A Dead Ball is a technical term in Baseball used to describe how a ball is out of play. The umpire decides to rule a dead ball to pause the game, and when he does, the play will be unscored until the umpire resumes the ball. If the ball was live, the game would keep ongoing. Dead balls are only caused by players who have violated baseball rules or if the batter ball comes either a foul or fair ball. This is one of the most common things that happened in a baseball match, especially when the batter is being accidentally or intentionally hit by the pitch or if he committed an illegal collision at the home base.
Causes of a Dead Ball
Although almost a baseball game has its reason for a dead ball, yet this has to be avoided because it will only allow the baserunners to advance from one base to another. The major causes of a dead ball are when the ball is being obstructed by the baserunner if there’s an interference between players or an illegal collision. The plate umpire has to meticulously look at the catcher if he doesn’t throw the ball directly to the runner. If this happens, another round of dead balls will occur. The usual offenders are the batters and the runners.
Uncontrollable Conditions that Causes a Dead Ball
During the dead ball, the ball will be temporarily unavailable, so there has to be no advancement of bases allowed during this time. When the umpire calls time, it may be because of some uncontrollable situations, such as bad weather conditions, light failure, team coaching, player suspension, and accidents. Another reason for the dead ball is when there’s an above-ground obstruction that may hinder the players to play effectively. One example is in the Tampa Bay Rays’ Tropicana Field, wherein there are overhanging speakers all around the field.
What Happens When There’s a Dead Ball?
A dead ball is not necessarily negative, as it happens to every baseball event. At the same time, this will not cause a stop to any baseball action, but only be halted for a couple of minutes, until the umpire decides to resume the game. When the ball is dead, no players can legally advance from one base to another. The biggest disadvantage of having a dead ball is when players have to accept low scores and statistics, and a few home runs.