u/Much_Job4552

I'm 39 today! 365 days until I'm old.

HS game, NFHS rules

Batter is way up in the box and tight on a not good pitcher. Another slow lob comes in and the batter crouches over and ball hits him in helmet. I call dead ball and a strike accounting for the trajectory of the pitch. (100% over the plate, a bit high but dropping) And it was an honest attempt to avoid getting hit.

Coach gets upset and said it can't be a strike since ball never made it over the plate for it to be called. Batter walked anyway and we all moved on. In between innings of course the other coach said it was a good call but felt better.

But is he right? Is there a loophole that a batter could crowd in front of the plate and choke off a pitch by getting hit before it even makes it to the plate?

I normally do NFHS but helped out with a USSSA/OBR game this weekend in 3 person crew. I was in field and excited to practice a 3 person crew.

Leadoff guy swung strike 3 low. Ball is picked cleanly by catcher but did hit ground. Runner makes is safely to first (action later) and coach and crowd are furious that catcher caught the ball. So we all meet with PU and confirm ball did hit ground before catcher had it. PU explains to coach it is uncaught not "dropped". He's mad again and has a new question...

The play: Before BR makes it to first he sees F3 setup and ball coming in. He does a 180 and takes step back home, ball gets past F3, runner does plant step another 180 (full spin basically) and runs to first all in full motion. PU didn't see this and we confirm with defensive coach he did spin. PU said since he did thay it was abandonment and called him out. I asked later and PU said it was because he was beyond where circle would be. (Dirt field)

Would you guys consider this enough for abandonment? This isn't in NFHS and thought it was a little cheap to call in this situation. (Given this coach called time to give his opinion on everything)

Is there a term when you interpret something as a joke and "get it" but the person was serious and no joke was made. Not Schodinger Sarcasm were the person plays it as a joke.

The opposite of not getting the joke and going "whoosh"?