Slap Hitter

[softballdadcoach]

"Spazsdad
I have no idea on the OP but regarding your comment you only have to be in the box if you make contact with the ball.

I thought if a batter has their foot out of the batters box she was subject to a penalty--for instance if the batter sets up far up in the box and takes a step as part of the swing out of the box, she has violated a rule? It has been years, but I seem to remember having batters being called for that with no contact made with the ball... Or does the NCAA rules have a set specifically for the slappers? The OP states the slapper doesn't swing, but in order to be a slapper the batter has to at least be taking that step into the field of play, hence my question about the placement within/without the batters box.

[MTR]

"Spazsdad
I have no idea on the OP but regarding your comment you only have to be in the box if you make contact with the ball.

I thought if a batter has their foot out of the batters box she was subject to a penalty--for instance if the batter sets up far up in the box and takes a step as part of the swing out of the box, she has violated a rule? It has been years, but I seem to remember having batters being called for that with no contact made with the ball... Or does the NCAA rules have a set specifically for the slappers? The OP states the slapper doesn't swing, but in order to be a slapper the batter has to at least be taking that step into the field of play, hence my question about the placement within/without the batters box.

There is no penalty to a batter being hit by a pitched ball in or out of the BB in any stick and ball organization of which I am familiar.

There is no penalty to a batter for simply stepping out of the BB on a pitch without contacting the ball.

BTW, about 40% of the BB is in the field of play.

[ocbxball]

a slapper should still be in the batters box at the point of being hit by the pitch, unless of course it is a change. In that case, she would have plenty of time to get out of the way.

I believe the NCAA no longer has the requirement that the batter must make an attempt to avoid being hit by the pitched ball.

That rule change proposal was not approved by the NCAA.

Back to the existing rule.

[Flymonkey]

The philosophy behind this college rule change a few years back came about because at the time a pitch was in front of the plate, the ball status was not yet a ball or a strike. It was simply a pitch on the way. Umpires in essence would have dead ball, and then determine ball or strike under the previous rule. There was no 'no pitch' option. Pitches curve, drop and rise so much at the college level that the umpire was not in a credible position to make such a determination about where that pitch might have gone had it not hit the slapper moving forward. The 'no pitch' rule change effect made this situation more clear for umpires; and also for players and coaches. It stopped the batters from trying to get 'hit by pitch' and getting the base award and it stopped the situation where a pitched ball that may have been a strike being declared a 'ball' under the old rule. Ball Status is everything and under NCAA rules, the BS is 'no pitch' in this scenario because the pitch, by rule, has not entered the strike zone/plate area. Until the ball does, judgement of ball/strike can then be determined.

[nohesitation]

Damn flymonkey, welcome aboard.