Infield Fly Question
 

Would you call this one IFF?

High School game, one out, runners on 1st and 2nd. First baseman is holding the runner so he is at the bag.

Batter hits a pop fly down the first base line that is going beyond first base. Initially it looks like it might go foul, but it ends up landing on the chalk line 3 or 4 feet into the outfield grass. It was fairly high, but no player was able to get to it.

It lands on the line, fair ball, runners advance with no throw.

I didn't call IFF because, to me, the book requires ordinary effort, and this was a trouble ball from the start.

My partner thought it should have been an IFF, but he didn't call it either.

The rule is intented to protect the runner. I don't see the need to use it to reward the defense who never got a glove on the ball, and didn't even make an out on the play at all.

What do you think?

HTBT but it sounds like no IFF.

For me, the player must be parked or at least make it look like an easy catch.

The potential for an Infield Fly If Fair call was there but who would benefit from that call? Only the defense.

Good call.

You thought it was a trouble ball and didn't call IFF. I agree it's HTBT, but it sounds like you made the right non-call.

You are the umpire on the field. If you think that it required extraordinary effort then you were correct. The ball was in a trouble area according to your description.

If your partner had the gonads, he would have made the call! He didn't - you did! Nothing more to say!

That's enough not to meet the requirements for an infield fly.

I agree with the other posters.

But if I'm the coach, any F3 who can't catch a popup 3-4 feet into the outfield grass is going to be doing lots of drills.

Doesn't it depend on where you had F3 playing? If the ball was not catchable in an umpire's view, I would have a hard time saying that it should be catchable in a coach's view (at least catchable enough to warrant punishing the player).

Good question! I had to go back and reread that one. What is F3 doing holding the runner on 1st with R1 and R2?

Don't ask me - it wasn't my post or team.

From the original post "It was fairly high" It hit the chalk 3-4 feet into the grass. Fielder was at 1B.

That means the fielder has to move maybe 20-25 feet to get it. 4-5 running strides. Even Sluggo should be able to do it with ease.

But he didn't and that is where the question is. My BU seemed to think it should have been called just because it was in the vicinity of the infield, therefore making it an IFF.

I go back to ordinary effort. If sluggo is running around, diving for the ball, that's not ordinary effort no matter where the ball lands.

Aha! The criteria is "An INFIELD FLY is a fair fly ball (not including a line drive nor an attempted bunt) which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort,"

"can be caught" not "is caught"

If you think the average F3 could have caught it with ordinary effort, it should have been called. You don't base the call on whether Sluggo himself was wallowing around. If the ball was coming stright down on his head and he was just standing there with his thumb up his butt, you'd call it wouldn't you?

The rule does NOT say "an ordinary infielder". It says by an infielder with ordinary effort. Level/ability/location on the field, etc DOES matter. If the ball is halfway up (nearing the apex), and it's obvious to me that no one is going to catch it, then it's not catchable with ordinary effort.

This is why you wait until the ball reaches apex, usually with an infielder camped out under it.

But how do you determine "ordinary effort"? There have to be criteria. To me it's what you would expect from an infielder at that level, not what you'd expect from any individual infielder. Ordinary effort is what is made by ordinary infielders.

If you look at it, and think "I'd expect that to be caught" and then Sluggo trips over his own feet or Bubba has a brain cramp and doesn't even go after it, I think it still qualifies.