Power lines over the field in live ball territory
 

Power lines are over the field starting out over foul territory running over to fair territory then they are out of play. Can a batted ball be caught for an out after striking the power lines? Similar situation in that you have tree limbs hanging over the outfield fence can a batted ball be caught for an out after striking the tree limbs?

Under what rule set is this game being played?
Are these power lines addressed in the field's ground rules?

power lines
 

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.

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.

Couple of fields in our area have similar situations; however, these are addressed before the game.

In none of these is an out possible one it hits either the lines or the trees. One field says if it is caught its a double, the other says once it hits the line play on.

Thanks
David

One of our high schools has this situation. The ground rules have always been as such:

For the wire overhead behind home plate, if it hits it, it's an immediate dead ball, and foul.

For the wires in both right and left field that cross from foul to fair moving away from the plate, it's always described as this: "Umpire will call fair or foul based on the striking point of the ball. The ball can be caught for an out, otherwise it's a live ball unless foul."

It is played this way whether in HS Fed ball, or American Legion games.

Several fields in my are have the same situation as SCblue described. The ground rules used is the power line overhead at the plate is automatically dead and ruled foul. The lines in left and right field are live and in play. If the ball lands or is first touched by the defense in fair territory, it is fair, and if the ball lands or is first touched by the defense in foul territory, it is foul.