In my game yesterday, no outs, R1 at 1st, 1-1 count. Must have been a hit-and-run, runner is off with the pitch, foul tip (text book perfect foul tip). No throw to 2nd, runner is safe. Defensive coach starts to argue with me that it was a foul ball and runners need to return. Funny thing is earlier in the game I rang up a girl from the other team on a foul tip strike three. I always marvel at the skewed vision coaches, players, and fans have about our work. We make the same call in the same situation and they claim we are biased for the other team.

I had the same thing happen twice in my
45+ year career.
Once it was with a coach of many years who
I thought would have know what a "foul tip"
really is !! She didn't.
Another time it involved a situation where a runner
from third was stealing and scored ! Her coach sends her
back to 3rd saying it was a "foul ball"-- no one
said anything, myself included, They simply gave
up a run !!
Umpirinig can be very strange sometimes !!

The coach probably thought you were wrong on this call also, but because it benefited his team, he didn't say anything....

I'm not an ump, but as a dad and sometimes coach...
 

Part of the problem with rules confusion on the part of non-umps is the perpetuation of poorly-named sitches...for example, a caught "foul tip" isn't really a "foul ball", and you don't need to always "drop" a third strike to initiate the D3K rule (change name to 'uncaught' 3K?). That's all I can think of now but i'm sure there are others.

Re: I'm not an ump, but as a dad and sometimes coach...
 

<*with tounge in cheek, Dan writes:*>

But how come nobody complains that they put the foul line in fair territory. I think before we change the name of the rules, we should perhaps move all the foul lines over three inches and put them in foul territory. Since foul lines are redrawn with every game, it would be easier to do this than to reprint all the books.

And by the way, I think the general public thinks all foul balls are foul tips. I think the problem is not in the name, but just in the fact that they think getting a piece of the bat on it kills it. However, just in case it is the name, I personally will start calling it a "tip-o-rooni". I will report back as to whether it is helpful in explaining the situations.

fact is most players,
coaches, and fans do not know how
specific the language is in our rules !!
In a perfect world........ !!

yep...and if you hit the "foul pole" isn't the ball in fair territory?

We can thank Joe Morgan and Tim McCarver both for making fans believe that all balls fouled either straight down or straight back (past the catcher) are foul tips.

Dillholes.