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Online now: 4 members: Bob Downs, Bruce M, CC14, softball4b; 51 anonymous| Posted | Discussion |
| Oct. 31, 2020 alan--23 7 posts | ssusa rule 7.6 Does ssusa have a written definition of what they consider a full swing? We play in a league that has a little left-handed hitter who stands at the front of the batters box and just slaps the ball over the third baseman’s head, in reality his swing is actually a third of a swing. Is that type of a swing actually legal? I have read rule 7.6 E and it does not explain what is actually considered to be a full swing. |
| Oct. 31, 2020 SSUSA Staff 3336 posts | About three weeks ago, an SSUSA member (B.J.) posted this reply to the same question you asked ... His reply is excellent and is as good as anything we could say on topic ... _________ There actually is no real definition in the rulebook stating what a full swing is and MANY batters do not actually take one .. §7.6 • BATTER IS OUT (E. When the batter bunts or chops the ball, or does not take a full swing when deliberately hitting a pitched ball.) IMO a full swing is when the bat starts behind the batters shoulder and finishes up towards his other shoulder as in a home run FULL SWING.. there is no such thing as batter having to break/flick his wrists... Most opposite field hitters do not take a full swing they basically start there swing and punch the ball to the opposite field... I consider this a legal swing.. as long as the batters bat crosses over the pitching mat in a forward swinging motion striking the ball it is legal.. there also is no rule on how hard the bat must be swung or how softly the ball is hit.. you just can't turn and stick your bat out in a bunting motion. |
| Nov. 1, 2020 B.J. 1060 posts | alan.. as Staff mentioned I answered this similar question a while back.. IMO the rule could/should be worded differently... an easy fix would be to go with ASA's version... there rule is simple and no guess work because it has no mention of taking a full swing.. they leave it up to the umpires judgement.. which is how all calls are made.. below is there rule Section 6. THE BATTER IS OUT H. (Slow Pitch) When the batter bunts or chops the ball. |
| Nov. 1, 2020 DaveDowell Men's 70 4097 posts | B.J. ... Even the SSUSA rule is more specific than ASA/USA's 5± inches of invisible ink verbiage you quoted ... Ha! ... [grins] |
| Nov. 1, 2020 B.J. 1060 posts | Dave... lmao.. I probably had a lot more to say but being so old I forgot to type it in and yes "FOR ONCE" I agree with you that SSUSA's rule is more specific... and that's the problem the addition of.. (or does not take a FULL SWING) this seems to give players and managers a reason to complain when the batter just slaps at the ball |
| Nov. 1, 2020 DaveDowell Men's 70 4097 posts | As crazy as it seems, your analysis/definition is a LOT like Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart's opinion in the 1964 obscenity case called Jacobellis v. Ohio where he wrote "..I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced... [b]ut I know it when I see it ..." ... And that sort of a judgment call by an umpire in the "full swing" controversy is just fine by me! ... |
| Nov. 2, 2020 stick8 1981 posts | Just had this argument last week. Men’s league. Lead off batter, a lefty, no one on no one out, gets up and slaps it toward short. Short makes the play but the first baseman drops the throw. Safe. Right away they start arguing. “He didn’t break his wrist” (which is the primary argument I get). To which my standard reply is “Sir, if he broke his wrist he’d be screaming in pain and have to go to a hospital” End of argument. |
| Nov. 3, 2020 B.J. 1060 posts | Dave, lol... hmmm supreme court.. I always knew I missed my calling.. again IMO it would be much easier and stop SOME of the crying if the FULL SWING part of the rule was just removed since it is evident all batters DO NOT take full swings stick.. I've heard the same story on the batter didn’t break his wrists at least that's not written in the rule |
| Nov. 3, 2020 mad dog Men's 65 4184 posts | i look at it this way....if the ball makes it to a infielder and a play can be made or into the outfield he has swung enough.....what about the guy who takes the hr swing and tops it and it bounces way up and is able to beat it out easily..... |
| Nov. 4, 2020 stick8 1981 posts | It’s akin to sliding. I believe senior ball rules are different (BJ would know) but in men’s ball I quite frequently hear “he has to slide or give himself up” That’s not a rule!! The rule in men’s ball is you can’t crash into a defensive player. |
