slow-pitch softball runner off the base

Question
Real-life question from game the other night.  Runner left third base too early, may have been off base at time of the pitch, BUT batted ball was foul and not caught, so it was ruled dead.  Runner did not advance (was never more than a few feet from bag), returned to third base.  First base umpire called the runner out on the play (without appeal, without return of ball to infield) despite impossibility of advancing on uncaught foul ball.  Seems crazy to me.  No possibility to advance and not allowed to return to base on dead ball? I have looked at 2006 ASA rules (the latest I could find) and cannot find a clear answer to this question. Rules say a runner is out if he fails to keep contact with base until ball is batted, touches ground or reaches home plate but also says when runner is not given sufficient time to return to base, he will not be called out for being off base before pitcher releases ball ("no pitch" should be called). Rules also say runner is not out when a runner legally returns to a base left too soon or missed prior to appeal being made, or is returning to a base during a dead ball.  Could the umpire's call have been correct if in his judgment runner was just clueless and had sufficient time to be on base, even though batted ball was uncaught foul and therefore dead ball upon which no one could advance?

Answer
Hi Emmett,

When a runner is given sufficient time and is off base or leaves the base early on a pitch it is an immediate dead ball, runner is out.  The umpire calls it w/out an appeal.

Any pitch is no pitch and any batting of the ball is nullified.  So the fact the ball was foul means nothing but this should have been called immediately not after.


the rule you quote about returning to the base does not apply to this situation, left too soon is about a caught fly ball.

mark