Quote:
Originally posted by His High Holiness
Carl;
Go to the thread "Toss Glove". The accuracy of the BRD has been called into question.Peter
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Peter:
We're discussing only a batted ball lodging in a player's equipment or uniform.
A history lesson is in order:
Here's the relevant statute in 1992: Ball becomes immediately dead when: A batted ball which is on or over fair ground... or goes over or through or wedges in the field fence. (FED 5-1-1e)
Here's the relevant statute in 1993: Ball becomes immediately dead when: A batted ball which is on or over fair ground... or goes over or through or wedges in the field fence; or
lodges in players equipment or uniform. (FED 5-1-1e)
That addition is not marked as a change in the FED rule book nor is it listed on the inside cover as a change or editorial revision.
The rule has been in the BRD since the 14th edition (1994). Since the clasue was not marked as a change, it's likely I missed in preparing the 1993 BRD.
But it's there in 1994 (Section 18) marked
New: with this note: "The change is an unannounced editorial revision that gives the umpire something to do following last year's unannounced editorial revision as 5-1-1e." (Last year's revision is not relevant to this issue.)
The BRD has carried the section in every edition since.
But the issue was clarified in the 2002 BRD since both the NCAA and PBUC had issued rulings on the play.
Rich Fetichiet ruled that a batted ball lodging in a player's uniform results in a dead ball, two-base award. He skipped ruling on a ball lodging in equipment. (NCAA website, 4/18/01) The next year, the NCAA added the interpretation as a rule at 8-32L.
Mike Fitzpatrick took my play to the 2002 minor league umpires meeting in Boston and asked them to vote on what the status of the ball should be. They said: "A batted ball that lodges in a player's uniform is alive and in play." (Fitzpatrick phone call to me, 12/26/01)
So here's my play from the 2002 edition:
B1 hits a sharp, one-hop come-backer to the mound. F1 gloves the ball instinctively, then discovers the ball is lodged tightly between the fingers of his glove. As B1 hustles down the line, F1 removes the glove and thorws it, with the ball still ldoged, to F3 in time to retire B1. Ruling: In FED, the ball is dead when it lodges in F1's glove; award B1 second. In NCAA and OBR, B1 is out.
Note: The only rule book (or interpretation) that mentions what happens when the batted ball lodges in equipment is the FED.
The discussion, then, has nothing to do with the BRD. I reported the rule accurately in every edition since the rule was changed.
If now some state rules interpreters are "explaining" the meaning of "lodges," that's their business. That's the business of any of their umpires who find it out. It is not the business of the BRD.
Just to be sure, I went back and read through every NFHS Official Interpretation for every year since 1993. There is no mention of the "editorial revision" and no play illustrating any meaning of "lodge." (I knew there would not be since that would have instantly made the BRD. Still, in the interest of thoroughness, I looked.)
If this issue matters to Hopkins, he can issue his own ruling on the NFHS website in January. In 2003 they appeared in time to show up in the 2003 BRD: 11 of the 20 interpretations made it into the book. In 2004, they were late and so none are in the 2004 edition.
As one final note: Situation 17 is a significant rewrite of casebook play 3.2.2b; situation 17 is definitely headed for the 2005 book. BTW: I'll bet a dollar to a penny the NFHS does NOT correct 3.2.2b to align ith with the black letter law of the case book.