Need another ruling

[leatherneck1142]

Tonight in a 12u travel league game we had the following situation:
Runner on first base.
Pitcher attempts pick off R1, the ball gets by the first baseman and hits the fence near the dugout that is in play (where the 2 previous pickoff attempts went) The ball is in play. The first baseman hustles over and grabs the live ball and while doing so his right foot slides into dead ball territory. The ump calls a dead ball and awards runner 2b? Is this the correct call?
The ball never went into dead ball territory.
Thanks

[rcaverly]

Under what rules was the game being played?

[MT 73]

"A fielder may, after securing possession of the ball, step or go into Dead Ball Territory, other than a spectator area, with one or both feet and if he holds the ball and not fall down, the catch shall be legal and the ball is live"
This comes from the Wendelstedt manual under catch and carry in OBR and I think it will apply in the OP's situation.
Am not sure if this is the same in Federation.

[LRZ]

As I understand the OP, the question is about the location of the ball versus position of the fielder. OBR Rule 5.06(b)(4)(H) addresses a ball thrown by the pitcher from his position on the pitcher's plate to a base to catch a runner going into DBT. Under this rule, if the ball never went into DBT, the call was wrong.

I don't know about Fed rules.

Parenthetically, the OBR rule regarding "catch and carry" of fly balls was amended a year ago. Now, once a fielder "steps or falls into" DBT, the ball is dead. Rule 5.06(b)(3)(C) and Comment.

Now that I think about it, if the ball did go into DBT under the circumstances as described in the OP, the award would be two bases. Rule 5.06(b)(4)(H) Approved Ruling.

[umpjim]

Originally Posted by MT 73

"A fielder may, after securing possession of the ball, step or go into Dead Ball Territory, other than a spectator area, with one or both feet and if he holds the ball and not fall down, the catch shall be legal and the ball is live"
This comes from the Wendelstedt manual under catch and carry in OBR and I think it will apply in the OP's situation.
Am not sure if this is the same in Federation.

What year is your WUM?
In 2016 OBR "Amended Rule 5.06(b)(3)(C) and 5.06(b)(3)(C) Comment regarding a fielder stepping or falling into an out-of-play area."

"(C) A fielder, after catching a fly ball, steps or falls
into any out-of-play area;"

[MT 73]

Originally Posted by umpjim

What year is your WUM?
In 2016 OBR "Amended Rule 5.06(b)(3)(C) and 5.06(b)(3)(C) Comment regarding a fielder stepping or falling into an out-of-play area."

"(C) A fielder, after catching a fly ball, steps or falls
into any out-of-play area;"

2015.
So--if he steps into DBT with one or 2 feet it is now a dead ball?
But should' it just be a one base award?

[umpjim]

Originally Posted by MT 73

2015.
So--if he steps into DBT with one or 2 feet it is now a dead ball?
But should' it just be a one base award?

The "catch" portion of the rule presents a semantic problem but I think if a fielder with a ball steps into dead ball territory it would be 1 base.