Third Strike

[lpmx]

No outs, runners on second and third.
Pitch count is 2 balls and 2 strikes. Batter swings and misses for strike 3, the pitched ball hits the ground and bounces into the catchers mitt. The ball is caught and the coach yells for the batter to run to 1st as this is a dropped third strike. I am having trouble finding it in the rule book? Any help? Thank you.

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by lpmx

No outs, runners on second and third.
Pitch count is 2 balls and 2 strikes. Batter swings and misses for strike 3, the pitched ball hits the ground and bounces into the catchers mitt. The ball is caught and the coach yells for the batter to run to 1st as this is a dropped third strike. I am having trouble finding it in the rule book? Any help? Thank you.

Here's two places you can start (you didn't mention any rule set, so apply your own, but they both exist in every rule set:

1) Definitions; look at catch/no catch. Not a catch if it hits the ground.

2) The batter becomes a batter-runner:
When the catcher fails to catch the third strike before the ball touches the ground and ..........

[lpmx]

Thanks for the reply and help. It's NFHS

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by lpmx

Thanks for the reply and help. It's NFHS

8-1-1-b

[Manny A]

Just for completeness sake, a pitch that hits the ground before the catcher "catches" it is not a legal catch, by definition. If the batter swings and misses it, it is treated as a dropped third strike.

However, if that pitch hits the ground, the batter then swings and nicks it, and then the catcher catches it, it IS a caught batted ball. In this case, it would be ruled a foul tip. No different than had the batter golfed that pitch into the air and a fielder caught it in flight.

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by Manny A

Just for completeness sake, a pitch that hits the ground before the catcher "catches" it is not a legal catch, by definition. .

Which is why we should always say "uncaught third strike"!

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by Manny A

However, if that pitch hits the ground, the batter then swings and nicks it, and then the catcher catches it, it IS a caught batted ball. In this case, it would be ruled a foul tip.

Given the rest of the foul tip definition.