Power lines over the field in live ball territory

[metroump9]

Nfhs

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by metroump9

Nfhs

Fine, NHFS rules but this is one of the reasons for having ground rules! When objects protrude onto/over, transverse or lay (unable to be moved) on the field, they need to be addressed before the game starts.

Normally the HC will give you the ground rule for these problems but sometimes, you have to come up with the answer yourself. This is why, if you've never been to this field, you and your partner should walk the field and note the problems. Of course, this means that you have to arrive earlier than 5 minutes before the game (as many umpires do).

To answer your question, I work on 2 different fields (different towns). The tree limbs in play on one field but not on the other. This is always discussed at the plate meeting on these fields. I also deal with a field that has a tarp rolled up in the foul ball area just beyond the 3rd base dugout. This is out of play as per the field's ground rules.

[DG]

Two fields in my area always generated discussion at pre-season meetings. One has a power line overhanging LF by about 3 feet. But to hit that line you would have to hit a homer that would have travelled 400'. The HC would always say something about it at pregame but it was never considered a HR to hit that line since by FED rules a ball had to go over a fence.

The other had a pole just inside the outfield fence with a white circle drawn around it about fence height. The HC would always try to say that a ball hitting that pole above the line was a HR, which would always generate discussion since ground rules are not supposed to supersede rules and the rule said the ball had to go over a fence.

I always thought both were just silly, but never had to rule on either.

The second example finally went out and made a half-circle around the pole with their fence. The first one still exists.