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Question
QUESTION: Mark,
Thanks again for the prompt response.  I'm not familiar with the term "LBR".  What is that?  I believe the pitcher had the ball at the time, but don't think he was in the "circle".  Please let me know the answer either way, to the extent it makes a difference.  Also, to the extent it's relevant, no time out was called and earlier in the game, there were 2 similar plays where a runner on first ran to 2nd after a single while the pitcher had the ball but was not yet in the circle and the same umpire allowed both of those runners to advance (1 was safe, and 1 was out) because he said the ball was still live and no timeout was granted or deemed in effect by default.  Getting back to the play at issues, the fielding team argued that time should have been out and the runner should not have been allowed to advance.  At that point, the umpires huddled and one umpire ruled that the runner was out (to the surprise of both teams).  I suppose my question is twofold: 1) should the runner on 2nd be out, and 2) if the protest filed immediately when the play happened is upheld and we resume play from that point, should the runner be granted 2nd or be back at 1st?
Thanks again,
Eddie

ANSWER: Hi Eddie,

LBR stands for look back rule, since you have a circle you probably play with the LBR.

If the pitcher wasn't in the circle with control of the ball, no runner should be called out and if the ball was live as you state, they can advance, retreat, do whatever.  

Now if the pitcher had control of the ball in the circle that changes things and a bunch of other rules come into play.

If a protest is upheld, I would think the runner's at 2nd because they legally attained that base.

Mark

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

QUESTION: We don't really have a circle (at least not one that's drawn on the field) and definitely don't have an express LBR in our league rules.  I'm told by our commissioner that when there's no league rule governing the situation, we default to the ASA rules.  I've been playing in the league for 13 years and I can tell you that I've never heard of the LBR being instituted until now.  That said, I suppose the question is if there is no express league rule, then is LBR the default rule or does a league need to have an express LBR rule in effect in order for it to be in effect?  You can probably tell what team I was on here.  Doesn't seem fair for the umpire to invoke a rule that neither team has even heard of and that, to my knowledge, has never been invoked in our league before.  By way of further background, the umpire who made the call is not a regular league umpire and his partner that day, who is a regular league umpire, acknowledged after the game that we "got screwed".

Answer
Hi Eddie,

OK I get it now...I think.  The problem is you locally modified a FP game and then told me about the circle and didn't think the pitcher was in it and the umpire's calling outs on runners.  All of which led me to believe your basis was FP rules.

The LBR is for FP only and since you modified the game, have played 13 years and this never came up you can't have a LBR. Believe me, you can't!  You must be following at least to some extent ASA Modified rules and there is no LBR in that game.  So in that case the umpire if they were invoking the LBR was incorrect for your game.  If they were saying regardless of where the ball is once a runner starts to advance to another base and then reverses their direction, they are out, well that's really, really wrong.

IF the umpire was invoking the LBR and not just plain wrong on the other reason you thought he might have gave, I've seen many, many problems where local leagues modify or exempt themselves from rules but never clearly write out the modifications, how they apply and how national rules apply and what game they're basing it on.  Might be a winter project for you (13yrs, same league you've got to be a "senior" player) and the AD to get to.

If you protested just start where the protest was made and I've got the guy on 2nd.

Best

Mark