Ground Rule

[Az.Ump]

12.3.5 Home plate. The batter is awarded home plate with no liability to be put
out:
12.3.5.1 When a fair batted fly ball strikes the foul pole above the fence level
or leaves the playing field in fair territory without being caught, touching
the ground or going through the fence even if the ball is deflected by a
fielder.

Paul

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by Az.Ump

12.3.5 Home plate. The batter is awarded home plate with no liability to be put
out:
12.3.5.1 When a fair batted fly ball strikes the foul pole above the fence level
or leaves the playing field in fair territory without being caught, touching
the ground or going through the fence even if the ball is deflected by a
fielder.

Paul

BretMan was referring more specifically to the actual placement of the foul pole, not any rules regarding how the foul pole affects play.

The foul pole is just one of those things that is "assumed that everyone understands."

[shagpal]

if the poles are not fully erected upright, then the poles may possibly be erectile dysfunctional and should be considered impotent and unsuitable for play, and put away.

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp

BretMan was referring more specifically to the actual placement of the foul pole, not any rules regarding how the foul pole affects play.

The foul pole is just one of those things that is "assumed that everyone understands."

[BretMan]

Originally Posted by Az.Ump

12.3.5 Home plate. The batter is awarded home plate with no liability to be put
out:
12.3.5.1 When a fair batted fly ball strikes the foul pole above the fence level
or leaves the playing field in fair territory without being caught, touching
the ground or going through the fence even if the ball is deflected by a
fielder.

Paul

I understand all that. My point was that the above rules assume a properly placed foul pole. With respect to NCAA rules, the foul poles in the first post do not adhere to rule 2.11

**Edited to add: Now, let me beat myself up a little before anyone else gets the chance to. My first reading of the OP led me to believe that the coach claimed the foul poles were not just in fair territory, but in live ball territory- that is, on the inside of the fence. After reading it again, that isn't clearly the case.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by BretMan

My first reading of the OP led me to believe that the coach claimed the foul poles were not just in fair territory, but in live ball territory- that is, on the inside of the fence. After reading it again, that isn't clearly the case.

That is an understandable assumption because I cannot see any other reason a coach would make such statement.

I'm guessing that the statement was made because somewhere along the way a visiting coach argued that a HR wasn't a HR because the ball hit the foul pole which wasn't beyond the fence and convinced the umpire to rule as such.

However, the manner in which the rule reads, any batted ball which hits the foul pole above the fence line is a home run.