Mulligans in softball?

I had never seen a mulligan in softball until tonight. In a game between two ranked teams, the visitors took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. In the bottom, the home team lead off batter singled and eventually ended up on third with two outs. The next batter singled to left to tie the game. After the ball was returned to the infield, the FIELD umpire then said no pitch because his partner wasn't quite ready and didn't have his mask on at the time the ball was pitched. The runner was sent back to third and we had a "do over". The batter was then retired for the third out without the run scoring. The home team lost 3-2.

 

i would say you got mechanically fastened

 

if its all right with you Wndmllr, id like to use that phrase, i of course will give you all due credit when its used.

 

SE vs Eastern Randolph

It's all over the news....this is the worst case of abusive use of power on the softball field I ever heard... it sends a wrong message to our children...send this umpire back to ethics school and then back to rec ball....

 

All good

 

Shocking...

After reading this I started to think how I would react if I was coaching third base when they told me my runner had to go back. After pondering it for 30 minutes, I really can't see a scenario that ends well.

Let the players play the game. Whether the umpire had his mask on or not didn't affect the batter getting a base hit. A shame when adults ruin the beauty of the game...

 

I look at it a little differently. Many times you will see a pitcher quick pitch a batter before the ump or hitter is set. when that happens it is called no pitch. Can't throw it till everyone is set including the ump. If he didn't even have his mask back on the right call was made in sending the runner back and it being no pitch

 

Normally a pitcher waits for the plate ump to signal that she can begin(esp. if there was a timeout or a delay that created a dead ball). If the plate ump truly did not have his mask on and was obviously not waiting for a pitch, then I agree that a NO PITCH should be called on the pitcher.

 

Umpire accountability

One of the most important functions of the umpires is game management. If they had done their job properly, I don’t believe this would ever have happened. Their job is to PREVENT this from happening. If the field umpire saw the pitcher on the rubber getting a sign, the batter in the box ready to hit, the catcher giving the target for the pitch location, etc. and that his partner was not ready, why wasn’t he IMMEDIATELY throwing his hands up, running in, and yelling, “NO PITCH! NO PITCH!” before this was allowed to happen? The same goes for the plate umpire and why didn’t he quickly communicate with the hitter and catcher that he wasn’t ready when they were taking their positions?