I would’ve gone with A fwiw
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Seems like a dumb rule. Just don’t allow any steals at that age.
(Unless it is some National/Area-level Rule, in which the league winners would play other league winners and it’s best if all leagues played under the same rules.)
However, if the field had a PA system, a booming, authoritative voice from above could easily explain it.
And, yes, A is preferred.
First post: Can’t the batter just come up and wildly swing and miss the first 3 pitches with his teammates on base remaining on base regardless of plays by catcher/pitcher?
Second post: I agree with you unless the wild throw that went to CF was an actual play on R1 stealing 2nd. Though in my grandson’s league, I believe R3 can only advance to home if the other team makes a play on him. So even if they attempt to get the out at 2nd, R3 cannot advance on that play.
@dr_t_non-fan - regional tournament rule. every town might use a different one but the org that runs the tourneys and state has this as the standard. I saw 0 runners retired on steals (except for the kid who didn’t slide and over-ran 2nd and was tagged trying to get back). Coaches are all told the rule at signup, at checkin, and at the home plate conference (in my games). Do they remember? I guess not. Bc if there’s only one runner (R1 at 1st) they could run all the way around and score on a steal bc they didn’t start the play on 3rd. That brings a source of confusion and limits a developmental aspect bc it isn’t worth it to try and throw someone out bc it is nearly futile and most runners can just keep going.
First post - the team forfeiting outs is worried about time limit exhausting. Pitcher delays, mound visits, pitching change shoe tying, errant throwbacks, etc. 3 pitches can easily take the last 2 minutes or more. But yes, swing at everything for 3 in a row and sprint to the dugout after the 3rd (in case it bounced so the put out is delayed).
2nd post - play was on R1. R3 only live if they play on R3. This was not that.
I assume there is some reason for this rule?
They are trying to cut the baby in half. And imo getting it wrong.
The u9 pitchers & catchers stink and they dont want walks to become runs semi-automatically w passed balls.
If it was me writing the rule, i would only allow scoring through action involving the batter. Hit, error on batted ball, walk, hbp, etc. So one can steal 2nd or 3rd. But advancement home has to come from something other than a steal/passed ball. My rule would encourage stealing/alert baserunning and encourage catchers theowing to catch a thief.
Yeah, but that originally was a bluff. The mothers are not supposed to call the bluff. One is supposed to give up their argument, so that the baby can live.
If the pitchers and catchers stink this much, then no stealing at all.
At “All-Star” Level, with advanced pitchers and catchers, they can add stealing, and not half-way.
Wait, they can’t steal home unless played on but they can attempt 1st base on a dropped 3rd strike? Our league didn’t allow either of those.
Dropped 3rd at this age is always an out but ball is live. U12 is when that changes where i am
I recall when I was growing up that the top-level U10 division allowed steals, but the two lower levels did not.
Yeah, three whole divisions of teams in a 15,000-population (plus exurbs) town.
I’m too old to remember what the rules were when I played. We had 8&9 Mustang, 10&11 Bronco, 12-14 (ircc) Pony and 15-18 corresponding to HS was American Legion.
You would think I would remember since at 9 I was catcher and after that I was either 2nd or catcher until HS (catcher and outfield) when I should have quit but was too invested. I don’t remember a no stealing rule but I think in Mustang league you couldn’t lead off the base so there might have been other rules that only applied to that league (no infield fly rule? probably).
Local rules here… 9u local leagues, runner on third can only score on a batter action, team has to earn home. Field has a deep back stop and there’s maybe 2 decent catchers in a league of 6 teams. Travel ball, can steal home all day. Once we get up to 10u they can steal home in both local/travel. Personally I like it.
same here.