The Running Line and Double Plays

The Help sheet raised a few questions about heading backwards to avoid a double play. You can stop and go backwards even when forced. The exception is if you are running to first base (obscured rules bonus award for knowing that one!! I guess as there's no base to run back to?)

If you are forced on 2nd and the ball is hit to the 3rd Base fielder or Short Stop you are in trouble and most certainly out, however all is not lost as you need to try (legally of course) to break up a double play and keep the damage done to a minimum (and also demand a beer of the batter!)

To help break up the double play the most obvious thing is not to run into a tag. There's no point in acknowledging you are out and making the fielders lives easy. So even "if forced" you can run towards the fielder, then stop and even go back! The time taken for the fielder to catch you to make the tag might help the other runners get to the bases.

While the rules say you will be given out if you run 3 foot outside the line between you and the base, that doesn't mean you can't run outside this line. The umpire will call you out but the fielder will have to make sure before moving on to get a double play.

And so the mind games begin….  If you're playing 3rd do you go for the tag or go to your base? Is the runner coming towards you going to make it easy or stop and suddenly run away! There's a whole host of measures and counter measures, I'll leave you to puzzle on a couple.

Question: You are playing 3rd and field the ball on the running line so the runner can't get past you but don't have time to reach your base and then throw to 2nd to get two outs.

1. How do you try and get the double play when the runner on 2nd only moves a couple of feet towards you?
2. What should you do if the runner just stays on 2nd base?

Urban Myth #1 - One base plus the one you are going to.

I'm sure many of you have heard this "rule" spoken of with authority :-)
The ball is overthrown and someone mentions softball's most common urban myth.... the runner gets "One base plus the one you are going to."

The Rule is clear: "All runners, including the batter-runner, shall be awarded two bases, and the award will be governed by the position of the runners when the ball left the fielder's hand"
ISF Rule 8 Section 7 f

But isn't that roughly the same thing?

No, it's not. Imagine a player standing on 2nd base watching an enthusiastic shortstop wildly over throwing the ball at 1st. The player isn't going to any base, so the urban myth would put the runner on 3rd. The rules say the player gets awarded two bases and goes home.

Imagine a player running back to 1st base after leaving the base too soon and the ball is caught. A quick thinking fielder, whose intelligence is better than their accuracy, over throws 1st base trying to get them out. The runner was heading to 1st... are they only then going to get 2nd base? No, the rule doesn't mention anything about bases. It doesn't mention anything about the base you are going to, the last base you legally owned or the last base touched. The rule says you get awarded 2 bases from where you are when the ball is thrown. So the runner goes to 3rd base.

So to clarify.... there is no such rule and you can privately mock those who say there is. Or better still send them here to be enlightened.

The Batter's Box

Feedback has suggested the wording in the Guides could be clearer.
(Thanks Nick - Meteors 3)

"At the time the batter makes contact with the ball, both feet must not be completely outside the box..."
or maybe
"At the time the batter makes contact with the ball, neither foot can be completely outside the box..."

It doesn't matter if the ball is hit fair or foul, the batter is out if one foot is completely out of the box on contact. A foot in the air is allowed (but probably something your coach or team mates will tell you is not how to bat!)
Rule 6 Section 6d

But hold on...
What do Umpire's do about pitches where there are no batter's boxes marked out? (Finsbury Park for example)
First off tell the Captains what you plan to do along with other ground rules.
It becomes a matter of judgement but the foot will need to be obviously far outside the imagined box to reasonably call someone out. Warnings and a quiet word will keep players in line.