softball overthrow
2016/7/15 17:50:20
Question
A rather basic play. ASA softball rules lowest COED league.
A runner on first takes off for the second as the ball is hit. The ball is lined to the right fielder. The runner stops and tries to retreat to first. The right fielder overthrows everything and sends the ball on one bounce into the dugout.
The umpire rules one base is first base, the base the runner is going back to, and then second base. He then states that even of the ball was thrown by an infielder he would still award second base.
One of our other players was arguing that the runner should get two bases if thrown by an outfielder and 1 base if thrown by an infielder therefore the runner should get third base.
From what I read in the rule book regardless of where the fielder is if the ball is thrown directly out of bounds it is two bases.
Am I right?
Answer
Hi Thomas,
You are correct, on an overthrow that goes out of play it is 2 bases from the last base touched at the time of the throw, it doesn't matter who made the throw infielder or outfielder. The direction of the runner has no bearing on the award.
In this case it would be 3rd base, and if the ball was caught the runner must return to touch 1st base or be called out if properly appealed.
Mark
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