Fair/Foul down 1B line

[RPatrino]

Originally Posted by nafxos

Thanks guys. After listening to my partner's explanation last night, I totally get it. I'm just surprised this never came up with any other partners before last night. I'm pretty sure I've called similar balls foul as PU before, and pretty sure I've watched my partners call them foul when I was in A, and it never "felt" like either one of us was stepping on the other's call.

One other question. I worked with one partner this year who wanted the PU to take all fair/foul calls all the time. This eliminated any confusion re: whose call it was in the situation above, and allowed the BU to focus on the runner touching first on a ball into the OF down the 1B line. The only exception would be a "trouble" ball where the BU went into the OF.

Anybody else do it that way? Or see any potential problems (assuming both umpires are on the same page during pre-game)?

Common practice is for the BU in "A" to take all fair/foul hit past the 1b line. Now, on some fields with no chalk lines past the bag foul balls can be troublesome, and in some cases the PU will take all foul balls down both lines, but I don't recommend it.

A ball hit toward the line, down right field with the fielder coming toward the line and the ball possibly going into the RF corner IS a trouble ball, and the BU would have a much better angle on any calls on this ball. This is why I don't recommend having the PU take all fair/foul calls on the 90 foot field.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by RPatrino

A ball hit toward the line, down right field with the fielder coming toward the line and the ball possibly going into the RF corner IS a trouble ball, and the BU would have a much better angle on any calls on this ball. This is why I don't recommend having the PU take all fair/foul calls on the 90 foot field.

Another reason not to give PU "all" fair/foul calls: the bounding ball near/over first base. PU is too far and often too slow to get eyeballs on that.