Missed NFHS Test Question

[umpduck11]

Gentlemen,

I missed the following question on the Alabama High School Registration test.
I took the test online, and got my score instantly. Please tell me where I went wrong. The following is the question number, question, correct answer,
and rule reference:

32 The Ball is Immediately Dead When: With the infield-fly rule in effect, an infielder intentionally drops a fair bunt in flight.` False 5-1-1j

I answered true, which according to my test results, was not the correct answer. Here are the relevant rules:

Rule 8-4-1 The batter-runner is out when (c) his fair fly, fair line drive, or fair bunt in flight is intentionally dropped by an infielder with at least first base occupied and before there are two outs. The ball is dead and the runner or runners shall return to their respective bases.

5-1-1 Ball becomes immediately dead when: (j) an infielder intentionally drops a fair fly, fair line drive, or fair bunt in flight with at least first base occupied and with less than two outs.
1. Infield fly rule (2-19)


2-19 Infield Fly
An infield fly is a fair fly (not including a line drive nor attempted bunt)......

What, if anything, am I missing ?

[bobbybanaduck]

the answer should be "true" if #32 instead read, "this question is so poorly worded that we have confused ourselves in our effort to trip you up."

it is likely that they were trying to get you to think that infield fly was called erroneously which should lead to an answer of "false." however, because the ball was intentionally dropped, it is dead. the question stinks and the fed people should, once again, be stoned to death.

[MadCityRef]

What a lousy question. Simply because R1 and R2 are on base, it's "In Effect"? The fair bunt doesn't put the IF "in effect", so the int. drop would be enforced. Thus, true. Yeesh.

Toss it, NFers!!

You get instant corrections in AL? Huh. IHSA online gives you a score, but need to wait for the deadline to pass to get specifics.

[jwwashburn]

Originally Posted by bobbybanaduck

the answer should be "true" if #32 instead read, "this question is so poorly worded that we have confused ourselves in our effort to trip you up."

it is likely that they were trying to get you to think that infield fly was called erroneously which should lead to an answer of "false." however, because the ball was intentionally dropped, it is dead. the question stinks and the fed people should, once again, be stoned to death.

Wow, to death? I gotta ask....if THIS is a death penalty offense, what do you propse we do to women who wait until their $456.98 grocery cart full of Dorritos and Diet Pepsi is rung up BEFORE they begin their search for the checkbook...followed by the search for the pen...followed by the search for the driver's license.

Joe in Texas

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by bobbybanaduck

the answer should be "true" if #32 instead read, "this question is so poorly worded that we have confused ourselves in our effort to trip you up."

it is likely that they were trying to get you to think that infield fly was called erroneously which should lead to an answer of "false." however, because the ball was intentionally dropped, it is dead. the question stinks and the fed people should, once again, be stoned to death.

Bobby, I think Alabama writes their own test. This isn't #32 on the FED test.

[umpduck11]

Originally Posted by GarthB

Bobby, I think Alabama writes their own test. This isn't #32 on the FED test.

You may be right, Garth, but I do know that the online test generates a different set of questions each time, and/or rearranges their order.

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by umpduck11

You may be right, Garth, but I do know that the online test generates a different set of questions each time, and/or rearranges their order.

My error....go ahead and stone FED.

This is question 57 on the FED online test. It would appear someone tried to be just a bit too cute. False can be supported, but not sensibly.

[ManInBlue]

I too missed this question. I did not understand why it was false. I still don't. But mine is not to reason why, especially when it come to NFHS.

My thought process was this: IFF in affect. Fly ball dropped intentionally, batter is out, ball remains live. However, a bunt (or attempt) is not an IFF - so as stated before the "in affect" doesn't apply any more. So this is simply an intentionally dropped "fly ball." In which case, the ball is dead and batter is out - runners return.

This seems to be the logic pointed out previously in this thread. It's also the logic I see in the rules pointed out in the OP.

Did I miss something? Other than the "correct" answer to this question, I mean.

[BretMan]

This same question got beat to death on the NFHS discussion boards last week. Not that there's anything wrong with that...if they say the answer is false then it deserves to be beat to death!

Check out Case Play 8.4.1.G. It describes this exact scenario and demonstrates that the ball is indeed DEAD.

