ASA Distracting the batter or baserunner

[dschapin]

excuse me for not loooking it up but isn't it illegal in asa to yell at the batter from the other team and try to get them distracted with shouts such as

green light!

thats your pitch !

swing! swing swing!

also this same team was yelling (shouting loudly) things to our baserunners to get them to try to take extra bases such as

go to third, keep going! youve got third!

mind you these where players in the field on defense yellign these things blatantly and very loudly almost drowning out our own base coaches.

we beat them and I am thinking i should let the league officials know this team does this kind of thing to look out for it

the ump never did anything, we have one ump and they are paying attention to the play and can never tell what is going on around them

 

[dschapin]

i found htis in the asa rule book but it is pertaining to the offensive players

. INTeRFeReNCe.
Interference is the act of an offensive player or team member that impedes, hinders or confuses a defensive player attempting to execute a play.
Interference may be in the form of physical contact, verbal distraction, visual
distraction, or any type of distraction that hinders a fielder in the execution
of a play. Defensive players must be given the opportunity to field the ball
anywhere on the playing field or throw the ball without being hindered.

 

[dschapin]

I also found this rule
rule 6 - 4 - B
Section 4. DEFENSIVE POSITIONING.
A. The pitcher shall not deliver a pitch unless all available players are positioned
in fair territory, except the catcher who must be in the catcher’s box.
B. A fielder shall not take a position in the batter’s line of vision or, with deliberate
unsportsmanlike intent, act in a manner to distract the batter. A pitch does
not have to be released.
EFFECT: The offending player shall be ejected from the game.

 

[irishmafia]

I also found this rule
rule 6 - 4 - B
Section 4. DEFENSIVE POSITIONING.
A. The pitcher shall not deliver a pitch unless all available players are positioned
in fair territory, except the catcher who must be in the catcher’s box.
B. A fielder shall not take a position in the batter’s line of vision or, with deliberate
unsportsmanlike intent, act in a manner to distract the batter. A pitch does
not have to be released.
EFFECT: The offending player shall be ejected from the game.

This refers to a physical act, not verbal behavior. Example, F5 siddling toward the pitcher flapping his arms and jumping up and down during the pitch. Don't laugh, have actually had that happen in a game.

However, I agree that a player should only be talking to his teammates. An umpire should stop verbal attacks that are meant to distract the batter, but should not over react to everything that comes out of the catcher's mouth. Yelling to one's pitcher that the batter cannot hit a certain pitch or direction is not INT. Telling the batter he cannot hit **** isn't anything. Screaming/yelling the batter cannot hit **** as the ball is on the way could be considered INT.

 

[NCASAUmp]

Some banter between teams is to be expected. There will always be some amount of "getting in the other team's head" in the game, and normally, that's okay.

But the umpire must decide when a team or a team's participant is crossing the line, and when it happens, it must be put to a stop.

 

[eddieq]

10U game last week, the girls on the offensive team bench were screaming "Hey Pitcher" at the top of their lungs just as the pitch was being released. I told them to knock it off. They started in on "what? it's a cheer!" I said, "Cheer for your batter, don't scream at the pitcher".

 

[matthinkle]

This is not often called, happened at NSA states last year when a player was running to second base screaming ONE, trying to confuse my shortstop from throwing me the ball to turn a double play. It did just enough that he started to, stopped and we only got the guy at second. The umpire on the field said the call belonged to the ump behind the plate. She said there was no such rule, the other umpire said he would have called them both out but it wasn't his call...THIS IS THE HORSE CRAP that goes on ALL the time, ALL over the place. It is sad when we the players, know more about the rules than the umpires. Another example is there is this umpire during our league games that won't let anyone walk...He says that it is a hitters game and no one walks, I KID YOU NOT...he will call a strike before he walks anyone, even if it's 2 feet over your head, or 2 feet short. I've asked to have him not ump our games, if he does the next game it will be the first time in the 7 years I have been playing there that I will get ejected. GARBAGE, GARBAGE, GARBAGE! Umpires are there to observe, not to determine or make up rules as they go along. WE PAY to have you behind the plate, at least give us the common courtesy to know the rules!

