Intentionally Dropped Ball

[CecilOne]

I guess we have to back up and set aside the IDB situation temporarily. Visualize an attempted catch by any fielder, which the fielder loses or drops after contact, in effect not a legal catch. If that fielder could do that intentionally, touching but not catching the ball without "Merely guiding the ball to the ground"; then that would allow the rule to be applied.

The intent of the rule is to protect runners from being deceived into thinking a fly ball will be caught and therefore not advancing. Basically, that means anything the fielder does to cause that deception, while handling the ball in flight, is an IDB. But we are told "Merely guiding the ball to the ground should not be considered an intentionally dropped ball"; so it would have to be something else.

Can a fielder intentionally fake a catch without "guiding the ball to the ground"? If so, that would be an IDB.

I still agree with Tom and others that the rule is difficult, should not have the "guiding the ball to the ground" exception; but is probably a deterrent eevn if we can't figure it out.