USSSA Intentionally walking into dug out for an out to end the inning.

BLACK DEATH

RED DEATH now
Ok time is running out, less than two minutes. Pitcher intentionally walks a guy by telling umpire for him to take 1st base.
We have two outs and we are home team down by two runs.
We tell him to go into the dug out for the out. He touches 1st and then goes into the dug out.
Umpire says he is not out as he touched 1st base. Umpire said he should not have touched 1st base first.
We are trying to get clarification on what is the proper way to get a quicker out like this by going into the dug out. What works and what doesn’t work? I’m sure this happens a lot, I did a search and couldn’t get the answers.
Also Could the umpire give us the forfeit if he didn’t return to 1st? Or is that even a rule on that?
 
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EAJuggalo

Addicted to Softballfans
All of this happened during a dead ball time. No out can be recorded for base running violations while the ball is dead. The ball can not be made live until everyone is in their proper spots. If I as the umpire tell him to get on the base and he does not, he would be ejected and a substitute would take his place. If I feel the team is "using tactics designed to noticeably hasten or delay the game" I'm within the rules to call a forfeit. That is why you don't see this happen very often. As soon as I remind the teams of that, they stop screwing around and play the game. If I'm certain you're trying to get an out, it's going to be an ejection before the out. Then I can waste the two minutes before giving the out, games over, next.
 

BLACK DEATH

RED DEATH now
Ok so go with the play and get outs another way.
So let’s say he walks to 1st, next batter hits the ball just to hit it and the ball stays in fair ball territory.
Can the runner on 1st then go to the dug out for the out?
can the batter then go to the dug out for an out also, if possible like say there was one out?
 

EAJuggalo

Addicted to Softballfans
Yes it would be an out. Still liable to be ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct and a forfeit for using tactics designed to delay or hasten the game.
 

BretMan

Addicted to Softballfans
Right before the pitcher is ready to pitch, step directly across the plate from one batter’s box to the other. This is an out...just hope that your umpire knows that!
 

loxx0050

Member
Why didn't you just hit and win the game? You were down two and now have at least one guy on with the intentional walk. Hit the ball and score more runs.

I was wondering the same thing....unless they were intentionally trying to throw the game for playoff seeding purposes. Not my thing but I do understand the strategy.
 

ichiromoco

Addicted to Softballfans
I was wondering the same thing....unless they were intentionally trying to throw the game for playoff seeding purposes. Not my thing but I do understand the strategy.

You don't even understand the OP's concept. He wasn't trying to lose. He wanted to get that inning over so they could bat again in the bottom of the final inning. In other words trade 1 out for three more with time running down.

I guess it could work depending on the other teams lineup and where you are in yours but I'd take me chances and hit away with tying run on base or at the plate.
 

loxx0050

Member
You don't even understand the OP's concept. He wasn't trying to lose. He wanted to get that inning over so they could bat again in the bottom of the final inning. In other words trade 1 out for three more with time running down.

I guess it could work depending on the other teams lineup and where you are in yours but I'd take me chances and hit away with tying run on base or at the plate.

Can you clarify how you came to that conclusion of the intention of purposely ending the inning based on OP's scenario? Admittedly I play in more lax leagues (D men's Utrip and pickup ASA coed) so have never run into this scenario before. It'd be game over if we intentionally took the 3rd out. Honestly didn’t come to the conclusion you are stating. Would like to know and learn.
 

r8dr_rider

Well-Known Member
Can you clarify how you came to that conclusion of the intention of purposely ending the inning based on OP's scenario? Admittedly I play in more lax leagues (D men's Utrip and pickup ASA coed) so have never run into this scenario before. It'd be game over if we intentionally took the 3rd out. Honestly didn’t come to the conclusion you are stating. Would like to know and learn.

Timed game.
 

loxx0050

Member
Timed game.

I'm going to be frank and that didn’t clarify things for me either. So are you saying that the goal is to get a new inning to start prior to the time stop as to give a better shot of winning in the bottom of said new inning?

Google isn't my friend on that term and have to poke around to quite a bit to piece it together.

The leagues I play in no way the ump is letting us start a new inning with a couple of minutes left allotted (even if we purposely try to end it quickly they'll just call it after that inning is over). The other league games are happening right after us immediately or if we are the late games the lights are turning off anyways so no way we'd be able to get in another inning. Again, that's the leagues I play in. So haven't experienced what the OP went through's scenario.
 

