule IS NOT supposed to be a free gift to the defense. The batter is ruled out so the runners are no longer forced to advance if the ball falls untouched. Without this rule, the defense could allow the ball to fall untouched to the ground and turn an easy double-play because the runners have to tag up for the fly ball. The reason there has to be runners on first and second or first, second, and third, is because there must be at least two runners on base subject to a force play. Otherwise, the defense can gain no advantage by allowing the ball to drop. Also, there must be less than two outs, or it would be just as easy to catch the fly ball as let it drop and get the force out. To determine whether a fly ball should be called an Infield Fly, remember the purpose of the rule. If, in an Infield Fly situation a fielder can allow a fly ball to drop untouched and possibly turn an easy double-play, then the batter should be called out. If the fly ball is in an area that would not allow for an easy double-play, then odds are good that the Infield Fly should not be called. However, in those grey areas where there is doubt one way or the other, a good umpire will protect the runners and call the batter out. Often times, the manager arguing that the Infield Fly should be called is the manager of the defense wanting the free out after a ball dropped and runners advanced. This is a poor argument because the rule, as stated before, is designed to protect the runners, not to give a free out. If the batted ball truly should be called an Infield Fly, then the defense should be able to catch the ball easily and, if not, should be able to get at least one if not two outs. The Infield Fly only calls the batter out. It does NOT create a dead-ball situation. Runners are allowed to advance at their own jeopardy the same as any other fly ball. If caught, the runners must re-touch the base or risk being called out on appeal. If uncaught, the runners may run or choose to stay on their base, but if they run they have to be tagged out as they are no longer forced to run. It should also be pointed out that, under Rule 7.08(f), if a runner is touching the base and is hit by a batted ball in an Infield Fly situation, the runner shall NOT be called out. This is the only instance where a runner is protected from being called out for being hit by a fair batted ball. By Jeffrey Knoebel Central Region UIC

EXPLANATION OF CATCHER S INTERFERENCE Rule 6.08 (c) in the 2010 Little League Baseball rulebook states that [t]he batter becomes a runner and is entitled to first base without liability to be put out (provided said runner advances to and touches first base) when the catcher or any other fielder interferes with the batter. If a play follows the interference, the manager of the offense may advise the plate umpire of a decision to decline the interference penalty and accept the play. Such election shall be made immediately at the end of the play. However, if the batter reaches first base on a hit, an error, a base on balls, a hit batsman, or otherwise, and all runners advance at least one base, the play proceeds without reference to the interference. This rule covers those situations where the catcher interferes with the batter s attempt to hit the ball. However, if the catcher interferes with the batter prior to the pitch being delivered, time should be called and no penalty assessed. This rule usually applies to the catcher reaching for a pitched ball and his glove is hit with the bat as the batter swings. If the ball is not put in play, the ball is dead and the runner is awarded first base and all runners forced to advance may advance. If the ball is hit in play, the result is termed a delayed dead ball, meaning that the umpire should allow the play to continue until a point where no further action is possible and then call time and enforce such penalties or awards as required. If the ball is put in play and all runners, including the batter, advance at least one base, then play continues without further reference to the catcher s interference. Any advances or outs stand. An example of this scenario would be: Runner on second, no outs, batter hits ball to right field. Runner advances to third and tries to score but is thrown out at plate. Batter rounds first and advances to second on throw. This play stands and manager has no choice to enforce the catcher s interference. If the ball is put in play and the play is allowed to continue and any runner, or the batter, fails to advance at least one base, the manager of the offense may choose to elect to take the result of the play or enforce the batter s interference rule. The following is an example of when a manager may choose to accept the play over the interference penalty. Runner on third only, no outs, and the catcher interferes with the batter s swing at the pitch but hits a long fly ball to center field where it is caught by the center fielder. The runner at third tags and scores, because the batter did not reach first base, the manager has two choices: (1) Enforce the catcher s interference rule which would mean placing the batter runner on first and returning the runner on third back on third with no outs; or (2) Accept the result of the play, batter is out, runner on third scores, and there is one out. Jeffrey Knoebel Umpire-in-Chief Indiana District 5

RULE 6.05 & 6.09(B) - THE UNCAUGHT THIRD STRIKE (MAJORS ONLY) (Often inaccurately referred to as a dropped third strike) 6.09(b) - The batter becomes a runner when the third strike called by the umpire is not caught, providing (1) first base is unoccupied or (2) first base is occupied with two out (NOTE: A batter forfeits his/her opportunity to advance to first base when he/she enters the dugout or other dead ball area) 6.05(b) - A batter is out when (1) a third strike is legally caught by the catcher; (2) a third strike is not caught by the catcher when first base is occupied before two are out. What does the rule really mean? When a third strike is called, or is swung at and missed and the catcher does not make a legal catch, the batter may attempt to reach first base if: 1. it is unoccupied when there are less than 2 outs 2. or even when it is occupied when there are 2 outs. Occupied means it was occupied at the time of the pitch. The fact that the runner attempts to steal does not make the base unoccupied. Time of pitch is defined as the moment the pitcher starts his windup or commits to a pitch to the plate. To be legally caught the ball must be caught in-flight. This means if the catcher catches the ball cleanly on a bounce it is NOT a legal catch. If the bases are loaded with 2 out and the catcher does not make a legal catch of a third strike, a force play goes into effect because the batter has now become a runner. The catcher may step on home plate to force out the runner from third or tag the batter or throw to any other base. If at the time of the strike three pitch, first base is occupied with fewer than two outs, the batter is automatically out and cannot become a runner. This is to prevent the defense from deliberately dropping a third strike pitch and getting a double or triple play as a result, because of the possible force play at second, third base, or home plate in this situation.

RULE 6.08(A)(2) - INTENTIONAL WALK RULE CHANGE Divisions: Minor and Major Baseball Divisions Allows a defensive team to intentionally walk a batter in Minor and Major Divisions. (Page 97). Summary: Prior to a pitch being thrown, the defense elects to Intentionally Walk the batter by announcing such decision to the plate umpire. NOTE 1: Such notification must be made by the defensive manager. The manager must request and be granted time by the umpire and then inform the umpire of the defense s intent to walk the batter. NOTE 2: The ball is dead and no other runners may advance unless forced by the batter s award. Four (4) pitches will be added to the pitch count.