Foul Tip/Foul Out
 

ASA rules.

A foul tip goes sharply and directly from the bat to the catchers mitt, and a foul out is if there is any perceivable arc from the bat to the mitt.

Is this correct?

Can someone cite the ASA rule and/or any other official ruling on this issue?

Thanks

GaryB

I don't have by book w/ me, but I believe you have the wording correct. I think if you look in the definitions fair/foul ball, you'll see what you're looking for.

Mid-Mich. Blue

Pg 19-20 cover the definitions of foul tip and foul ball, and rule 8:2:C should cover the out.

ASA RS22 (2007) says the following regarding a foul tip:

I have no clue how many years its going to take for this to be understood and when I can go an entire season without hearing "it didnt go above her head" (or even a single call!).. but probably not for a long time..

Never

That is just part of the game, like when your partner comes to you on a check swing, and you inevitably hear, "But he wasn't even looking."

About as long as it takes umpires to stop posting about being hit with a foul tip.

Or as long as it will take the coach to quit asking if it was Interference on the 3rd baseperson when his runner went around her......Had this the other night? I said "No it was Obstruction, I didn't figure you would want your runner called out for that"

yeah....

*sigh*

H E L L will freeze over first.

I hate umpires that do that. :)

http://forum.officiating.com/showthread.php?t=43024

Not until all Organizations and Associations are consistent.

DSI (Dixie Youth Softball) 2008 - Definitions

40. FOUL TIP — A foul tip is a batted ball which goes directly from the bat, not higher than the batter’s head, to the catcher’s hand(s) and is legally caught by the catcher.

How a batted ball that goes head high can be considered going directly to the catcher's hands is beyond me but it is what I have to call when I do these games. DSI is the only option for girls wanting to play rec ball in my area. Many of these girls play on high school teams and also do travel ball in ASA, NSA, ISA, AA, PONY, etc. and the different rules can be very confusing to them.

The problem with the "not higher than... head" phrase is not that it changes what you call, but that it results in coaches complaining that the out you just called should be a foul tip because the ball stayed below the batter's head.

Except for near-TWP situations (e.g. catcher standing at the TOP), the phrase is irrelevant and does not come into the equation at all.

And of course, for those of us who have actually worked Dixie softball before, we know exactly how goofy their rules can be. (You know, the dropping a flag, and all that other stuff.)