Isabella Carter
In softball, a wild pitch is a pitch that is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort. This often allows baserunners to advance while the catcher chases the ball down. A wild pitch is usually delivered with a lot of speed and force, and the catcher may have to jump or lunge for it. If the pitch touches the ground or home plate before reaching the catcher, it is considered a wild pitch. A passed ball, on the other hand, is a statistic charged against the catcher for failing to control a pitch that should have been controlled, resulting in the advancement of baserunners. Whether a pitch is ruled a wild pitch or a passed ball is at the discretion of the official scorer, and there may be some variation in criteria depending on the league and level of play.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Pitch height | Too high or too low |
| Pitch position | Too wide of home plate |
| Catcher's ability to control the ball | Unable to control with ordinary effort |
| Baserunner advancement | Baserunner or batter advances |
| Number of bounces | More than one bounce |
| Ball contact with the plate | Ball touches the plate or the ground |
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What You'll Learn
The pitch is too high, too short, or too wide
In fastpitch softball, a wild pitch is called when the pitch is too high, too short, or too wide for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, allowing baserunners to advance. The pitch is deemed too high, too short, or too wide when it is out of the catcher's reach, requiring them to jump, lunge, or drop to the ground to retrieve it. This often results in the catcher losing control and giving runners an opportunity to advance while they chase the ball down.
A pitch that is too high may force the catcher to jump or stretch excessively to reach it. Similarly, a pitch that is too wide will require the catcher to lunge or extend their body beyond their typical range of motion to make contact with the ball. In both cases, the catcher's ability to control the ball is compromised, and they may not be able to make an ordinary effort to prevent runners from advancing.
A pitch that is too short or bounces in the dirt before reaching the catcher is also considered a wild pitch. While catchers are expected to block and control pitches that hit the ground, particularly those that bounce in front of the plate or hit the plate itself, there are limitations. If a pitch bounces too erratically after hitting the ground, or if it passes the catcher and goes behind the home plate, it becomes extremely challenging for the catcher to control its trajectory and make an ordinary effort to retrieve it.
It is important to note that the distinction between a wild pitch and a passed ball lies in the responsibility assigned to the pitcher or catcher. A wild pitch is attributed to the pitcher when their delivery is deemed too high, too short, or too wide for the catcher to control with ordinary effort. On the other hand, a passed ball is charged to the catcher when they fail to handle or control a pitch that should have been manageable with ordinary effort, resulting in the advancement of runners. The official scorer makes the final decision on whether an errant pitch is ruled a wild pitch or a passed ball.
In summary, a pitch that is too high, too short, or too wide in fastpitch softball is considered a wild pitch when it exceeds the catcher's reasonable reach and control, allowing baserunners to advance. The determination of a wild pitch takes into account the catcher's typical positioning, their ability to make ordinary efforts to control the ball, and the subsequent advancement of runners due to the pitch's trajectory.
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The catcher cannot control the ball with ordinary effort
In fastpitch softball, a wild pitch is called when the catcher cannot control the ball with ordinary effort. This means that the pitch is so high, so wide, or so low that the catcher cannot stop it with their typical skill set and level of exertion. If the pitch is too high, the catcher has to jump to get to it, and if it is too wide, they have to lunge. If the pitch is so low that it touches the ground, it is also considered a wild pitch.
A wild pitch is only called when the catcher's inability to control the ball allows baserunners or the batter to advance. If the catcher retrieves the ball quickly enough to prevent any runners from advancing, a wild pitch is not charged. The official scorer has the discretion to determine whether a pitch is a wild pitch or a passed ball, but the benefit of the doubt is usually given to the catcher.
The catcher's positioning and technique can impact whether a pitch is deemed a wild pitch or a passed ball. For example, if the catcher is not centred behind the point of aim, a pitch that hits the dirt or plate may be considered a passed ball rather than a wild pitch. Additionally, a good catcher can block many balls, preventing a wild pitch from being called even if they do not field the ball cleanly.
In some cases, the pitcher may intentionally bounce a pitch in the dirt to deceive the hitter. However, this can result in a wild pitch if the ball gets past the catcher and allows runners to advance.
Overall, the determination of whether a pitch is a wild pitch or a passed ball depends on the catcher's ability to control the ball with ordinary effort and the subsequent advancement of baserunners or the batter.
