The Defense
1. / R1. 1 Out. The batter hits a long single to left centre field. The centre fielder picks up the ball and throws to 3rd base. At the time of the throw, R1 was approaching 3rd base and the BR had rounded 1st. The outfielder’s throw sails over the 3rd baseman’s head, deflects off the heel of the pitcher’s glove, and enters the 3rd base dugout. At the time the ball hit the pitcher’s glove, the BR had rounded 2nd base. The umpires call time and award both runners home. / T F2. / R1. 0 out. The batter hits a very hard line drive towards the shortstop. The shortstop dives to attempt to make the catch. The force of the ball hitting the shortstop’s glove causes the fielder’s glove to fall to the ground. R1 is awarded home due to the detached equipment contacting a batted ball. / T F
3. / R1. 1 Out. The left-handed pitcher quickly steps off the rubber and throws to 1st to attempt to retire the runner. The ball goes out of play. R1 should be awarded 3rd base. / T F
4. / R3. 1 Out. The batter hits a fly ball down the left field line. The left fielder runs over and makes the catch in foul territory, takes 4 more steps and carries the ball out of play. The umpire should call time and award R3 home. / T F
5. / R1, 1 out. On a 3-0 pitch, the runner attempts to steal 2nd. The batter interferes with the catcher's throw to 2nd. However, the throw is in time to retire the runner. The umpire should call the batter out and return the runner to 1st. / T F
The Offense
6. / R1 is stealing on the pitch with the middle infielders playing at double play depth. The batter hits a one hopper up the middle. R1 slides safely into second base and the ball hits him, preventing the shortstop from fielding the ball. The base umpire rules that R1 is safe at second because he is touching the base when he was hit with a fair batted ball. / T F7. / R3 is breaking for home on a squeeze play. The batter bunts a slow roller down the third base line in foul territory. R3, thinking the ball will remain foul, picks up the moving ball just in foul territory and tosses it to the pitcher. The umpires rule R3 out for interference. / T F
8. / 1 out. R2 is off and running as the batter hits a fly ball to left field. Thinking the ball will be dropped, R2 rounds third base. The third base coach is signalling for R2 to stop with both arms out. R2 accidentally crashes into the third base coach, falls to the ground, and gets up and returns to 3rd base unassisted. The umpire rules R2 out due to coach’s interference. / T F
9. / R2, 0 out. The batter hits a line drive up the middle. The pitcher, in self defence, raises his glove and deflects the ball towards 3rd base. The shortstop charges in and is just about to field the ball when he is bumped by R2 who is advancing to 3rd base. The umpire calls time and calls R2 out for interference. / T F
10. / R1, R3. 1 out. The pitcher attempts a pick off at third base. R3 is caught in a lengthy rundown. Seeing this, R1 advances and is standing on third base, when R3 deliberately raises his left arm and is touched by a thrown ball. The plate umpire calls time, calls R3 out for runner’s interference, and returns R1 to 2nd base. / T F
Level 2 Review
11. / Baseball Ontario allows the use of the Re-entry Rule in all levels from Minor Peewee to Junior. / T F12. / R1 and R2, 1 out. A pop fly is hit down the third baseline. The umpire signals infield fly. The ball falls untouched before 3rd base and rolls and settles in foul territory without passing 3rd base. The umpire should call foul ball and disregard the infield fly. / T F
13. / If the batter makes contact with the ball with one or both feet on the ground entirely outside of the batter’s box, he should be called out regardless of whether the ball goes fair or foul. /
T F
14. / R1, 2 out. Strike three is not held by the catcher. The batter runs to first base. The catcher’s throw to 1st sails into right field, allowing R1 to score. The umpire rules that the inning ended immediately upon the strike out, since first base was occupied and the BR was not entitled to run. / T F15. / R3, 0 out. A pitch bounces before home plate and hits the batter while still in the batter’s box, and then deflects into the dugout. The umpire awards the BR first base and returns R3 to 3rd base. / T F
Game Management and Plate Mechanics
