[AtlUmpSteve]

The ball is dead until made live; NFHS and NCAA actually require a point, gesture, or verbalize "play" to signify the ball is now live. However, as a matter of routine, many will recognize when all conditions to make the ball live have been met (pitcher on the pitching plate, catcher ready to receive a pitch, batter in the box and ready, runners ready, umpire ready to call a pitch) that the signal or verbalization may be redundant, and the umpire's actions as ready are sufficient.

The NFHS requirement was added a few years back when a set of umpires ruled that, after a foul ball, when the ball was retrieved and overthrown past the pitcher that the foul ball had ended and runners could advance at their own risk. The story at the time suggested that a very highly regarded individual from San Antonio agreed with that interpretation in support of the umpires, and suggested there was no rule that specifically contradicted that ruling.

As pretty much everyone else understood the intent that the ball remains dead until it is MADE live, the ruling evolved to direct the obvious gesture (point or beckon) and/or verbalization. It sounds like this OP may be a similar FUBAR by someone without any understanding of the concepts.