I posted this one on eteamz also but wanted to hear what some of you had to say.
ASA rules state in Rule 1 Fair ball B. Bounds over or past first or third base, which is in fair territory, regardless of where the ball hits after going over the base. Ok now the question how much of first or third does the ball have to go over? Is it another any part of the base? The reason this came up is I was watching a game sitting right behind home plate on scorers platform, bounding ball hit toward third untouched it bounces in front of 3rd then just crosses the front tip of the base and hits again 4-5 foul, 4-5feet past the base. Plate ump signals fair (pointing to fair territory, didn't even yell foul like I mentioned in a post below!!(that was just for you Xray)) Def. coach from 1st base dougout asks how that was fair. PU tells him "it crossed over the base and I called it fair", game goes on.
Now since I was not calling the game I had plenty of time to think and I started 2nd guessing myself (I totally agreed with the call at the time) I started to remember some myth or old rule about the ball going 60 feet in fair territory (maybe left over from the days of umping LL baseball). That got me to thinking that, if there was a rule about that it would almost have to cross the center of the base. What do you all think??
Also I was looking at the drawing in the ASA book and it doesn't really show, where is the 60'(JO fastpitch) from? From the point of home plate to A) Front of 1st and 3rd B)Center of 1st and 3rd or C) Rear of 1st and 3rd.
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