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The answers provided are based on our interpretation of the 2013 ASA rules for JO (Junior Olympic) / Youth Girls Fastpitch Championship Softball play. Please notify us of any errors. Thanks.
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Note: The correct answers for all other softball rules (i.e., like NFHS, NCAA, USAAA, Triple Crown, ISF, or even your Local Softball League) are not provided. |
| Play #1 |
Quiz last updated: 6/25/2013 |
Illegal Substitution
In the first inning, #1 was entered as the courtesy runner for the pitcher, #5. In the fourth inning, #1 again ran as the courtesy runner for the pitcher. In the seventh inning, #1 entered as a substitute for the right fielder, #9, and later scored. The opposing coach said that #1 is a illegal substitute because #1 entered the game for the third time and that the run by #1 should not count. After checking the line-up card, it turned out that #5 was listed as playing third base. Does the run count? See our answer for Play #1. |
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| Play #2 |
Out-Of-Play Base Award
With nobody on base, the batter hits a hard line drive to left center field. While passing first base, the runner misses the bag. The runner then touches second base and half way to third base the short stop overthrows the ball into the dugout while attempting to make a play on the runner at third base. The runner, seeing the ball thrown into the dugout, returns to first base retouching second base along the way. What base should the runner standing on 1st base be awarded? See our answer for Play #2. |
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| Play #3 |
Obstruction
Bases are loaded with no outs. The batter bunts a fair ball ball up the first base side. As the batter-runner is leaving the batters box, the batter-runner is obstructed by the catcher who has no play on the ball. The home plate umpire signals obstruction. Then, the pitcher gets the ball and throws it back to the catcher who steps on home plate before the runner from 3rd gets home. The catcher then immediately throws the ball to 1st base who steps on 1st base before the batter-runner gets to 1st base. Finally, 1st base, being alert, throws the ball across the diamond to 3rd base who tags the runner (starting at 2nd base and rounding 3rd towards home) out while diving back to 3rd base. How many outs do you have? See our answer for Play #3. |
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| Play #4 |
Winning Run on Illegal Pitch
Bottom of the 7th (last) inning with 2 outs. The score is tied 2-2. Runners on 1st and 3rd. The pitcher double touches while on the pitcher's plate and the home plate umpire signals a delay dead ball for the illegal pitch. Then, while the pitcher is in the wind up, but before releasing the ball, the runner at 1st base leaves early and the base umpire signals "no pitch" to kill the play. The runner at 1st is called out for the 3rd out of the inning. However, is the game now tied and going into extra innings because there should be no award on the illegal pitch, or should the game now be over because the runner at 3rd gets awarded home plate (and the winning run) on the illegal pitch? What's your call? See our answer for Play #4 |
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| Play #5 |
FLEX Batting
Before the game, the plate umpire is given a line up with only 10 players using the DP in slot 4 and a FLEX. During the game, without reporting any changes, the FLEX bats. After the FLEX takes a pitch and while still at bat, the defensive team makes a protest about the FLEX batting. It is then discovered that the FLEX is batting in place of the player listed in slot 1 (the correct batter) who follows the player listed in slot 9 (the last batter) on the line up card. The offensive team has not reported any changes to the line up. What's the correct ruling? See our answer for Play #5 |
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| Play #6 |
Slapper Contacts Ball
A left-handed slapper hits the ball down the 1st base line that is spinning on the line. The ball then spins slightly off the line into foul territory, but because it is close to the line, may spin back onto the line in fair territory. However, before that happens, the slapper, who is now running to 1st base in foul territory, hits the ball with a foot. What do you have? See our answer for Play #6 |
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| Play #7 |
Dropped 3rd Strike - Confused Batter-Runner
