Question
Home College Umpire Stuff

2008 NCAA rule interpretations from:
Dee Abrahamson - NCAA Secretary-Rules Editor
as copied to Kathy Strahm - NCAA National Coordinator of Umpires
3-27-08
Question Is it illegal to use paint or a sharpie-marker to put numbers or anything on the barrel of the bat?
Answer Yes. Numerous types of paint available have metallic content in them to improve performance. The rules do not allow repainting of any bat on the barrel for the simple reason that we cannot control performance if we allow it.  Can you imagine if players could airbrush their favorite sayings or names on their bats with metallic, glow in the dark, or glitter paint?  Those are obvious but what about the array of colored titanium paints or car paint with heavy metal ingredients now readily available...both to be brushed on and in pen styles to be written with?  The rules committee cannot expect the umpire to discern the content of the paint used and then use their judgment that no advantage is gained on a batted ball.  So to protect the integrity of the game and provide some assurance to the opposing team that there is no potential for an unfair advantage gained by a player who uses a bat with custom markings, the rules are quite clear that the only exception for marking bats is on the knob (1.1) where bat/ball contact is highly unlikely.

What is considered the barrel?  Just to be clear, the softball playing rules refer to the bat in three basic pieces...the knob, the handle and the barrel.  The barrel is from the end cap to the nearest edge of the grip, the handle is the area covered by the grip and the knob is the piece perpendicular to the handle.&n! bsp; For the purpose of the rules, we do not distinguish the tapering end of the barrel as the throat, the neck, the taper, the connection, the flex or any other of those slang terms because there is no need to distinguish that area from the sweet spot, center of percussion, antinode, preferred hitting area or whatever you want to call it.  There's no reason for getting that technical because the same rule applies to that entire portion of the bat.  Only the barrel, knob and grip are distinguished because portions of the rules are specific to them (barrel 3.2.1.4; knob 3.2.1.7 and 12; handle 3.2.1.9).   Interestingly, we can't even get the manufacturer's engineer and the same company's marketing man to use the same terminology for their own bat parts much less work for consensus among all coaches, players, umpires, scouts, salesmen, and manufacturers.  But if you think it would help, we could put a diagram in the rule book identifying the three major sections! of a bat.   As to the question about markings...rule 1.1 allows for marking for identification on the knob or laser etching other than on the barrel or replacing the grip.  Any of which can be done without rendering the bat altered.  That infers that marking for identification on the barrel or laser etching on the barrel renders the bat altered and unsuitable for play. 
3-25-08
Question Runner on first. The batter hits a long fly ball to deep left field close to the foul pole. The runner advances watching for the catch. The second baseman also moves to second base watching for the catch. The runner attempts to round second, but the second baseman obstructs her. I signal delayed dead ball and say "obstruction". Then the left fielder misses the ball and it falls foul in the corner. Since it was a foul ball, do we still issue a warning to the second baseman for a rounding obstruction?
Answer At the time of the obstruction, you have a delayed dead ball and obstruction call as you did. Then once the ball is dead, you issue the warning to the second baseman and notify the coach unless that player had previously been warned and then you have the one base award as detailed in 9.4.2.3 even tough the ball ended up being an uncaught foul ball.
2-9-08
Question Is a list of authorized warm-up bats? Rule 3.3 only says the warm-up bat must weigh not less than 39 ounces and have a minimum barrel diameter of 2 inches. 
Answer The ASA does approve warmup bat attachments but all the NCAA says about warmup bats  is in rule 3.3
2-7-08
Question In NCAA Softball, does there have to be contact between a runner and a fielder to have interference?
Play: Runner on 2B, ball hit to shortstop and the runner advancing to 3B jumps over the ball. Does the act of jumping over the ball have to be judged by the umpire as to whether the runner interfered with the fielders opportunity to field a ball or does there have to be contact with the ball or fielder in order to have interference?
Answer The rulebook specifically addresses a play similar to yours on page 187. Simply jumping over the ball, even though it confuses or momentarily blocks the vision of the SS, is generally not interference unless the runner pauses, yells, waves her arms. In other words, if the fielder is naturally proceeding to the next base and does nothing “designed to interfere” (umpire’s judgment) then it would not be interference. In the end, if there is no contact, it does come down to judgment as to if the runners actions actually interfered with the fielder's opportunity to play the ball. And there can be some pretty good actresses on both sides of the play so don't be shy about your own great performance in selling the call.
2-6-08
Question I hate to over think the thrown bat rule but this one is being questioned in every regional clinic that I have attended and has been answered in different ways. I understand that we are issuing a team warning after the 1st offense. Does that only apply to the offending team (allowing the other team a free throw in a heated game)? Or is this the same as throwing at a batter and warnings are issued to both participating teams?
Answer The rules committee intended for the warning to be given to the offended team...there has been some confusion of whether it is a team warning or player warning but I had not heard that folks were thinking both teams are warned. Thanks for letting me know so I can help clear that up.
12-29-07
Question After a pitch to the batter the catcher returns the ball to the pitcher. The batter gets her sign from her coach and gets both feet in the batter's box in approximately six seconds. If the pitcher is not standing on the pitcher's plate within the next four seconds should the umpire shall declare "Dead Ball" and award a ball on the batter.
Answer Yes. The reference is 10.18 but it seems we are missing the first paragraph of the effect. It detailed a strike is awarded if the batter fails to comply with getting into position in the initial 10 seconds and a ball is awarded if the pitcher fails to comply with getting into position in the initial 10 seconds or to bring her hands together in the subsequent 10 seconds.
12-14-07
Question What do we do with an out generated on a play with one out and the play (batting out of order) is properly appealed?  We list the things that are nullified, but don't mention outs.  Assume we nullify them, but we should mention them as well.
Answer The NCAA committee has been very strong on the point that you get the out if you want it and not the effect for batting out of order OR you can take the effect for batting out of order and give up the out...your choice but you cannot have it both ways.  The other groups have slowly decided to give the offended team all the benefits but I don't hear any support for that... yet.
Home College Umpire Stuff