Hiltz

Built for comfort
I'm going to be frank and that didn’t clarify things for me either. So are you saying that the goal is to get a new inning to start prior to the time stop as to give a better shot of winning in the bottom of said new inning?

Google isn't my friend on that term and have to poke around to quite a bit to piece it together.

The leagues I play in no way the ump is letting us start a new inning with a couple of minutes left allotted (even if we purposely try to end it quickly they'll just call it after that inning is over). The other league games are happening right after us immediately or if we are the late games the lights are turning off anyways so no way we'd be able to get in another inning. Again, that's the leagues I play in. So haven't experienced what the OP went through's scenario.

In a timed game, once an inning starts it should be finished. Your umpires are ripping you off.

In OP's scenario he already had 2 outs with 2 minutes remaining. Since they only had 1 out to play with, they were trying to quickly end the inning and start a new inning before that 2 minutes expired. Once the new inning was started, it would be played out regardless of time left on the clock and the OP's team would have 3 outs to try to score the runs they needed.

Again, so glad I've never played a timed game.
 

loxx0050

Member
In a timed game, once an inning starts it should be finished. Your umpires are ripping you off.

In OP's scenario he already had 2 outs with 2 minutes remaining. Since they only had 1 out to play with, they were trying to quickly end the inning and start a new inning before that 2 minutes expired. Once the new inning was started, it would be played out regardless of time left on the clock and the OP's team would have 3 outs to try to score the runs they needed.

Again, so glad I've never played a timed game.

Thanks for confirming. Again, my leagues they wouldn't cut the inning short and we play it out til the end. But they won't let us start a new one with that little time left to finish the game.

I agree it sucks but it is what it is where I play. I'd prefer to play it out until the 7 innings, mercy rule be damned (most of the time).
 

Hiltz

Built for comfort
Thanks for confirming. Again, my leagues they wouldn't cut the inning short and we play it out til the end. But they won't let us start a new one with that little time left to finish the game.

Gotcha. I guess when you have people waiting to take the field behind you, that's how you'd have to do it. I'm fortunate here; we play double-headers that last 2+ hours and then hang out in the parking lot afterwards until it gets dark.
 

jbo911

Super Moderator
Staff member
In a timed game, once an inning starts it should be finished. Your umpires are ripping you off.

In OP's scenario he already had 2 outs with 2 minutes remaining. Since they only had 1 out to play with, they were trying to quickly end the inning and start a new inning before that 2 minutes expired. Once the new inning was started, it would be played out regardless of time left on the clock and the OP's team would have 3 outs to try to score the runs they needed.

Again, so glad I've never played a timed game.
Unless they give up runs in the top of the inning.

In our timed games you can't start a new inning with less than 5 minutes remaining.

I can't imagine being down only 2 with at least 1 runner on and not just trying to win it there. I've been on teams that did this, but we were down a lot.
 

defos

Well-Known Member
In our leagues, we can't start a new inning after 55 minutes, unless we're tied, and we will start a new inning right up until 55 minutes.

A few weeks ago, we kept going back and forth, still tied after 10 innings. (Extra innings start with 1 out, runner on 2nd.) The woman from the concession stand ripped into the ump as we prepared to start the 11th. We were the 3:00 game on Sunday with 2 games scheduled after ours, and she could see she was going to be there much later than expected. Anyway, she told the ump to get it over with ASAP. He said we were just following the rules. She said, "Well, you're not playing 20 f'n innings!" He calmly said, "We're playing 17." We won in the 11th.
 

EAJuggalo

Addicted to Softballfans
In our leagues, we can't start a new inning after 55 minutes, unless we're tied, and we will start a new inning right up until 55 minutes.
This is the way it is in the leagues I work in WI, when I was in MN. No new inning started after 55 minutes, if it was tied, it was a tie. That kept games mostly on time.
 

BLACK DEATH

RED DEATH now
Yes sir gentlemen, it’s a timed game.
If we get three outs, even with 10 seconds left on the clock, we start a new inning.
It was single elimination playoffs, so with the top of the lineup coming up, we would take a chance with three outs on the next inning.
 

ichiromoco

Addicted to Softballfans
Yes sir gentlemen, it’s a timed game.
If we get three outs, even with 10 seconds left on the clock, we start a new inning.
It was single elimination playoffs, so with the top of the lineup coming up, we would take a chance with three outs on the next inning.

