May, 2015 Interpretations

May 1, 2015

1-12b, Penalty—bat warmers are considered an artificial means to improve a bat’s performance. The use of bat warmers is prohibited.

2-16—Definition of a catch, “a fielder shall demonstrate complete control of the ball and that the release of the ball is voluntary and intentional.”

Play: A fly ball sticks in the webbing of the fielder’s glove. The fielder, with his throwing hand, knocks the ball from the webbing and the ball falls to the ground.

This is not interpreted as establishing the validity of the catch. The fielder may remove the glove, with the ball still stuck in the webbing, from his hand and toss it to another fielder and that would establish voluntary and intentional control.

2-55, A.R. 4—If there is a pickoff at any base, the fielder may not block the base unless he has the ball in his possession. He may be blocking a base without the ball but if contact is made with the fielder by the base runner before the fielder has possession of the ball, obstruction should be called.

There is no “in the act of fielding” on a pick-off throw.

2-75, a-d—A suspended person shall follow the same rules as an ejected person, (“be removed from sight and sound of the contest”). In addition a suspended person cannot: be dressed in game uniform; communicate with any team personnel or umpires;

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take part in any pregame activities at the site of the competition; be in the stadium once pregame activities have started.

Interpretation: Any time a participant has been ejected and the ejection carries a suspension, that ejection and resulting suspension shall be upheld, even when a game is stopped due to weather, light failure, etc. The resulting suspension must be served in the team’s next regularly scheduled game or games.

4-4a—At the pregame meeting, both teams submit their official lineups to the UIC. The umpire is officially in charge of the game and the lineups are official.

If the game is suspended or halted without a pitch having been thrown, the lineups in the UIC’s possession are set for the resumption of play. Should a coach wish to change his lineup, the players that are changed are ineligible to participate in that game.

5-2, A.R. 1—Allows teams to film from any unmanned camera location. No video from any manned or unmanned sources may be transmitted for coaching, training or scouting during a contest.

As per the new rules, the Committee is allowing unmanned cameras beyond the cutouts toward the outfield as long as it is not used for coaching purposes during the game.

With this being allowed, the next challenge we will face in our game will be the integrity of our programs and the following of the rules of the game.

5-7, A.R. 10—A seven inning game that was originally scheduled as a part of a doubleheader, and was never started or had been halted

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due to weather or light failure, etc. may be completed as a seven- inning game at a future time.

All three entities, umpires, visiting team and home team game management must be present when this decision is made. It provides both teams with the flexibility of never starting or having to halt a game once it had been started. If the change is not weather related or facility issue, the game may be moved to another date but it must be played as a nine-inning game.

5-9, Halted Game—A game that has been agreed on before its start or by Conference adoption to be continued later from the point of interruption, or played to a predetermined point of completion. Meaning that a halted game may be played to less than nine innings, if on get-away day, no new inning may start after a mutually agreed upon predetermined time. The conditions of Rule 5-8 for a regulation game must be met if the teams are playing to a “drop-dead” time.

Once the Halted Game rule has been agreed on at the beginning of a contest, the game must be played to its completion or be counted as “no contest.” A game may not go from the Halted Game provision that was agreed upon prior to its beginning to being decided by the regulation Game rule

6-4d, 8-3k—Once a baseball is lodged or stuck in field padding or player’s equipment and does not immediately drop out, it should be considered a lodged ball.

Each base runner is awarded one base.

Rule 7-1—while the pitcher is taking his signs from the catcher, the batter intentionally steps out of the batter’s box with both feet. Page 4, May, 2015 Interpretations

May a base runner attempt to steal his forward base? Is “time” automatically out?

No, time is not automatically out. Unless a request for time is granted by the umpire, the ball is still “live and in play.”

The pitcher may pitch and the umpire will call the result of the pitch.

If there is no base runner, the pitcher and batter are still governed by the 20-second pitch clock. With a base runner, there is no pitch clock.

