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Online now: 3 members: Rustito, bgreen, david11; 215 anonymousDiscussions in message board topic: Rules of the game
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AAA PLAYING a AA In pool play» wheelzy10: What is the homerun rule when AAA plays AA in a pool play game? (3) ...»DaveDowell: It's the Home Run rule of the LOWER rated team in the game ... AA = 1 ... »wheelzy10: Thankyou Dave |
2 | Jan. 20, 2021 | 134 |
What constitutes interference?» BillC48: Please help me out in understanding when to call interference on a ...»B.J.: yes... per your scenario the runner must avoid a defensive player ... »Wayne 37: No interference. Runner must avoid fielder, not fielder avoid runner. ... »stick8: I would have to see this play to make a call. If that second baseman ... »B.J.: wayne.. I'm not only NOT enlightened.. I'm now confused...you say NO ... »Wayne 37: I am at a loss for words on this one. Essentially, you've thrown the ... »B.J.: wayne... I was so hopeful that the very first sentence you just wrote ... »Wayne 37: Really? If you want to know my reason for not ruling interference, ... »DaveDowell: ASKED & ANSWERED ... Now is probably as good a time as any to shut ... |
8 | Dec. 30, 2020 | 473 |
Ball or strike» Randall: We are having a discussion on when there is a pitch which misses the ...»B.J.: NO »DoubleL10: It seems to me that if the ball actually hits the inside or the ... »B.J.: DoubleL.. read the OP again it states the ball NEVER struck the mat ... »DoubleL10: B.J. I should have said "I have had, on many occasions, a pitch that ... »DieselDan: Since B.J. responded, I imagine Wayne37 will post at some point. ... »B.J.: DD..(instigator) I can't wait..lol »Wayne 37: Randall, Used to they used the plate and a mud flap as part the of ... »jca: 6.1 • STRIKE ZONE MAT A strike zone mat will be used. Legal pitches ... »DCPete: Of course it has to strike the mat because if it just had to overlap ... »stick8: To answer Randall’s original question: No, that is not to be called ... |
10 | Dec. 24, 2020 | 826 |
Should there have been a call» Randall: Yesterday, I was umpiring when there was a runner on first, the BR ...»curveball: I think you did just fine Randall. »Dbax: I agree with the defense. They need to know the call. I would have ... »DaveDowell: I'm on-board with the defense here, too ... I'm always a proponent of ... »Wayne 37: I'm trying to picture this is in my mind. If there was actually a ... »Dbax: Wayne, what if it was a close play at second? The runner barely beats ... »DieselDan: Another vote for the D in this example. If it's somewhat of a close ... »Wayne 37: Here's one thing that needs to be taken into consideration. Once the ... »curveball: With single man mechanics for the umpire, a safe call somewhere ... »DaveDowell: I thought that's what I typed: "..With every safe call the umpire ... »curveball: You did. But the physical sign doesn't do a thing Dave if it's 60 ... »STL0: I'm just jealous that someone is playing softball right now. Who ... »B.J.: curveball.. if an umpire is working a 1 man system the umpire should ... »DaveDowell: Thanks, B.J. ... I thought I said essentially that "..give both a ... »stick8: Randall from your description it appears to have been a bang-bang ... »curveball: Dave said: . I thought I said essentially that "..give both a verba ... »stick8: Curveball if there’s a play at a base umpires are to make a call, ... »curveball: Runner is 2 steps past 2nd when ball arrives at 2nd, and he is headed ... »stick8: Ok, I still call the runner safe at second because he beat the throw! ... »DaveDowell: curveball ... There's no way of knowing from the initial (and only) ... »curveball: I don't have it on my ledger as a major issue whatsoever. Closer to ... »Dbax: Wow. |
21 | Dec. 23, 2020 | 900 |
