Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Final Ruling...

...for all the people who can't read good.

Once again during our game there was a dust up after a play at 1st base when there shouldn't of been. The rules are very clear.

Here is what happened. The throw to first was wide. The 1st baseman, attempted to make the catch by stretching/positioning his whole body across the base path and blocking both bases. The runner redirected and touched the actual 1st base, not the extra one. Runner safe. There should have been no discussion.

Here is the entire rule. Let's break it down line by line.

Final Ruling #1
1.06 - Optional Extra Base – The option of using this field setup must be made by the division board of directors
each season via formal vote and approval at a scheduled meeting prior to the third week of games played. Once
use is approved, this extra base must be used for all games of that division season and division tournament
games.
We use the extra base so this applies to every game.

If the extra base is used:

a. The Extra Base is only available for runners traveling from home plate (see Rule 10.06);
Easy to understand.

b. Fielders trying to make an out on first base must touch the base in fair territory (the First Base). Runners
hindered by a fielder touching the base in foul territory (the Extra Base), will be safe;
Read this one again. The fielder cannot be touching or hindering the runner from reaching the extra base. If they are, the runner is safe.

c. When a play is attempted at first base, a runner who touches the First Base prior to being called safe at the
Extra Base shall be called out, except under the exception in Rules 1.06f and 1.06g;
Let us continue reading for those exceptions.

d. Once a runner has reached first base safely the runner must start the next play on the First Base. Any runner
standing on or touching the Extra Base at the beginning of the next play will be out;
Ok so once you've made it to 1st base, you can no longer stand on the extra base, if someone has trouble with this then they deserve to be out. Kind of like people who overrun 2nd base by 10 feet.

e. No additional base may be used at any other base;
Okay we get it Rule Man. No additional bases, except slip n' slides.

f. The runner is permitted to use the First Base if avoiding collision with a fielder in foul territory. In this event, the
fielder in foul territory is permitted to tag the Extra Base (see Rule 14.02o);
Here is the big one. The extra base is technically foul territory. So if the 1st baseman is all stretching out and blocking the extra base and doesn't actually have the ball/merely stretching out to receive it. Which is what happened in our game and I have seen happen in other games, the runner can run to the actual 1st base.

g. The runner may use First Base if attempting to advance to Second Base, or if there is no fielder on First Base.
A runner (see Rule 1.06a) using or touching First Base in any other circumstance is out.
So you can use the 1st base if there is no play there. Cool got it.


***Grifter, sorry but you and everyone else who subscribes to this line of though is wrong. This rule is cut and dry, there should be no more arguing***

Final Ruling #2
Almost every game I ref and play in I see people running out of the base lines trying to avoid tags. And we aren't talking a step or two to the right or the left. We are talking 10-15 feet/half way into the outfield.

As it should happen, one of the male clowns that we played this past week tried this nonsense. He overran 2nd base by 15+ feet, he was out in left field. The ball was thrown back to 2nd to tag him out and he claimed an outfielder who was obstructing him.

Not so fast my friend.

10. RUNNING AND SCORING
10.01 Runners must stay within the baseline. Any runner outside the baseline is out (see Rule 14.02k):
Oh look, when you run outside the baseline, you are out.

a. Runners may choose their path from one base to the next, and may follow a natural running arc;
So natural running arc. Not overrunning a base by 15 feet.

b. Runners are free to change course to avoid interference with a fielder making a play;
So you can avoid a tag, under the following condition...

c. When attempting to avoid a ball tag, runners may move no more than 4 feet out of their established path.
So if someone is attempting to tag you with the ball, you have four feet either side of the base path to work with. 4 feet is only a step or two. Not much.

10.02 Obstruction. Fielders must stay out of the baseline. Fielders trying to make an out on base may have their
foot on base, but must lean out of the baseline. Runners hindered by any fielder within the baseline, not making
an active play for the ball, shall be safe at the base to which they were running. Runners may choose to advance
beyond this base while the ball is still in play.
Here is a big one. And I see this every game. And this also applies to the 1st ruling above. If a fielder is standing on a base they can have their foot on the base. FOOT singular, not both feet, nor can they stand in front of the base, or block the base. The fielder MUST lean out of the baseline.

Active play for the ball, means you are actually moving to get the ball. Not standing there attempting to make a force out and you decide you can stretch it all out and hinder the runner.

Think of it this way. The runner is entitled to the base path. They just are, it is cut and dry. The base path is like a hard plastic tube, like a subway, or those underwater escalators at seaworld. The runner has every right to be there. The fielder does not. The only ways that the fielder can access the hard plastic tube is to
A) Have the ball and stand at one of the two entrances and attempt to tag the runner.
B) Run across the tube to make an active play.

The fielder cannot just stand in the tube while waiting for the ball to reach them, they can't block the tube, if the throw is wide they can intercept the throw parallel, above, beside, and behind the tube, but they cannot enter the tube, while the runner is there, that is obstruction, and the runner is safe.

