In our 40+ USSSA umpired league the other night, there was a play I had never seen before.
The pitcher pitches the ball, it hits the front of the plate and bounces straight up in the air.
The batter had taken what I would call a check swing leaving the bat somewhat above the plate.
When the ball came down from hitting the front of the plate, it hits his bat and lands about 5 feet in front of home plate in fair territory.

If this had happened in our 60+ league, once it hits the plate. It is a dead ball strike as hitting the plate is a strike in all leagues I play in.

The ruling that night was its a ball in play. Bases were loaded at the time so the catcher could have stepped on the plate and thrown to 1st as the batter stood there as did most of the confused runners. Turns out they got the batter at 1st or he was tagged before he even ran and then they got the runner who stood between 1st and 2nd.

Is that the USSSA rule?
I have to assume so.
Any thoughts

This isn't a U-Trip web site....it's senior softball
but I used to umpire USSSA about 8 yrs ago...I believe it's a dead ball unless there is stealing....either way once the pitch hits the plate or the ground it can not be hit...

see if you had have played asa instead of u-trip you would have seen the play before when ball hit's plate from a legal pitch it's a dead ball from the moment it hit's any part of the plate.yr's ago it could hit the black part of plate & still be live but was too confusing so they changed it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BJ- a) I know it's a senior softball website
b) I was hoping some of the players with experience would be able to answer the question
c) What would the call have been if this scenario happened in a SSUSA tournament
Thanks for your help

once a pitched ball hits the strike mat or the ground it is a dead ball