[greymule]

Fed conspicuously specifies something that OBR does not: "contacts fair ground on or beyond an imaginary line between 1B and 3B." OBR says something very different: "first falls on fair territory on or beyond first base or third base." These two wordings do not define the same thing.

Imagine a popup that hits two feet inside the 1B line (fair) and one foot short of the line connecting the front edges of 1B and 2B, and then spins foul between home and 1B. In Fed, this is fair. It first hit past the line between 1B and 3B. In OBR it is foul. It did not first fall on fair ground on or beyond first base.

Again, absolutely nowhere does OBR mention the 1B-3B line. Notice the wording in the J/R:

"It is a fair ball if any portion of a batted ball . . . that is airborne falls onto fair territory beyond first, second [my emphasis], or third base."

If OBR recognizes the 1B-3B line, then why is second base included in this definition?

I was emphatically told this was the OBR interpretation.

I believe you. But maybe the guy was wrong.