Ruling/Scoring question

In first instance, yes the Infielder would still get an assist; in the second instance a player can only recieve one assist on any play.

Are you sure that there is still an assist credited even if the out is not recorded?

Not ignorance at all....this is one of those things in the rule book which seems to not make sense. How can you get an assist without getting the out?....but you can......

NFHS Rule 9 section 5 article 3

An assist is credited to a fielder each time he handles or deflects the ball during action which is connected with the putout or he handles the ball prior to an error which prevents what would have been a putout.

Your pitcher only gets 1 assist...

I think you have to take into consideration what is considered errors by the first baseman. It is pretty hard for a first baseman to get an error on a putout, if my understanding is correct. A missed dig is not an error on first but an error on the assisting position (piaa correct me if I am wrong). Now, a first baseman might not get the error but if he can't dig he ain't much a first baseman. If I am wrong on the error issue, disregard everything I said , which is usually pretty easy to do.

I don't think an assist is recorded if there is no out.

Flintoide and piaa_ump are correct. If an error occurs in the situation described, you definitely credit an assist, assuming, in the scorer's judgment, an out would have occurred except for the error. This situation is specifically covered in each of the major rule books (high school, college, pro). piaa_ump has already listed the high school rule (NFHS). The OBR and NCAA rules are listed below.

Why should an assist be credited, even if an out does not occur? Because this impacts the defensive fielding percentage for individual players. If the shortstop fields a ground ball and makes a throw to first that the scorer deemed catchable, but the first baseman has the ball pop out of his glove, the shortstop did his job! He fielded the ball and made a throw that should have resulted in an out. Thus, he receives an assist.

This is the same principle, IMO, at least, involved in charging a runner with a Caught Stealing and crediting the catcher with an assist, even if an out does not actually result. Again, this is specifically covered in the rules. Under OBR, it is Rule 10.08f:

When in the scorer's judgment a runner attempting to steal is safe because of a muffed throw, do not credit a stolen base. Credit an assist to the fielder who made the throw; charge an error to the fielder who muffed the throw, and charge the runner with "caught stealing."


Professional (OBR): Rule 10.11 ASSISTS
An assist shall be credited to each fielder who throws or deflects a batted or thrown ball in such a way that a putout results, or would have resulted except for a subsequent error by any fielder. Only one assist and no more shall be credited to each fielder who throws or deflects the ball in a run down play which results in a putout, or would have resulted in a putout, except for a subsequent error.

NCAA: Rule 10-14.a
An assist is credited to a fielder when he handles or effectively deflects the ball during action that is connected with a putout or he handles the ball before an error that prevents what would have been a putout. If several fielders handle the ball or one fielder handles it more than once during a play, only one assist is credited to each of such fielders.

This thread has pointed out to me, once again, that there is still plenty to learn.

Thanks to all. I just got around to checking back to my question, and you all confirmed what I thought on both questions. Like Tiger3Boy, also, I learned something new, too. So thanks to JWC32 for the info regarding steals. I had never considered that scoring on a mishandled ball.

Now another question for my clarification: Do I read that last part of JWC32's response that EACH player gets credit for an assist if SEVERAL players are involved in a play?

Examples: A runner attempting to score from third on a fly out to RF, that is relayed by 1B to C would mean that RF AND 1B both got an assist on the same play if the runner is tagged out?

Or a rundown that goes 1-3-6-1-4 means that 1, 3, and 6 EACH get ONE assist and 4 the PO on that play? That is what I am understanding by reading that. Is that correct?

Yes, you are correct. In the first example, a 9-3-2 play, the RF and the 1B each get an assist, and the C gets the putout.

In the 1-3-6-1-4 play, the 2B gets the putout, and the other three players are each credited with one assist. The P handled the ball twice during the play, but the scoring rules state that he can still only receive one assist for his actions.

Thanks, been a long time since I did any scoring and I need a refresher course.