[greymule]

A few months ago, we discussed the following play in ASA:

Ball goes sharp and direct off the bat, hits the catcher's hand, ricochets to her shoulder, and gets trapped behind the chest protector. Since in ASA a ball trapped in a defensive player's equipment is in play, if the catcher reaches in and secures the ball in her hand, this is a foul tip, regardless of how long it took her to secure the ball.

However, if the ball falls out onto the ground, or if the pitcher reaches in and pulls it out, it's just a foul ball.

I'm not sure whether Fed would consider that a foul tip (i.e., whether a ball trapped in a defensive player's equipment is in play—in NCAA, it's just a foul ball).

I'm also not sure whether in Fed a player other than the catcher can catch a foul tip. In ASA, it must be the catcher.