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The batter reaches first base
In fastpitch softball, a wild pitch is called when the pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort. A wild pitch usually passes the catcher behind home plate, allowing runners on base to advance while the catcher chases the ball down.
A batter can reach first base after a wild pitch in a few different scenarios. One scenario is when the batter has two strikes and takes a pitch that is ruled a wild pitch by the home plate umpire. In this case, the batter would receive a "take-your-base" award, and the pitch would be scored as a wild pitch. Another scenario is when the batter has two strikes and swings at a pitch that is ruled a wild pitch. In this case, the batter would also receive a "take-your-base" award, and the pitch would be scored as a wild pitch.
It's important to note that in fastpitch softball, the batter cannot be awarded first base on a third strike if the catcher does not catch the ball cleanly but makes an attempt to field it. This scenario would be considered a "dropped third strike," and the batter would be out unless they reached first base before the catcher fielded the ball and threw them out.
Additionally, if the bases are loaded and a wild pitch is delivered, the batter and all runners are each awarded one base. This scenario is known as a "walk-in run" and is an exception to the rule that a wild pitch can only be scored if one or more runners advance.
In summary, a wild pitch in fastpitch softball is called when the pitch is too difficult for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, and it allows runners to advance. There are several scenarios in which a batter can reach first base after a wild pitch, including having two strikes, the catcher not fielding a dropped third strike, and a walk-in run with the bases loaded.
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The pitcher intends to bounce the ball
In fastpitch softball, a wild pitch is called when the pitcher's throw is too high, too short, or too wide of the home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort. This results in the baserunner or batter advancing. A pitch that is too high, too low, or too wide for the catcher to reach with ordinary effort is usually ruled a wild pitch and not a passed ball.
A wild pitch is often the result of the pitcher intending to bounce the ball. Pitchers with good curveballs or other breaking balls are at risk of throwing wild pitches. Sometimes, the pitcher intends for the ball to bounce in the dirt, with the goal of deceiving the hitter into thinking it is crossing the strike zone at their knees before dropping to the ground. This puts the burden on the catcher to block the ball and prevent a wild pitch.
A pitch that hits the dirt or misses the catcher's glove is often considered a wild pitch. If the pitch touches the ground or home plate before reaching the catcher and they are unable to control it, resulting in runners advancing, it is considered a wild pitch.
It is important to note that a wild pitch can only be scored if one or more runners advance. If the catcher retrieves the ball quickly and no runner is able to advance, a wild pitch is not charged. The decision to rule a pitch as a wild pitch or a passed ball is at the discretion of the official scorer, and the benefit of the doubt is usually given to the catcher in uncertain situations.
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The pitch is ruled a passed ball
In fastpitch softball, the pitch is ruled a passed ball when the catcher fails to control a pitch that, with ordinary effort, they should have been able to control. This usually occurs when the pitch is so low that it touches the ground, or so high or wide that the catcher has to lunge or jump to reach it. The official scorer has the discretion to rule whether a pitch is a passed ball or a wild pitch. However, a passed ball is typically called when the pitch is deemed to be ordinarily catchable by the catcher but isn't.
Passed balls and wild pitches are similar in that they both allow a runner to advance without a stolen base. However, a key difference is that a passed ball is considered the catcher's fault, while a wild pitch is deemed the fault of the pitcher. In addition, a run scored due to a passed ball is not recorded as an earned run, whereas a run scored due to a wild pitch is.
The decision to call a pitch a passed ball often depends on the placement of the pitch and the catcher's ability to control it. If the pitch is far enough away from the catcher that they cannot control it from their squat position, it is typically called a wild pitch. On the other hand, if the pitch hits the dirt or the plate and the catcher cannot control it, it is usually ruled a passed ball.
It is worth noting that the terminology and rules regarding passed balls and wild pitches may vary slightly depending on the specific softball or baseball organization and the official scorer's judgment. Different organizations may have slightly different interpretations of what constitutes a passed ball or a wild pitch.
In conclusion, the pitch is ruled a passed ball in fastpitch softball when the catcher fails to control a pitch that is deemed to be ordinarily catchable. This usually occurs when the pitch is too low, too high, or too wide for the catcher to handle with ordinary effort. The official scorer has the discretion to make the final call, and the specific rules and interpretations may vary among different softball organizations.
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