 

[Country35]

making up your own rules is def ngtg, we arent there to change the outcome of a game, but rather to keep it moving and under control

 

[johnstella]

Blow up middle if the other team are acting like douche bags and the umps wont do anything. END OF THREAD.

 

[whogotz]

why arent rule books kept at the field?

 

[chiefn10]

This is not often called, happened at NSA states last year when a player was running to second base screaming ONE, trying to confuse my shortstop from throwing me the ball to turn a double play. It did just enough that he started to, stopped and we only got the guy at second. The umpire on the field said the call belonged to the ump behind the plate. She said there was no such rule, the other umpire said he would have called them both out but it wasn't his call...THIS IS THE HORSE CRAP that goes on ALL the time, ALL over the place. It is sad when we the players, know more about the rules than the umpires. Another example is there is this umpire during our league games that won't let anyone walk...He says that it is a hitters game and no one walks, I KID YOU NOT...he will call a strike before he walks anyone, even if it's 2 feet over your head, or 2 feet short. I've asked to have him not ump our games, if he does the next game it will be the first time in the 7 years I have been playing there that I will get ejected. GARBAGE, GARBAGE, GARBAGE! Umpires are there to observe, not to determine or make up rules as they go along. WE PAY to have you behind the plate, at least give us the common courtesy to know the rules!

yeah Matt, and there was these umps at the Armed Forces Championships last year that didn't know what an ASA strike was an.................well, you know the outcome. lol!

 

[Jkmbones]

Put 10 runs on the DBs.. Be able to her a pin drop!

 

[MichelleG]

This is not often called, happened at NSA states last year when a player was running to second base screaming ONE, trying to confuse my shortstop from throwing me the ball to turn a double play. It did just enough that he started to, stopped and we only got the guy at second. The umpire on the field said the call belonged to the ump behind the plate. She said there was no such rule, the other umpire said he would have called them both out but it wasn't his call...THIS IS THE HORSE CRAP that goes on ALL the time, ALL over the place. It is sad when we the players, know more about the rules than the umpires. Another example is there is this umpire during our league games that won't let anyone walk...He says that it is a hitters game and no one walks, I KID YOU NOT...he will call a strike before he walks anyone, even if it's 2 feet over your head, or 2 feet short. I've asked to have him not ump our games, if he does the next game it will be the first time in the 7 years I have been playing there that I will get ejected. GARBAGE, GARBAGE, GARBAGE! Umpires are there to observe, not to determine or make up rules as they go along. WE PAY to have you behind the plate, at least give us the common courtesy to know the rules!

We have an ump like this in my ladies league. If he thinks you're a "hitter" he won't let you walk.....even if the pitch is as above.

My kid had an ump once, who, in his pregame plate meeting with the managers, announced :"I will not call flat." My son asked if he meant he wouldn't call it as it came in. He said: "Nope, I just won't call anything flat." My son asked: "Even if it's two feet off the ground? " He said : "Yup....no flat pitch." (ASA league)

It happens.....some umps are awesome and you wish you could have them every game. Some....not so much.

 

[dschapin]

LOl at ther responses.

so here is something to make you feel a tad better

we were up 9-3 playing our worste game (against the team that was yelling at our hitter n runners) in as long as i can rememeber, we just beat a good team by the run rule last week, which is the usual outcome.

1 out, top of 6 (time rule so this was the last inning)

runners on first and second, they just scored three runs relaly fast on us.

the hitter had been targeting my gf at third all game trying to smoke the ball at her hard (he didnt even aim for third when a guy was in there at third)

they were staring down where they were trying to hit. so obvious.

so he smoked it at her, she snagged it out of the air easily.. threw it to first were the runner was leading off and the game was over.

act like a jacak azz and you will loose like a jackazz

fun fact my gf is a better 3b than all the guys on our team. she played there her whole life. too bad the other team was more concerned with being dough bags than realizing this.

