Be the Referee: Softball Strikeout
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator
April 11, 2023
Be The Referee is a series of short messages designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating, and to recruit officials.
Below is this week's segment – Softball Strikeout - Listen
It’s time for … You make the call.
With a 3-2 count, a softball hitter takes a swing at a pitch that comes in high and inside.
Her swing completely misses the pitch, but the ball subsequently hits her on the right shoulder during the follow-through of her swing. What should happen?
Is the batter awarded first base for being hit by a pitch?
Is a foul ball called, with the count remaining full and the at-bat continuing?
Or is the batter out on strikes, and the ball is dead?
What about any potential runners on base – would they be allowed to advance in this scenario?
A batter with two strikes who swings and misses and then is subsequently hit by the pitch is out.
Any runners on base must stay put as the ball is ruled immediately dead after it hits the batter.
If you said it’s a strikeout – you are correct. And since it’s also ruled a dead ball after the out, any runners on base are not allowed to advance.
Any strike that also hits the batter is ruled a strike … and no base is awarded for being hit by the pitch.
Previous Editions:
March 14: Basketball Instant Replay - Listen
March 7: Hockey Overtime - Listen
Feb. 28: Baker Bowling - Listen
Feb. 21: Ski Finish - Listen
Feb. 14: Swimming Touchpads - Listen
Feb. 7: In or Out-of-Bounds in Wrestling - Listen
Jan. 31: Over the Back - Listen
Jan. 24: Competitive Cheer Judges - Listen
Jan. 17: More Lines - Listen
Jan. 10: On the Line - Listen
Jan. 3: Basketball Measurements - Listen
Dec. 13: Pregame Dunks - Listen
Dec. 6: Gymnastics Judges - Listen
Nov. 22: Football Finals Replay - Listen
Nov. 15: Back Row Illegal Blocker - Listen
Nov. 8: Swim Turn Judges - Listen
Nov. 1: Soccer Referee Jersey Colors - Listen
Oct. 25: Cross Country Tie-Breaker - Listen
Oct. 18: Soccer Shootouts - Listen
Oct. 11: Safety in End Zone - Listen
Oct. 4: Football Overtime Penalty - Listen
Sept. 27: Kickoff Goal - Listen
Sept. 20: Soccer Timing - Listen
Sept. 13: Volleyball Replays - Listen
Sept. 6: Switching Sides - Listen
Aug. 30: Play Clock - Listen
Aug. 23: Intentional Grounding Change - Listen
Be the Referee: Disconcerting Acts
October 8, 2020
This week, MHSAA officials coordinator Sam Davis explains a change in football meant to reduce a form of gamesmanship at the line of scrimmage.
Be The Referee is a series of short messages designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating, and to recruit officials.
Below is this week's segment - Disconcerting Acts - Listen
Among the rules changes in high school football for the 2020-21 school year is an adjustment in the penalty assessed to the defense for disconcerting acts and sounds.
Among the gamesmanship that sometimes takes place near the line of scrimmage at the start of the play, defensive players have been known to make sounds or act in a manner which otherwise might distract an offensive player waiting for the snap signal. Previously, the most egregious of these actions would be penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct.
But beginning this year, the disconcerting act foul is a five-yard penalty. The change in the rule actually makes it more likely that this kind of behavior will be flagged, and may eventually lead to a reduction is this type of activity.
Past editions
10/1: Ball Hits Soccer Referee - Listen
9/24: Clocking the Ball from the Shotgun - Listen