[roadking]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Any rules set: As long as the catcher or any defender has not entered dead ball territory, they are permitted to catch any live ball. There is no specific rule addressing your exact scenario, but here is the NCAA definition of "Catch".

NCAA Softball Rules:

Ca t c h

SECTION 22. The act of a fielder who, with her hand(s) and/or glove/mitt,
securely gains possession of a batted, pitched or thrown ball. In establishing
the validity of the catch, the fielder must hold the ball long enough to
prove she has control of the ball and that her release of the ball is voluntary
and intentional. If the fielder has made the catch but drops the ball either in
transferring it to the throwing hand or in making a throw, the ball shall be
ruled caught.

For a legal catch:
a . A fielder must catch and have secure possession of the ball before stepping,
touching or falling into a dead-ball area.
b . A fielder who falls over or through the fence after making a catch shall
be credited with the catch.
c . A fielder who catches a ball while contacting or stepping on a fence
while the fence is vertical is credited with a catch.
A catch shall not be credited if:
a . A fielder catches a batted, pitched or thrown ball with anything other
than her hand(s) or glove/mitt in its proper place.
b . Immediately following a catch, the fielder collides with another player,
umpire or fence or falls to the ground and fails to maintain possession
of the ball.
c . The fielder uses any equipment or part of her uniform that is displaced
from its proper position.
d . An entire foot is touching dead-ball territory at the time of the catch.
e . The ball strikes anything or anyone other than a defensive player while
it is in flight.

Note: In this case, the ball is ruled a ground ball.

f . A fence is falling to or on the ground when the fielder contacts the ball.
g . The fielder traps the ball. A batted fly ball or line drive is considered
trapped if it hits the ground or a fence on a short hop before being
caught. A thrown ball is considered trapped if it is caught but the ball is
RULE 1-20/D E F I N I T I O N S
1 4 RULE 1-22/D E F I N I T I O N S
on the ground and the glove/mitt is over, rather than under, it. A pitched
ball is considered trapped if it is a strike but touches the ground on a
short hop before being caught by the catcher.
A ball prevented from hitting the ground by a player’s equipment (providing
it is in its proper place) or body shall not be ruled caught until the

ball is securely held in the player’s hand(s) or glove/m i t t .

Thanks!
The catch 22. C covers my question. I new it was covered in the book, but I failed to look there.