Dead Ball or Out?

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by jmkupka

No, I mean when ball is hit, then one foot steps out and contacts (or is contacted by) the batted ball, and back foot is still in BB.

However (please correct me if I'm wrong) if both feet are still in the box, the "foul" call is made only to give the BR the benefit of the doubt (since it is still possible to contact a fair batted ball while completely in the box, which would require an "out" call).

Let me try to make this as clear as possible (I know I'm the one that muddied the water for many with set-in-stone thoughts).

This isn't dissimilar to dropping the bat, and the bat-hits-ball or ball-hits bat, when you get down to it. That's what I was inferring earlier.

If the batter is still stationary, and the ball hits the batter, it is a foul ball (still a batter, not a batter-runner). Rule 1, Foul Ball (F)

If the batter-runner is out of the batter's box and makes contact with a fair ball, or the fair ball contacts the BR, dead ball out. 8.2-F(4)

If the batter-runner is still in the batter's box (has not yet had a foot touch down completely outside the batter's box), the decision between dead-ball-foul-ball and dead-ball-out rests on which object initiated contact; if BR contacts the ball, dead ball out is the rule. But if ball bounds or spins back and hits moving BR, dead ball foul ball is defensible under strict reading of 8.2-F(4). If not definitive which happened, yes, give the BR the benefit of the doubt.

As to mechanics, I find it preferable (and preached by NCAA) to call dead ball first; it does serve to give you a moment to replay in your head before you come up with the definitive "Out!" or "Foul Ball", and stops those around you from helping you call the game by indicating you are on top of this call. The first instance above (batter still stationary) is the one version where "Foul Ball" alone might be an acceptable alternative, as this foul ball is really no different than one batted off the screen; never fair, never really batted live to be declared dead. That said, I would simplify the mechanic to always calling dead ball first, personally.

And yes, I said it earlier; it is the same rule in baseball. The difference is that the positioning of batters in the box (softball in the front, and generally already in fair territory, versus baseball in the back, and generally starting in foul territory) makes the results somewhat different. So that adds another layer of "benefit of the doubt" in baseball that you cannot usually apply in softball; if the batted ball was over fair ground?