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Online now: 3 members: Dick6, Dyan3, TABLE SETTER 11; 92 anonymousDiscussion: When is is legal for a base runner to leave the base?
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| June 9, 2017 Turbobob Men's 65 71 posts | When is is legal for a base runner to leave the base? Our league is 60 plus, slow pitch using a high arc, strike plate and use SSUSA rules. We have a rule that if the base runner(s) leaves the base before the ball makes contact with the bat (which includes a swing and a miss by the batter), the base runner(s) are out. Some of the players have argued against this rule, so I decided to see what the SSUSA ruling is for what constitutes leaving the base early, and what the penalty is. I went through the entire 2017-2018 rule book and did not find anything specific that addresses this situation. I did find references concerning base runners in 3 separate sections, but it was all piecemeal. Those sections are: 6.13 No Pitch No pitch shall be declared when C. A runner is called out for leaving his base before the pitched ball reaches home plate, is batted or touches the ground before reaching home plate. (This rule comes closest to defining what the circumstances are, and the penalty. Also, a batted ball implies contact is made with the bat, so a swing and a miss is not a batted ball). 8.4(8) When runners can advance at their risk Runners are entitled to advance with liability to be put out A. When a pitched ball is batted. (This rule states the ball has to be batted first, contact with ball is made, then the runner can leave the base). 9.1 Dead ball The ball is dead and not in play: G. When a base runner is called out for leaving a base early on a pitched ball. (This rule states what the penalty is after the ball is pitched, but before it is batted or contact is made). Q. When a base runner fails to keep contact with his base until the pitched ball has reached home plate. (This is just a reference to the base runner having to stay on base until the ball gets to home plate). As you can see, there is nothing specific in any of these sections to stating the circumstances for when a base runner can leave the base safely, and what the penalty is if he leaves early. I have to piecemeal sections together and interpret what is in those sections to get my answer. I would think there would be a specific set of rules and penalty for leaving the base early. Is there a SSUSA staff person available to answer how this is handled in SSUSA tournaments? |
| June 9, 2017 B.J. 1105 posts | the penalty for a runner leaving a base early is a dead ball no pitch and the runner is out...basically there are 3 scenarios for when a batter can leave the bag... 1) when the batter makes contact with the ball ... 2)when after a swing and a miss the ball makes contact with the plate or ground... 3)and with no swing once the ball makes contact with the plate or the ground.... the wording of the ball reaching homeplate means actually landing on the plate |
| June 14, 2017 Turbobob Men's 65 71 posts | Thanks BJ for the explanation and putting all of the pieces of the rule together. That's what I was looking for in the first place and couldn't find it. |
