ASA After Being Hit By Pitch Batter Still Wanted To Bat

[Mark1110]

Hi,

I was umping a 12U rec league softball game on Sunday. A batter was hit by a pitch and she told me she still wanted to bat and not go to first. I told her she needed to go to first base. After the inning was over the manager said that the umpire in last weeks game gave the girls an option. I never heard of this before. I thought the ASA rule book said if a batter is hit by a pitch she has to go to first base. Was I wrong in telling her she must go to first?


Thanks,

Mark

 

[bird25]

Never heard of this. Bet it was a local rule, since it was rec league. If the game mattered why wouldn't you take the free base?

 

[ichiromoco]

Never heard of this. Bet it was a local rule, since it was rec league. If the game mattered why wouldn't you take the free base?

it was 12u rec softball. how much could it have mattered? she wanted to hit. let her hit.

 

[eddieq]

Some of the local youth leagues I call for have such a rule. Dead ball as usual, no runners can advance and the batter has the choice to continue or go to first.

Straight ASA rule there is no option. Of course if she made no effort to move out of the way, etc., but that's a different discussion.

 

[jsam21238]

And, correct me if I'm wrong but, isn't the batter out if they refuse to take the base that they are awarded?

 

[RC#13]

^^^^ They are 12 year olds!!! Don't be so knit picky!!

Being serious tho....I think we as parents/adults sometimes use the old "because I said so" routine. But first and foremost they are out there to have fun. So just roll with the punches!

 

[Gulf Coast Blue]

12 years old is well beyond the age that these players should be playing by the correct rules.

I cannot tell you the number of times at the State tournament level that clueless coaches and players are hurt by their "local" rules. i.e. - Overthrown ball hits the fence is dead and runners may not advance. Runners cannot advance on a passed ball. Runner can't go home on a throw back to the pitcher. They have to slide there!!

Most local rules are made by idiots who have no understanding of the game.

 

[sjury]

12 years old is well beyond the age that these players should be playing by the correct rules.

I cannot tell you the number of times at the State tournament level that clueless coaches and players are hurt by their "local" rules. i.e. - Overthrown ball hits the fence is dead and runners may not advance. Runners cannot advance on a passed ball. Runner can't go home on a throw back to the pitcher. They have to slide there!!

Most local rules are made by idiots who have no understanding of the game.

Key word in OPs post was "U12 rec". At U12 my niece was traveling to other states to compete, but her team earned that by winning local ASA and NSA tournaments. Very competitive and even had a girl that could hit it out on her team. Now there's a park a block from my home that has the park and rec teams for girls fast pitch. It is truly recreational. The girls are trying hard and the coaches and parents want everyone to get a chance to play, hit field, etc. they have games against other city park teams and most the girls never see tournament ball. I have no issues with adjusting the rules to keep it fun and allowing everyone a chance to play without worrying about hurting the team. There is no way the city rec teams would ever enter the tournaments at Five Fields where they compete. They adjust rules at the adult level with mats, changing the strike count, one swing strikes, unlimited arc, courtesy runners, one pitch, wood bats, only metal bats, No Mikens, etc etc. if you don't want your child playing in those leagues find another, if your child is too good for those teams then join a competitive private league.

 

[Gulf Coast Blue]

Key word in OPs post was "U12 rec". At U12 my niece was traveling to other states to compete, but her team earned that by winning local ASA and NSA tournaments. Very competitive and even had a girl that could hit it out on her team. Now there's a park a block from my home that has the park and rec teams for girls fast pitch. It is truly recreational. The girls are trying hard and the coaches and parents want everyone to get a chance to play, hit field, etc. they have games against other city park teams and most the girls never see tournament ball. I have no issues with adjusting the rules to keep it fun and allowing everyone a chance to play without worrying about hurting the team. There is no way the city rec teams would ever enter the tournaments at Five Fields where they compete. They adjust rules at the adult level with mats, changing the strike count, one swing strikes, unlimited arc, courtesy runners, one pitch, wood bats, only metal bats, No Mikens, etc etc. if you don't want your child playing in those leagues find another, if your child is too good for those teams then join a competitive private league.

I raised 3 daughters who all played FP at various skill levels and each had their abilities. ALL of them were proficient by 12U.

One was recruited by many schools.....the other two.....graduated from college in different fields.

Even the highly recruited one was shunned once they found out she wanted to be an Engineer(which she did become).

Following the rules never hurt any of them. It probably helped in the long run.

 

[NCASAUmp]

I've been involved in youth sports for many years, and I've found that the leagues that attempt to "dumb down" the rules tend to only hurt their program rather than help it. Children will, if given the opportunity, rise to the level of expectations, and lowering the bar to make it easier does not give them any incentive to learn how to excel.

By penalizing the defense for not teaching the players how to pitch, you're not helping the girls learn how to play the game right. You are, in effect, rewarding bad play rather than incentivizing good, fair play.

 

[irishmafia]

12 years old is well beyond the age that these players should be playing by the correct rules.

I cannot tell you the number of times at the State tournament level that clueless coaches and players are hurt by their "local" rules. i.e. - Overthrown ball hits the fence is dead and runners may not advance. Runners cannot advance on a passed ball. Runner can't go home on a throw back to the pitcher. They have to slide there!!

Most local rules are made by idiots who have no understanding of the game.

It's not just there. I've seen it at Nationals. After giving the coach's briefing, I still had coaches wanting to know why they couldn't use two DP in the line up, or bat the bench or use a courtesy runner for any player. When informed those were not ASA accommodations in the rules, had four coaches insisted they were allowed to do that in the tournament that qualified them for the NC.