NFHS 2005 rule changes

[David Emerling]

Yes, yes ... I know. Umpires shouldn't rush into making a call.

But the discussion isn't about proper mechanics or patience. The discussion BEGINS with the umpiring already having made the mistake so there is no point in discussing how he SHOULDN'T have made that mistake.

It's a given. The mistake has been made.

A batter hits a screaming line drive that is curving foul that F3 surprisingly snatches out of mid-air ... just as the PU was raising his hands and yelling "Foul!"

Oops!

The verbiage on the NFHS website seemed to make an issue of the ball "touching the ground" with regards to these "inadvertant" foul calls.

What if it doesn't hit the ground ... as in my example above?

Yet, the NFHS has an interpretation where the ball does not hit the ground ... is ruled foul ... is caught ... and the official ruling is FOUL.

And yet, balls that are hit over the fence that are inadvertantly ruled foul can be changed to fair. Is that because it never "touched the ground?"

It all seems kind of dumb to me.

David Emerling
Memphis, TN