Signal or Not

[BSUmp16]

Originally Posted by umpire99

I saw this situation in a FED game yesterday. Bases loaded with one out. A line drive is hit to F4 who catches and drops the ball in what looks like it could be on the transfer. Both umpires determined that it was no catch so no signal was made. After a few seconds of everyone standing around in confusion, the defense started stepping on bases and tagging runners.

My question is how would you handle this situation with the drop? Would you not signal at all or would you give the "safe" signal to indicate no catch as is typically done on potential trap plays?

Emphatic "No Catch" with safe mechanic - repeat as often as necessary

[MD Longhorn]

What are we there for, if not to communicate to the players what has happened when it's not clear? You MUST make a call on this play. Sounds like intentional drop to me... but if that's not what they had, they MUST signal safe like they would on any other close catch/no-catch call.

[DG]

Originally Posted by md longhorn

sounds like intentional drop to me... .

+1

[rbmartin]

Intentional drop, immediate dead ball, call the batter (and only the batter) out.

[BSUmp16]

Originally Posted by rbmartin

Intentional drop, immediate dead ball, call the batter (and only the batter) out.

If the drop was "on the transfer" it doesn't sound like it was intentional. If the fielder is trying to retrieve the ball from the glove and fails to make the transfer (which is what "on the transfer" means) there is no intentional drop. HTBT for sure, but as stated in the OP, it was unintentional.