NFHS Base Award Challenge
Trouble ball, ball out of play
No runners, no outs. The batter hits a trouble ball to right field.
F9 throws to F4 as the relay, and the relay throw goes out of play.
Mechanics Focus
- U1 goes out on the slicing trouble ball to right
- Plate takes the batter-runner around the bases
- Enforce the overthrow into dead-ball territory
Ruling Question
The first-play-by-an-infielder exception does not apply to a relay
throw. Once F4's throw enters dead-ball territory, enforce a
time-of-throw two-base award.
- The ball is dead immediately when it leaves the field, and it is a time-of-pitch award, so BR is awarded second base.
- The ball is dead immediately when it leaves the field, and BR is awarded second base because the relay throw went out of play.
- The ball is dead immediately when F4's throw leaves the field, and BR is awarded third base as a time-of-throw award.
- The ball is dead immediately when it leaves the field, and this is a time-of-throw award and BR had already achieved second base at the time of F6's throw, award home.
Correct Ruling
The ball is dead when F4's relay throw leaves the field. Because the
first-play-by-an-infielder exception does not apply to a relay throw,
the award is enforced from time of throw. BR had not yet reached
second at the time of the throw, so BR is awarded third base.
Follow-Up Question
Which umpire owns the batter-runner and the overthrow once U1 goes out
on the trouble ball?
- U1 stays with the batter-runner around the bases.
- Plate takes the batter-runner around the bases and the overthrow responsibility on the infield side.
- Both umpires rotate back to the middle and read the throw together.
- No one has responsibility once the ball leaves play.