16. / With the bases empty, the batter hits a ball to the left field gap. The first base umpire is coming in to pivot, and collides with the BR rounding 1st base. The BR falls, but gets up and continues to 2nd base. The BR is called out at 2nd by the third base umpire on a very close play. The first base umpire calls time and awards the BR 2nd base due to the umpire’s interference. / T F17. / Bases loaded, 0 out. The infielders are all playing in. A ground ball passes the diving shortstop and hits the base umpire. The base umpire calls time, awards the BR first base due to the umpire’s interference, and all other runners advance. / T F
18. / The plate umpire, as umpire-in-chief for the game, should immediately intervene and take charge any time a manager begins arguing with a base umpire. / T F
19. / Baseball Ontario plate umpires may choose to use either the scissors stance or the box stance. / T F
20. / R1, 0 out. R1 is stealing when the catcher, in his attempt to throw, accidentally hits the plate umpire. The throw to 2nd is not in time to retire R1. The plate umpire does not enforce umpire’s interference, allowing R1 to stay at 2nd base, because the catcher was still able to throw the ball despite the umpire’s interference. / T F
Postioning (PU = Plate Umpire, U1 = 1st Base Umpire, U3 = 3rd Base Umpire, BU = Base Umpire)
21. / 2 umpire system. No runners. A routine fly ball is hit to right-center field. The BU comes in to pivot and the PU makes the catch/no-catch call in the outfield. / T F22. / 2 umpire system. R1. On a double, R1 advances easily to 3rd base as the outfielder throws the ball to 2nd base to make a play on the BR. The PU should be standing in fair territory near the 3rd base cutout because this is a 1st to 3rd rotation situation. / T F
23. / 3 umpire system. No runners. On a fly ball down the right field line, U1 should go out with the ball, U3 should come in to the 2nd base cutout for a possible play on the BR at 2nd , and the PU should move down the 3rd base line in foul territory for a possible play on the BR at 3rd base. / T F
24. / 3 umpire system. R1. On a clean base hit with R3 going to 3rd base, the PU should call “I’ve got 3rd if he comes” and move up the 3rd baseline in foul territory. U3 should step up, turn, and face the ball. Once R1 commits to 3rd base, U3 shouldsplit the difference between 1st and 2nd and be ready to make potential calls on the BR at either 1st or 2nd base. U1 shouldmove in foul territory watching the BR touch 1st base, and then bust hard to cover home plate once R1 commits to 3rd. / T F
25. / 3 umpire system. With runners on base, U3 should make all catch/no-catch calls within the outfield area known as the “cone”. / T F
1 / This is an outfielder’s overthrow, which results in all runners receiving 2 bases from the time the outfielder releases the throw. The deflection off the pitcher’s glove is not considered added momentum because it is not intentional. In this case, R1 would score because he had passed 2nd base at the time of the throw, and the B/R would be awarded 3rd base because he had rounded 1st base at the time of the throw.
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2 / It is not considered detached equipment when the force of a ball rips off a fielder’s glove. In this case, there is no penalty.
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3 / The pitcher becomes an infielder as soon as he/she steps off the rubber. The attempted pick –off is now an overthrow on an infielder’s first play, resulting in R1 being awarded 3rd base.
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4 / The number of steps taken by the fielder is irrelevant. When a ball is legally caught in play and subsequently carried out of play by a fielder, all runners are awarded one base from their position at the time the ball is carried out of play. In this case the batter is out, and R3 scores.
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5 / On offensive interference by a batter, the umpire should immediately signal the infraction but allow the play to unfold. If a runner is immediately retired by the catcher’s throw, the interference shall be disregarded and the ball is live.
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6 / A runner is out when hit by a fair batted ball that has not passed an infielder or that another infielder has an opportunity to field. It doesn’t matter if the runner is touching a base; the base does not protect the runner in this situation. In this case R2 is out at 2nd base, the ball is dead, and the B/R is likely awarded 1st base (unless the umpire judges it to be intentional interference to break up the double play, in which case the B/R is out too).
