Delay of game

Question
10U Fast Pitch softball game, after we batted 3rd inning, we had a big lead and were trying to get the back-ups and 3rd string catcher in the game. We did not take the field immediately (3 MIN OR LESS MAX) and next thing we knew the opposing team had a player take off around the bases and the fielders we had on the field tried to make a play but the runner got home and scored a run. Our pitcher was approching the mound and didn't touch the ball till the runner was on the way home and threw home. We called time and the ump said we took to long to take the field and therefore a delay of game and the run counted. Never seen or heard of this and can't seem to find any rule or explination of a time limit to take the field. Would like to know what rule this is and time limit to take the field?
                           Thanks,
                           Tony

Answer
Hi Tony,
Thank you for your question.  I've never seen or heard of this sort of situation, either, nor do I think that I could have even imagined it.  The umpire's ruling was, to use a modern expression, "wrong on so many levels."

First, let me editorialize before we look at the ASA rules that would govern your scenario.  In many parts of the country, the girls' first experience with softball is at the 10-U level.  There are no 6U or 8U leagues.  Any given 10U game may consist of brand-new players, brand-new coaches, brand-new umpires, and brand-new spectators, all there to learn and have some fun, to boot.  "Going with the flow" is one of the hallmarks of a good umpire, and an umpire needs to go with the flow a lot more often in a 10U game than, for example, in an 18-GOLD game.  A perfect time for your umpire to have gone with the flow would have been when he saw you struggling to get your substitutes into the game and get your third-string catcher equipped.  Merely standing by your dugout and silently observing your preparations would have sent a strong enough signal to you that you were taking too long to take the field.  It wouldn't have been out of line for him to warn you, though, about taking so long to take the field, since, after all, you didn't even get in a single warmup pitch in three minutes.

Now let's get to the rules.
1.  Rule 6-9.  WARM-UP PITCHES
"At the beginning of each half inning, or when a pitcher relieves another, not more than one minute may be used to deliver not more than five pitches.  Play shall be suspended during this time."  
You exceeded the one-minute warmup period by two minutes.  At the one-minute mark the umpire was permitted to take measures to have play continue.

Rule 6-3-O.  LEGAL DELIVERY
"The pitcher has 20 seconds to release the next pitch after receiving the ball or after the umpire indicates 'play ball.'"  
The umpire, one minute after the third out of the previous half inning, could have indicated "play ball," and, 20 seconds later, started calling balls on the batter at regular intervals.
 
3.  Rule 8-1.  THE BATTER BECOMES A BATTER-RUNNER
This rule is two full-pages long, and it doesn't mention a single provision which allows the batter to just starting running the bases while the defense is still taking the field!  This is a "protestable" ruling by the umpire.



Scott Kelly