Chalk splatters after about 10 hours

[CecilOne]

Obviously, fair is fair and foul is foul; using the outer edge of the base and a fair pole if there. Many times, we make that call when the ball contacts a fielder while still in flight.

This might be a tangent, but what about this:
Lines are drawn badly at the beginning of the game, either crooked or missing the base edge (can't be fixed). The coaches are often told we will "play the lines" on a ground ball, to allow easier calls, but mostly for the players' benefit who don't have a line of sight.
Legit or not?

[Tru_in_Blu]

I've worked many a game where the foul lines appeared to be put down by someone after their tee mini martoonie lunch.

Sometime the lines are bowed in or out, sometimes they're crooked. I might have an easier sell of a call without lines at times. But where there are lines, I do tell the coaches at the plate conference that I will utilize the chalk. A ball that might have traveled 20 feet further down the line might have a different result.

For infield calls on rollers down a line, I will use whatever might be left of the original line. Eight inch lines don't work. A lot of times we're lucky to get 2 inch lines.

Many games are worked without any kind of lines. At the plate conference, I tell the coaches that my partner and I will make calls based upon the lines of which only my partner and I can see. Give them a good effort and hustle to a place to make the call, and they're usually OK to deal with.

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by CecilOne

Obviously, fair is fair and foul is foul; using the outer edge of the base and a fair pole if there. Many times, we make that call when the ball contacts a fielder while still in flight.

This might be a tangent, but what about this:
Lines are drawn badly at the beginning of the game, either crooked or missing the base edge (can't be fixed). The coaches are often told we will "play the lines" on a ground ball, to allow easier calls, but mostly for the players' benefit who don't have a line of sight.
Legit or not?

The definition of "fair territory" includes the foul lines, and it doesn't state they must be accurately drawn. There is no basis to rule otherwise. As the umpires, you either accept or reject the field; if you accept it, they play ball according to game rules or ground rules. (And before anyone thinks that is the out clause, ground rules are not permitted to supercede game rules.)

Your options are to either 1) require bad lines to be redrawn, 2) have bad lines removed (leaving everything to umpire judgment, the default when there is no visible line), or 3) use the lines as they exist.

There are only 3 instances I can name where you can legally ignore a poorly drawn line, where by rule a batted ball must be fair if it touches 1) home plate (while being touched by a defensive player), 2) a base, or 3) a foul pole in flight.