The only time the ball remains live on an intentional drop with the infield fly rule in effect is when a batted ball is hit that actually meets the definition of an infield fly. A bunt does not, and is treated as any other intentionally dropped ball. Dead ball, batter out, runners return.

Also, note that rule 5-1-1 seems to have been misprinted this year, especially if you compare it to how it read for the past few years. The note at the end of the rule, "1. Infield-fly rule (2-19)", is meaningless as a stand-alone statement.

The infield-fly rule....what about it?

In previous years that note included the phrase, "...with the exception of...(the infield-fly rule)", or words to that effect (it was worded differently in both 2006 and 2007, then mangled in 2008). This year, they dropped the "exception" part of the rule, which makes no sense.

So, anyone that misses this question, then checks a 2008 rule book for clarification should really get confused!

Originally Posted by umpduck11

You may be right, Garth, but I do know that the online test generates a different set of questions each time, and/or rearranges their order.

In Illinois, you get the option of taking the paper test or going to the IHSA web site and taking on line. They send you the paper test and give you the option. There, the questions line perfectly with the paper test. It simplifies it because you can look at your paper copy, mark answers on either the test itself or the answer sheet, go online and just copy your answers. It took me a whole 10 minutes online plus I got my immediate score. Considering I spent only about three hours going reviewing the rule book and taking the test and with the goofy confusing questions, I thought a score of 96 was OK.

[johnnyg08]

I think the question's intent is that you can't have an IFF on a bunt attempt...so the intentional drop rule comes into play...if any part of the question is false, then the answer should be false.

Originally Posted by GarthB

Bobby, I think Alabama writes their own test. This isn't #32 on the FED test.

It's number 57 on the FED test. It was discussed ad nauseum on the NFHS discussion forum. Someone asked the same question. What it came right down to was that a) the question was poorly written, b) nobody seems to know what the real intention of the question is and c) how the words "in effect" are to be interpreted.

Our thread on that site broke down every part of the question. When you come right down to it, the issue of IFR really has no menaing to the question except to say that it means that there are runners on first and second or bases loaded, and there are less than two outs. Everything else written indicates the question is TRUE. Even if IFR was called by error players on both sides should be aware of the fact that an intentionally dropped BUNT in this situation is an immediate dead ball. The correct answer is in fact TRUE.

The words "IN EFFECT" should not imply that the IFR has been called, only that the situation is such that the IFR could be called if there was in fact an infield fly. I'm sure that cooler heads will prevail and the answer key eventually will be adjusted to allow either question to be correct, or they just throw out the question entirely.

[justanotherblue]

It's a bunt, therefore, the IFF rule CAN'T be in effect.

[DG]

Originally Posted by umpduck11

Gentlemen,

I missed the following question on the Alabama High School Registration test.
I took the test online, and got my score instantly. Please tell me where I went wrong. The following is the question number, question, correct answer,
and rule reference:

32 The Ball is Immediately Dead When: With the infield-fly rule in effect, an infielder intentionally drops a fair bunt in flight.` False 5-1-1j

I answered true, which according to my test results, was not the correct answer. Here are the relevant rules:

Rule 8-4-1 The batter-runner is out when (c) his fair fly, fair line drive, or fair bunt in flight is intentionally dropped by an infielder with at least first base occupied and before there are two outs. The ball is dead and the runner or runners shall return to their respective bases.

5-1-1 Ball becomes immediately dead when: (j) an infielder intentionally drops a fair fly, fair line drive, or fair bunt in flight with at least first base occupied and with less than two outs.
1. Infield fly rule (2-19)


2-19 Infield Fly
An infield fly is a fair fly (not including a line drive nor attempted bunt)......

What, if anything, am I missing ?

Your answer was correct. Don't sweat the quiz, just call it correctly in a game.

[BretMan]

The FED rule and interpretation is exactly the same as OBR. Check your Jaksa/Roder manual or MLBUM or JEA or whatever you have.

If a batted ball is an infield fly, and if the ball is intentionally dropped, then the ball remains live.

A batted ball that meets the infield fly definition is the lone exception to the rule.

In all other cases where an intentional drop is ruled, the ball is dead.

And all you guys that are getting jobbed because the FED test has the wrong answer- show your instructor the Case Play!