Runner leaving base early» baseballbill: At what point during the pitch can a runner leave the base and where ...»DaveDowell: Rulebook §6.13 • NO PITCH • Page 37 No pitch shall be declared ... »DieselDan: "Reaches home plate" has got me in trouble at times. I've taken off ... |
2 | Dec. 20, 2020 | 481 |
Foul or out» idahoreb: Batter swings and hits ball off plate and goes in the air and on the ...»DaveDowell: Lots of options ... Take your pick, depending on the facts of your ... »Wayne 37: FYI ~ Home plate is in fair territory. However, some mats don't have ... »B.J.: FYI.. in the rule book it will tell you that the whole strike mat is ... »Wayne 37: FYI ~ Diagrams of field dimensions don't show foul lines indicating ... »B.J.: Wayne... As I said it's in the rule book..read the last ... »Wayne 37: A ball may hit in foul ground, come into fair territory without being ... »gonz: what happens if a player is in fair territory but ball is in foul ... »DaveDowell: gonz ... The call is based on where the ball is relative to the ... |
8 | Dec. 10, 2020 | 754 |
May I use a Jimmerstick as a warm-up bat?» Bruce M: For sanctioned SSUSA tournaments, Rule 3.4 lists the requirements for ...»titanhd: "Seems to meets ALL of the requirements" ? It's stamped "warm-up"bat? ... »Bruce M: No, Jimmers are not stamped with anything. They are solid metal. ... »Bruce M: @SSUSA Staff. Could you please advise? Thx. |
3 | Dec. 9, 2020 | 396 |
the catch rule??» alan--23: I had this in a recent game, the batter hits a ground ball to the SS ...»fresnomdn: Good call. It's a catch. If the runner had reached 1st before he held ... »B.J.: alan23.. I've also got an out.. once the fielder showed control with ... »Wayne 37: Yes, having control of the ball is key and it will be in the umpire's ... |
3 | Dec. 7, 2020 | 517 |
Senior League Play with Pitcher using a SCREEN» spider9188: We have a league here in Fountain Hills Arizona. We have NOT ...»Omar Khayyam: Hello spider, Our senior league uses a screen for the pitcher, in ... »B.J.: Spider .. here is a pitching screen rule that I wrote for one of our ... »Treestand Man: USSSA Sr. Leagues allow the screen at the pitchers discretion. You ... »curveball: Mostly agree with your ideas spider. Pitched over the screen in our ... »mck71: Spider - we use the screen here (pitch safe net) and place it a ... »stick8: In a senior league I play in pitchers have the option of using a ... »berger: Spider9188, our league in the Kansas City area has used the pitching ... »spider9188: I want to thank 'berger, stick8, curveball,mck71,BJ and Omar for ... »DieselDan: Minimum pitching distance in our leagues is 50'. The screen is ... |
9 | Dec. 3, 2020 | 618 |
Safe r out» nails: As I swing and hit the ball, I hear behind me foot is out of the box. ...»B.J.: no it's verbal obstruction.. batter is awarded 1st base or whatever ... »stick8: In young man’s ball the batter gets the option of taking the result ... »B.J.: stick.. I think what you are refering to is when the catcher hinders ... »nails: This was in Phoenix last week. Actually I stopped running after ... »B.J.: nails..this is similar to a catcher yelling foul ball and then ... »stick8: BJ you’re correct as usual but when you say the catcher hindering or ... »B.J.: stick..no I mean when the batter does swing and his bat catches part ... »stick8: Yep that’s obstruction. I have yet to witness that in a slo pitch ... »Nancy Allen: An umpire should yell "dead ball", not that this would help a batter ... »Wayne 37: There is nothing in the SSUSA rulebook that supports verbal ... »DaveDowell: Wayne ... There's more than one way to skin that cat ... This goes ... »Wayne 37: I understand all that. I am just wondering if there was intent on the ... »DaveDowell: Agreed Wayne ... Not being there, I don't know ... I think it's more ... »B.J.: HE"S BACK.. and as usual he's wrong wayne ... once the ball is put ... »Wayne 37: I see someone has woken up from their turkey coma. Please ... »nails: I suppose my foot was close and catcher was trying to get the call. ... »Donna McGuire: Actually, the rule book does cover whether or not this situation is a ... »Michael Plunkett: What a great discussion. Thank all of you. »DirkPitt: Not sure why a runner would ever stop running without hearing "DEAD ... |