Top of the fifth inning. No outs. Runner at 2nd base. The count on the batter is 2-2. The offensive coach signals a hit and run. The batter then swings and misses the next pitched ball for strike 3. The catcher then drops the ball for a dropped 3rd strike. The runner at 2nd base then runs into the short stop while trying to steal 3rd base. Obstruction is called. The catcher, seeing the steal, picks up the ball and throws it to 3rd to get the stealing runner. The stealing runner that bumped into short stop is tagged out while sliding into 3rd base. 3rd then throws the ball to 1st, who steps on 1st base. The confused batter-runner does not run to 1st base or go into the dugout on the dropped 3rd strike, but instead stays around home plate and is out of the way of the play. What do you have? See our answer for Play #7 |
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| Play #8 |
Obstruction / Look Back Rule
Nobody on base, no outs. The batter hits a curving line drive shot down the right field line that hits fair and then rolls into foul territory for extra bases. The batter-runner, after passing 1st and 2nd base, and while on the way to 3rd base, is obstructed between 2nd and 3rd by the short stop. Contact is made and the base umpire signals obstruction. While the ball is coming back from the outfield to the pitcher, the obstructed runner is still between 2nd and 3rd base. The pitcher gets control of the ball in the circle and turns away from the obstructed runner facing home plate. The obstructed runner, who is still between 2nd and 3rd, is confused by the base coach and starts back towards 2nd base. That's ok. However, then the obstructed runner changes direction and breaks for 3rd base while the ball is still in control by the pitcher within the pitching circle. This is a Look Back rule violation. The umpire does not immediately kill the play. The pitcher, then hearing all of the yelling, turns and throws the ball to 3rd base to put out the obstructed runner while sliding into 3rd base. What do you have? See our answer for Play #8 |
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| Play #9 |
Runner Interference
Nobody out. Runner on 2nd base. Batter hits a ground ball to the short stop as the runner that is coming from 2nd base and running directly towards 3rd base without stopping passes in front of the short stop fielding the ball. The timing on this play is such that ball, the runner, and the fielder will all merge at the same point on the field. The fielder seeing that a collision with the runner will occur, elects to either stop charging the ball or, does not charge the ball at all, and then misses the ball because the runner ran in front of the fielder. The ball never made contact with the runner. Is there runner interference? See our answer for Play #9 |
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| Play #10 |
Fake Bunt / Swipe Bat
Nobody is out. Runner on 1st base that wants to steal to 2nd base. Coaches are teaching their players that, on the pitch, the batter should show a fake bunt, then while the pitch is coming to the catcher and as the ball passes the batter, the batter should remain in the batters box and swipe their bat back towards the catcher to hinder or impede the catchers ability to make a play on the stealing runner. The batter is in the batters box the entire time. What do you have? Is contact necessary to make this call? See our answer for Play #10 |
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| Play #11 |
Wrong Count
The first 3 pitches to the batter have been called balls. The 4th pitch is also a called ball for ball 4, but after the pitch the plate umpire, in error, announces a wrong count of 3 balls, 1 strike. The pitcher then pitches the 5th pitch to the batter which is a called strike. The plate umpire then announces 3 balls, 2 strikes. By this time the offensive coach says that the 4th pitch was ball 4 and that the batter should be on 1st base. The plate umpire then checks with the base umpire. The base umpire says he also had ball 4 on the 4th pitch. What should the plate umpire do? See our answer for Play #11 |
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| Play #12 |
Bat Contacts Catcher's Glove
Nobody is out. Runner on 1st base that wants to steal to 2nd base. As the batter swings at the pitch, the catcher lunges forward to catch the ball early in anticipation of making the throw to 2nd base on the stealing runner. The bat, as it is coming around, makes contact with the catchers glove. The batter is in the batters box the entire time. What do you have? Is contact necessary to make this call? See our answer for Play #12 |
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| Play #13 |
Runner Contacts Batted Ball
Nobody is out. Runner on 2nd base. Batter hits a ground ball up the middle (left side of 2nd base) that passes all the infielders and can not be fielded by any other fielder. The runner coming off 2nd base then inadvertently hits the batted ball with a foot and the ball rolls out-of-play. What do you have? See our answer for Play #13
