ASA rule only.....

....pardon me folks in this delivery of my pitch. It will be over the plate so ya'll swing away. Question, a couple of weeks ago we were at Walnut Creek for the July 4th tournament. I walked up to a game where the parents and coaches were obviously not in tune with a rule that is ASA only. As best I can lob this over the plate to ya, its my understanding that a kid hit a ball, she ran through 1st base, and turned left but apparently made no attempt to go to 2B. She was called out. Now, I don't know if they tagged her coming back to first or if the ball was thrown to 1B while she was standing there. I do know this, every explanation that I heard sounded odd to me. I did hear that the call was made under ASA rules and that ASA is the only org. that uses this gig. Sorry to be so vague but its killing me to know what in the hell they called the kid out for.
Can ya'll help the fish out?!

Thanks

 

I do not think it is an ASA rule exclusively. 1st base is the only base that is allowed to be overrun. So from the best of my knowledge the rule on this is that a base runner is allowed to overrun first base only, but must turn right and off the playing field into foul territory. If the runner turns left and into fair territory, the umpire may call him or her “in play” and he or she can be tagged or call out. But......there are times when a player turns left towards 2nd base running through 1st which continues the play, or as they say, "rounding the bases", which is different than "running through". Only applies to first base. Where is CD when you need him? Hope this helps.

 

What I always believed to be true is if the runner turns left after crossing the bag (even if she has stopped and is returning to the bag), she is fair game and if tagged she is out. Where the problem lies is that the umpires are very inconsistant in this call. Some I have seen will call her out, while others do not.

 

My impression is they can turn left or right as long as they stay in the running lane.

 

Look at it this way.... Say your DD runs through first base on a routine play, and as she is breaking down she see's the ball bouncing around on a overthrow, and then moving to her left (in play) she takes off for 2nd base. But only at 1st base is a player allowed to sprint to 1st base like a sprinter to the finish line, and is allowed to OVER RUN 1st base to beat out a throw. But in order to do that safely once she over runs the base she MUST retreat into foul or out of play territory. If she turns left like she would on an previously stated overthrow she is considered "in play". Therefore, if a girl over runs 1st and turns left she would be considered "in play" and out. The reason she would be out is because the defense has already fielded the ball and thrown to first in an attempt to beat the runner, so they do not need to tag the runner or step on the base a second time. They would only need to tag the runner or step on the base with the ball if she turns left and they do not complete the play at first cleanly. If the defense does not complete the play at first cleanly and the runner turns left and steps back on first before the defense tags her or steps back on the base with the ball, she is safe. There is a small window of opportunity for the defense to get a runner out at first on an error providing the runner turns to the left and "in play" on the over run at 1st, but they really have to be on top of it. When the runner turns to the left on her over run at first and is considered "in play", only then can she be "picked off". Make sense? It's a great rule, but you really have to watch it. Better for the runner to turn to the right and out of play on her over run and be safe then sorry. Hope this helps...

 

Fishman- I know where you are going with this. Now I have no idea if ASA has their "own" rule, but as you well know, there is nothing in all levels of baseball rules about turning left or turning right.

There is one common misconception about overrunning first base. Some people want to argue that a player has to turn to the right (foul territory) after crossing first base in order to safely return to the base without the chance of being tagged out. This is incorrect as there is nothing in the rules that state which direction the player must turn. The rule states that the runner cannot be tagged out after overrunning first base as long as he/she immediately returns to the base.

Of course there is an exception to this rule, in that the runner can make no attempt to go to second base or he can be tagged out. This comes down to the judgment of the umpire and not whether the player turned into foul territory or not after crossing first base.

The other exception to the rule has to do with immediately returning to the base. If a runner overruns first base and thinks that he is out or that there are 3 outs, and proceeds to walk towards the dugout or his defensive position, he can be called out on appeal after the base or the runner is tagged.

Although it's not stated in many of the rule books, the reason for overrunning first base is based on the fact that the momentum of the runner doesn't allow for him to stop on first base. So keep in mind that if a player runs to first base and then stops on the base, he is not then allowed to overrun the base and get back without the chance of being tagged out. Once he steps off the base in any direction in that scenerio, he is fair game.

Some weird things can happen on this play, one being the first baseman attempting to tag the runner as he returns to first (believing he made an attempt at second) and the runner attempting to not be tagged as he gets back to first base. Although it may make him appear to be guilty of of trying for second if he attempts to avoid the tag, he should be called safe even if tagged, if he didn't make an attempt toward second.

 

Seems to me that they could make this rule a little less a judgment call if they just stated that the runner is fair game only if he/she steps into fair territory after overrunning first.

chachacha, after they overrun first I think the force is now gone, so they would have to make a tag instead of just stepping on the bag. If that's what you meant?

 

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You are probably correct on that and if so I stand corrected. I was always taught the go turn right on the over run and stay out of play, until you are ready to break for 2nd. Assuming the runner over runs 1st base safely, it takes it out of the hands of an umpire whether or not to make that judgement call if not directly stated in the rule book. Who comes up with all these variations?

 

Some coaches do teach the player to turn right but if the player does that she can't see the field of play and may miss a chance to advance, for example.

We do teach the players to glance right in case of an overthrow but not to turn right.

 

All I am saying is a player can turn either way, left or right, as long a they stay in the so called running lane.