19 | Nov. 28, 2020 | 1095 |
Forfeit» Popa: This question is from experience of this past weekend at Cesar Chavez ...»TimMcElroy: With only 4 teams getting a bye, everyone that wasn't 2-0 should have ... »DaveDowell: Tim and Popa ... It's a rather harsh result, but not without fair ... »Popa: Thank you TimMcElroy & DaveDowell for your input, it is much ... »Funwiththesuns: Popa If I can help you out with this type of problem may I suggest ... |
4 | Nov. 24, 2020 | 641 |
out or safe» Doak: Dave, something happened at the Winter Nationals I have never seen ...»B.J.: Doak, Im not Dave but I know of no rule against contact with the ... »DaveDowell: I am Dave, and I agree with B.J.'s analysis ... My only other ... »stick8: Only is senior softball this could happen. 😀 I have a ... »Doak: The fielder was in the "short outfield" and made a great backhand ... »B.J.: Doak... again not Dave.. you changed your scenario a little.. now ... »DaveDowell: Doak ... Again, I agree with B.J.'s analysis, especially as ... »Treestand Man: I think it should be a double play for not Social Distancing if ... »stick8: Doak, the answer to your question is a resounding yes! Whether he’s ... »DaveDowell: stick8 ... We agree 101% except for that pesky little problem that ... »Treestand Man: If the batter rounded first and they collided with the runner before ... »stick8: Dave to make an accurate judgement I’d have to witness it first hand. ... »stick8: Treestand Man, I disagree with what that umpire ruled. It’s ... |
12 | Nov. 23, 2020 | 862 |
out of rating number» titanhd: We are a 60M team that has a rating of 6. We are looking to add 4 ...»stick8: On the surface I could see this being a contentious issue. No matter ... »Dbax: Titanhd, yes you can. If an entire 55 Major team all aged up to 60 ... »titanhd: 55M rating is not the same as 60M. Are you stating that 55M ratin ... »Dbax: I believe so. »Dbax: Are you saying you would have to play 60 Major Plus? »titanhd: Ok I think I have my answer but, will confirm with SSUS ... »DaveDowell: titanhd ... Here's the general rule on aging up: "You take your ... »titanhd: OK Dave. Point blank question. Can an entire team that played 55M age ... »DaveDowell: YES ... It happens all the time ... »Dbax: 👍👍 |
10 | Nov. 22, 2020 | 630 |
run count or not» Steeler26: Dave, runners on 1st and 3rd with one out. Batter hits line drive ...»DaveDowell: The run scores on this "timing play" ... Getting put out while ... |
1 | Nov. 22, 2020 | 280 |
Infield fly rule......» Brotherhood Manager: Ok. So this will sound stupid for me asking and I know the rule... ...»B.J.: For an umpire to call IF I would not use the word discretion... I ... »DaveDowell: I agree with B.J. ... I wouldn't use the word "discretion" either ... ... »B.J.: Dave, yes I spotted the extra e in judgment after I posted... but ... »DaveDowell: I didn't notice it either ... I was emphasing the JUDGMENT as opposed ... »Mikelmart: As we age up in SS the infield fly rule and ordinary effort should ... »grayhitter59: a fair fly ball (not including a line drive or a bunt) which can be ... »grayhitter59: here is the rule according SSUSA. A fair fly ball (not including a ... »stick8: Grayhitter59 you’re just about correct and I do agree with most of ... »DRB22: I would have to say the the infield fly rule cannot be applied ... »B.J.: stick is correct the ball doesn't