ASA 2003 umpire's exam, question 50

[greymule]

The answer has to be c. ASA "clarified" the rule last year, and an ambiguity arose where 8-2-M-c said, "On . . . an errant throw pulling the defense into foul ground, the defense and the batter-runner can use either the white or the colored portion."

Many people thought that gave the fielder an extra-long base to use, so ASA had to issue a clarification. This question is undoubtedly included on the test to put that issue to rest.

A guy around here once beat a parking ticket because the judge agreed with him that "12 p.m." was ambiguous. The parking sign read, "No parking 8 a.m. to 12 p.m." and the township meant 8 a.m. to midnight. Though the sign was technically correct, the guy made a case for 12 p.m. being noon. (What do you think, Roger?) So I suspect somebody might beat a parking ticket on a legal ambiguity like the ASA test's "foul territory," too, but I doubt that ASA was digging after that technicality.