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| Play #14 |
Base Line / Path
One out with a runner on 2nd base. Batter hits a ground ball to the short stop. The short stop fields the ball in the glove, then transfers the ball from the glove to the throwing hand in preparation for the throw to 1st base. Seeing the runner coming by from 2nd base, the short stop reaches out with the glove in an attempt to tag the runner that is running on the base line. The runner then jumps more than 3' out of the base line to avoid the tag with the glove and continues onto 3rd safely. The short stop, unable to touch the passing runner, then throws the ball to 1st for the out. How many outs are there? See our answer for Play #14 |
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| Play #15 |
Dropped 3rd Strike - Batter-Runner Contacts Ball
Nobody out, nobody on base. The count on the batter is 0-2. On the next pitch, the batter swings and misses the ball for strike 3. The ball then bounces off the catcher (for dropped 3rd strike) and under the batters feet. While the batter is still in the batters box, the ball contacts the batters feet as the batter starts running to 1st base on the dropped 3rd strike. The catcher then picks up the ball and throws it to 1st base before the batter-runner reaches 1st base. What do you have? See our answer for Play #15 |
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| Play #16 |
Batting Out-Of-Order
At the pre game meeting, the plate umpire was given a lineup card showing only 10 players. By mistake, the plate umpire accepted the lineup card without closely examining it. As it turns out, the 10 players listed on the lineup were listed in slots 1 to 10, but there was no indication of a DP or FLEX because the team thought they could bat-around. However, in championship play, batting-around is not allowed.
During the subsequent championship play game, the team still thought they were batting-around and therefore batted the 10th slot player after the 9th slot player without reporting any changes to the plate umpire. While the 10th slot player was still at bat, the defensive team made a batting-out-of-order protest. What's the correct ruling? See our answer for Play #16 |
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| Play #17 |
Bat Contacts Catcher's Glove
Time has expired. It's the bottom of the last inning. The game is tied. The winning run is on 3rd base with 2 outs. The count is 1-1. On the next pitch, the batter swings and the bat makes contact with the catcher's glove. The bat also barely nicks the ball which falls between the catcher's feet. The batter then runs to 1st base and the runner from 3rd scores while the catcher searches for the ball which is now behind the catcher. What do you have? See our answer for Play #17 |
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| Play #18 |
Batter Interference
In the bottom of the 2nd inning of tie breaker play with the game tied at 2-2, the batter has a count of 2 strikes. Home team has one out with a runner on 3rd base. On the next pitch, the batter swings and misses. The ball bounces off the catcher and back into the batter as the batter is still in the batters box. The batter then runs to 1st base on the dropped 3rd strike as the catcher gets the deflected ball and throws out the batter-runner. However, before 1st base can throw the ball back to home plate, the runner from third base scores. Game over.
But wait, the defensive coach complains that the batter hindered his catcher's ability to make a play and that's why they were unable to get the ball back to home plate in time to stop the scoring run. The coach wants the batter out for interference which would kill the play and send the scoring run back to third base. The coach tells the umpire the game should be re-started with 2 outs and the runner at 3rd. What's your call? See our answer for Play #18 |
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| Play #19 |
Overrun First Base
No outs. Runner on 3rd base. Batter hits ground ball to 3rd. 3rd fields the ball, checks the runner on 3rd, and then makes a bad throw to 1st. The batter-runner runs past 1st base and then turns to return back to 1st base. The right fielder gets the ball and also checks the runner at 3rd. The 1st base coach wants the runner at 3rd to score, so the coach yells at the runner coming back to 1st base to go to 2nd. The runner coming back to 1st then breaks for 2nd base. The right fielder again checks the runner at 3rd and finally throws to 2nd, but the runner coming from 1st slides safetly under the tag. Meanwhile, the runner from 3rd scores. What do you have? See our answer for Play #19 |
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