Foul tip signal
 

Do you guys give a signal to indicate a foul tip?

I do but, I agree with Mr. Childress that it is useless.

Joe In Missouri

Maybe,
 

I give the "foul tip" signal ONLY if it advantagous to ME!

I never give it on the "big swing."

If there is checked/unchecked swing situation and the ball tipped the bat I give the signal. That is advantagous to ME.

Other than that do not give the signal as it is, indeed, useless.

Regards,

Ditto. And, to address Tee's point, since I have been *told* to do so, it is advantageous to me to give it "all" the time. ;)

I give it. I always thought it was an indication that I wasn't missing something (catcher's interference) and that yes, I heard that "extra sound" and the foul tip signal was me telling everyone that's what that sound was.

JJ

How is giving that signal any more useless than indicating a strike when a batter takes a full cut and misses?

The reason I'm asking is that I used to give a signal (probably because I saw MLB umpires do it) but then stopped when other umps, some on this board, argued that the signal was superfluous and, a few said, worthy of a "Smitty").

I can't say I've ever had a problem in an actual game either giving the signal or not giving it. As for foul tips on checked swings, I think I reflexively signal when that occurs. In other words, as Tim C says, I give the signal when it's advantageous to me.

Like Bob, I use it because we're told to use it by our association. That, and I think it helps me with my timing on ball/strike calls.


Tim.

I'll do it, but very low keyed and relaxed. I've seen some guys really try to sell it, for some odd reason. The scrape from bicep to finger tips, way high in the air, and pointing like they're posing for a Mr. Universe contest. Pretty funny, actually.

Relax boys, you're not doing softball.

I use it because that is the way it should be done! I do not care if the offense doesn't realize the ball is live and they can advance at their own risk. I only give it when it really is a foul tip. Smitty, on the other hand, signals the foul tip on every foul ball! Smitty rarely knows the difference.

Tim C and I have had some major disagreements in the past but to this I say AMEN!!!

I admit I still give the signal occasionally out of a 25 year habit but I am trying to wean myself to only limited use of the signal as in example above.

Although next to useless, the foul-tip signal does indicate when less than two strikes that you know the ball struck the bat, but that it was a foul tip, and thus not an out. Sort of like the little safe signal on a trapped catch.

OBR 6.05: "A batter is out when—
(a) His fair or foul fly ball (other than a foul tip) is legally caught by a fielder;"

I too give it mainly because my association trained me that way.

Whats the big issues on this? Why not give it every time there is a foul tip? Why does it have to be "advantageous" to anyone. This is a nothingness. Since we are still in the era of when the slam-dunk majority of umpires do it, from MLB on down, if one doesnt do it, they look like the umpire who doesnt know what hes doing out there.
Why? Because everyone, players, coaches, fans, other umpires are still used to seeing that mechanic on a foul tip. Yes, most everyone knows its a stirke on a foul tip, but why not just give the signal.
Its just showing everyone we are seeing EVERYTHING out there, from major to minor.
Kinda like a check swing and some say ..."Ball! No!"..... to me, thats a way of telling everyone we are calling ball because it was out of the zone AND the batter didnt offer at the pitch. We are seeing everything, and letting everyone know that.

I don't see a big deal either way. I find it funny that some do, though. Just don't make a "stadium call" about it, and it's all good.

there is no such thing as a trapped catch. if it's a catch it wasn't trapped, and if it was trapped it wasn't a catch. furthermore, such a play calls for a bit more than a "little safe signal" to indicate the ball was not caught.

The foul tip mechanic is not a useless mechanic. It should be used as a communication mechanic between umpires.

We often have to rely on our base umpire(s) to let us know if the ball was caught or dropped on a 3rd strike in the dirt - because we get blocked out.

The same is true with a foul tip, if the batter tips a pitch that skips in the dirt before the catcher catches it and we don't see it, the ball is obviously foul. The PU signals that he has a foul tip and if anything goofy were to happen the BU could then indicate that it was a foul ball instead of a foul tip.