Ground Rules ?
 

ASA Sp. The games are in a park that have trees that overhang onto the field. The branches make it to fair territory. The branches are about 250 feet from home plate so they can come into play, haven't so far but very easily could. Any suggestions, short of trimming them myself, about how to handle this ?

My thinking is ball hits the tree I have a dead ball and then come up with either an out or the appropriate bases ?

I'm thinking it's a two-base award.

Oh, let me clarify that... If it ends up going out of play, I'd give a two-base award. If it stays in play, and the fielder catches it before it hits the ground, then it's a live ball, but not a catch.

I'm guessing I'm misunderstanding your reply.

Fly ball to the tree branches. left fielder gets under it. the ball hits a branch, fielder catches it . It's a live ball but it's NOT an out. I'm thinking thats gonna cause a lotta unnecessary grief for me.

Why? It would not be an out if it hit the ground first, would it?

How it will be handled should be discussed completely at the plate meeting as part of the ground rules. If explained there, there should be no issue during the game.

Although at 250' out, I'd probably just suggest keeping it simple - ground rule double, dead ball.

I 2nd Dakota's .. and that is what is probably the expected ground rule from the teams.

Simplest manner in which to deal with this issue is to play the tree as if it were a wall.

I assume the trees are large ones and the limbs are above the fence even thought they overhang. Why not call it a HR? If the trees were not there the ball would have left the park.

Key though is to cover it clearly in the pre game meeting.

I have seen fields that have trees overhanging in foul ground and the ground rule was always foul ball if ball contacted limb even if caught. Not fair to hitter to blast one back foul(that is going out of play) catches a limb a bounces back to fielder for an out. Of course unless the hitter planted the tree!!

The ball is still considered "in flight" so long as it doesn't touch the ground or "any object or person" other than a defensive player. Well, if it hit the trees, it hit an object. Same thing goes for if some poor bird gets hit mid-air. Even though the bird was 80' above the ground, it's the same as hitting the ground. "Sorry, fellas, but I didn't write the book."

Years ago, I used to call in a league that had no fences. However, on one of the fields, there was a set of football bleachers in centerfield. It took a pretty decent poke to hit the bleachers, but some of the kids could do it. If it bounced into the bleachers, we ruled it a ground rule double. Hit on the fly, and it was a home run.

Then how can it be fair to the defense if a ball hits a branch hanging over the fence and then goes over the fence for a home run?

You certainly are not going to get out to the fence to make that determination.