IFR Enlightenment
 

NFHS, Girls Varsity

Bases Loaded, 1 out.
Batter hits an IF and it's called as such and caught by F4.
R1 is partly off first base and decides to retreate back to first.

Question: Since the IFR call removes the force (if I understand correctly), would the defense have to physically tag the runner returning to first base to get her out?

If she comes off the base after the catch then she must be tagged.

If she was off before the catch, then a throw to 1B is probably an appeal for leaving early and only the base needs to be tagged.

WMB

Be sure to recognize that the Q & A above included a catch; not just the IFR out. Without a catch, the appeal out would not be possible, but there would be no foce either.

BTW, kudos to the runner (R3 ?) for knowing what to do.

Here, just remember this, and this only, about how a play develops when the IF has been called:

The ONLY thing that has changed from any other fly ball play is the batter-runner is OUT.

That's it. No other change. Nada. Zip.

All baserunning rules still apply the way would to an outfield fly ball. All appeal rules still apply the way they would. Everything is the same.

You just have the BR out before she reaches 1B, and all that that implies, but nothing else.

Happened yesterday; two pretty good varsity teams; couple coaches that have been around.

R1 on 2B, R1 on 1B, less than 2 out; soft blooper down 3B line, probably doesn't get 10' - 12' high, routine catch for F5. For some unknown reason R1 is way off the base and is an easy out.

O Coach is arguing for an IFR; we argue for the lack of height. Finally I say "It doesn't matter Coach, your B-R is out either way. And your runner made a mistake and got herself caught off base on a fly ball."

"Yeah, but . . . . . . . . oh! The lights came on, and he walked away, shaking his head.

WMB

Thanks. Now if only there was a way to convince my coaching staff the DP/FLEX rule is easy to understand. :p

That's a very good way to explain it!

I think if more people understood WHY the Infield Fly Rule existed that would be helpful. In fact, that is true with many rules.

Good explanation!

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

Okay, I won't say anything about an intentional drop.;)

You just had to muddy the waters, didn't you? :)

Once a batted ball has been declared an Infield Fly, it can no longer obtain any other labels, even that of an "intentionally dropped ball" ... even if it is intentionally dropped.

In other words, it can't be both. The rule regarding an intentionally dropped ball can never be applied to a declared Infield Fly.

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

I think he was going the other way... a difference between an ordinary fly ball and an infield fly if the ball is intentionally dropped.

But, I was talking about how the play develops, not how other, subsequent infractions would be handled. That, and I forgot about it! :o

Since the IFR call removes the force

Just to be sure, Stat-Man (since you said the runner was off 1B when the ball was caught), what "force" do you think was removed?

F4 (If I rememeber correctly), seemed confused and wanted to throw it to 2B since R1 was off the bag. By the time the light bulb turned on and F4 threw to first, R1 made it back safely to the bag.