For the 'tards #3
10.07 Base Running on Overthrows;
a. an overthrow is a ball thrown, kicked, or deflected into foul territory while making a defensive play toward a
player or base;
This is pretty simple,... hey, know what? If you guys don't get this, just ring your call button, and Tommy will come back there and hit you on the head with a tack hammer because you are a retard.

b. a runner may advance only one base beyond the base the runner is on or running toward when the ball travels
into foul territory;
Three key things in this one.
#1 - If you are standing on the base and the ball goes into foul territory, you get to go to the next base. And the next base only. i.e. if you are on 2nd base and there is an overthrow to 1st base, you only get to go to 3rd base.

#2 - If you are 1 step off of the base, thus you are "running toward" the next base. You get to go to that base, PLUS the next one. i.e. if you have left 2nd base and are advancing toward 3rd and there is an overthrow to 1st base, you can continue past 3rd base and on to home.

#3 - "Foul Territory" - This overthrow rule only applies to balls that don't not stay in the field and go into "foul territory". If the ball stays in the field, you can run until your heart is content.

c. one base on an overthrow is a restriction on the runner – not an automatic right for the runner to advance;
This is easy.


d. if any fielder attempts to make an out prior to returning the ball to the pitcher, runners may commence base
running.
Once the defensive team returns the ball to fair territory and tries to make an out, or throw it to 2nd, or doesn't get the ball directly back to the pitcher ON the pitching mound. The play once again becomes live and the runners are free to continue running.



The rules are pretty simple actually. But people don't take time to read them, then they get all worked up and start shouting and carrying on like they know what they are talking about.

11 comments:

bull said...

We should just do away with the 2nd base at 1st. I'm willing to bet that on any given team 7 outta 10 runner will head for the inside bag not the extra one.

Geoff said...

I agree with Bull... Also, I enjoy your rules round-ups. Keep it up! I think you should do a rule break-down for the extra base on an overthrow because so many people seem to have trouble grasping it!

Ryan said...

They have trouble because they are stupid. That is the easiest one of them all. But I'll add it in.

Chandler said...

That made my brain hurt.

Rollo said...

This post is a lot like the RRR posts. A waste of space. At least with the RRR post i actually learn a new sex position once in awhile.

Chandler said...

Alabama Hot Pocket!!

J.W. said...

Couple last kicks of the horse that I was trying to add earlier but stupid work kept getting in my way:

Bull, I disagree. That bag saves a few injuries every Thursday, I bet. If people aren't using it correctly, let them know. The bases aren't easy to feel and it's impossible to play it like a baseball first base with the balls of your feet on the corner because all of a sudden you've pulled your foot without knowing. You have to keep too much of the foot on there for it to be safe for someone to run through the bag trying to beat out a throw.

In the case of a poor throw up the basepath, like what ryan is talking about, it should have been plenty obvious that the runner can tag whichever base is convenient. I didn't see that play clearly from where I was, so if the runner got to first, whichever base, before the first baseman caught the ball with a foot on the standard base, then the runner should have been safe.

Also, there's quite a difference between overrunning a bag and making a turn in baserunning. What our player did was make a turn (which he was forced to do because a fielder was standing directly on top of second base, btw) well within the normal baserunning arc you described, and while retreating to the bag, which happens in the vast majority of cases when utilizing this method of baserunning, a fielder cannot hinder the runner's progress to the bag. I've seen players on your team, on a few occasions, utilize this "turn", draw a bad throw, and turn it into extra bases. I'm sure they wouldn't appreciate it if a fielder interfered, just as we didn't.

Finally, it's pretty uncouth to call someone, particularly someone you don't know at all, a clown. I know you hate Off Constantly, but there's no need to make it personal all the time. That's the part that draws these long-winded responses. Then again, maybe that's your goal. If so, congrats.

In the words of Les Miles: "have a great day."

Geoff said...

we didn't used to have that extra base and I don't remember that many injuries before... just saying

YellowBird said...

I've rune to 2nd base numerous times to find 3 girls having a conference at the base discussing who would possibly catch the ball should a force play happen there. I've literally had to pick up a player and move them out of the way before while rounding 2nd and heading to 3rd. Unfortunately part of the game.

Ryan said...

Just so we are clear. I don't hate Off Constantly. I think you are lumping the whole team in with Ty. I don't hate Ty in anyway. Just because Ty does douchy things doesn't mean I hate him. Hell my best friends do douchy things all the time. Doesn't mean I hate them.

I only hate HNiF.


And when the ref laughs at you for "overrunning" 2nd base and then trying to arc or whatever else you claim. You can be called a clown. It's not like I called him a dipshit, fucktard, assbag or some other derogatory name.

No one would have been in the runners way if he wasn't out in left field.

J.W. said...

Yeah, Yellow, people in the way are an issue that everyone deals with. This is fun kickball, and not everyone's as focused on the game as they could be. It's worst when it's officials not focused, or officials uneducated in the rules. So the blog readers now have no excuse for not knowing the rules discussed here ad nauseum. I guess it's up to interpretation at this point.

Good luck and happy opening day.