Quote:
Originally Posted by Andy
Play from this weekend:
18u FP game, ASA rules, no runners on base, outs don't matter, temporary fences set up at 200'. I am PU working with a 2nd year partner.
Batter hits a long fly to left-center field, ball bounces in the field of play, F7, chasing the ball and never touching it, runs into a section of the temp fence, knocking it down past the fence line , F7 falls as well, the ball now rolls up onto the section of the fence that is lying on the ground. F7 gets up, retrieves the ball, and throws it back into the infield, B/R stops at third with a triple.
Question - were we correct in leaving the ball "live" once it rolled up onto the fence? I know that in ASA, a player can stand on a fallen fence and legally catch the ball for an out. If the ball had rolled off of the fence out into dead ball territory, I would have killed it and awarded two bases. Partner and I agreed on the ruling, but neither one of us is really sure.
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Explained to me years ago by Henry Pollard:
The entire fence is inside the field of play; from the base to the top. When a fence is standing, a ball that hits it and stays on the field remains live, a player that hits it, climbs it, is still in live ball territory; until something touches the dead ball ground beyond the fence.
That same rationale applies when the fence is knocked down; the entire fence is in the field of play, from base to top. Ball sitting on it, fielder standing (or sprawled on it), all in live ball territory; until something touches the dead ball ground beyond the fence.
This only changes if the BASE of the fence is dislodged so that it is also moved into the dead ball territory. Then the entire fence is in dead ball territory.