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7 / R3 is out for intentionally interfering with a foul ball.
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8 / No interference should be called on this play, and the ball remains live. Coach’s assistance is only called when the coach physically assists a runner. In this case, although there is contact between the coach and runner, the runner returns to 3rd base unassisted.
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9 / When first trying to field the ball, the pitcher would be a protected fielder. After the deflection that goes beyond a step and reach, the pitcher loses protection. However, protection switches immediately to the shortstop when it is apparent that he is rushing in to field the ball. This means that R2 has contacted a protected fielder when he bumps into the shortstop. This is interference. R2 is out, the ball is dead, and the BR is awarded 1st base.
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10 / R3 is out for intentionally interfering with a thrown ball. Other runners must return to their last legally held base at the time of the interference. Although R2 is standing on 3rd base, that base was still legally held by R3 at the time of the interference and R2’s last legally held base is 2nd.
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11 / Baseball Ontario allows the use of the Re-entry Rule in all levels from Minor Peewee to Junior.
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12 / A ball that settles in foul territory before passing 1st or 3rd base is a foul ball by definition. Also by definition, an infield fly must be a fair ball. So in this case, the ball is simply foul, the infield fly is disregarded, and the batter remains at bat.
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13 / If a batter makes contact with a ball when one or both feet are on the ground entirely outside the batter’s box, the batter is out immediately upon the contact with the ball. It does not matter if the ball goes fair or foul.
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14 / With 2 outs, a batter is entitled to run on a dropped 3rd strike, even when 1st base is occupied. In this case, the ball remains live, R1 scores, and the BR may continue to advance.
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15 / The ball becomes dead as soon as the batter is hit by the pitch, even if the pitch bounced. Where the ball goes after that is irrelevant, because the hit-by-pitch penalty must be enforced. In this case, BR would be awarded 1st base and R3 must remain at 3rd.
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16 / Base umpires interference is only called when a base umpire is hit by a fair batted ball that has not passed an infielder (other than the pitcher) or been deflected. When an umpire and runner collide, the ball remains live.
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17 / In this case, the ball has passed the shortstop and no other infielder could have a chance to field it because they were all playing in. The ball remains live and no umpire’s interference is called.
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18 / By rule, all umpires have equal authority. In the Game Management session of our Level 3 superclinic, umpires were taught help their partner in an argument situation only when the numbers are uneven (i.e. two coaches on one umpire) or when the umpire turns away from the arguing coach.
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19 / Both the box (heel-toe) stance and the scissors stance are approved by Baseball Ontario. Refer to the instructional video handed out at all superclinics for detailed descriptions of both stances.
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20 / Plate umpire’s interference must be enforced if the catcher’s throw does not immediately retire the runner. In this case, R1 must be returned to 1st base.
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21 / Since the ball is a routine fly ball and is not taking the right fielder toward the foul line, BU should come in and pivot. In a 2-umpire system, the BU only goes out in this situation if he/she reads that it is a “trouble” ball.
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22 / On the 1st-3rd rotation, PU should go to 3rd base but remain in foul territory. He/she would only come fair onto the cutout if both the ball and the runner come to 3rd base.
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23 / With no runners on base and U1 going out, PU should follow down the 1st base line and has responsibility for the touch of 1st and any possible play on BR at 1st base. Should the play go to 2nd or 3rd base, U3 has responsibility.
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24 / This question describes a proper 1st-3rd rotation in complete detail. All statements in the question are true.
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25 / In a 3-umpire system, the “cone” is not used. With runners on base, the umpire on the line has responsibility for all balls in his/her half of the outfield, the umpire in the middle has responsibility for all balls in a “wedge” shape from center-field , and PU has responsibility for all balls toward the open line (the line that has no base umpire).
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