have to be in the IF.. In fact ... »grayhitter59: what, before the next play, are you kidding me, this can never ... »chasbutter: Well apparently it is @ the umpire's discretion, because we were ... »grayhitter59: in our case the umpire and TD decided because the sun was in the eyes ... »DRB22: chasbutter, yeah a clear mistake there. I don't have a problem with ... »grayhitter59: Every time Tim is not the TD, I get the short end of the ... »Turbobob: It is because of all the reasons stated above that our public 60 plus ... »B.J.: grayhitter... here's a great idea for you.. try reading the rule ... »chico senior: About 10 years ago I was umpiring a game in our Masters Division ... »DaveDowell: Should probably have ultimately been ruled a foul ball ... You made ... »chico senior: The funny thing is I didn’t even realize the ball had rolled foul as ... »Omar Khayyam: Our weekly (pre-Covid, sadly) Club league also changed the infield ... »stick8: Omar in the league you reference it sounds to me like “infield fly, ... »Omar Khayyam: stick8, you are correct—that would be an accurate call, but since we ... »Turbobob: stick8, there are NO automatic outs from a dropped infield fly or ... |
24 | Nov. 20, 2020 | 777 |
Hitting a pitch that bounces on the plate» MurrayW: There have been a few times when my first strike I take hits the ...»DaveDowell: §7.4 • STRIKE CALLED BY UMPIRE A. For each legally pitched ball ... »Randall: Dave Dowell has this correct »DieselDan: And you Randall are correct in your assessment. »1jonsey: the 2nd part of murrays question was not answered? I assume that ... »MurrayW: I think it was answered. The ball cannot be legally swung at by the ... »DaveDowell: The easy way to look at this is: As soon as the ball hits the strike ... »1jonsey: sorry, I should have added if the ball hit the ground in front of ... »DaveDowell: 1jonsey ... We made it as easy as we could: "..Any pitched ball that ... |
8 | Nov. 19, 2020 | 498 |
Continuance» Randall: With runners on 1B and 3B with one out, the batter hits a fly ball to ...»DaveDowell: YES • Run scores on this "timing play" ... Getting put out while ... »DRB22: No, its a forced 3rd out »DaveDowell: DRB22 ... It's impossible to be forced out returning to a base ... A ... »DRB22: Won't get an argument from me..that's why I am a player not an ... |
4 | Nov. 19, 2020 | 288 |
Orange and white bases at first» Nvjimmymac: rule 8.4(1) Batter-runner reaching first base "If there is a play ...»DaveDowell: Nvjimmymac ... We would define "..a play at first base.." as the ... »DRB22: Agree, no play at first. As far as safety goes, the 1st baseman ... »Nvjimmymac: Thanks, I agree with part of your answer. I am not talking about the ... »DRB22: Well, I guess that really depends on level of play. I play first ... »B.J.: Nv... you said the 1B was set to receive a throw.. how can he be ... »stever: I also pay 1B and I agree with DRB22. I have never remained on the ... |
6 | Nov. 16, 2020 | 414 |
Special rules for 80 plus and physically challenged players.» Turbobob: CAUTION: This is more than a 30 second posting. You've been warned, ... |
0 | Nov. 16, 2020 | 254 |
Interference» Geeksquad21: With runner on first base, one out, the batter hits a ground ball ...»B.J.: a call of Interference is umpire judgement.. and a 2nd awarded out is ... »Randall: Why is the second out at first not automatic if the runner interfered ... »B.J.: because the rule says it's umpire judgement.. RULE 8.6 If in the ... »Omar Khayyam: Randall, consider this oft-seen scenario. Runner on first, no one ... »stick8: Omar in your situation it would be as BJ stated, umpire judgement. ... »B.J.: stick.. “IF” the runner DOES NOT make contact with the fielder I ... »stick8: Well you’re not wrong BJ. The runner was looking to beat the throw ... |
7 | Nov. 11, 2020 | 460 |
