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Originally Posted by Cajun Reff
coach pitch 7/8 y/o girls slowpitch softball, USSSA rules
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Sec. 29. A foul ball is a batted ball which:
A. Settles on foul territory between home and first base, or between home
and 3rd base.
B. Bounds past first or third base on or over foul territory.
C. First falls on foul territory beyond first or third base.
D. While on or over foul territory touches the person of an umpire, a
player or any object foreign to the natural ground
RH batter hits the ball, ball goes straight down and hits in the batter's box just past the batter's foot and starts slowly rolling towards 3rd in foul territory, I am on the plate and I call foul ball. As it keeps rolling it hits a clump of dirt and kicks into fair territory just past the fair/foul area in front of home plate. Batting team coach says that ball should be fair and reading the USSSA rules it seems he may be correct.
Since I had already called foul ball, right or wrong the play is dead. This play has stuck with me since last night, did I interpret the fair/foul rule wrong? Is a clump of dirt on a poorly maintained field an "object" or is part of the "natural ground" |
I haven't called U-Trip in years, but that rule hasn't changed, either. A clump of dirt on a poorly maintained field is still part of the ground. Same thing is said for the pits that are dug into the batter's box.
If the ball is still in motion, I never call "foul" until it's finally a foul ball (ie., touched by a fielder, settles or is touched in foul territory before passing 1B or 3B, bounds past 1B or 3B in foul territory, or lands foul beyond 1B or 3B, etc.). Until one of those happens, I'm silent.