Infield Fly?

[bas2456]

This happened in my men's league softball game last night, but the situation could happen in any baseball game.

Runners on 1st and 2nd, one out. Batter hits a soft line drive right to the shortstop, who catches it easily for the out. Soft is the key word. After he made the play, I heard him say to his teammate "Oh man I should have dropped that on purpose".

Given that the infield fly rule is in place to prevent exactly that, would you have called that infield fly? I'll post what our umpire said after the game after I get some opinions from you all.

[mbyron]

Under no circumstances would I call IFF on a line drive.

If the fielder intentionally drops the ball, rule it an intentionally dropped ball: batter out, runners return to their TOP bases.

[rbmartin]

OBR Sec 2. 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,...

OBR 6.05 (I) A batter is out when..An infielder intentionally drops a fair fly ball or line drive, with first, first and second, first and third, or first, second and third base occupied before two are out. The ball is dead and runner or runners shall return to their original base or bases;...

Mbyron is right. Use 6.05I. Thats why it's there.

[jicecone]

I don't, won't and never have done softball however, unless softball has some rule otherwise, baseball rules for an infield fly, NEVER, I repeat NEVER, apply to any type of line drive.

As already stated, a fielder intentionaly dropping a catch results in a dead ball and runners return. Of course there is nothing to prevent the fielder from letting the ball fall to the ground or hit him first and then making a play, but getting the right bounce out of the ball afterwards may not be as easy as one would think.

Take the out.

[kylejt]

By definition, a fly ball is one that is hit high in the air. That's your first judgment for calling the IFF.

So, was the soft liner hit high in the air? Yes/no? There's your answer. What a slow pitch softball umpire might answer is anyone's guess.

[greymule]

I have umpired many softball games (ASA, FED, NCAA). There would be no IFF on the soft liner described in the OP. All softball codes also prohibit intentional dropping of the ball (though a fielder can allow a ball to drop untouched).

However, unlike in OBR, in ASA a fielder can deliberately guide the ball to the ground, as with a closed glove or his body. So F6 could knock the soft liner down and try for a double play. I haven't seen a fielder try that in actual play, however.

[youngump]

Originally Posted by kylejt

By definition, a fly ball is one that is hit high in the air. That's your first judgment for calling the IFF.

So, was the soft liner hit high in the air? Yes/no? There's your answer. What a slow pitch softball umpire might answer is anyone's guess.

In softball the definition of a fly ball is different. It calls for a ball that rises appreciably in the air.
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[kylejt]

Originally Posted by youngump

it calls for a ball that rises appreciably in the air.

That's funny.

[Forest Ump]

Slightly off topic. The shortstop on my men's softball team tries this trick all the time. That is dropping the ball on a line shot hit to him with runners on. Occasionally he gets away with it and bags two. Most slo-pitch softball umpires are poorly trained. Not all but most IMO.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by rbmartin

OBR Sec 2. 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,...

OBR 6.05 (I) A batter is out when..An infielder intentionally drops a fair fly ball or line drive, with first, first and second, first and third, or first, second and third base occupied before two are out. The ball is dead and runner or runners shall return to their original base or bases;...

Thanks for the citations. I was too lazy this morning to post the rules.

You might have bolded "or line drive" from 6.05, since the OP mentions a line drive. Unlike IFF, the intentional drop rule DOES apply to line drives (soft or otherwise).

It's worth pointing out to those not familiar with this rule is that to rule an intentional drop, you must have a fielder touch the ball in flight and drop it: merely letting a looping liner drop in front of him, untouched, when he might have caught it is NOT an intentional drop.

[JJ]

Originally Posted by mbyron

under no circumstances would i call iff on a line drive.

If the fielder intentionally drops the ball, rule it an intentionally dropped ball: Batter out, runners return to their top bases.

+1

[bas2456]

Thanks all. Our umpire last night concurs with everything you all have said, about there not being an infield fly situation, but that he could rule it an intentionally dropped ball if need be.

You can chalk him up as one of the well-trained umpires.