Infield fly rule

Cindylou · #1 (**permalink**) Thu Mar 18, 2004, 01:09am

Hi,

As an umpire with "L" plates on, can you tell me what is the call when we have a definate infield fly on. The batter hits an infield fly to 4 but 4 drops the ball, we have loaded bases. Do I wait till play finishes to call the batter out or call the batter straight away - what do I yell out?? (I know it is not a dead ball!)??

Also to clarify, when you do call a dead ball is it a strike on the batter if they have hit the ball into themselves?

Cindylou
Thanks

chuck chopper · #2 (**permalink**) Thu Mar 18, 2004, 07:37am

I call the infield fly when the ball is at the top of the arc and you are sure the fielder can catch it with normal effort. "INFIELD FLY-BATTER OUT". An infield fly in an adult game that requires back-peddling, may not be an infield fly in a small kids game. So you may actually have to wait until the ball is on the way down. Don't call it too early !
.
When a batter hits a ball into themselves, I would think it is a foul ball. I call "FOUL BALL" as soon as the contact is made. If it somehow hits the batter as he/she is running to first then I call "DEAD BALL" and return all runners to where they were when it happened.

Dakota · #3 (**permalink**) Thu Mar 18, 2004, 10:06am

You need to make the call as soon as you judge the ordinary effort aspect, and make the call LOUDLY.

If you wait, and the fielder drops the ball, you will likely have all manner of confusion to sort out. The runners will think they are forced; so will the defense. You will likely get some "force outs" that you will have to reverse, and you will have to then decide where to place the runners.

The IF call removes the force by calling the batter out. From there, it is just like any other fly ball. So, what the players do, they do, and you don't have to sort anything out.

DaveASA/FED · #4 (**permalink**) Thu Mar 18, 2004, 10:32am

One thing that I also do if the ball is close to either foul line is to add "if fair" to the infield fly-batter out. Cause if the ball ends up being a foul ball the the infield fly is off. Now if the player still catches the ball then the batter is out, but if they drop a foul ball it is just a foul ball and batter is back at the plate.

whiskers_ump · #5 (**permalink**) Thu Mar 18, 2004, 02:18pm

Quote:

Originally posted by DaveASA/FED
One thing that I also do if the ball is close to either foul line is to add "if fair" to the infield fly-batter out. Cause if the ball ends up being a foul ball the the infield fly is off. Now if the player still catches the ball then the batter is out, but if they drop a foul ball it is just a foul ball and batter is back at the plate.

Unless it is third strike and your playing slowpitch...

kono · #6 (**permalink**) Thu Mar 18, 2004, 03:25pm

Quote:

Originally posted by Cindylou
Also to clarify, when you do call a dead ball is it a strike on the batter if they have hit the ball into themselves?

From reading this and other forums, I have learned that you don't say "Dead ball - got her in the box!"

You might get an anatomy lesson

whiskers_ump · #7 (**permalink**) Thu Mar 18, 2004, 04:19pm

BTW Cindylu,

Welcome to the board.

We hope to be hearing more from you. You an umpire, player,
coach, or just interested party?

Cindylou · #8 (**permalink**) Thu Mar 18, 2004, 05:52pm

Hi,

Thankyou for welcoming me to this forum. I am a player of 12 years. I only started to play when my husband became very involved in motor bikes - I used to go with him to the track but soon got very bored. I played once or twice in high school and had always had an inclining to want to try it out. So at the age of 27 I took up softball and I was very very bad!! I had no idea on how to even throw a ball let alone catch the darn things. But I stuck it out and I am now currently what we call over here a "softball freak" and very proud of it. I just finished playing in a ladies Ares competition and we were the "Premiers". I also play in the masters competition and went to the world masters in Melbourne in 2002 and we are saving to come over to Canada for the 2005 world masters.

I coach kids TBall and play ladies, mixed and masters. Last year our association UIC talked me into sitting for the national level one umpires exam - I did - under protest and received a surprising mark of 95% but the ones that got me undone were the "Dead balls"

So now I am confused - if a ball becomes dead from a batted ball is that a strike on the batter???

Thanks guys - I am a rambler!!!

Cindy - from Sydney (say that 5 times real quick!)
Australia

Quote:

Originally posted by whiskers_ump
BTW Cindylu,

Welcome to the board.

