Strange, almost troll like, situation
 

At tonight’s HS association meeting we varsity umpires were discussing some situations that we have seen during our scrimmages. A couple of the guys, one a current college umpire & the other a pro-school grad, described a situation they had the other day and asked “what would you call?” It’s difficult for me to imagine this happening but they assured us that it did.

Situation: Fly ball lands between first & second almost in the grass, no IFF. It lands with so much spin, or hits something, that the ball comes back toward the infield and exits fair territory between home and 1B settling foul. The ball was not touched. The college ump was working the plate and called it foul. The pro-schooled ump thought it should have been called fair but didn’t indicate so. Neither coach argued the foul call.

Our group was split with fair/foul. I argued on the side of fair because the ball went beyond 1st & 3rd before it landed in fair territory. The fact that it doubled back and then went foul should be handled just like a ball which is hit down the line past either 1st or 3rd lands fair then rolls foul.

What would you call it?

This is a fair ball:

A FAIR BALL / FOUL BALL (Foul Ball included for explanatory purposes.) is a

Rule 2.00 (Fair/Foul Definition)
Official Notes - Case Book - Comments: If a fly ball lands in the infield between home and first base, or home and third base, and then bounces to foul territory without touching a player or umpire and before passing first or third base, it is a foul ball; or if the ball settles on foul territory or is touched by a player on foul territory, it is a foul ball. If a fly ball lands on or beyond first or third base and then bounces to foul territory, it is a fair hit.

Fair in FED because they specifically state that if it goes beyond a line from 1B to 3B it's fair.

Foul in NCAA and OBR.

The pro-schooled ump thought it should have been called fair but didn’t indicate so. Huh?

This is a fair ball. Once it bounds or lands beyond the bag, in fair territory, it is fair. Doesn't matter after that. That is everywhere.

I agree with Tim, although I originally envisioned the ball landing near the outfiled grass. Either way, he has it covered.

Sorry, I should have been clearer...it almost landed on the grass in the outfield.

I'm assuming that when the PU called foul all action stopped. I guess the BU figured what the heck, why rock the boat.

Could you tell me where I can find where FED states that if it goes beyond a line from 1B to 3B it's fair? I said the same thing but couldn't find anything to support my claim in the rule book or case book last night.

Thanks

FED sez that if the ball's on the ground and its called 'foul', it remains foul. There's no provision to make it fair, so the BU couldn't change it even if he wanted to.

Rule 2-5-1.b

I've made a diagram. The FED fair/foul line is in blue.

Would the OBR's equivalent to the FED fair/foul line be what i drew in red?

http://www.geocities.com/kugamonste/diagram2.JPG

That's the usual interp, yes.

Thanks Bob,

That's the one I was looking for but couldn't find it last night (I even looked in 2-5). I'll blame it on trying to complete my study guide questions in class or I was having an "old guy" moment...I hate it when that happens :D

Regarding those colored lines, I would draw the red lines on the inside of the bases. If a pop landed just to the fair side of 3B or 1B, I'd call it fair regardless of where it went after that. "Past the base," in other words, is past the leading (interior) edge of the base—thus past any part of the base, not necessarily entirely past the back edge.

This is to be consistent with the fact that a ball that hits the leading edge of the base is fair, and the fact that a ball that hits just inside 1B or 3B (but not past the back edge) and bounces over the bag and into foul territory would also be fair.

I'd move the blue line in slightly, too, to the "front" of the bags.

The OBR interp. is that a ball that touches the ground beyond the blue line in the above diagram is a fair ball, regardless of where it ends up.

What's the source for that interp? I'm not doubting you, I just haven't seen it (or don't recall seeing it).