1st Base Foot Placement: Rules & Avoiding Obstruction in Fastpitch

QuestionMy daughter plays 1st base 12U fast pitch.  Is there a rule as to how she has to place her foot on the bag as she is receiving a throw?  

Fastpitch Softball: Correct Scoring for Batter Out of Box

QuestionHow do you scored it when a batter runs up in the batter box to hit the ball but she is out of the batter box when she hits the ball and is called

Fastpitch Softball Pitching Rules: Foot Placement & ASA Rulebook Clarification

QuestionHey Mark, I am pretty sure I am correct in this as my husband is a picthing coach and we have studied numerous pitching films, however since my ASA

Understanding Base Running Positioning: A Guide for Young Players

Questionhello, my daughter,8, tries to mimic the local varsity team. She stands on the bases just like they do. Why do they stand on the outfield side and/

Understanding the Base Running 'No Hesitation' Rule

QuestionHow does the no hesitation rule work?  Under walk circumstances can/cant the runner advance.  How is it typically defended?  And als

Baseball Rule Question: Force Out at First Base - Player Not Tagged

QuestionHi Mark,I cant seem to find this, but beleive I have seen it before. This is a 2 part question. We have a player R1 on 1st base with less than 2 ou

MLB Strikeout Interference: Understanding Dropped Third Strikes

QuestionHi Jesse, Today, with 2 outs and bases loaded, batter swung and missed for strike three, which the catcher then dropped. I signaled on the swing f

Softball Rule Clarification: Foul Ball Near Base

QuestionQUESTION: Popup between home and third.  Umpire ruled ball was in foul territory the player had one foot in fair territory and one in foul ter

Catcher's Interference: Can a Catcher Block the Plate Without the Ball?

QuestionCan the catcher block the plate without having the ball in possesion? If a runner is running home and the ball is coming into home plate but offlin

Left-Handed Catchers: Addressing Coaching Concerns & Performance

QuestionMy daughter(12Years old) is left handed and a good athlete. Her coach will not let her try to catch as she is a lefty.Her excuse is that she will h

Bunt Attempt Rules: Does Bat Movement Matter?

QuestionOn a bunt attempt, is it automatically a strike if the batter doesn抰 pull the bat back out of the strike zone? AnswerHi Kenny, No the bat may be

Understanding the Field Fly & Sliding Rules at Home Plate

QuestionPlease explain this rule, our umpire uses this very often. Is there a rule that you have to attempt to slide if the play is at home? Can you as a

Understanding HBP Rules in Baseball: A Clarification

QuestionI have been an umpire and a coach for the past 9 years and have never heard of this rule. Our resident umpire is calling a ball when a batter gets

Slowpitch Softball Umpire Error: Catch Called Incorrectly - Game Situation Analysis

QuestionI play Mens D slowpitch.  The situation was a runner on first, nobody out.  The batter hits a sinking line drive to the first baseman, wh

USSSA Baseball Rule: Overthrow & Kicking Ball - Runner's Advancement

QuestionASA Batter-runner hit ball to Shortstop. Shortstop overthrow the ball over the 1st baseman.. Right fielder accidently kicked the ball and it went

Ground Rule Doubles with Runners on Base: Understanding the Rules

QuestionWhat are the rules regarding base runners already on base when a ground rule double is ruled.  I had an umpire tell me that if there is a runn

Pitching Mechanics for Young Softball Players: Hip Rotation & Shoulder Health

QuestionMy U12 daughter is pitching and has been pitching for 3 years.  Her pitching coach has instructed her to bring her hip threw upon the completi

Pitching Height Advantage: Left-Handed & Taller Players - U10 to U12 Transition

QuestionMy daughter currently pitches at the U10 level.  She is quite big for her age about 53 and 110lbs.  She is also lefthanded.  She is

Left-Handed Softball Players: College Prospects & Position Development

QuestionDear Mike, My daughter is a 15 year old lefty with a good bat and solid skills at first base and right field. She has been offered a spot to play

Baseball Rule: Does a Runner Need to Retouch First Base?

QuestionOn another board, much disagreement on whether a runner who turns right after touching 1st, must retouch 1st prior to continueing on to 2nd (i.e. 1