 

[dschapin]

I swear I saw a rule that when the ball is in the air you cannot yell at the hitter, but i guess these are the things that make life interesting

 

[cjangeloni1986]

I just got warned by an umpire on Sunday because he thought I was saying something to mess with the other team. I was on deck batter and our guy got a hit and I was telling my guy going from 2nd to the third " He just caught it"( the cutoff man) but the ump thought I was saying "Hey, just cut it." lol pretty funny but I am glad he called me out on it. I hate when guys scream I got it or fake a tag.

 

[paul3]

I don't see much issue with saying green light, or that's your pitch. Depending on the timing and if the catcher is yelling it in the batter ear. The other parts though....This is, by definition in USSSA rulebook, Obtruction. Obstruction can be Physical or Vocal. There is a fine line between gamesmanship and bush league, but the definition below is clearly Obstruction.

excuse me for not loooking it up but isn't it illegal in asa to yell at the batter from the other team and try to get them distracted with shouts such as

green light!

thats your pitch !

swing! swing swing!

also this same team was yelling (shouting loudly) things to our baserunners to get them to try to take extra bases such as

go to third, keep going! youve got third!

mind you these where players in the field on defense yellign these things blatantly and very loudly almost drowning out our own base coaches.

we beat them and I am thinking i should let the league officials know this team does this kind of thing to look out for it

the ump never did anything, we have one ump and they are paying attention to the play and can never tell what is going on around them

 

[dschapin]

Paul3, so you think its ok for the other team to be yelling thats your pitch and green light when we are batting and the ball is in the air going to the batter?

 

[injury]

The umpire on the field said the call belonged to the ump behind the plate. She said there was no such rule, the other umpire said he would have called them both out but it wasn't his call...

Kind of creepy I had almost this exact exchange with the umps tonight between innings. Third baseman on the opposing team was waiting til our more weaker/timid girls got two strikes, next pitch he was yelling "Strike" when the ball was halfway to the plate. Not talking like goofing around mentioning strike stuff like "hey pitch there's a good strike", but doing a loud ringing up third strike type of call an ump would usually make.

Mentioned it to the field ump on my way out next inning. He said he heard the guy doing it, basicly recited the thing about influencing the batter to do something they normally wouldn't and it being an unsportsman like call or some such, but said it wasn't his call to make and I should talk to the home plate ump about it next chance I got. So my next at bat I mentioned to the home plate ump (seemed like a new ump, nervous/timid back there etc) he just shrugged and looked at me like I was from Mars.

 

[ozo974]

anyone that says a fr8%$8n word while a pitch is on its way to the batter is a dirt bag!! Plain and simple...

 

[RobinMichaels]

So since this was put out here I thought about throwing my two cents in on this. This happened to my wife in coed. She always banters with the pitcher about location and just talking with the pitcher during the game. The ump told her that she had to stay quiet during the at bat, or ejection. My wife was pi$$ed, as expected. So we changed out the catcher and had her doing the same thing and nothing from the ump at all. Go figure. Biased umps, who knew. lol

 

[IrishBlue]

Funny moment

I am behind the plate for a co-ed rec tournament final. The first batter steps up and the pitcher has the ball and I have called play ball. Before coming to his stop the pitcher says to me "Blue, does the batter have to have both feet in the batters box before I pitch?". The batter looks down at his feet and with that the pitcher throws in a pitch and I call "Strike" with a great big grin on my face. The batter goes mental and starts saying that the pitcher distracted him. I explain that the comment was directed to me and me alone, if he decided to look somewhere else then that was his issue. Both dug outs started laughing their asses off.I let the guy calm down and then welcome him to the final and call "No balls and no strikes". He see's the funny side and the game starts.

To be clear, I knew almost all of the players quite well and even though I know that this wasn't right it softened any possible tensions at the start of the final and I thought that the pitcher was chancing his arm. Before burning me in effigy please remember that this was a co-ed rec tournament.

 

[dschapin]

CO-ed rec tournament.... i get this feeling that people do not take co ed seriously, and if it was a rec league people would be thrown out for being jack azzes but since its co-ed its not really softball anyways so who cares? I mean I really feel like some people think this way.

