Bunt foul caught by catcher - out or not?

[Rich]

Originally posted by tsbetts
This situation happened tonight.

The batter attempted a bunt with no strikes. The bunt went up in the air about 6-10 inches directly in front of the catcher behind home plate. The catcher leaned forward and caught the ball on the way down.

The question is - is the batter out or is this a foul tip? I always thought the rule was if the ball did not elevate above the batter's head, then it was a foul tip but the umpire ruled it an out tonight.

The umpire was right. Unless the ball was "sharp and direct to the catcher's hands" it is a foul ball and can be caught for an out.

Softball rules may vary.

--Rich