We hope to be hearing more from you. You an umpire, player,
coach, or just interested party?

CecilOne · #9 (**permalink**) Thu Mar 18, 2004, 07:25pm

Any batted ball that hits the BR (batter-runner) or any other runner is immediately dead. The call is "DEAD BALL", loud and repeated until every one gives up the play. Then call "FOUL BALL", "BATTER IS OUT" or whatever applies.

On an infield fly, the judgement is made at the peak, but as said above, sometimes you have to wait to judge reachability. Also remember, the rule says infielder not infield, which means the grass line means nothing. The call is "INFIELD FLY, BATTER IS OUT" or "INFIELD FLY, BATTER IS OUT IF FAIR" loud enough for all runners to hear.

Then you have my opinion that the intent of the rule is to protect runners from cheap double plays and that "ordinary effort" has always been a misinterpreted wording of the intent.

SamNVa · #10 (**permalink**) Thu Mar 18, 2004, 07:29pm

Quote:

Originally posted by Cindylou
So now I am confused - if a ball becomes dead from a batted ball is that a strike on the batter???

That depnds on where the batter is when the ball hits her.

If the batter swings at a pitch that hits her on the hands, you have a dead ball and a strike and if it's the 3rd strike, the batter is out.
if he batter hit a ball striaght sown and it bounces back up and hits the batter while she is still standing in the batter's box , then all you hve is a foul ball unless she was bunting on the 3rd strike in which case she is out
if the batter hits a ball that hits her while she is in fair territory and out of the batter's box then you have interference on the batter, she's out and runner's return to the last base touched at the time the ball hit the batter.

SamC

whiskers_ump · #11 (**permalink**) Thu Mar 18, 2004, 08:03pm

Cindylou,

To finish out SamC's explanation post, which was on top
of the situation.

In his item 1. If the batter swings at a pitch that hits her on the hands, you have a dead ball and a strike and if it's the 3rd strike, the batter is out. Also any runners
that were on base if they advanced, are returned to the base they
held at TOP (time of pitch).

Mrs. Umpire · #12 (**permalink**) Thu Mar 18, 2004, 09:25pm

Quote:

Originally posted by chuck chopper
I call the infield fly when the ball is at the top of the arc and you are sure the fielder can catch it with normal effort. "INFIELD FLY-BATTER OUT". An infield fly in an adult game that requires back-peddling, may not be an infield fly in a small kids game. So you may actually have to wait until the ball is on the way down. Don't call it too early !
.
When a batter hits a ball into themselves, I would think it is a foul ball. I call "FOUL BALL" as soon as the contact is made. If it somehow hits the batter as he/she is running to first then I call "DEAD BALL" and return all runners to where they were when it happened.

From Mrs.Umpire
If the batted ball hits the runner while moving towards 1st base they are called out. I'm not sure I have ever seen that happen. A batted ball hit by a runner is out unless, they are behind the fielder that is from the National Federation of High school Softball rule book. But if it hit the bater while in the batters box it is a dead ball

TexBlue · #13 (**permalink**) Thu Mar 18, 2004, 09:33pm

Quote from Mrs Umpire

.....A batted ball hit by a runner is out .....
-----------------------------------------------------------

I don't believe I've ever seen an umpire sell a ball being out when hit by a runner before.

whiskers_ump · #14 (**permalink**) Thu Mar 18, 2004, 09:56pm

Mrs Umpire,

Yes, they would be called out and Yes it does happen.

From NFHS Rule 8 Sec 2 Art 6...BR is out if s/he makes contact
with a fair batted b all before reaching 1B.

Welcome to the board.

Skahtboi · #15 (**permalink**) Fri Mar 19, 2004, 10:07am

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Mrs. Umpire

Quote:

A batted ball hit by a runner is out unless, they are behind the fielder that is from the National Federation of High school Softball rule book.

And....if no other fielder has the opportunity to make a play on the ball, in the judgement of the umpire.

Remember, it is still possible for the runner to be out, in Fed ball, if the runner makes contact with a fair batted ball after it has passed a fielder. For example, F4 is playing deep and to her left, F3 is playing up and to her right. B2 hits a ball that gets easily past F3 and, as F4 is lining up with the ball to make a play, R1 coming from first runs into the ball. Ruling: Dead ball, R1 is out.