NSA Rule Interpretation re: Intentionally Dropped Ball

[7in60]

Originally Posted by BretMan

For all other baseball and softball codes, an intentional drop requires the fielder to actually contact the ball. The addition of the phrase "or lets drop" leads me to believe that they're talking about something different than making the catch, then dropping the ball, or guiding the ball to the ground or letting it hit the glove and fall. It seems that the "lets drop" in this context must mean "allows the ball to drop untouched".

Yes, this is an exceedingly rare call- perhaps the rarest one we will ever have to make on the field. I have made it once in a ten year span, in an ASA slow pitch game where it was so blatantly obvious anyone could call it.

Of course, the players in the game were incredulous, convinced that I was just making stuff up!

I can see this happening - player sets up to make a basket catch, maybe even squats, and pulls his glove away at the last second.