under fence base award
 

We played our HS State tournament these past 3 days. Here is a question. We were using fields with collapsible portable fences. There was some gap under different places of the fences. Nobody on base. A fly ball was hit to the outfield, the fielder ran to the fence to try to catch the ball. The ball deflected off her glove and went under the fence. Is this a 2 base award from TOP just like it had never hit her glove, or is it a 2 base award from the time it happened? The batter/runner wasn't to first when this took place but in certain situations it could come into effect if you rule on when it happened instead of TOP. It was a hit ball so I think it should be from TOP. By the way, I got the assignment of PU on our second highest class for the championship game. We worked 3 man for the entire tourney and it was a blast. Dave

From your description, I would have an uncontrolled, fair, batted ball that went into dead ball territory. Two base award from TOP.

That particular situation is not covered by the NFHS book (nor ASA). A close rule is 8.4-3h (ASA 8.5-i): a fair batted ball deflects off a defensive player and goes out of bounds in foul territory. Dead ball, runners advance 2 bases TOP.

If I had the call I would use the "intent" of that rule and apply it to your OP. (Invoke the "god" rule 10.2-3g)

WMB

There is a rule change proposed to correct this situation for ASA this year.

a HS state tournament on a field with a collapsible portable fence?

strange .... what state?

Nebraska

Why is it strange? Better than many HS fields in my area where there is no fence.

We just did our State Tournaments here in Oklahoma. We are lucky, we get to play ours at Hall of Fame Stadium. There's a certain mystic about calling on the main stadium field!!!

I was selected for 1B for the 5A Final.

That is a great place to work. But to be honest, when you are on the field, you don't even realize where you are working, it is just a game in front of you like any other place.

The only problem I have with the stadium is the phone. You would think with all the technology they have put into that stadium, they could put the phone box on a backstop support pole. Even my deputy who is all of 5'2" (maybe) has to bend over to communicate with the press box. I do understand, and I'm sure someone could verify, in the last couple of years they replaced the standard desk-top cradle phone with a Princess :D

I've been lucky enough to call several HS Championships there. I still get goosebumps when I walk out there. Granted while play is going on it is just another field. But, between innings when you are looking around you can't help but think about the people who have been there in the past. Everyone should be able to call a game there.

The phone system is a pain and sure needs updated!!

Up here in WA too for most of our state tournament games. Nothing wrong with that...heck, we are just happy it isn't raining!

Strange...down here all but one of my regular season schools had a permanent fence.

We have the state championship games at OSU, which, as you might guess, has a fence (Games before the finals are played at the individual schools).

As far as rain, this last season was easily the worst in a decade from what I hear. We were lucky enough not to have any playoff games rained out.

Our fields do have permanent fences, only problem is that they are set at 280'
The fields are used for more than girls fastpitch. The portables go up when they play. Dave

Texas plays its state champioships at McCombs Field at the University of Texas in Austin. It is a great venue for this. http://www.utexas.edu/maps/main/buildings/sbs.html

In AZ, the first two rounds of the State Tournament are played at the higher seeded schools fields.

From then on, it is mostly played at one of our 6 field complexes here in Phoenix. 2 of the fields have been built within the last 5 years and are for FP only with permanent fences at 200'. The other four fields are multi use (FP and SP) and have permanent fences at 300'. When those fields are used, the portable fences are up.