7-2e, (3) (a)—It takes three substitutions to create a double- switch situation. Play: 10-man lineup, pitching change in the 6th, coach stays with 10-man lineup. In the 8th, game pitcher becomes the pitcher/DH. In the 9th, a new pitcher enters the game but the replaced pitcher remains as the DH. (Coach must make that designation at the time of the substitution.) In the 10th, the removed pitcher (who is also the DH) goes in on defense, the DH is eliminated). At the same time, the defensive coach substitutes for another defensive player. (DOUBLE SWITCH POSSIBILITY) The DH is locked in. The removed pitcher, although going in on defense, is locked-in by the DH position he held prior to entering the game defensively. But, the coach can place the continuing pitcher and the second defensive player in the position that he wishes in the batting order.

7-10—An illegally batted ball is a ball hit, fair or foul by the batter with one or both of the batter’s feet are upon the ground entirely outside the lines of the batter’s box OR when one foot or a portion of one foot is touching home plate.

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To be called out, the foot must be completely outside the lines of the batter’s box OR be touching home plate when contact is made with the ball.

The batter must start with both feet on or inside the lines of the batter’s box.

8-3f—A fielder that moves in front of a runner and attempts to intentionally and continually block the runner’s view of the pitcher is a form of visual obstruction.

9-1a (8)—prohibits the pitcher from taking a forward step with the pivot foot before releasing the ball.

Interpretation: A pitcher is not allowed to jump or push forward off the pitcher’s plate with his pivot foot and then bring this foot to the ground and make a second push-off prior to delivering the pitch. This delivery is to be considered an “illegal pitch” and with runners on base shall be called a balk. With no runners on base it shall be called a ball. A pitcher should not be considered to be in violation if he pushes off the pitcher’s plate with his pivot foot and maintains consistent contact with the ground with his pivot foot without a second push-off from the ground.

9-2a—Interpretation, Quick Pitch, in the umpire’s judgment, when a pitcher delivers the ball in a deliberate effort to catch the batter off-guard, this delivery shall be deemed a quick pitch for which the penalty is a ball if the batter does not reach first base safely. 9-3m, Penalty, 1), 2), 3)—In the enforcement of the balk provision, a coach is not allowed to choose an option of advancement. Example: R2, balk followed by a pitch that hits the batter. The coach does not get the option of taking the hit batter because R2 did not advance on the HBP.

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On a pitch, the batter and all base runners must advance one base.

9-3c—A pitcher may throw to any base while in the pitching position in an attempt to retire a runner who has acquired the base or in an attempt to retire a runner who is advancing to that base.

If the runner is not attempting to steal and the pitcher throws to the unoccupied base, a balk shall be called. (See Penalties, a thru m)

9-3m, Penalty, 2)—On a pickoff where the balk is followed by a wild throw that permits a base runner to advance to or beyond the base to which the runner is entitled, the balk is still acknowledged. The umpire will call the balk in the usual manner but will not call “Time” until all play has ceased.

A runner may advance past the base he is to be awarded at his own risk.

9-4a, A.R. 6—during a free trip, a defensive player may warm-up with another defensive player as long as both are in the current lineup. One may assume the position of a catcher but his back may not be facing the fans along either foul line (for safety reasons on an overthrow as the fans may not be paying attention to the two players warming up in the outfield).

May someone bring a catcher’s mitt out to the player assuming the role of catcher? Yes. But they must be ready for play as soon as the defensive conference ends.

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9-4a (2), A.R. 1—If a coach, asks, directs or speaks to another defensive player, then that discussion is considered one of the three allowable trips, whether the player goes to the mound or not.

If the pitcher is a P/DH and is removed as the pitcher due to a coach using a second trip in an inning to the same pitcher, the removed pitcher may remain as the DH but cannot return to pitch or be moved to a defensive position during that game.

Appendix D—Ejection/Suspension Procedures—It is the program’s responsibility to see that a suspension is served properly.

Should the suspension not be served or not be served properly, i.e., being dressed in game uniform and being in the facility and/or participating in pregame activities, etc., the individual will have to properly serve an additional one game suspension.

When the suspension is not served and the individual participates in any capacity in the ensuing contest, the contest the individual participates in is forfeited and the individual must still serve any applicable suspensions that were not satisfied.

Appendix E, (B)—When an umpire seeks help when his view is blocked or positioning prevents him from seeing crucial elements of the play and this help results in a reversal of the previous call, the batter-runner is placed at first base and all other runners are advanced one base from the base occupied at the time of the pitch.