Category Archives: Rules / Interesting Plays

As part of the HBUA’s continuous efforts to encourage umpires to study the Official Baseball Rules and Umpire Manual year-round, we will be conducting Rules Reviews periodically throughout the this season and for future seasons.

We encourage each umpire to share their thoughts and ideas regarding rules enforcement as there may be more than one right answer in some cases. You will be given 15 days (July 15th) to submit your answers within the provided online form.

Some Rules Review questions will consist of rules interpretations that have occurred during the current and past seasons. These questions can serve as a resource for daily pre-game rules discussion with your crew. We encourage crews to submit difficult and rare rule interpretations to Chris Marco (cmarco_5@hotmail.com) so we may include for upcoming Rule Reviews.

Remember good umpiring means having a complete knowledge of, and proficiency in, all Official Baseball Rules, interpretations, policies and regulations. Please take the time to read some portion of the rule book each day.

July Rules Review

All,

The June Rules Review answers have been posted for your consideration.

A few points to note:

• There were a total of seven submissions, three less than the May Rules Review. This is less than 20% of the Association membership.
• There were zero submissions that answered all five scenarios correctly

From the HBUA Policy and Procedure Manual:

In the event of a game that must be replayed due to an overturned protest, the Assigner shall schedule the original umpire crew for the game. If the protest was overturned due to an incorrect rule application, the umpires shall not be paid for the replayed game. In the event the original crew is unavailable, the original umpire(s) shall forfeit the game fee to the replacement umpire(s).

Each question answered incorrectly on the Rule Review represents an oppourtunity to lose a protest. Remember, good umpiring means having a complete knowledge of, and proficiency in, all Official Baseball Rules, interpretations, policies and regulations. Please take the time to read some portion of the rule book each day.

HBUA Rules Review Answers – June

As part of the HBUA’s continuous efforts to encourage umpires to study the Official Baseball Rules and Umpire Manual year-round, we will be conducting Rules Reviews periodically throughout the this season and for future seasons.

We encourage each umpire to share their thoughts and ideas regarding rules enforcement as there may be more than one right answer in some cases. You will be given 15 days (June 15th) to submit your answers within the provided online form.

Some Rules Review questions will consist of rules interpretations that have occurred during the current and past seasons. These questions can serve as a resource for daily pre-game rules discussion with your crew. We encourage crews to submit difficult and rare rule interpretations to Chris Marco (cmarco_5@hotmail.com) so we may include for upcoming Rule Reviews.

Remember good umpiring means having a complete knowledge of, and proficiency in, all Official Baseball Rules, interpretations, policies and regulations. Please take the time to read some portion of the rule book each day.

June Rules Review

Effective in 2019, games played under Baseball Ontario rules shall permit the defensive manager to intentionally walk a batter without being required to pitch to the batter.

A no-pitch intentional walk may occur at any point during an at-bat. Upon a signal from the defensive manager, the plate umpire shall call ‘time’ and award the batter first base. Only pitches thrown by the pitcher shall count towards the pitch count. Pitchers are still permitted to intentionally walk a batter the conventional way.

Some additional guidelines regarding the no-pitch intentional walk:

• Signalling a no-pitch intentional walk is considered a pitch/play, for the purpose of removing a team’s ability to appeal a missed base, a runner’s failure to tag-up following a batted ball caught in flight, a half-swing attempt by the previous batter, appeal the previous batter batted out of order, correct an incorrect ball/strike count, or protest an umpire’s interpretation of the rules on the previous play.
  • Play 1: Bases loaded, 0 out. The tying run is at second base. The batter hits a deep sacrifice fly, allowing all runners to advance, but R3 has left early. After play is complete, the defensive manager signals to the plate umpire they wish to intentionally walk the next batter. Meanwhile, the third baseman calls for the ball to appeal R3 left early. The ball is thrown to 3B and the defensive team appeals.
  • Ruling 1: The appeal is denied and R3’s run counts. The appeal occurred after the defensive team signaled for a no-pitch intentional walk.
  • For Plays 2 and 3, the batting order is Able, Baker, Charles, Daniel. Able is the proper batter
  • Play 2: Baker bats in place of Able. Baker triples. Charles comes to bat. The defensive manager signals to intentionally walk Charles, then realizes the offensive team has batted out of order.
  • Ruling 2: Signaling to walk Charles has legalized Baker in the batting order. Baker’s triple shall stand.
  • Play 3: Baker comes to bat in place of Able. Realizing the offensive team is batting out of order, the defensive team signals to the plate umpire to intentionally walk Baker. As Baker reaches 1B (and before a pitch is thrown to Charles or a pick-off play is attempted), the defensive manager appeals the batting out of order to the plate umpire.
  • Ruling 3: Able (proper batter) is called out. Baker is removed from 1B and comes to bat as the proper batter. In this case, the defense may use the no-pitch intentional walk to put an improper batter on base, for the purpose of having them called out on appeal.
• A no-pitch intentional satisfies a pitcher’s requirement to face one batter before being eligible to be removed from the game.
  • Play 1: Bottom of the 9th. The offensive team pinch-hits a left-handed batter. The defensive manager brings in a left-handed pitcher. The offensive manager again pinch-hits, this time bringing in a right-handed hitter. Another right-handed batter is scheduled to bat on-deck. The defensive manager approaches the plate umpire and says they wish to intentionally walk the current batter and then make a pitching change, if permitted.
  • Ruling 1: The defensive manager may substitute the pitcher upon a no-pitch intentional walk of the current batter.

If there are any further questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to reach out.