Play

[CajunNewBlue]

Originally Posted by wadeintothem

While I agree there could be an expectation that a defender go *poof - I guess the hang up would be a time frame as applied to a fielder being considered in the act of fielding a batted ball.

Once the ball is past the defender on the muff - are they still protected at all and/or for how long?

This is not a deflected ball scenario - so just in general.

.5 second? no seconds? 1 second?

The fielders body is immediately in the postion after the muff in this case correct?

So since they were unsucessful in fielding the ball they are considered to not be in the act of fielding it?

I'm not so sure.. but interesting discussion.

ok, if im robbing you (im in the act of) if ive already robbed you or at least tried and that event ended (its something different)
no? (probably because you've shot me )

[wadeintothem]

Originally Posted by CajunNewBlue

ok, if im robbing you (im in the act of) if ive already robbed you or at least tried and that event ended (its something different)
no? (probably because you've shot me )

If a defender dives for the ball and misses, landing on the ground and the runner has to jump over that defender - the call that is being adocated is OBS -

I have a no call on both cases. I still consider this type of issue as "act of fielding a batted ball"

[Dakota]

Problem is, wade, NFHS does not use the phrase "act of fielding a batted ball." They use the phrase "making the initial play on a batted ball" and they define what that phrase means:

Initial Play. A fielder is considered to be making an initial play on a fair batted ball when she:
a. Has a reasonable chance to gain control of a ground ball that no other fielder (except the pitcher) has touched.
b. Has a reasonable chance to catch the ball in flight after it touches another fielder.
c. Fails to gain control of the batted ball and is within a step and a reach (in any direction) of the spot of the initial contact.

[Dakota]

BTW, I just noticed a loophole in the initial play definition: It apparently is not an initial play to attempt to catch a ball in flight that has NOT touched another fielder!

[CajunNewBlue]

Originally Posted by Dakota

BTW, I just noticed a loophole in the initial play definition: It apparently is not an initial play to attempt to catch a ball in flight that has NOT touched another fielder!

d@mn NFHS... lol

[wadeintothem]

Interesting differentiation,

I'm at work and without a rule book and since I'm not working HS ball this year I have not studied up on NFHS --

It seems in NFHS's effort to write it a different way, they (IMO inadvertantly) change entire interpretations.

This is the same thing as leaving "play" out of interference.

I still got a noncall, if I'm on the field right now, and i guess the wrong call.. but I'm not calling OBS on a fielder in the immediate act of fielding a batted ball.

The ONLY reason step and reach is an issue ever is because the fielder is relocating, conceivably into a new new path, and receiving further/extra protection -

To me, since deflection is not the issue - the fielder still in the same position immediately after the miss (ie a dive, or bending over whatever - still in the immediate act - although ultimately unsucessful) that is still fielding the ball.

Since NFHS is not interested in "fielding the ball" I suppose I should bow out of the discussion and leave it to you NFHS gurus.

[topper]

c. Fails to gain control of the batted ball and is within a step and a reach (in any direction) of the spot of the initial contact.

This seems to support Wade's case. If this is an exact quote from the rule book, it makes no mention of the position of the ball, just the fielder. Interesting.

[Dakota]

c. Fails to gain control of the batted ball and is within a step and a reach (in any direction) of the spot of the initial contact.

Originally Posted by topper

This seems to support Wade's case. If this is an exact quote from the rule book, it makes no mention of the position of the ball, just the fielder. Interesting.

Interesting; I hadn't noticed that, but I suspect it is an editorial error, similar to the one in b. Notice the wording in the NFHS Case Play dealing with this rule:

INITIAL PLAY
2.47.3 SITUATION A: With R1 on second base, B2 hits a ground ball to F6. The ball deflects off of F6's arm and lands (a) one step in front or to the side of her; (b) one step behind her; (c) more than one step behind her; or (d) more than one step in front of her. In all situations, as F6 attempts to make a play on the ball, R1 makes contact with F6, preventing her from getting to the ball. RULING: In (a) and (b), the ball is dead and R1 is out for interfering with the initial play on a batted ball. In (c) and (d), since F6 is not within a "step and a reach" of the ball, F6 is guilty of obstruction for impeding R1. (2-36; 2-47-2; 8-4-3b; 8-6-10a)