I'm looking for clarification/confirmation on the Infield Fly Rule.

In review of the OBR definition of terms with regards to the infield fly rule it states in part "The ball is alive and runners may advance at the risk of the ball being caught, or retouch and advance after the ball is touched, the same as on any fly ball."

My question is, Does the phrase "after the ball is touched" apply even if ball drops to the ground untouched and stays in fair territory?

Example: R1 and R2, no outs. BR hits high pop fly in infield. Infield Fly is called. F6 calls for the catch, but looses the ball in the sun and it drops untouched in fair territory to the ground and remains in fair territory.

In this scenario the runners need to retouch their bases, correct?

Thanks in advance for your help.

No. The runners don't have to tag up on a ball that is not caught.

Seems that "touched" in your edition should read "caught."

I think the wording "retouch and advance after the ball is touched" refers to when you can advance, such as the first touch by a fielder who bobbles but eventually catches the ball legally.

Infield Fly
 

The ONLY thing that the Infield Rule does is eliminate the BR. The batter is out if the ball is fair.

Runners may advance at their discretion, just like on any pop up or fly ball. Only need to tag on a legal catch.

how about the IF that lands near 1st base( lets say 3 feet away into fair, two feet behind bag), but is untouched, then rolls into foul territory between 1st and home. What do we have??

If a declared Infield Fly is allowed to fall untouched to the ground, and bounces foul before passing first or third base, it is a foul ball.

Even if the ball lands untouched past first or third in fair territory and then because of the spin rolls foul between 1st and home or 3rd and home I would still rule foul ball.

infield fly batter is out IF fair!

Don't think so - "or that first falls on fair territory on or beyond first or third base". If it falls fair beyond the bag it is fair no matter where it spins to.

Uhhh brumey,
that's a fair ball, once it passes 1st or 3rd.

IF debate
 

i asked a similar question before and the guidline i gleaned from the post was except for the batter who is called out immediately all other rules pertaining to fly balls stand basicaly touched has no real meaning and refers to caught. as for your situation if the ball roles across the base line in front of 1st and 3rd its location(inside/ outside the line) determines fair/foul. so in your example the ball roles outside the foul line while inside the 1st base line it is foul IF is canceled. if the same happene behind 1st base then the ball is fair IF stands.

The word "touched" is the correct word used here as runners can advance as soon as the ball is TOUCHED not caught. This is why the word touched is used instead of caught. For example, a fly ball to RF, the fielder sets up under the ball and as he touches it it hits the heel of his glove and bounces out but he stays with it and catches the ball before it comes in contact with the ground. As soon as the ball TOUCHED the fielders glove the runners are off and running leagally.

2-5-1b a fair ball is a batted ball which: contacts fair ground on or beyond an imaginary line between first and third base

this ball obviously fell in fair ground beyond the imaginary line. Ruling fair ball, INF in effect, batter out!!

Sorry, just couldn't resist posting the question.

<b>a fair ball is a batted ball which: contacts fair ground on or beyond an imaginary line between first and third base</b>

That's the Fed rule. OBR is different.

How is OBR different?

IF/ fly ball
 

that is true but the rule book actually says tag up if touched, but if the ball is not caught that does not matter no tag up

The ball is alive and runners may advance at the risk of the ball being caught, or retouch and advance after the ball is touched, the same as on any fly ball. MLB/ORB 2.00 infeild fly.

now i asked that question a week ago and was told to tag up required a catch this is atleast mildly confusing. does the infeilder making contact"touching" the ball require a tag up or as it was explained to me only catching the ball.

Re: IF/ fly ball
 

If the ball is (eventually) caught, the runner can leave when it's first touched.

If the ball is not caught, runners need not tag up.

Re: IF/ fly ball
 

If the fielder looks like they are going to catch the ball chances are the runners are going to tag up anyway, but on those chances where there may be a hit and run, the runner does not need to tag up if the ball is not caught. So, if the runner advanced from 2B to 3B on a fly ball the fielder set up under it and touches but does not catch the ball the runner is not required to go back and tag up, only if caught and they must retouch every base in sequence on their way back to tag up.

Originally posted by greymule
a fair ball is a batted ball which: contacts fair ground on or beyond an imaginary line between first and third base

That's the Fed rule. OBR is different.
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How is OBR different?

OBR does not recognize any line between 1B and 3B. For example, if a popup lands halfway between the mound and 2B and then somehow spins foul untouched (between home plate and 1B or 3B), it's a foul ball. In Fed, it would be fair.

More likely is a ball that lands behind the 1B-3B line near 1B or 3B and then spins foul between home and 1B or 3B. Fair in Fed, foul in OBR.

OBR 2.00 "A FAIR BALL is a batted ball that...is on or over fair territory when bounding to the outfield past first or third base, or that first falls on fair territory on or beyond first base or third base."

See 6 posts earlier, where I quoted from OBR - "or that first falls on fair territory on or beyond first or third base". If it falls fair beyond the bag it is fair no matter where it spins to.

There seems to be some confusion regarding my last post, regarding the difference between Fed and OBR.

Of course it does not matter where the balls spins if it first lands in fair territory past 1B or 3B in OBR or past the imaginary line connecting 1B and 3B in Fed.

But if the ball first lands two feet fair and one foot before 1B or 3B, it is fair no matter where it spins in Fed, but in OBR it could still spin foul.

So, if this happens in a FED game, we call IF and the batter will be out, whether or not the ball is touched.

fly debate
 

The ball is alive and runners may advance at the risk of the ball being caught, or retouch and advance after the ball is touched, the same as on any fly ball. MLB/ORB 2.00 infeild fly.

ok thats the answer i got before but the rule on statement dosenot mention catch. can anybody referance retouch/tag up rules to me.

I learned something new today, I bet I get an earful the first time I get to call one this way in a FED game.

I don't think the FED ruling is accurate. A ball that lands fair and spins foul before reaching 1B is foul, unless it landed beyond an imaginary line linking 1B to 3B. If it is 2 feet in front of the bag, then it can't be beyond an imaginar line linking 1B to 3B. The 1B to 3B line is Fed only.

There is no difference in FED and OBR on a ball that lands in fair territory beyond 1B or 3B. It is fair, regardless of where it spins.

OK, I think I just unlearned something today....

<b>If it is 2 feet in front of the bag, then it can't be beyond an imaginary line linking 1B to 3B.</b>

My post specifies <b>two</b> feet fair and <b>one</b> foot in front of the bag. That would put it BEHIND, by a few inches, the imaginary line connecting 1B and 3B. That is a fair ball in Fed no matter where it spins.