Quote:
Originally Posted by drh898
I play Senior Slow Pitch and on a foul tip where the ball does not go over the batters head and is caught by the catcher the batter is out.
Last night, while umpiring a men's (not Senior) slow pitch game the same situation occured and I called the batter out. It was appealed, saying that the ball must go over the batter head for it to be an out. I consulted my fellow umpire, who has been working these slow pitch leagues for quite awhile and he said that, yes, it does need to go over the batters head.
I can't find any reference to this in the ASA rule book except to say that a foul tip is a strike and not an out (except on the third strike). A foul tip is a ball the goes "sharply and directly from the bat into the catcher's glove". In slow pitch I would be hard pressed to say any ball goes "sharply and directly".
Is there such a rule as "it has to go over the batter's head?
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There WAS a rule that defined a foul tip as not going higher than the batter's head. However, this rule was changed in 2006, I believe, and the definition you found is the current, correct rule.
It is entirely possible, but not nearly as likely, to have a foul tip in SP. I call only SP, and I've had maybe 3 actual, honest-to-goodness foul-tips since they changed the rule.