Un-noticed Fair Ball
 

Had a strange little play the other night with two high school teams in need of much improvement. No one on base, working the plate the batter nubbed the ball downward onto the plate and it was dribbling off the plate when the catcher fielded it on the edge of the plate. I had stepped out from behind and was looking across the plate down the 1b line. I signaled fair. My partner and I apparently were the only ones that noticed. The batter stood in the box, the catcher threw the ball to the pitcher. For several uncomfortable seconds we stood there before someone yelled and the pitcher threw the ball to first base. Now finally the question. What should be done beyond standing there in position for the play at first and waiting. How long to wait if no one gets the point that we have a live ball. Repeat the fair signal several times? ....what to do. It may not happen again to me for 10 years or it could happen this weekend.

That's what I'd do. Some coach or player will eventually notice.

Take a couple steps up the 1B line in foul territory and without saying a word, emphatically pump you arm toward fair territory.

:eek: I had this happen and when I did not get behind the catcher, the defensive coach came out and I motioned him back into the dugout. At this point he started yelling and I ignored him. The offensive coach came out and I motioned him back into the dugout. At this point the pitcher woke up and threw to F3 and my partner called the batter-runner out. The OC came out and asked for time and an explanation of what happened. I explained that the batter was out because he did not touch first base before the ball got to F3. The coached asked a couple of other questions and I finally said "Coach the ball was hit fair and the batter became a batter-runner and was required to go to first base" I don't think the coach ever did understand.:o

I had someone who told me this exact same play happened to them just a few days ago. (He had phoned me to ask my opinion on how I would handle it.) I said the same thing that's been posted in this thread: I would pump my hand fair and become more demonstrative until it sank in.

It's funny that I've never had this happen to me in 25+ yrs. But I've heard of it happening a handful of times just in the past week! Oy!

Would layman terns have worked better?

I agree.
You just had a strange play...give him a simple uncomplicated answer.

I had this happen once. Right handed batter dribbles one on the plate, ball comes to rest in the upper corner of the other batter's box in the fair territory part, and catcher picks it up, she had no clue what to do, but she threw down to first to try to nab the runner on first who was leading off (no clue why she would do this if she felt it was foul...)
This whole time, IM pumping my arm fair
first baseman takes the ball while off the bag, does a casual tag on the runner and "accidentally" steps on first afterwards with the ball. Batter-runner is still at home plate, I announce loudly, "double play!".

Coach comes out asking why a hit ball landing in a batter's box can be fair, and I point to where the ball was, he takes a look, and realizes his mistake. He figured the rest of the play out on his own. Earned a lot of cred with the coach, he ended up calling me to call a bunch of his games later on...

Thanks for jinxing me on this one.;) I had almost the exact same situation happen in my morning varsity game. No drama after the defensive team realized why I was stanking there pointing fair.

That sounds like a problem that could be easily addressed! :D

Most typos have an easy explanation i.e. the keys are close enough to fat finger. I have no earthly idea why that one happened other than I had to pop a tramadol after three games behind the plate.

yeah, that's right. D and K are close together on the KeyboarD. ;)

Shouldn't that have read "DeyboarK?" :D