 

[MichelleG]

CO-ed rec tournament.... i get this feeling that people do not take co ed seriously, and if it was a rec league people would be thrown out for being jack azzes but since its co-ed its not really softball anyways so who cares? I mean I really feel like some people think this way.

You should take it just seriously enough to (try to) win. Too serious and you're a douchnozzle. A little friendly banter and joking is gtg....makes the game fun. Yelling things at the batter or fielder while they're batting or fielding, or going cleats up on someone sliding into a base, etc, etc.......total douchery. Don't be that guy/girl.

We have an ump here who likes to mess with the guys who hit one out. As they cross the plate he says: "You're out batter." Guy is always like WTF??? Ump says:"You stepped out of the box.......just kidding." It was funny the first time I heard it......now that I've heard it 103 times...not so much. Last week I told him he needed new material.

 

[dschapin]

i agree with that there is a difference between taking it seriously and being an azz.

taking it seriously is trying to win and having strategy, trying you best at all times.

beinbg an azz is doing things to get an unfair edge and distractions. that is not sports that being a jerk.

 

[TonyB]

The thing that ticks me off are the jackwagons screaming bases from the dugout or coach box while their team is hitting and our team is throwing the ball in from the outfield. I play third so I can usually tell when it's coming from my team or the other team, but I know it can confuse somebody that's standing in the middle of the field with their back to everybody else. I don't mind the fake "I got it" because it's easy to tell when it's coming from my team or the other team, or if it's coming from somebody that has no business calling for it.

now that I've heard it 103 times...not so much. Last week I told him he needed new material.

Stop hitting so many homeruns, slugger.

 

[MichelleG]

The thing that ticks me off are the jackwagons screaming bases from the dugout or coach box while their team is hitting and our team is throwing the ball in from the outfield. I play third so I can usually tell when it's coming from my team or the other team, but I know it can confuse somebody that's standing in the middle of the field with their back to everybody else. I don't mind the fake "I got it" because it's easy to tell when it's coming from my team or the other team, or if it's coming from somebody that has no business calling for it.Stop hitting so many homeruns, slugger.

I didn't say I hit the homers Mr. Smartypants. I play ball 5 times a week. I see the same umps over and over. Some fancy themselves stand up comedians. This guy is one of them.

 

[dschapin]

LOL I almost want to become an ump so i can throw out all of the d bags that pull dirty tricks like this, i pick up on it fast and it really pisses me off. and when i say throw out i mean suspend, permanently.

 

[paul3]

Paul3, so you think its ok for the other team to be yelling thats your pitch and green light when we are batting and the ball is in the air going to the batter?

Yes, the exception, of course, would be if the catcher is screaming in the batters ear right as the batter is swinging. Remember, the pitcher is throwing underhand, and this isn't golf. You aren't going to have silence on the field while you are batting.

Here is a real life example of how to make the most of the situation. In a tournament game, our player comes up the bat and has a single, double, and triple already in the game. The catcher likes to chatter a bit and try to get into peoples heads. He tells our hitter that he should hit a HR. Our hitter tells the catcher that he has never hit an HR before. The catchers eggs him on, says he should try and will tell him when a good pitch to hit out comes in. So i guys, says okay, I will give it go. The pitcher throws a cookie, and the catcher yells quickly " That's the one." Our batter quickly deposits the ball about 400ft, over the light standard in LC field. He quickly turn to the catcher and say "thanks" and rounds the bases. The catcher drops his head. Needless to say this was not our players first HR, but it sure makes for a great story, due to the catchers chatter.

 

[jackjohn]

If I'm playing catcher, I will talk. I wont yell or scream, but I will say "nice pitch" or something to that effect. I will not say "ball", "strike", or "illegal". I also disagree with yelling @ the defense, because calling "I got it" or yelling what base to throw to may cause injuries.
If I say "nice pitch" and the batter puts it over the fence, Ill say "told ya" as they score. But we also play in a competitive, but also small town league. So as long as its friendly, most people dont care what you say.