Baseball rule--putting ball in play after a dead ball

Question
QUESTION: My question relates to an incident that occurred in a youth baseball game (13 and 14 yr. olds).  Our team had runners on second and third when the batter fouled a pitch to the backstop that bounced back in front of the plate.  The umpire called "dead ball".  The catcher picked up the ball to throw back to the pitcher and proceeded to throw the ball over the pitcher's head.  Seeing this, our runners advanced but the umpire ruled that they couldn't advance because it was a dead ball. We argued that when the catcher threw the ball back to the pitcher, the ball should be considered "in play" and the runners allowed to advance at their own risk. My question is, was the ball in play when the catcher overthrew the pitcher and were our runners allowed to advance?

ANSWER: The umpire was correct in his ruling but should have called "foul ball" instead of "dead ball".

After the ball is dead, play cannot resume until the pitcher has the ball and is back in position.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Based on your response, is your answer the same to this question...This situation occurred in a Youth baseball game (13 and 14 year olds).  In the last inning with two out and a man on second, the home plate umpire went into a diabetic seizure and had to leave the game.  A new umpire was called in. When the defense took the field to resume play, the second baseman had the ball hidden in his glove and the umpire never asked to see the ball or check to see that the pitcher had the ball. The batter stepped into the box, the pitcher looked to home plate without his foot on the rubber, and the man on second took a lead, at which time the second baseman tagged the runner and the umpire called him out.  The offense appealed to the umpire that you can't resume play without the ball on the mound.  Further, if the pitcher is taking signs with his foot off the rubber, isn't that a balk?  However, my question is more focussed on what rule governs the restarting of a game and is it required that a game restart with the ball in the pitcher's hand?


Answer
With the ball dead in the manner that it was the pitcher would need to have the ball for it to be considered back in play.

When the pitcher steps back onto the mound without the ball he automatically balks. The pitcher balked again taking a sign without being on the rubber.

By my count the umpire goofed 3 times without the ball even being back in play.