Yes that is exactly how I interpreted it and explained it to the poster who could not comprehend. And no this does not happen a lot down 2 runs as the home team with at least one runner on base. On any decent team you would go for the win there. Then again no decent team would intentionally walk someone in that scenario unless maybe it was runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs.
 
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ichiromoco

Addicted to Softballfans
I'm going to be frank and that didn’t clarify things for me either. So are you saying that the goal is to get a new inning to start prior to the time stop as to give a better shot of winning in the bottom of said new inning?

Yes that was his intent. As soon as the last out in the bottom of an inning is made if there is any time left a new inning starts so they were trading 1 out for 3.
 
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trippy1313

Starting Player
Thanks for confirming. Again, my leagues they wouldn't cut the inning short and we play it out til the end. But they won't let us start a new one with that little time left to finish the game.

I agree it sucks but it is what it is where I play. I'd prefer to play it out until the 7 innings, mercy rule be damned (most of the time).
Similar to the league's I've played in. Games are 70 minutes, no new innings after 65. They problem you face is... umpire has a different clock than you do... and sometimes his clock is also faster or slower.

Sounds too risky for me to just give up on an inning and hope you have time.

You have an runner on 1st, tying run at the plate in slowpitch softball...... hopefully this is well taken, but be have good sportsmanship and try to win the game the right way. Play on. If you lose, at least you tried... if you won fairly, then be proud.

In addition, what if you gave up on that inning, and the next inning they scored a bunch of runs??? Runs that may have been less if you actually tried and got a 2 out rally going and faltered their hopes of winning.
 

ilyk2win

Addicted to Softballfans
Similar to the league's I've played in. Games are 70 minutes, no new innings after 65. They problem you face is... umpire has a different clock than you do... and sometimes his clock is also faster or slower.

Sounds too risky for me to just give up on an inning and hope you have time.

You have an runner on 1st, tying run at the plate in slowpitch softball...... hopefully this is well taken, but be have good sportsmanship and try to win the game the right way. Play on. If you lose, at least you tried... if you won fairly, then be proud.

In addition, what if you gave up on that inning, and the next inning they scored a bunch of runs??? Runs that may have been less if you actually tried and got a 2 out rally going and faltered their hopes of winning.

Can someone explain what 70 minute limit but no new inning after 65 minutes means? Why not just say 65 minute limit when that is essentially what it is saying? Unless it's some weird drop dead rule....imagine being the home team down 1 with no outs.....welp 70 minutes = BALL GAME.
 

trippy1313

Starting Player
Can someone explain what 70 minute limit but no new inning after 65 minutes means? Why not just say 65 minute limit when that is essentially what it is saying? Unless it's some weird drop dead rule....imagine being the home team down 1 with no outs.....welp 70 minutes = BALL GAME.
So, I believe it's more if the home team is ahead.

If there's 64 mins, 5th inning, the visitors can have another chance, and if they get ahead, the home team does get a chance. But if the visitors don't get ahead, its probably been 3-5 minutes by now, the home team doesn't need or get to bat, because it'll be past time by the time they're done anyways.

Only thing I've noticed allowing it to go longer is if its tied up.

If Home team is losing, at 64, then yeah visitors can still start a new inning and even after 70 the home team has still been allowed to hit.
 

ilyk2win

Addicted to Softballfans
So, I believe it's more if the home team is ahead.

If there's 64 mins, 5th inning, the visitors can have another chance, and if they get ahead, the home team does get a chance. But if the visitors don't get ahead, its probably been 3-5 minutes by now, the home team doesn't need or get to bat, because it'll be past time by the time they're done anyways.

Only thing I've noticed allowing it to go longer is if its tied up.

If Home team is losing, at 64, then yeah visitors can still start a new inning and even after 70 the home team has still been allowed to hit.

That by definition is a 65 minute time limit. So how does the 70 factor in?
 

EAJuggalo

Addicted to Softballfans
I have seen cities that will drop dead at time limit, they usually have very strict rules about when the lights have to be off. Generally when that happens you revert to the score at the end of the previous inning.
 
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